April2015 by BIG Independent Group

by Jon Spaugy, BIG’s Chief Executive Officer

Try Googling Independent Agent There are plenty of online insurance aggregators. Websites like insureweb.com, onlineautoinsurance.com, carinsuranceonline, etc. have been promising customers they can search numerous insurance companies to find the lowest rates (sound familiar independent agents?). Heck, forward-thinking agents and brokers have been offering online quotes for years, too. We all know which insurance companies offer online quotes and sell directs. But now the latest industry buzz is about the 900-pound gorilla that has entered the room. Google’s quest for world domination will now include online insurance quotes. No, the tech behemoth is not developing its own insurance products, although that may not be far behind, according to some market watchers. As of press time (March 16, 2015), the Google site had 13 insurer partners, including Mercury, Infinity, and Dairyland, to offer quotes to prospective customers. The website stipulates that only quotes are offered. In order to obtain actual insurance coverage, a customer will need to contact the insurer directly.

Additionally GEICO and Progressive compris(ed) over 50% of all quotes submitted online. This data was for fourth quarter of 2010. In the same period.

Be proactive. Help yourself. Get involved.

So what to do? It’s really an old story wrapped up in new technology. Companies using the independent agency distribution system exclusively are fast going the way of VCRs and fax machines. Yes, they still exist, but who is using them?

According to an Insurance Journal article, using metrics such as website visitations and online quotes: “USAA.com led the way among the set of additional sites with 6.5 million visitors, followed

Come to a BIG meeting and see what others are doing to keep ahead of the curve and grow

Big Times Magazine | April 2015

Don’t sit there and complain.

“Aggregator All Web Leads attracted 6.8 million unique visitors to its sites. Its most visited sites were USInsuranceOnline.com (1.8 million visitors), GiveMeInsuranceQuotes.com (1.3 million visitors), and Discount-Car-Insurance-Rates.com (1.2 million visitors). CarInsurance.com (574,000 visitors) and InsureMeOnline.com (416,000 visitors) also attracted sizeable audiences.”

The fact is that insurance companies are for-profit businesses in business to make money. So are insurance agencies. And as the business becomes more competitive, agency owners need to be that much more creative. Offer other products to enhance insurance, presale as well as after the policy is signed. Get people in your door – literal and virtual – by offering them something unique or different. Something they need, whether they know it or not.

Is this something for independent insurance agents to be worried about? Well, most of the companies partnering with Google are already offering online quotes and/or direct sales. This is just another venue to hawk their wares.

by American Family (1.3 million visitors) and Mercury Insurance (686,000 visitors).”

their business. If you haven’t signed up for the BIG Convention in May, do it today! You will not find an array of new products and services available to the insurance professional anywhere else. Speak with vendors and insurance reps to find ways to bring in more customers. Talk with other agents and brokers about what’s great and not-so-great about the insurance industry.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR JON SPAUGY MANAGING EDITOR DON LUKENBILL ART DIRECTOR SAL AYALA The views of contributors to BIG TIMES Magazine are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the leadership or members of Big Independent Group.

5 Editorial | Big Times Magazine

by Stephen S. Santoro

he sub-prime and Alt-A mortgage bubble have caused HUGE havoc in financial markets. The economy has shown other weak sectors in the credit markets as a result. A recession can be avoided, yet when compared with the robust economic expansion of the past 236 years the correction that followed in 11.2007 seemed like a recession nonetheless. (One we have never recovered yet from.) I must ask: Who is charge? Who is watching? What kind of role should insurance and banking regulators play to ensure this fiasco never occurs again? And can they or will they safeguard us against current and future turmoil? Should one federal regulator manage global insurers in the USA instead of 51 individual state regulators and the District of Columbia? CITIGROUP, Bank of America, NT/SA and JP Morgan Chase, proposed the creation of a “superfund” called the “Master Liquidity Enhancement Conduit”. This fund is designed to buy mortgage backed securities (MBS’s), collateralized debt obligations (CDO’s) and collateralized loan obligations (CLO’s) from structured investments vehicles (SIV’s), most owned by CITIGROUP, BOA and JPM, who had invest-

ed in prime, sub-prime and Alt-A mortgages. I don’t see the need for this “superfund”. The banks, insurance and reinsurance companies involved who bought these securities (many allegedly rated by S&P, WEISS and Moody’s as AAA) still hold the capacity to meet their lending commitments and risk-based capital requirements. Further, this superfund would acquire only better quality mortgages of these SIV’s. I doubt this would entice or encourage commercial-paper holders of these SIV’s to continue to “roll over their paper” or continue lending to these SIV’s.

did anyone learn anything from 2008-2009? Stock prices of most world and global financial institutions (banks, savings & loans, insurance companies and reinsurance companies) fell sharply, many by 50%-90%. Volatility was high. Key commodity prices rose sharply. The US dollar continues to fell sharply. Some large countries were “de-linking” their currencies to the US dollar, something 1 year before that was unheard of. (They have ALL now restored their dollar/currency linkage and the US dollar is now one of the world’s strongest currencies, 9 years later. Reversion to the mean!

It appears the basic purpose of this superfund is to only delay the recognition of these losses, the accurate and proper pricing and the resultant write-offs and write-downs. The superfund neither resolves the core issue or mitigates the fundamental problems of the financial markets. Another measure is for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors aggressive easing of US monetary policy, by lowering the federal funds rate (the rate banks charge each other) or the discount rate (the rate the Fed charges banks who borrow directly from it). The Fed has lowered the federal funds rate and the discount rate, while injecting large amounts of cash reserves into the world banking systems. The Fed, in concert with other countries central banks went further by informing member banks that credit would be readily available, signaling their help for allowing banks to make and meet the banks commitments-including SIV demands on the banks credit lines. Major European central banks served up HUGE cash reserves, frequently to mitigate stresses. The Bank of Japan, which spoke of raising rates, abstained from raising rates. In spite of these efforts by monetary and insurance regulators, world markets remain stresses, shaking and very tense. Sub-prime and Alt-A mortgage transaction volumes are now on the strong upswing, even with the FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac buying in large quantities. Although these purchases are not as robust as in 2007 and prior years, it makes me wonder,

