Who's Thinking About Insurance Right Now?

First Denver Nuggets game experience - Post #4

I continue to love working at Progressive ... and I have plenty of confidence in our advertising geniuses ... but I sometimes wonder how certain promotions or advertisements can be effective.

Take for instance, the following signage at the Nuggets game.

I am certain the placement is more focused on the exposure to a TV audience than people at the arena, because who is thinking about insurance needs while at an NBA game?  I would guess that number is close to zero if not already there.  If not, I have to wonder who goes to an NBA game and finds themselves so lost in thought that they consider their insurance needs?


Song Of the Day:
I'm a pretty big fan of Jason Mraz's lyrical creativity, but some of his songs are more about the tune than just the words.  I'm featuring "Absolutely Zero" here, as my answer to the blog post title question, but it's a great song besides the fact that it fits nicely here.  Just because music is melancholy doesn't mean it has no place in my otherwise peppy and upbeat musical catalog.  Sometimes a brooding tune is just what you need to hear.

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How Do You Wear The Apron ?

Every year, Progressive sponsors a contest for employees where the selected winners are awarded an opportunity to travel to the Opening Day baseball game at Progressive Field in Cleveland Ohio.  The requirements to be selected as a winner vary each year.  This year's contest asks each person to answer the above Blog Post Title Question in 200 words or less.

I was extremely fortunate to attend Opening Day 2012 (our 75th anniversary year as a company) and now that I am eligible to attend again (every other year to make sure more people get the opportunity) I will be re-applying every year I can.

Here is my entry for this year ... wish me luck

In 1998, a young man left a promising career in retail to join a company he had never heard of before: Progressive.  There was no apron then.  Just a progressive company growing fast while changing everything anyone ever knew about insurance.

Fast forward to 2014; Notice that this not-quite-so-young-anymore man has an even more promising career at Progressive (and how grateful he is!)  There is an apron on his chest every day, as he dons one of his dozens of Progressive branded shirts.  But it runs deeper than that.  The Thread of Progressive flows through his veins and he could not be more pleased with this symbiosis.

This man and Progressive have grown together over these years and their influence on each other is unmistakable.

From the Blended, WFH, and Sales Academy teams he leads to strong performance success through application of the Core Values, to his support of our Diversity and Inclusion initiative through leadership in various ERG functions, this man and Progressive are linked.

So what does the future hold?  At least two things are certain: Progressive will continue to thrive and this man will grow old wearing his love for all things Progressive prominently on his sleeve.

 

 

Song Of The Day:

It is probably a BIG stretch to say that winning the opportunity to go to Opening Day 2014 would be "The Best Day Of My Life" but the song by American Authors is too good not to share as soon as possible.  This linked video version is super cute too, as it features the song from the perspective of a dog who needs to be adopted. 

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Where Is That Wind Coming From ?

This is a post specifically tailored to my co-workers at Progressive.  Those who don't work in our building are free to read on, but I can't promise you'll be able to relate as well.

Has anyone else noticed that the hallway between the South Building and the annex / cafeteria / atrium area is like a wind tunnel?

In the office where I work, we have two main buildings that are connected by a third building or annex.  As you walk down the hallway toward the annex there begins to be a draft of air pulling you toward the annex doors / entry way.  This is an interesting phenomenon to me.  I am certain there is an easy mechanical explanation to this (I know there is a forced air heating/cooling system in both of the main buildings, so logic suggests that some of that air would make its way to the annex).

I just think it also makes for a really cool "I'm in a music video" kind of windblown hair look for the ladies in our office.  As long as you're walking away from the annex that is.  :)


Song Of The Day:
Could the song today be anything other than "Windy" by The Association?  I think not.  Another great band name too!  Except this one sounds like the title of a John Grisham or Stephen King book.

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What Did You Think The Job Was ?

