Why Indecision is Unhealthy & How to Combat It

How Indecision Affects Your Insurance Agency

Is it a big deal? Can it be counterintuitive to your goals? I don’t know? Maybe? Eh?

The answer is YES.

Indecision can be a major roadblock for your agency when you decide your current processes and solutions just aren’t cutting it anymore. In terms of technology, it can be when you realize your agency management solution isn’t facilitating the growth you’re desiring or helping you achieve the goals you’ve set forth for your agency.

So yes, indecision is a big deal.

The Causes of Indecision

Author Robert Adams identified these 6 reasons as the cause of indecision:

1. Paralysis by analysis—basically our inability to make a decision because we’re so busy overanalyzing the options. With new technology, this can be a serious hurdle, but remember, you eventually have to make a decision. Check out our free downloads section to help you research and make the right choice for your life and health insurance agency.
2. Limiting beliefs—the feeling of being “locked in the past” or whole-heartedly committed to something you’ve always known. It’s the fear of the unknown. This is a major cause in technology indecision in the insurance industry today as many agencies are changing to an agency management system (AMS) for the first time or truly using technology to benefit their book of business for the first time.
3. Distractions—in the insurance industry it’s easy to find distractions to help you delay the choice. Think of all the enrollment periods that take place throughout the year, then you have the holidays, then it’s recouping from the busy time, then it’s summer, and then it’s enrollment prep season again. The list goes on and on. But failing to make a decision because “you’re busy” is just a distraction and an excuse.
4. Laziness—learning a new software can be a lot, but once you learn it, you’ve got it! It’s just like learning anything else (how to drive, how to use email, how to use online documents, etc.) Simply saying “I won’t because it’ll be a lot of work” is the lazy way out and can even be a distraction! It boils down to the fact, the sooner you do it, the sooner you’ll see results. It’s just like building muscle at the gym, it won’t happen overnight, but comes with time and dedication.
5. Stress and anxiety—we’ll discuss this more in the next section, but it goes along with distractions and laziness. Indecision is a direct result of overanalyzing and getting yourself worked into a lather about the impending decision.
6. Lack of purpose—if you’re making a decision just to make a decision, indecision will be easier to come by. Have a purpose, a reason behind your decision. What are your S.M.A.R.T. goals and how does this decision affect those goals or help you reach those goals? How does the technology you’re choosing aid in your goal pursuing efforts and how will it positively affect your agency for the future?

The Harm in Indecision

First, to be clear, indecision is a decision.

When indecision loiters in our brain, it impacts our performance. Like computer files launched and left open, the speed at which our computer (aka brain) is able to process dwindles. Performance suffers.”

—Jackie Nagel

When we choose not to choose, we start to lose confidence in our ability to choose, thus we lose confidence in ourselves. This creates the illusion that we’re incapable of choosing and pushes us to second guess ourselves more in the future.

In addition, the lack of choosing creates confusion and unneeded stress that bogs you down. This stress then builds upon itself, causing a deluge of negative emotions which weigh down our minds, ensnare our productivity, and ultimately stress us out even more.

As an agency owner or CEO, this doesn’t bode well. You want to present a strong front to your agency that shows you’re capable of making the hard decisions.

Overcoming Your Technology Indecision

Change is scary, it’s true, but it doesn’t have to be debilitating. Change can also bring new opportunities—it just depends on how you look at it.

Follow these 5 steps to help you make the right agency management system decision for your agency:

Identify your agency's pain points & goals

Identify your agency's needs (and wants!)

Research your vendors

Select a system

Manage the change

All of these are really important steps to take to help you make the right decision for your agency and not feel buyer’s remorse. The key is that you’re taking the time to deep dive into each and every one of your technology options to ensure the decision you’re making is the one best suited for your agency.

Another key component to this process is involving others. Use a group to help you decide which option is the right one for your agency. Gather input from the different departments and set aside time to have full discussions with everyone involved.

To help on the buyer’s remorse front, focus in on Step 5: Managing Change. Managing change is the process by which you prepare your whole agency for the coming change and what that means.

It involves setting up processes and appointing internal experts to ensure the process goes smoothly all around. Having these processes and plans in place can really make a world of a difference once you start implementing the new agency management system. Plus, it can significantly help with employee buy-in which, in turn, can significantly impact the success your agency finds with the new system.

Indecision is a decision

Indecision is the decision to remain in limbo when you are fully aware that a decision should be made, and made in a timely manner. As a decision maker in the progress and growth of an agency, your purpose is to aid that progress and growth. Understand your role and don’t let indecision cripple your purpose.  

“You will never be indecisive if you know your purpose.”

—Lou Holtz

This blog was originally published on January 31, 2017 and updated on June 4, 2019.