The US Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and all State Insurance Regulators did not come forward with solid solutions that limit future fiascos such as these bubbles we just witnessed. These folks have not upgraded their protocols to regulate the fundamental structural changes that have transformed markets in the recent decade. In an age of transparency, these global enterprises are really opaque. This issue has created fears, doubts and mistrust about the underlying strength of the markets and these institutions. A decade ago financial markets were not this complex. Today the are magnitudes larger, and filled with complex, new and arcane instruments. Risk taking-driven by quantitative (quant) models has become much more aggressive with greater scale. These structural changes, many if not most initiated in the USA, are gaining acceptance in ALL major world financial centers. We have created a highly securitized financial world that works well only if securities are priced CORRECTLY and not “marked to myth”. Weaknesses and failures in securities pricing, as we have seen, wreaked havoc in all markets. Investors, including me, have learned the “hard way” that not all assets are the same as to pricing, even if rated investment grade AAA. There is a HUGE difference to “marking to market” value US government securities and

agencies or large high-quality private-sector issues vs. lower quality issues for which pricing is done off models or some computer generate “matrix”. Fed Chairman Bernanke was asked once what information he would like that is not currently available to him. His answer, “I would like to know what these MBS’s, CDO’s and CLO’s are really worth. That episode (with sub-prime and Alt-A mortgages) has revealed a HUGE weakness in structured credit products.” Contrary to popular belief, DoddFrank has done absolutely nothing to protect the system for another shock like 2008-2009. NOTHING AT ALL. Giant financial intermediaries (banks, s&l’s, insurance and reinsurance companies) have all contributed this opaque environment in financial markets. Their activities span many sectors from consumers to business, trading to investing, securities underwriting to lending, proprietary (program) trading, insurance and reinsurance underwriting, real-estate brokerage, from managing billions of consumer or institutional dollars to consulting and advising. These firms global presence grows briskly every day, with many now garnering most of their profits from markets outside of the USA. Their sheer size, scope, scale and reach in financial markets worldwide is impossible to decipher from their published financial statements. Their reach is so vast and deep these behemoths are “deemed to large to fail”. And they are too big fail. Who or what can provide financial oversight, supervision and regulation THAT IS CURRENT, UP TO DATE AND AS SOPHISTICATED AS THEY ARE? Today’s regulatory environment is a historical artifact from an era when financial markets and companies were much more fragmented and insulated from each other. US state and federal regulators for various markets continue to oversee specific activities in financial markets. The elimination of “Chinese walls” that once separate securities brokerage, commercial banking, personal banking, invest-

7 Big Times Magazine | April 2015

Opinion | Big Times Magazine

ment banking, mutual funds, hedge funds, insurance, reinsurance and other businesses has made fragmented state and federal regulation obsolete. The Federal Reserve System and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) comes close to performing the role of “global financial guardian”. Their central missions are to implement policy (keep in mind the NAIC is a “quasi-governmental entity, whose strength comes from the 50 states and the District of Columbia’s Insurance Commissioners) that will encourage and sustain economic growth. But these tactics do not always work in concert with each. In fact they often work against each other. Officials acknowledge what to do when a financial bubbles burst, yet they lack the analytical capacity to identify a credit bubble in the making. How can these folks encourage economic growth, while at the same time restraining financial markets within proper limits? What is urgently needed is a new kind of regulator. This body will oversee the largest USbased financial institutions, banks, S&Ls, insurance companies and reinsurance companies, who engage in a broad on and off balance sheet activity I noted previously in this article. This authority would monitor and supervise these behemoths, assessing capital adequacy, loss reserves, soundness of their trading, underwriting and investment practices, their vulnerability to conflicts of interest, measure their stability and soundness, and make certain of their competitiveness. I am not advocating comprehensive supervision of most or all financial institutions. I do propose this oversight for the 20 largest and some who wish to be regulated as such, through this highly sophisticated regulator that would fill the much-needed regulatory void, given the vast reach of these dominant players. The 15 largest institutions in the USA have combined assets of $20 trillion. They dominate all areas of underwriting, trading, investment management, claims adjudi-

8 Big Times Magazine | April 2015

cation and financial management. These firms command an overwhelming position in derivatives and in many of the esoteric financial derivatives that have grown so rapidly in the past 10-30 years. For many smaller institutions the current regulatory and supervisory authorities should remain the same. I suggest this new entity be under the joint supervision of the Federal Reserve Board or Governors and the NAIC, due to their collective insights into market development and innovation. This new authority should report to Congress annually. In light of current and future globalization, other leading economies of the world should consider a similar or joint approach. Here too, few institutions would come under their supervision, jurisdiction and regulation in Europe, Canada, Asia and Australia. And the Financial Stability Oversight Council is NOT the answer. They answer to NO ONE. For the past 10 years many have asked for an alternative to state insurance regulation. A federal charter was discussed, with the insurance company or reinsurance company having the option of how it is regulated. I favored this option and champion it today. I now believe the same is necessary for all financial intermediaries as I describe above. Oversight by regulators must align with the rapidly unfolding developments in domestic and global financial markets. If we do not do this, the sub-prime and Alt-A mortgage crisis will be nothing compared to what can happen to our credit, banking, insurance and reinsurance markets. I propose repealing in their entirety DoddFrank, the ACA and disbanding the Financial Stability Oversight Council. I further propose Congress and the Obama Administration designate 13 people (5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 1 Independent, 1 CEO from a very large insurance or reinsurance company and one CEO from one of the 4 largest USA banks to rewrite the statutes I suggest repealing. I suggest they be given 30 days to do so, with the standard

comment periods. I then suggest the House and the Senate approve the end product and that Obama approve the end product. Let’s start fresh and from scratch and try and fix these issues on TRULY BI-PARTISAN platform, once, for all and forever.

Thank you to Jon Spaugy and BIG for allowing my viewpoints. I’ll be back next time!

You decide folks!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Stephen Samuel Santoro is a former senior executive officer from 2 Fortune 200 Insurance Holding Companies. Both firms were/are traded on the NYSE Stephen’s background focused on reinsurance in both USA and tax haven venues. Stephen attended the University of UT from 1975/1980. Stephen has worked in the insurance business and related businesses since 1981. Stephen also has owned controlling interests in 3 managing general agencies in CA and GA.