I conducted an interview yesterday for a potential Sales Representative at our call center.  The gentleman inteviewed well and so I took him to shadow (sit with) one of our strong sales reps so he could observe the systems we use, the flow of calls, and see the work environment (cubicles, phones, etc.) that would likely soon be his day-to-day work world.

Fifteen minutes later, one of my peers (who is known for being a prankster) comes to my desk in a bit of a panic and says "I'm about to walk your candidate out."  I asked why and he stated "I'm not sure but he just took his headset off in the middle of the call and then told the shadow rep 'I can't do this.  I need to leave.' so she came and got me."

As it turns out, this man had worked in an insurance call center before for 5 years.  He did not like that job or environment and just didn't want to do it again.  I respect the decision and his willingness to recognize it and act on it so abruptly ... but ... how did he not know that's what we were hiring for?


Song Of The Day:
I have conducted interviews for Progressive for well over a decade now, but I still feel a little down when the candidate isn't a good match for our company and culture.  In honor of this job-searching soul, here is "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2.  I hope you find it soon ... but maybe don't waste your time interviewing if it is similar to job you previously did and disliked.

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Movie Night At Work ?

I really do love where I work!

At least once per year, for the past few years anyway, Progressive has sponsored an outdoor movie presentation in the courtyard between our North and South buildings.  There is always lots of snacky food (cotton candy, popcorn, sno cones, sodas, etc.) and the movie being played on the big inflatable screen is a recent DVD release.

Obviously when my whole family comes that adds a LOT of people to the attendance sheet.  An amusing commentary on that is that our RSVP notification allowed room to list 5 guests per employee.  I joked with one of my peers at work about which kids don't get to come.  She offered a unique solution ... she signed up to bring my "other" kids (which I am sure looked amusing in the sign-up list).

The weather was absolutely PERFECT for the movie (we've had a lot of rain lately, but none tonight) and the leaders who staffed the various food and face-painting-type booths were all so kind and friendly.

Thanks Progressive for caring about my family and giving me a great chance to show them how awesome my employer is!


Song Of The Day:
I am afraid I may have featured the song "Movies" by Alien Ant Farm in a previous blog post.  That said, I love the tune and it fits with the post today so I guess we'll just have to accept a repeat viewing if that is the case.

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Is This The End ?

A little over a month ago, my manager asked for my input on an idea she was considering.  It involved me and a change in work priorities, including a change in team members that would be reporting directly to me.  After a little thought, I saw the benefits of what she was suggesting (benefits for myself, her, the company, the employees involved, etc.) and answered that I would support the changes if they went that way.  She promised to get back with me when a final decision was made.  Off I went, thinking little of it as I went about my regular responsibilities.

Fast forward to a few days ago when she called me into her office.  In a brief conversation, she outlined for me the schedule to actually implement the change we had previously discussed.  It is still a good idea, but it filled me with a very melancholy mindset.

On the plus side, this change will be a great developmental opportunity for me.  I will get the chance to demonstrate my organizational and leadership skills in a way I have not been able to do for many years.  I will learn new skills related to managing a larger team and a process that impacts our business on a much broader scale.  I will have the chance to improve upon things that are already going well, teaching and learning from many different and very smart people.

But ...

On the I'm going to miss this side ... I have many strong relationships with several employees who will no longer be working with me directly.  And they did not choose to have this change happen.  They did not get to share their input and agree to working with a new manager or supervisor.  And I feel some level of guilt or remorse for what seems like an abrupt end to a long-term (for many of them anyway) relationship.  Yes, they will benefit from coaching that is presented in a different style than mine.  Sure, this may help them make improvements that we struggled to make while working together.  But ... they didn't ask for this change, so I feel like I am just dropping them and leaving them to figure things out on their own.

