Types of Cultures
Systems Culture
The systems culture is all about the brain. It is a more formal and structured workplace. Procedures, formal rules, efficiency, and organization are highly valued. These cultures are detailed oriented and the long-term goal is stability. In this culture, the agency will have amazing systems, and an in-depth training program for the team, yet, the agency owner can get stuck in the systems and reports. The owner is probably an extremely analytical and somewhat controlling person. They analyze every report and there is a system for everything, but in many cases, there is “paralysis by analysis.” The systems are all there, but something is missing. In this culture, the agency owner can be a controlling person, and does not give the team any autonomy. There is usually lack of commitment from team members. The team is usually scared to make any decision without the approval of the agency owner. The agency owner also has difficulty delegating tasks. It’s not up to their standards.
When the dominant culture of an agency is the people culture, the agency owner is usually all heart. This culture is a collaborate culture. It is like a family where the leader is a mentor figure. Human development and long-term commitment to clients and the team are the key to this culture. Within the agency, there is a family environment. There is loyalty between the team and the agency owner. There is teamwork and collaboration. But like a family, this culture can become dysfunctional. The owner becomes a parent-like figure, and professional boundaries are crossed. The agency owner can become a “friend” to the team, and then excuses and rescuing occurs. In the end, production goals are not met. The agency becomes more of a servicing agency than a producing agency. In addition, most people culture do not have a defined system. Everyone does their own thing which results in lack of consistency for the team members and the customers.
People Culture
Competition Culture
The competition culture is a compete culture. Competition, goals, targets and deadlines are the focus. Reputation and success are most important to this culture. This organizational culture emphasizes winning and beating the competition. These agencies and their owners want to be the star in their field. It is about the recognition and goals. The owners of these agencies are usually commanding and demanding leaders. They push their team. This culture can achieve amazing results for the agencies, but when this culture veers too much with the demands and win at no cost, there are times these agencies will face compliance issues and team member turnover. The team gets burned out and over-worked. Then, they seek employment elsewhere.
Although your agency will have a dominant culture, to have a truly successful insurance agency, you must have a mix of these three cultures, the systems, the people, and the competition culture. You will have to Wizard of Oz these cultures, and your agency must have a mix of the brain, the heart, and the balls (yes, you are reading this correctly! I said it! Women leaders can have enormous lady balls!). There will be one dominant culture based on your personality as the owner of the agency, but there must be a combination of these three cultures. You have to give the scarecrow a brain, the tinman a heart, and the lion some balls.
It is about getting the mix right for you and your team.
Be the wizard!
How many seminars or conference have we all attended where a successful agency owner is instructing us on his/her system for creating the perfect agency? How often can you take their system and completely run your agency the same exact way? The answer is never. Many times, we can incorporate one or two nuggets from these presentations and incorporate them into your agency, but it is never a duplicate of their agency. Why?
Because you are not that other agency owner. You have your own strengths and challenges. You are not their clone. In addition, you have different team members than they do with their own strengths and challenges.
No one will ever run their agency exactly like you, because they are not you. In the culture- based agency model, you take your strengths and create a culture that is based on you and your team. You work on the areas that will be a challenge for you, and you and your team continue the daily activities that will allow your agency to succeed. This culture and its success will be your unique mix.