Q&A: Jon Heim, Esq.

by Don Lukenbill

Harper & Heim Lawyers

Many people don’t think they need a lawyer until, well, they need one. When you do, it pays to get the very best. For any insurance issues, that person would be industry stalwart Jon Heim. If you have been involved with any insurance agents’ associations in the past two decades, you have heard of him, and probably spoken to him. For BIG, we have been privileged to have hosted Jon at several BIG meetings, as well as hear his legislative updates to close our annual convention. He has been a key contributor for many important pieces of legislation and regulations over his career, and is an in-demand source resource for agents and brokers across the state (and country). We are happy to have Jon be “of counsel” to BIG and look forward to continuing our partnership with him. In that spirit, here is some thoughts and perspectives from Jon Heim. BIG Times Magazine: We always like to start with a little background to let are readers better get to know who we are interviewing. Tell us what led you to a legal career and ultimately to a specialty in insurance law. Jon Heim: I really enjoyed an insurance law class at my law school, UC Hastings. At the time, I did not think of insurance law or regulation as a career. After I finished an externship with the Hon. Allen E. Broussard, Associate Justice, California Supreme Court, I went to work for Perona & Langer, a fine small firm in Long Beach. One of the first cases I was given became Heston v. Farmers Ins. Group (1984) 160 Cal. App.3d 402. In that published opinion, the Court of Appeal essentially held that a Farmers Insurance agent under the appointment agreement then used throughout California could, after termination of the agreement, reject contract value, keep his or her business and go independent in competition with Farmers and other agents. Lots of business came from that case. BTM: Besides insurance, what other specialties do you practice and how do they all tie together?

JH: I had a great array of firearms, nonprofit and real estate matters, originally coming from my lifetime avocations of hunting and shooting. Like insurance regulation, administrative procedure governs many of the disputes in these fields. Also, I frequently work in trust law, as an attorney or trustee. I handle all sorts of commercial contract transactions and trial.

Big Times Magazine | April 2015

Unlike many attorneys, I take cases through trial and appeal. BTM: Most commonly, what sort of legal help do agents and brokers need? JH: What agents may need is often different and more than what they contact me about. Many of the first inquiries to me arise from investigations by or contacts from insurance departments. Employment and trade secret issues appear all the time. Appointment terminations naturally provoke questions. I defend professional liability suits against insurance brokers and agents. I am repeatedly struck by the business disorganization of many insurance producers. By that I mean that they are not incorporated or that they don’t maintain their corporations or LLCs. Therefore their assets and liabilities are not as protected as they can and should be. BTM: What kind of advice would you give agents and brokers to avoid legal trouble in the first place? JH: Get incorporated. Call your attorney, or an attorney who knows insurance production, at the first whiff of trouble. Putting it off often eliminates options and increases costs.

BTM: We keep mentioning “agents and brokers” because there is a definite legal/regulatory difference between the two. In a nutshell, what is that difference? JH: It’s easy to state but sometimes difficult to apply to specific situations. Very generally, an agent represents the insurer in an insurance transaction, and a broker represents the insured. However brokers can be “agents”, or at least are fiduciaries, for some purposes, like premium transmission. Legislation and regulation over the past few decades have made the distinction easier to make in many circumstances. But it is still not as simple as it could and should be. BTM: How does being a “broker” or “agent” impact an agency? JH: At least on property and casualty personal lines, only brokers may charge broker fees. Brokers tend to have more markets, so that they are less dependent on a particular insurer or market for their income. Brokers’ rights to own and transfer their books of business, and the value of those books to buyers, are usually greater than those of agents. BTM: To which legal and/or regulatory issue are most agents and brokers most oblivious? JH: Two recurrent areas of misunderstanding are what insurance production activities require licenses, and how California wage and hour laws affect insurance production employers. BTM: Describe a scenario or two in which an agent or broker doesn’t think they need an attorney when they really do. JH: CDI calls for a meeting. CDI drops by impromptu. An employee complains about overtime hours or pay, or about meal or rest periods. BTM: You have been around many insurance associations in your career. What kind of role do you believe they should play in the industry? In other words, what are some characteristics of a successful association? JH: Indeed I have been counsel to at least four producer associations, and I am proud to be counsel to BIG Independent Group now. Education is an important association function. So is pooling of resources, as many insurance producers individually

lack the resources to pursue legal or regulatory challenges. I know associations generate appointment and business contacts. And of course, the meetings and conventions afford chances to unwind a bit while still moving business rocks forward. Many producers -- and I as well -- would be in much poorer positions without supportive, well-managed associations. BTM: What do you think a lot of associations spend too much time on, and what is generally not focused on enough? JH: Some associations tend to see insurers as enemies. Sometimes that is shortsighted. Producers can’t write business without insurers. Sometimes too much time is spent complaining and too little solving. Some associations leave the impression that they are all about parties or association executives. BIG Independent Group has none of these flaws. Among the many reasons I like BIG are that its perspective is fair and its advice practical. No one is sent to chase windmills. No one is feathering his or her own nest. BTM: Getting back to Jon Heim for a moment, if you could go back ten years and talk to him, what would you say? JH: Save more money. Maybe even invest more money. Pass by In’N’Out and Five Guys once in a while. BTM: Now flash forward to 2025, what do you want Jon Heim to say to you? JH: You may be wiser now than you were 30 years before, but you still have a long way to go. BTM: If you could sum up your personal philosophy in one sentence, what would it be? JH: Right makes might. BTM: Any final comments? JH: If you need Harper & Heim, we’ll be there. And thanks to all our clients for giving us your confidence over three decades.

11 Q&A | Big Times Magazine

n April 22, we will commemorate our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 45th Earth Day. According to Live Science (www.livescience.com), Earth Day got its start in the wake of the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s. After visiting the site of an oil spill near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1969, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin Democrat, envisioned a way to mobilize a grassroots movement to raise the profile of environmental issues, modeled after Vietnam War teach-ins. His idea spread and people held rallies in cities throughout the country on April 22, 1970. Earth Day may have been conceived in 1970, but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t truly go global until 1990. That year, more than 200 million people participated in environmental activities in more than 141 countries. Last year, it is estimated that more than 1 billion people participated in Earth Day festivities in 192 countries. The first Earth Day is credited, in part, for spurring the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). National Geographic quotes Senator Nelson as saying that within 10 years of the first Earth Day, 28 laws related to environmental issues were passed or modified in America. These included the passing of the Clean Water Act and improvements to the Clean Air Act.

