Next Wave
Water Works
There’s a place for crying in the workplace, particularly in the insurance business.
Recently, a friend of mine, who is an insurance agent, wrote on LinkedIn and in her newsletter about a topic that is often considered taboo—crying. And not just any kind of crying—crying at work.
She shared that she finds that “inspiration” for tears often occurs at work even if we hold off the tears, and she asked her LinkedIn connections for help in brainstorming the emotions or circumstances that might come up at work that could lead to tears.
Many of the responses focused on times that our personal lives can't be ignored even though we are at our desks. It is not surprising that as emotional beings, our personal lives may impact our work.
When I read her question, however, two opposing stories about crying at work came to mind, and I think they say something about the business of insurance. The business that we are in is people-driven and relational, and it is, in my opinion, one of the best and worst things about the business.
I'll share first the story that makes me most proud of our business, and I'll save the second story for next month.
A few years ago, I attended a lunch for risk management and insurance students.
The students had the opportunity to ask the professionals who were at their tables about their experiences throughout their insurance careers.
At the table with me was a gentleman 10 to 15 years my senior, and he had spent his entire career in claims. At the time, he was a claims leader managing a team of adjusters, but he had started out as an adjuster himself. One of the students asked: “Sometimes you hear that claims departments are tasked with keeping expenses down. How do you know if that is the type of organization that you are interviewing at?” This question went directly to the heart of the reputation of our industry.
The claims leader responded with an answer I will never forget. “I think this is a common misconception of our industry,” he said. “I have worked in claims my entire career, and all of the claims professionals that I know are looking to indemnify those who have experienced claims. Our purpose is to be there for families and individuals at some of the worst moments of their lives. The most obvious tell is how many times I have cried during or after a case, and almost every single one of my colleagues has cried in front of me during a claim. If you happen to work in a claims department where this is untrue, you should question the culture and values of your organization.”
This story connects so deeply for me because it is why I believe in my career, and how I find value in my work on tough days.
To hear a senior leader directly connect crying and emotional connection to your insureds or claimants as an indicator that the company you work for is treating people the right way has stuck with me since that day almost five years ago.
Crying may be taboo in the workplace. But for an industry like insurance, which promises to help people during times of crisis, it also can be a sign of a healthy culture. So don't be afraid to show expression at the office. And don't be afraid to commend employees for displaying a connection to customers. In a relational business like ours, that's a behavior we all should model and strive for.
Next month, I'll circle back to the topic of crying at work by sharing a story that is also related to the reputation of our industry, but I'll be asking for each of us to consider how we can prevent future stories like this and explaining why I think it matters.
Best’s Review columnist Carly Burnham CPCU, MBA, has been in the insurance industry since 2004. She blogs at InsNerds.com and can be reached at bestreviewcomment@ambest.com.
