Lifelong Learner
When I look around our industry to successful producers and insurance professionals, I see a common theme: Those individuals are lifelong learners. These professionals who adopt a lifelong learning mindset have access to information and use it to collaborate with others. Learning professionals also view mistakes and challenges as part of the learning process rather than as failures. I think lifelong learning is a habit many of us would like to master. Ongoing skill acquisition is critical to persistent professional relevance. As Brian Tracy said, "Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it."
Formal education levels are often linked to higher earnings and lower unemployment. For me, learning has always been fun and engaging, especially when it comes to new topics. Having options of interesting topics at your disposal when speaking to colleagues and clients can boost your confidence. It’s fulfilling to understand a difficult subject … like insurance. This type of continuous and persistent learning isn’t merely a decision. It must become habit, and having the educational resources to obtain that higher level of professionalism requires careful cultivation, which our Missouri Association of Insurance Agents can offer. In addition to the availability of resources, there are steps to consider when developing learning habits.
First, articulate the outcomes you’d like to achieve. Are you looking to master a specific subject or make sure you’re up to date on one or two areas at your day-to-day work? Do you want to earn a professional designation? Programs like the Risk Specialist Series take an in-depth look into different niche markets. MAIA’s E&O Loss Control Seminars teach valuable information on practices that will help you avoid E&O claims, and they also help you qualify for a credit on Westport, Utica and Allianz E&O policies. Both the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designations are premier, proven sources for practical, real-world education. Picking one or two outcomes will allow you to set achievable goals to make the habit stick.
Based on those choices, set realistic goals. They will take the form of objectives you would like to achieve over the course of the year and daily or weekly habits you will need to cultivate in accordance with those goals. These goals turn a vague desire to improve learning into a concrete course of action.
With goals in hand, develop a plan and a learning community. What better learning community than the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents? The association will keep you on track for your goals. You will meet new colleagues from the insurance industry while participating in the programs. MAIA also offers on-site training at your agency or another location of your choice. You and your staff can learn in the comfort of your own surroundings because we'll come to you! These formal classes or designation programs will add depth to your exploration of insurance. These communities increase your knowledge and make learning more fun.
To focus on your objectives, you need to ditch the distractions. Create capacity for learning, define what you need to abandon and what you need to change to ensure you have time to develop yourself. Learning is fun, but it is also hard work. The educational opportunities at MAIA are challenging. We all have a tendency to multitask, and technology can make the concentration needed for real learning particularly difficult. Set time aside for learning and minimize the interruptions if possible.
But who says all technology is distracting? Use technology to supplement learning when appropriate. MAIA offers high-quality webinars for P-C, L-H and ethics CE credit. No exam is required; CE is based on attendance. Podcasts, audiobooks, e-readers and other tools make it possible to have a book on hand almost any time for additional fun insurance reading. Combine these tools with the tracking of your habits, and technology can be an essential component of a learning routine.
Also do not miss the opportunity to learn from challenging situations. The army has created a framework for their team to constantly review any events and projects with the intent of learning from actions sooner rather than later. The after action review (AAR) is a structured review or de-brief (debriefing) process for analyzing what happened, why it happened, and how it can be done better by the participants and those responsible for the project or event. You finish a project, and then you study it to determine what happened. We’re all born with a natural curiosity. We want to learn. But the demands of work and personal life often diminish our time and will to engage that natural curiosity. Developing specific learning habits with educational resources can be a route to both continued professional relevance and deep personal happiness. Let MAIA make it a bit easier for you.