Every year on April 22, Men, women, children, come together planting trees, picking up garbage, or even just promoting a healthy planet. It is common for schools or even entire communities to celebrate it for an entire week! In 2011, 28 million trees were planted in Afghanistan. In 2012 more than 100,000 people in China rode bikes to help save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions. In 1995 President Clinton presented Senator Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the founding of Earth Day. A bell made of coins donated by school children is rang by the United Nations on Earth day to celebrate and promote world peace. Homes and cars account for half of all American greenhouse gas emissions. Earth Day has a flag associated with the event known as the Ecology or Earthday flag. The flag has green and white stripes. A green field in the upper left corner has a yellow ecology symbol--an oval with a horizontal line through it.

Thanks to Cool Facts for Kids (http://www.coolfactsforkids.com) for some of the fun facts.

13 Fun Facts | Big Times Magazine

COME TO THE CONVENTION AND ENJOY DOWNTOWN RIVERSIDE

bviously you will be busy with the myriad of convention-related activities during the packed BIG convention weekend of May 1-3 in Riverside at the Convention Center Hotel, and just (re)connecting with friends and colleagues. But if you find yourself with a few moments to yourself, why not explore everything the Convention Center and surrounding area has to offer?

The annual Show & Go Car Show in Downtown Riverside will be held the same weekend as the BIG convention, so plan accordingly. Traffic will be challenging, to say the least.

First, we are happy to return to the Riverside Convention Center. You are invited to take advantage of the Convention Concierge Service that offers planning assistance and liaisons to help coordinate hotels, catering, transportation and other services. According to the Convention Center office, “We customize events to meet client needs. The Riverside Convention Center proudly prepares farm fresh produce and vegetables from locally sourced growers whenever possible. Our commitment to offering delicious, health conscious options for our vegetarian and vegan guests is demonstrated by an innovative partnership with Loma Linda University Health and presented in a Healthy Community Options menu.”

www.riversidedowntown.org/visitor-information

If you step outside on Saturday morning, you will find a charming farmers market to browse for fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, hummus, aged gouda cheese by Winchester Cheese Co., fresh baked bread from Old Towne Baking Co. and other specialty food items. The market is open from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. You’re encouraged to take your Farmers Market bounty and relax in the Convention Center sprawling open-air plaza, lawn and garden. Feeling more adventurous? Enjoy Main Street Riverside with unique boutiques, restaurants, pubs, micro-breweries, specialty dessert shops, historical monuments and landmarks, museums and art galleries. Nightlife is active here. Also downtown, the historic Fox Theater, now managed by LIVE NATION, brings with it top-quality entertainment. Of course, Riverside offers world-class museums, art galleries, performance arts, and other cultural activities that rival many larger cities. For a more pedestrian experience, University of California at Riverside is a prominent community member, and the college town atmosphere can be found at many campus-adjacent clubs and taverns. If you get a chance, it is well worth your while to walk over to the historic Mission Inn. The Mission Inn Foundation offers a 75 minute walking tour led by trained docents on the art, architecture and history of the Mission Inn. This is your opportunity to see parts of the Inn that are inaccessible to the general public based on hotel availability. Explore a labyrinth of gardens, towers, arches, and winding stairways that encompasses an entire city block.

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For more information on things to do near the convention, visit The Downtown Riverside Tourism website at

You may decide to extend your visit past the weekend and stay a while longer.

Career-Damaging Bad Listening Habits And What You Can Do About Them By Edward D. Hess, University of Virgina, Darden School of Business

Unfortunately, many of us are terrible listeners who’ve picked up bad habits in order to stay afloat in today’s fast-paced business environment. Read on to learn more about our worst listening habits and what can be done to fix them.

Thinking about your response before the speaker is finished. Most of us operate on autopilot much of the time. Our natural way of thinking is to confirm what we already believe, while our knee-jerk emotional reaction to new information is to engage in the three “Ds”: to deny, defend, and deflect in order to protect our egos. When it comes to listening, here too our natural tendency is to confirm and defend; we focus more on ourselves than the person with whom we are speaking.

oday, it seems “busyness” is the measure of success. We power through our emails, conference calls, and business lunches at breakneck speed. Unfortunately, all this frantic activity has taken a toll on our patience. The result is that we no longer stop to listen to one another—how can we when we’re all so busy and important? The trouble, says Ed Hess, is that the ability that’s getting lost in the shuffle is the very one MUST HAVE to be a viable player in today’s workforce—the ability to truly listen. “It used to be that the smartest guy in the room was the one who was constantly talking,” says Hess, a professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business and author of the new book Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization. “Not anymore. Now, the smartest guy or gal in the room is the one who asks the right questions and then truly listens to what others have to say.” In other words, the ability to truly listen is the most important 21st century job skill. As Hess explains in Learn or Die, it’s the core skill needed for the critical thinking, innovative thinking, collaboration, and real-time diagnosis and problem solving that only humans can do. And that’s important because it allows you to stay employed as technology takes over more and more jobs that people used to perform. “Whether you have a ‘blue-collar’ or a ‘white-collar’ job, the result is the same,” notes Hess. “If what you do can be transformed into a software algorithm, technology will be able to do it faster and better than you. What technology won’t be able to do in the near future is think critically and innovatively and emotionally relate to other humans. These abilities all require open-minded, non-judgmental, and non-defensive listening.”

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“Before the conversation begins, put yourself in a listening frame of mind with calmed emotions and a quiet ego,” advises Hess. “Listening requires concentration: Be present, in the moment, with an open mind. Take two minutes to get into the right frame of mind by taking some deep breaths and saying to yourself, Listening is not about me and Slow down. Don’t rush to conclusions. Seek to understand.”

Finishing the speaker’s sentence out loud or in your head. Today, we live in a constant state of “on to the next thing.” Our schedules are jam-packed, and as a result, we slip into survival mode, trying to move things along as quickly as possible, regardless of how important the interaction is. We stop listening and instead finish our conversation partner’s sentences in our heads. Of course, the downside is we don’t always get it right. “Again, we humans prefer to simply confirm what we already think,” says Hess. “And trying to complete someone’s sentences is one way of doing that. We start to think, Well, I’ve heard this a thousand times before. I know what he’s going to say. And then we zone out. But you will miss important details when you allow yourself to do this. Good listeners are people who actively listen with the goal of truly trying to understand what the other person is saying. Only after understanding and reflecting does a good listener thoughtfully respond.

