BRINGING A SENSE OF FOCUS
By : Kristy Wilson
I had to chuckle when I sat down to write this article on preparedness , and I was doing it the night before the deadline . Not sure I am really qualified to be writing about preparedness ! There are lots of aspects of life where we need to be prepared . I like to make a list before I leave the office of what the priorities are for the next day , so it is front and center when I walk in . Some of you may prepare the night before for the next day by laying out your clothes , getting your gym bag ready for the next day , and knowing what you will cook for supper that night . Some of you may have perfect intentions for half of those things I listed above . Maybe the rest of you just fly by the seat of your pants and hope it all comes together ! I have fallen in all these categories at various times in my life . Overall , I like to be organized and have a plan !
The current KAIA board is going through a strategic planning process . This is something that we do every three years or so , and it usually takes a day and a half or maybe two days accomplish . This is not always a process I look forward to , but it is an important exercise for us . Usually , this is done in a meeting room set-up in a horseshoe style floor plan full of lists or stickies on the walls with various thoughts we have . Of course , with " Rona " still daunting us , we are doing this via Zoom , making this process look different . However , it is not changing some of the core items we look at . We do a lot of brainstorming and talking about what members want , issues that could be a threat to the independent agency system , and the strengths and opportunities we have . I am sure many of you have done this type of thing in your own agencies . This year we sent out a survey to our entire membership to gather data . We had about half of the membership responded , which is so appreciated !
When we get done with the six sessions , the goal is to develop a road map for our association . Here comes the being prepared part ! This will guide the board , both current and future , through the next few years . If anything , this year , we have learned that being prepared is a good thing . Even though everyday situations may force us to change the direction of where your focus is . Sometimes you must stop , re-group , and revaluate based on circumstances that may have thrown you off the original plan . ( I am talking directly to you 2020 .) Having a strategic plan for the association will help us stay laser-focused on some of the most crucial issues for our members . We encourage you to always reach out to us if you come across a need or something you need help with . We have the power of numbers , and chances are if it is something you are trying to prepare for or need , other agencies are too !
KAIA Board of Directors president , Kristy Wilson , CIC , CISR , joined Kellerman Insurance in 1992 and focuses in Commercial and Life insurance policies . Outside of the office she enjoys spending time with her husband , Rob , and their two daughters : Kaylee and Samantha .
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