I communicated this change today in our team meeting.  It takes effect on 9/1, so we basically have about a week to "say goodbye."  The reactions from the team were varied, with many I could never have predicted.  Some people are likely relieved (there are a few who may feel I have been unfair ... I am half glad that they will realize it wasn't me being unfair, but rather their poor performance - but I am also sad that their feeling of relief will be short lived).  Some people were a mixture of sad or angry.  Some misunderstood and wished me congratulations, as though I had been promoted.

I myself have not been able to really process how I feel about the change because I have been (and will continue to be) focused on the reactions of those impacted by this change.  I cannot win on all fronts (it's unrealistic to think my relationships will not change basd on this change), but I think my main hope is that my direct reports do not feel abandoned.  To ensure this goal is achieved, I plan to spend the next week almost exclusively with those team members who will be reporting somewhere else as of 9/1.  At the very least, I hope this allows me to find some closure and feel good about their future.


Song Of The Day:
Likely to be lost amidst this lengthy, and very personal, post is an amazing song.  The Boston University Bos-Tones sing about a "Comfortable" relationship between a man and a woman.  While this is not at all the kind of love I have toward my team members, the feelings of missing that comfortable relationship do a great job to capture my emotions around this change.  Despite knowing it is a good change, I think I will long for the comfort within our team for months or even years to come.

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What Was Your Goal ?

July is always mid-year evaluation time at Progressive.  This is a time when I, as a Supervisor (with about 22 employees who directly report to me) invest significant time assessing their individual performance thus far this year.  I am under the obligation to write a Performance Evaluation for each employee, providing ratings in about 5 or 6 major areas of performance.  I also provide an overall performance rating and then discuss these results with each person individually.  This last step often includes goal setting and very rarely, some revision to the evaluation I have put together.

I take these "check ins" very seriously.  My personal goal is for there to be absolutely NO surprises for these employees as they review what I have written.  I expect them to remember conversations we have had earlier this year and when they read their PE (performance evaluation), they should come away with two things: knowledge of their strengths and opportunities ... and ... knowledge that I am aware of and care about what they are doing in their role.

Without intending to sound prideful about it, I must say that it is always rewarding when I achieve these goals, which I have done consistently for the past 3 or 4 years at least.  There is something gratifying about being on the same page with an employee whose performance you are somewhat responsible for.  I say "somewhat" because ultimately it is always every employee's individual responsibility for their own results.  The Manager, Supervisor, Leader, or Boss merely influences and supports the employee achieving or exceeding their goals.

With that in mind, I have to say, I am often disappointed when I receive my own PE, especially around the mid-year time.  I have yet to report to a Manager who seems to put as much energy into this process as I do.  I have felt for the past several years (at least 3), that my PE was simply a box that needed to be checked off for my boss.  Even if the words that are written are generally positive and the ratings are accurate, I always hope for a brief recap at the start of my Manager's goal in writing what they did.  Am I supposed to be motivated?  Should I feel bad for failures or missed opportunities?  Is my performance headed in the right direction?

Sadly, the presentation of my mid-year PE today was NOT accompanied with clearly defined answers to these questions.  I am grateful for the opportunity to ask them directly to my boss next week, but I fear it will be a stressful couple of days until I can clarify the intent of her writing and ratings.


Song Of The Day:
It's been way too long since I last shared an OMD song, so here is "Was It Something I Said" from their best CD: Sugar Tax.  If you ever find yourself in a position where you are expected to judge performance and write about it on an individual level, may I suggest that you set expectations for your direct reports BEFORE delivering the evaluation?  From my limited experience, it makes a BIG difference!

BONUS - While pulling this song of the day, I came across a Mash-Up of this song and Rihanna's Pon De Replay.  Here it is, titled simply "Was It De Replay" ... what do you think?

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Just Another Day At The Office ?