Be aware that you’re making assumptions and inferences. And fight it by using exploratory questions to gain a deeper understanding of what the person is saying.”

Interrupting the speaker. Hess tells how when he was in school he would wave his hand ferociously while his teacher was still talking. He’d wave so ferociously that eventually she’d stop talking just to call on him. He learned to interrupt his teachers in order to be the first to give the right answer. He explains that it was his way of showing others how smart he was.

“Of course, we interrupt one another for a lot of reasons,” says Hess. “But many of them can be boiled down to our need to show how smart we are. Either we’re interrupting to correct the speaker or we’re interrupting to get to a key point before the speaker can. I had to work hard to change my behavior. I learned that others would not think less of me if I listened, waited until they were through talking, and reflected on what they said before responding. To the contrary, by listening, inquiring, and reflecting before responding, people saw that I respected them by listening. That made my meetings more productive and my relationships stronger.”

Letting your mind wander to think about something you think is more important. Multitasking has become a way of life for many of today’s professionals. But more and more studies are showing just how ineffective and unproductive multitasking makes us. So, remember that the next time you’re trying to think through one problem while you’re in a conversation about another one. “Go slow and reflect,” advises Hess. “Intentionally think about what the other person is saying. Do you really understand? What did he or she really mean? Ask her if what you believe you heard is what she meant. Listening is not a competitive process; it is a relational one. It requires exploring another’s thinking with an open mind.”

Interpreting the speaker’s message in a way that makes you feel comfortable or smart. Remember the three Ds—deny, defend, and deflect. Here again, they rear their ugly head. Good listening is not about you—it is about the speaker and trying to understand and relate to him or her.

Self Help | Big Times Magazine

“Let me reiterate,” says Hess. “Listening is not about YOU! It is not a competition. It is not about you showing how smart you are. It is not about you winning. And in fact, when you do make it about you, I think you’ll find you achieve the opposite. Instead of people thinking you’re smart, they think you’re rude, inconsiderate, and pompous. Listening is about you showing you care enough about the speaker to focus on trying to understand his or her view or situation.”

Offering advice before being asked. You might try to convince yourself that giving other people advice is a great way to show that you’ve heard them out and want to help them. But deep down you know that’s not true. Giving advice is really another way for you to validate your own opinions and make yourself feel smart.

“Maybe you think that a colleague or friend is sharing a story with you precisely because they want your advice,” says Hess. “Well, that might be the case, but chances are what they need more is for someone to hear them out, to truly listen to what they have to say. Never, ever offer advice before being asked.”

Sharing your own experience before fully exploring the speaker’s experience. Your experiences are your experiences. They do not match up to everyone’s reality. And in fact, in many cases, your view of the world will not even be accurate. It will be skewed by your preconceived notions and everything that you don’t know that you don’t know. “This is another situation where well-timed questions will serve you much better than talking over someone or trying to interject your way into the conversation,” notes Hess. “An effective rule to follow for breaking this habit is to always inquire before advocating and to always inquire much more than you advocate.”

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Defending yourself when receiving feedback. “Mr. Feedback” taught Hess how essential negative feedback is if you want to become the best in your field and the importance of pausing and reflecting rather than automatically defending, deflecting, or denying when you receive negative feedback. Hess writes that as he moved forward in his career, he realized how diffi-

Big Times Magazine | April 2015

cult it can be to get this kind of constructive feedback. “Rather than getting the kind of specific, constructive feedback that can help us improve our skills, most of us will receive guarded or politically correct feedback that is fairly useless in practice,” notes Hess. “Thoughtful and constructive feedback is a valuable thing, especially when you can foster your mindset to absorb and not deflect it, and it will only become more valuable as our workplaces become dominated by technology.”

Critiquing the speaker instead of their idea. Here’s another reaction we use to try to make ourselves look smarter rather than give the other person their moment in the sun. By critiquing a speaker instead of their idea, we’re really seeking to discredit them in order to invalidate their idea—hoping our own idea will, then, rise to the top. “Of course, this can also be a natural defensive reaction,” says Hess. “If someone disagrees with us, we attack them to try to even the playing field. But it’s important that you always critique the idea, not the person giving it. Listening in a business context should focus on the merit of the idea and the credibility of the data provided to support it. The person presenting the idea should never be on trial.” “Learning to listen well takes practice—lots of practice,” says Hess. “Grade yourself daily. Hold yourself accountable. If you are stuck on a bad behavior, seek out a good friend and ask them to help you uncover why you are having difficulty changing. When you work hard to improve your listening skills, you’ll become a better collaborator—a necessary skill for critical and innovative thinking and being successful in the 21st century.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Edward D. Hess is a professor of business administration and Batten Executive-in-Residence at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and the author of 11 books, including Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization, by Columbia Business School Publishing (September 2014).

Consumer Watchdog Group Wary Of Driverless Vehicles

Consumer Watchdog has warned the California Department of Motor Vehicles that it must not allow Google and others with a vested interest in developing driverless vehicles to push the DMV into issuing rules regulating the public use of robot cars on highways that are inadequate to protect public safety. “Most importantly, a driverless vehicle must allow a licensed driver to assume control when necessary.” wrote John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog Privacy Project director in a letter to DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. “Despite Google’s public relations campaign and statements that it hopes to have robot cars for public use operating on the road within five years, it is important to understand what its vehicles cannot do.” wrote Simpson. “Recognition of the Google driverless cars’ shortcomings should help inform the DMV’s ‘autonomous vehicle’ public use rulemaking process.” Consumer Watchdog’s letter noted a long list of shortcomings of Google’s driverless car technology, including:

human driver of another vehicle, or a policeman using only hand signals to direct traffic. Sunshine. If the sun is behind a traffic light, it can interfere with the driverless car’s ability to determine the traffic light’s color. Changing road conditions. The sensors don’t recognize large potholes and would not detect an open manhole. If a traffic light were installed overnight as in the case of a road construction site, the car’s driverless navigation system would not expect it. Pre-mapped roads. Google’s robot cars rely on detailed sensor mapping of routes before the robot car hits the road. If a Google driverless car tried a route that had not been specially mapped, probably even a large parking lot, it wouldn’t know what to do. Humans. The driverless cars’ video sensors can’t reliably distinguish between a tree branch blowing in the wind and a pedestrian.

Weather. Heavy precipitation interferes with the vehicle’s sensors and they don’t work in the snow or in heavy rain.

