What Life & Health Insurance Executives Learned From 2020 & How They're Applying It To The Future

Jim Morrison
President/CEO of Morrison Insurance Services

Jason Ferguson
Chief Marketing Officer for New Horizons Insurance Marketing, Inc.

Kathy Liguzinski
Owner of The Medicare Plan Store

Cord Moorhead
Director of Marketing Communications for Western Asset Protection

Lynn Schreder
Co-Owner of KHI Solutions

Adam Lewis
CEO & Co-founder of AgencyBloc

Solana Bottem
Vice President of Operations for Western Asset Protection

We encouraged everyone to develop a routine, get dressed, and treat working from home as they would being in the office.

—Jim Morrison

I really tried to keep things as close to normal as possible. For instance, we'd eat breakfast as a family; then, I'd be at my desk at 8 am. However, my wife also worked from home, so sharing an office could be a minor inconvenience—typically during phone calls or Zoom meetings. My daughter was six years old at the time and really liked having me home. During the lunch hour, we'd all eat together and maybe play in the yard for a few minutes. 

Overall, time management involved some self-discipline, but I'd try really hard to shut down at 4:30, just like I was in the office. It didn't always work out that way, but it felt like work is over; now it's time for family.

—Jason Ferguson

My day is mostly driven by meetings, so I have to schedule blocks of time to get stuff done during business hours. I try to maintain regular work hours. So, at the end of the day, I do my best to turn off my computer and spend the evening with my family.

—Cord Moorhead

During COVID-19, we moved to Zoom meetings because we could not meet face-to-face. It actually worked with most clients, but our meetings lasted longer. Of course, we still talk to them over the phone, but we use texting and emails more now. Working with an older age group, they still like the hands-on, personal touch. COVID-19 has forced the older generation to be more tech-savvy! 

We also use more Automated Workflows in AgencyBloc. We still snail mail a hand-signed birthday card to each client, and they LOVE IT! We get calls and emails thanking us. 

—Kathy Liguzinski

Throughout 2020, we were taking clients by appointment only and have recently gone back to accepting walk-ins. In the fall of last year, we leveraged Zoom to conduct our “face-to-face” Medicare meetings with clients. Our goal was to keep the same customer experience our clients have grown to expect from us.

—Lynn Schreder

Our company had already been testing out some remote and hybrid office/home-based schedules. At the beginning of the lockdown, we were able to transition our team to fully remote quickly. We had already been communicating with clients via phone, email, support tickets, webinars, newsletters, blogs, and blasts, so those communication channels didn’t change. The biggest changes we did see included:

• In-person meetings changed to Zoom or Microsoft Teams
• WAPCon, our annual 500+ live conference, changed to a virtual conference
• In-person supply requests changed to online ordering and no contact drive up fulfillment

—Solana Bottem

I really stuck to the same schedule as normal business hours. That worked best for my family and me.

—Jason Ferguson

We kept our normal business hours, but we were also VERY flexible, and we seemed to work on weekends and evenings much more during COVID-19.

—Kathy Liguzinski

For the most part, our company maintained normal business hours so we could continue to meet our customers' expectations. Now, that being said, a few members of our team were able to have a more flexible schedule to meet the needs of their families.

—Cord Moorhead

We used AgencyBloc to track all activities and tasks as well as all client communication.

—Jim Morrison

We have structured weekly meetings via Zoom and include an agenda to keep everyone organized. Meeting on Zoom has allowed us to “see” each other despite being in separate locations, which gave us a stronger feeling of being connected. Our main goal internally is to keep everyone communicating and closing the loop so we can continue to provide our agents and clients with the best service possible.

—Lynn Schreder

We use Slack extensively for communication. We have channels for each team, every project, and lots of ad-hoc 1:1 conversations. We’ve also been able to capture some of the in-office banter virtually in a “fun” channel.

—Adam Lewis

We ended up switching phone systems recently to one that is more robust and has a better mobile app. Previously, it was only our marketing team using Slack, but we brought most of the office onto it during the lockdown, and we still use it quite a bit.

—Jason Ferguson

Everyone is working a day or two at home. We are finding we all need to be in the office, but during slower times, we can take turns working at home one or two days per week.

—Kathy Liguzinski

Based on our business needs, and dependent on the position, we will be able to sustain a more flexible workforce with remote or hybrid schedules for a lot of our team and departments. We have set up our new workspace to have drop downs and shared desks with docking stations, and everyone in our company utilizes a laptop.

—Solana Bottem

Fortunately, we were pretty much paperless when COVID-19 began and used AgencyBloc as our CRM. With seven of us working in seven different places, AgencyBloc saved us with the ability to time-stamp when information was updated in our system. We all could see every activity, send workflows, and call clients in a timely manner because of AgencyBloc.

—Kathy Liguzinski

Our team utilizes a variety of systems to communicate with each other and our clients. Email, Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and phone all play a role in our day-to-day communications among staff members. We also invested heavily in an Online Quoting and Enrollment tool for the agents in our downline.

—Cord Moorhead

Shortly after going fully remote, we migrated to a more user-friendly and efficient VOIP phone system. We had already been using Slack, but obviously, the adoption and volume of activity and collaboration climbed significantly.

—Adam Lewis

When you're remote, you MUST learn how to use your software! For some people, this feels overwhelming, and I get it, but you can't expect someone to walk over to your desk to show you how to do something, where to click, and so on. Take a few minutes and click the buttons to see what they do!

—Jason Ferguson

While working remotely, I think it is very important to document your time with exactly what you are doing and what you have accomplished. Not only is it good for your employer, but for yourself knowing how you spend your time. COVID-19 has taught us to appreciate our time and each other.

—Kathy Liguzinski

As someone who has maintained a hybrid schedule for over a decade, I believe that keeping a consistent schedule is of utmost importance. It is difficult to maintain a good work/life balance if you don't know when to turn off the computer and transition to your home life. 

—Cord Moorhead

We encourage our team members who are working from home to try and keep work separate from home life. We suggest they spend lunch doing normal activities or taking a walk rather than sitting on the couch, doing chores they would otherwise do in the evening, or staying connected to their work. Maintaining a healthy distinction between work & personal responsibilities seems to alleviate the fatigue that can come from working remotely.

—Lynn Schreder

If possible, try to maintain a “work” schedule and routine in order to maintain a healthy work/life balance. I think it’s important to also rely on asynchronous communication (email, etc.) instead of filling up schedules with meetings. Our default is to schedule a meeting for everything, but one person can take the lead and draft an idea/concept/plan, and others can review/contribute without requiring a meeting.

—Adam Lewis

My six tips are:

1. Invest in the best router and internet speed you can afford. 
2. Set up boundaries for your work and home life whenever possible.
3. Stick to a schedule. 
4. Take your breaks and lunches outside of the office.
5. Shift to a standing/counter-height desk setup, if possible, so you can stand during meetings/throughout the day.  
6. Make time for human connection, virtual or in-person.

—Solana Bottem