I work as a Supervisor in a call center for an insurance company.  In many ways, it just can't get much less exciting than that.
Except ... we're not a typical insurance company, nor are we a typical call center ... and I am certainly not a typical Supervisor!  :)

Sorry I didn't get pictures of
the Big Wheel of Money

Today we had two Rep Rallies at an off-site location.  Employees were bussed about 15-20 minutes away to a convention center, which was set up with loud music and all kinds of "rally" signage.  Some business results were shared, but mostly the events were filled with exciting videos and of course the giving away of money to lucky participants in attendance.
Everyone that attended got some free stuff, like the lunch bag in the picture to the left.

I had the opportunity to get people pumped up on the bus ride over, with a good buddy of mine who also happens to be a Supervisor.  We did crazy chants, tested knowledge with trivia questions, and other silly stuff.

While this kind of event only happens a few times each year, it is one of the reasons I love my job and the company I work for.  It goes without saying that happy employees lead to happy customers, and I am so glad my employer gets that!  Thanks Progressive for getting it right almost all the time!

Song Of The Day:
I've recently passed the 15-year milestone of being with my company, but
"My Next Thirty Years" will likely be here as well, because it's a great place to work.  I know this isn't what Tim McGraw was thinking of when he wrote the song, but it certainly applies.  If you've got to put in 30 to 50 years in the workforce before retirement, you might as well work somewhere enjoyable!
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Has It Really Been 15 Years ?!

Today I celebrated my 15 year anniversary working at Progressive Insurance.  Of course I was on a family road trip driving cross country to Alabama, but in spirit I did think a little about my work journey over the past decade and a half.

It sure has flown by very, very quickly.

Me @ Progressive Field for
MLB Opening Day in 2012
(All expenses paid trip!)
*I was on the field for the
Opening Ceremonies

In March of 1998, when I first started work here, things were quite a bit different.  A few examples will highlight this pretty quickly:

- The Internet was pretty much brand-new still.  The dot-com craze had not yet begun, yet we had a Progressive.com website that already began to win awards.

- Progressive did not write auto insurance in all 50 states (NJ and MA were to litigious, and we had limited growth in FL and CA).

- Cell phones were just barely beginning to eliminate "pagers" as the popular hand-held device (PDAs were on the way ... what's a Smart Phone?)

- Popular advertising icons did not include Flo.  They were instead beer ads with frogs, horses, and silly frat-house humor.  In fact, you almost never saw an insurance commercial on TV.

My picture of most of my
Progessive gear (which
earned me the trip to
Opening Day 2012)

I actually only started with Progressive because I needed a more stable and steady income, since I was engaged to be married in May.  I only started in "Customer Service" because my other option was "AutoPro" and I thought that meant working on cars or something (it actually was the name of our sales department back then).  I could go on and on with stories, but they would have little meaning for anyone other than myself.  Suffice it to say, I am VERY happy that I applied and was hired all those years ago.  Thanks for 15 great years Progressive!  Here's to 15+ more!

Song Of The Day:

There are many different songs about time and how things change that could easily apply for this post ... but I've landed on "Time" by Hootie and the Blowfish for two reasons:

          1. I really dig the song.

          2. It's about time we have some Hootie in this blog!  :)

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Ever Get To Work From Home ?

I love my job.  Progressive is a great company to work for, but my specific role within the company is even cooler!

You see, I have not been feeling well all weekend (my weekend consists of Sunday and Monday) and when I woke up this morning I just knew I would not be able to make it into work today.  I also didn't really want to go in because I don't want to spread any germs, etc. if this is more than just a little nasal congestion.

Enter: my work laptop and some pretty cool technology.

I am sure for many people in this day and age, the ability for me to virtually logon to the network at work and complete a full day's work from the relative comfort of my own home office is not that impressive.  But for me it always is a blessing!

I met with my boss (talked on the cell phone about a few urgent matters), reviewed calls for members of my team, completed WBTs (web-based training courses) for our new main system, IM (instant message) chatted with over ten different people (some on my team, but most from other work departments), reviewed attendance, updated performance management info for two team members, coordinated plans around a schedule change for one of my team members, scheduled meetings and a host of other items.