The decision on whether to allow a particular manufacturer’s driverless cars to be offered to the public should be informed by the results of safety testing that is being done under the DMV testing regulations now in effect, Consumer Watchdog said.

Human hand signals. The robot cars can’t interact reliably with hand signals given by the

DMV regulations governing the testing of driverless cars on California highways took effect

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on Sept. 16, 2014. A key safety provision of the testing regulations is the requirement that there must be a test driver in the driver’s seat who is capable of assuming control of the car. SB 1298, which directed the DMV to write rules covering driverless vehicles required the department to have regulations for the public use of the robot vehicles in place by Jan. 1, 2015. DMV missed that deadline and is still working on driverless car public use regulations. “Ironically, a little more than a week after the DMV adopted the testing regulations, Google announced plans for a fleet of robot cars that have no steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator,” wrote Simpson. “There would be no way for an occupant to take control in an emergency; occupant lives would be in the hands of Google’s driverless technology, completely at the Internet giant’s mercy. “Consumer Watchdog strongly supports the development of new automotive technolo-

gies, particularly those that will prevent deaths and injuries (and reduce dependence on fossil fuels). Many of the technologies under development today could, if affordable enough to be widely deployed, reduce accidents and ultimately lower auto insurance premiums.” “It is possible, perhaps even likely, that the technology needed to manufacture vehicles that operate ‘autonomously’ with one hundred percent safety will eventually be perfected. In the meantime, under any realistic scenario for the near or even distant future, human drivers will be responsible for maintaining control of their vehicle in order to prevent an accident.” From: Consumer Watchdog (www.consumerwatchdog.org).

Conversations That Are Undermining Your Strategy And Killing Performance by Dan Prosser, CEO of the Prosser Group

Did you know that the business world, in general, is a vast network of interrelated conversations? It’s true. And your company is a microcosm of that network. What this means, says Daniel F. Prosser, is that the conversations that take place between your team members are incredibly important. In fact, they’re everything. “Words are far more powerful than most people realize,” says Prosser, author of THIRT EENERS: Why Only 13 Percent of Companies Successfully Execute Their Strategy—and How Yours Can Be One of Them. “Unbelievable outcomes happen when you say how it’s going to be and then take the actions to have it be that way. Change your language and you change your perspective, which changes what’s possible in your future.” But suppose you, the leader, are declaring bold possibilities full of fire and optimism, but your employees are engaging in other kinds of conversations? Bitter complaints. Criticisms. Cynical rants full of victim-y self-pity and anger. All of these conversations create a sense of unconscious disconnection in the workplace and create disempowerment among the workforce. “Unfortunately I’ve learned that the conversations in nearly 90 percent of companies are limiting, and they undermine and sabotage your company’s performance,” says Prosser. “Most of these conversations aren’t visible to leaders. Yet they go viral throughout an organization, kill morale, prevent engagement, and slow productivity to a crawl.” In THIRTEENERS, Prosser explains that these conversations are symptoms of what he calls an “Execution Virus”—a very deadly one. Because Execution Viruses are so deadly, only 13 percent of companies succeed in overcoming them (hence the book’s title). Here, he spotlights 10 performance-killing conversations your employees may be having within your company without your knowledge. This is why employees don’t—or, more likely, can’t— execute the strategy of your company. And all you need is one of these to assure you a place on the list of 87 percent of companies that fail to execute their strategy:

“It’s not our strategy.” If this persistent conversation is being repeated (albeit in the background) throughout your organization, your employees feel that they have no say in the direction of your company, and therefore, they disconnect themselves from its future. You do all the planning, and you demand a certain result; they do all the work, and you get all the reward. Be honest: Would you be very motivated or bought-in if you were in their shoes? “The key to eradicating this particular Execution Virus is to invite your employees to the strategy ta-

ble,” Prosser instructs. “Ask them for their insights and opinions regarding the path your company is on and how they see themselves fulfilling their roles. Don’t just talk about ‘engagement’ and ‘empowerment.’ Allow people to contribute, ask questions, and even disagree with you. This gives them a way to invest in what they’re working toward and gives real meaning to their work.”

“They don’t appreciate us.” So many leaders believe that if they acknowledge someone, it will come back to haunt them. Perhaps the employee will take advantage

Human Resources Management | Big Times Magazine

of the comment when the time comes to review his or her performance and salary. So leaders think “they get a paycheck, and that ought to be enough acknowledgment and appreciation.” Nevertheless, employees may still feel exploited. And from there, it’s a short step to becoming actively resentful of management for not recognizing their contribution to the success of the organization. “No matter what level of skills a leader has achieved, I’ve rarely found an executive who is totally comfortable authentically (meaning from the heart) acknowledging or expressing appreciation for an employee in front of others,” notes Prosser. “So here’s some tough love: Get over yourself. It can cost you big-time not to have that conversation. It costs you nothing to appreciate and acknowledge the contribution of others.”

“They’re always making excuses.” Employees learn from their leaders. When leaders use ready-made excuses, point the finger of blame at peers or other team members, or cite circumstances beyond their control as reasons for failing to deliver, employees will find their own excuses for not doing what they said they would do. This produces a business culture in which strategies, plans, and intentions disappear soon after they are agreed to, and teams quickly fall back into business-as-usual behavior. “No one holds management accountable,” Prosser points out. “Honestly—how comfortable would you be calling your own boss on the carpet? You’ll have to attack this Execution Virus starting with YOU. No more excuses. It’s time to become publicly accountable for your own results—the good and the bad. You’ll find that your people are much more willing to follow a fallible leader with integrity than a ‘perfect’ leader who constantly passes the buck.”

“Did you hear what (Team Member A) said about (Team Member B)?” Gossip and stories that degrade others in the organization create a toxic workplace environment. If your employees are experiencing the scorn of another employee, or if management knowingly tolerates gossip about others, then you have employees who will give just enough effort to get by.

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“How do you know if a conversation is gossip?” Prosser asks. “If what is being said about another person can’t be said to that person’s face, it’s absolutely gossip. Wherever there are secrets or anything that cannot be discussed at any level of an organization, you will find a dysfunctional organization that’s unable to focus on what matters. There is no alignment with what is important, because people feel bullied.”

