As a young insurance agent, you probably envision your career growth in the future. This means a promotion, a salary increase, a bigger office, and a substantial title such as manager that commands respect.
However, landing a leadership role isn’t solely about being the best at selling insurance and closing policies. You’re bound to face challenges that require an entirely new set of skills to tackle for the success of your team.
So, before moving into management, ask yourself these six questions first.
1. Are You A Great Communicator?
Becoming a manager is more than telling everyone what they need to do, as it comes off as being bossy. Instead, you need to be your team’s coach, motivator, and disciplinarian by clearly and constantly communicating with them.
Convey why certain tasks need to be completed, how they can be accomplished, and the impact it has on your company. Additionally, provide ample recognition and positive feedback for jobs well done.
2. Can You Set A Great Example For Your Team?
When you become a leader in your organization, everyone looks up to you to make the right decisions. This puts more pressure on your performance, and every time you leave early, arrive late, or miss deadlines, other employees will notice and adopt the same behaviors.
While you may have valid reasons for your ill actions, your team may not know this. Hence, always set the best example you can for your team.
3. How Well Do You Deal With Conflict?
Conflict is a common occurrence on teams, and it can be between employees, with a client, or directly with a superior. As a manager, you’ll have to resolve any conflict in your organization to meet your bottom line. This means talking with the individuals in conflict, identifying areas of agreement and disagreement, and developing a plan for resolution.
If you avoid conflict now, you might want to face them head-on to prepare for your management position.
4. Can You Make The Tough Calls?
As a manager, your team relies on you to make decisions and determine the best way to proceed in challenging situations. So, if an existing client doesn’t want to renew a policy and threatens to find another insurance agency, how will you respond?
You’ll also have to make some tough decisions on underperforming employees. Do you provide coaching? Or do you let them go? To make these decisions, you have to think deeply and develop a solution that’s best for your company and team.
5. Can You Handle More Responsibility?
If you think selling insurance is a lot of work, think again. Managers have much more responsibility, including planning, organizing, leading, and controlling to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their team and company. You’ll have to commit to all these responsibilities daily.
6. Are You Willing To Be Accountable For Your Team’s Performance?
As a manager, if one of your team members messes up, you’ll partially be held responsible and be expected to resolve the situation. Luckily, if you manage with a critical eye and motivate your team, you can avoid mistakes that impact your leadership.