All while sniffling and sneezing and trying to stay hydrated.

How cool is that ?!  For me, VERY cool!

Song Of The Day:
Once again, this is a bit of a stretch, but I've always liked the song
"Unbelievable" by EMF and it applies for today.  It is just quite unbelievable to me that I could complete a full day's work from my own home ... and for most that work with me, it was no different than my being in the office.

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What Do You Wanna Be When You Grow Up ?

We ask kids this question all the time it seems.  And they are so full of life and motivation and hopes and dreams.  The whole world seems open and available to them.  Even the sky is not the limit ... you can go beyond that!

Then something happens.

Dreams start to be distant memories.  Careers turn into jobs.  Aspirations become what-could-have-beens.  Goals get modified from grand to general.  Instead of running your own company you start planning to pay off a student loan (yours or your child's).

Even as we are progressing along the path to what we thought or planned to be "when we grow up," circumstances change and what we thought we wanted, turns out to be a bad goal.  Maybe "bad" is the wrong word.  Perhaps the goal is just no longer applicable based on experiences we've had that have shaped how we view the world and our place in it.

All this is just to say I've definitely felt that lately in my life.  Some might say it's a mid-life crisis sort of situation, but I don't know about that.  I am coming up on 15 years of time with my current employer (Progressive).  I'm very happy with the company and my role within it and the direction it is headed.  I'm not bored with my day-to-day work, nor am I actively (or even passively) seeking something different.  But I have had a large change in my career goals.  The role and position I felt like I was working toward doesn't appear to be what I thought it was.  The things I would have to give up to be eligible for and successful in that role are not entirely in harmony with my preference for leading and teaching people.  The odd thing is: I'm okay with that.

Time will tell what happens.  Perhaps the role I was seeking will become what I envisioned it to be.  Perhaps I will find that I no longer have the same passion for coaching and leading people so I will need to seek other career options.  Or perhaps I will remain in my current role for many more years and just find joy and happiness in it.  That doesn't have to be a bad thing.  It might be just what I should be when I grow up!

Song Of The Day:
I'm thinking "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones ... because I'm honestly happy where I am.  The line "there is no other place I'd rather be" sums things up pretty good.

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Are you guys hiring?

I got a call from my sister-in-law Tisne this evening, which normally never happens.  It's not that Tisne and I don't talk, just practically never over the phone.

The VERY moment I recognized her voice I thought "Why haven't you told her about all the hiring we are doing at Progressive?!"

Well, you will never guess what she was calling about ... really ... try and guess ... go ahead ... nothing?!

The Progressive Colorado Springs Call Center

Tisne has been working at her current job (in a call center that has horrible hours, mean managers, terrible training, and questionable quality) for a while now.  She doesn't really enjoy it but in this economy you take what you can get, right?!  Needless to say I was very happy to chat with her this evening about applying to work at Progressive (locally, a call center that has flexible hours, holistic leaders, comprehensive training, and a huge emphasis on quality care for customers).

Who doesn't know our current
spokesperson, "Flo" ?

I am very proud to say that

I love Progressive!  I love working there!  Sure we have our problems and issues (good luck finding a "perfect" workplace in this life), but for the most part I have been there 12 and a half years because it is a great place to work!  I will not bore you with the details ... but ... if you live in the Colorado Springs area and are not already working at Progressive, give me a call sometime (or send me an e-mail on Facebook) and I'll talk very candidly with you about why I love my job and company so much.

So tomorrow I will be refreshing my memory on how to submit an employee referral (for Tisne) and then giving her a call in the early afternoon to help her prepare for the interview(s).  Of course I cannot interview her myself, nor can I guarantee she would get hired or anything like that.  But I know she cares about her customers at her current job and gets most upset when she is not provided with the freedom to help them out.  That alone makes her a great fit for Progressive!

And the $500 bonus I would get if she is hired and works there for at least 90 days isn't bad either.  :)