“What mission statement...and why should I care?” Have an unannounced conversation with all members of your team and ask them to tell you the mission or vision statement of your company. If you’re lucky, maybe 5 percent will be able to give you a credible answer. As for the rest, you’ll have difficulty getting them to understand the relevance of the company’s mission, much less motivating them to implement it with any sense of urgency. “How can people implement actions or execute a strategy when they can’t understand the relevance of your vision or mission as it relates to their jobs?” asks Prosser. “Most teams don’t openly discuss the mission of the company and its relevance to their marketplace focus. As a result, the significance of their role as an employee contributor isn’t well understood. For employees to be effective, they must understand where they fit and how their job impacts overall contribution to the desired outcome.”

“They treat us like crap.” If there’s mistreatment, rudeness, and nastiness toward employees, leaders will surely take action to stop it, because they know that no company can execute its strategy with that going on, right? Apparently not. In a study that spanned 14 years, Christine Porath and Christine Pearson found that 98 percent of employees surveyed reported experiencing rude or uncivil behavior either toward them or toward another in their presence. “Uncivil behavior hits squarely at the bottom line, because those who are on the receiving end nearly always report responding in a negative way,” says Prosser. “Employees who feel that they’re being treated badly will put forth the bare minimum of effort. Their negative attitude will be all too evident to customers. And they’ll probably jump ship at the earliest opportunity. The solution is clear:

Treat your employees at every level with civility and respect. Make sure all supervisors do the same. No excuses.” “It’s the same old story.” Grandiose pronouncements for new initiatives that are intended to provoke a new battle cry are falling on deaf ears. That’s because employees have heard it all before. Bringing your employees together to build new initiatives for a goal or challenge is usually received with rolling eyes and sighs of annoyance and anguish.

“Employees are smarter today,” Says Prosser. “They can tell when leaders are inauthentic in their pronouncements. They will usually give you one chance to get it right. No one wants to feel manipulated into thinking that what you’re putting forth is brand new. It rarely is. There are too many options available (even in a sluggish economy) for good people to stick with leaders who aren’t serious about being authentic.”

“Because he’s (or she’s) the boss. That’s why.” A patriarchal and paternalistic culture exists in far too many companies. In this type of business culture, there are the haves, and they have all the answers; and there are the have-nots, who have no power. “Employees buy into a patriarchal and paternalistic business culture because it lets them off the hook,” explains Prosser. “They can avoid having to make promises and take action, and they feel that they have ‘permission’ to wait until someone tells them what to do. That creates a dependency on receiving orders from leadership, and those employees can’t execute your strategy because they won’t take responsibility for causing things to happen.”

“We’ve always done it this way.” Old paradigms, nonexistent “visions,” and limiting business models that are fixed on past performance keep your employees from moving your business forward. A rigid belief system that creates inflexible boundaries around what is possible for the future makes employees feel stifled. When employees can’t see how or where they can improve their position in life and can’t perceive a future for themselves that doesn’t look and feel a lot like the past, they become apathetic.

“Employees who haven’t been shown that they can grow, develop, and expand their opportunities within the organization—so that they have a sense of control over their own possible future— will lose interest in what you want,” says Prosser. “Once again, that’s why it’s so important to make sure that your people have a voice in determining where your company is going, how best to get there, and what their individual roles look like.”

“The boss is watching, so just don’t screw up.” Leaders who focus on “not losing” rather than on working to build something they can share with their employees end up sabotaging their own organizations. For an employee, there’s no benefit to coming to work each day for a leader whose fears dominate the working environment. Because a boss operating out of fear takes it out on his or her employees. Those employees just put in their time, but not their best efforts, as they focus on placating the boss. “Leaders who are in constant fear of the unknown and uncontrollable events in their business need to get a grip,” Prosser says. “There’s no faster way to turn good employees into cynical and nonproductive ones than to stress them out for no purpose other than to feel like you’re controlling the possibility of failure.” “If any of the conversations in this list sound familiar, take them seriously,” concludes Prosser. “They are likely the reason your employees are disconnected from you, from your vision, from your mission, from the strategy for your company, and from the needs of your customers. They are the cause of your Execution Virus.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Prosser is author of THIRTEENERS: Why Only 13 Percent of Companies Successfully Execute Their Strategy—and How Yours Can Be One of Them. As CEO of The Prosser Group and BreakthroughSchool. com, he has over 45 years’ experience building his own companies, while for the past 13 years, he has been speaking; teaching; mentoring; and coaching business leaders, entrepreneurs, and micropreneurs to cultivate an uncommon and breakthrough approach to helping people build an extraordinary competitive edge for their businesses.

Human Resources Management | Big Times Magazine

Cracking The Code To Innovation 7 Steps That Guarantee Success

by Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Naval Postgraduate School in California.

veryone says they want innovation in their organization, but when an ambitious employee offers it to a CEO, for example, the idea is often shot down. Senior leaders often miss the value-creating potential of a new concept because they either don’t take the time to really listen and delve into it, or the innovating employee presents it in the wrong way. Innovation should be presented as opportunities, not ideas. Opportunities have gravitas while ideas do not! Here is a template for innovation that works:

Intention

Once the “why” is answered, leaders have the beginnings of a legitimate roadmap to innovation’s fruition. This is no small task and requires some soul searching. I once worked with an executive committee, and I got six different ideas for what “innovation” meant. One wanted new products, another focused on creative cost-cutting, and the president wanted a more innovative culture.

The group needed to agree on their intent before anything else.

Infrastructure

This is where you designate who is responsible for what. It’s tough, because the average employee will not risk new responsibility and potential risk without incentive. Some companies create units specifically focused on innovation, while others try to change the company culture in order to foster innovation throughout. Creating a culture takes too long. Don’t wait for that.

Business Innovation | Big Times Magazine

Investigation

What do you know about the problem? IDEO may be the world’s premier organization for investigating innovative solutions. Suffice to say that the organization doesn’t skimp on collecting and analyzing data. At this point, data collection is crucial, whereas brainstorming often proves to be a waste of time if the participants come in with the same ideas, knowledge and opinions that they had last week with no new learning in their pockets.

Ideation

The fourth step is also the most fun and, unfortunately, is the part many companies leap to. This is dangerous because you may uncover many exciting and good ideas, but if the right context and focus aren’t provided up front, and team members cannot get on the same page, then a company is wasting its time. That is why intent must be the first step for any company seeking to increase innovation. Innovation should be viewed as a set of tools or processes, and not a destination.

Identification

Here’s where the rubber meets the road on innovation. Whereas the previous step was creative, now logic and subtraction must be applied to focus on a result. Again, ideas are great, but they must be grounded in reality. An entrepreneurial attitude is required here, one that enables the winnowing of ideas, leaving only those with real value-creating potential. Innovation without the entrepreneurial mindset is fun but folly.

Infection

Does anyone care about what you’ve come up with? Will excitement spread during this infection phase? Now is the time to find out. Pilot testing, experimentation and speaking directly with potential customers begin to give you an idea of how innovative and valuable an idea is. This phase is part selling, part research and part science. If people can’t feel, touch or ex-

Big Times Magazine | April 2015

perience your new idea in part or whole, they probably won’t get it. This is where the innovator has a chance to reshape their idea into an opportunity, mitigate risk, assess resistance and build allies for their endeavor.

Implementation/Integration

While many talk about this final phase, they often fail to address the integration part. Implementation refers to tactics that are employed in order to put an idea into practice. This is actually a perilous phase because, in order for implementation to be successful, the idea must first be successfully integrated with other activities in the business and aligned with strategy. An innovation, despite its support from the top, can still fail if a department cannot work with it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Neal Thornberry, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of IMSTRAT, LLC a consulting firm that specializes in helping private and public sector organizations develop innovation strategies. A respected thought leader in innovation, Thornberry is a highly sought-after international speaker and consultant. He also serves as the faculty director for innovation initiatives at the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. Thornberry, author of “Innovation Judo: Disarming Roadblocks & Blockheads on the Path to Creativity” (www.NealThornberry.com), holds a doctorate in organizational psychology and specializes in innovation, corporate entrepreneurship, leadership and organizational transformation.panies leap to. This is dangerous because you may uncover many exciting and good ideas, but if the right context and focus aren’t provided up front, and team members cannot get on the same page, then a company is wasting its time. That is why intent must be the first step for any company seeking to increase innovation. Innovation should be viewed as a set of tools or processes, and not a destination.

29 Business Innovation | Big Times Magazine

5Reasons Why You Should Attend The Big Convention

If you have read any BIG communications in the past three months, or have spoken with insurance colleagues anywhere, you know that the annual BIG Convention will be held in Riverside from April 30th - May 3rd, 2015. The program is designed to optimize your time while offering a variety of opportunities to grow your business. GOLF TOURNAMENT How about starting off your BIG Convention experience on the links? Tee off at Noon on April 30th at the beautiful Green River Country Club in Corona for BIG’s annual charity golf tournament. The $125 registration fee includes breakfast, dinner, and a Golfsmith gift card. Expect all the usual contests (longest putt, closest to the pin, etc.).

TRADE SHOW The way the BIG Trade Show has been growing, it is practically a separate event from the convention. Every year, top carriers, general agents, and service providers flock to the BIG Convention because they know we attract the best and brightest agents and brokers. Our members are driven to succeed and our trade show vendors know it.

There’s a reason why people say that the biggest deals are made on the golf course. Get your own foursome together or come as a single and make new acquaintances. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon of golf while supporting the Kiwanis Aktion Club.

Take advantage of the excellent opportunities available, obtain some new appointments, find some new business partners, and expand what you offer to your customers. You will be amazed at how far forward you can take your business during an eight hour trade show.

PARTIES/SPECIAL EVENTS What would a BIG Convention be without some fun and excitement? After all, some of the best memories are made while relaxing with friends while enjoying a cool one (or two). This year, we would like to send a BIG thank you to Global Hawk for sponsoring the Friday Night Hospitality Party. There will be great entertainment, some tasty refreshments, and the opportunity to take it easy by the pool and reflect on the upcoming weekend. On Saturday Night, get ready to rumble, figuratively speaking, as BIG hosts a viewing of what some are calling the fight of the century as Manny Pacquiao takes on Floyd Mayweather. This will follow the annual BIGGIE Awards when we honor the crème of the insurance industry. Come cheer for your favorite companies, representatives, and colleagues… then root for your favorite fighter. Both events are only open to people who registered before April 15th. NETWORKING This is a BIG reason why people come to conventions. For many insurance professionals, network begins and ends with the telephone, e-mail, and social media. Maybe you can get away for a monthly meeting, but being at the BIG Convention is like meeting overdrive. Over the weekend, there are plenty of opportunities to engage old friends and colleagues as well as cultivate new relationships. There are business settings both casual and formal. Hang out by the pool, have some solid face-to-face time at the trade show, arrange a one-on-one meeting, or all of the above. The BIG Convention presents a tremendous opportunity for exponential business growth and business connections. Over the four-day event (or however many days you can spend with us), you will see the latest products and innovations, meet new people, engage in conversations with people who know what you are talking about because they are in your shoes. Share success stories, talk about what didn’t go exactly right for you, and find out what other insurance professionals are doing.

SEMINARS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION First, there is no easier way to knock out part of your continuing education requirements quickly and easily than at the BIG Convention. Our program planners have put together a program that is informative and, most importantly, interesting. Friday, May 1st and been deemed “Education Day.” Of course, we have much more that CE classes to offer. Our speaker line up includes Mike Stromsoe, who has created unique tools that any agent or business owner can immediately implement in over 69 specific areas of business, which cover a variety of marketing and business building topics. Since Mike’s still owns and operates his own agency, his “Living Agency Laboratory” continues to refine and bring to market ONLY the tools that work. His keynote presentation is not to be missed. We are also please to welcome back insurance attorney extraordinaire Jon Heim, who will fill us in on the latest news from the legislative and regulatory fronts. Heim’s Sunday morning presentation has become a staple at the BIG Convention and is an excellent way to close out our event leaving attendees well-educated and ready to put what they have learned to immediate use in their businesses. Be sure to read the Jon Heim Q&A in this month’s magazine.

This list just scratches the surface of what you can expect at the BIG Convention. Progressive Insurance will be awarding a total of $5,000 for licensed producers with full registrations. Convention planners are still making additions to the agenda, so there are even more exciting events in store for attendees! For more information and registration, visit the BIG website at www.biginsusa.com and click on the “events” tab. The goal for the BIG Convention is to encourage an environment in which we all benefit. We are a single industry, and prosperity for one is prosperity for us all.

31 Business Innovation | Big Times Magazine