Mentoring Tomorrow’s Insurance Leaders

The other day I noticed a bumper sticker on a Toyota Prius that read “The Prius is such a cool car, said no one.”

After a chuckle, I realized that you could replace Prius with insurance industry and it would be just as true—yet somehow that didn’t feel quite as funny.

We know that our industry is a hidden gem. So how do we spread the word? I’ve pondered this question a lot lately now that I am leading The Council Foundation, which has a primary mission to attract new talent to our industry. Our focus is on early career talent, but changing young people’s perception of our industry can feel tantamount to boiling the ocean. At least it did to me, until recently.

In August I had the pleasure of joining feedback calls with interns who were participating in a pilot program The Council Foundation is funding at the University of Mississippi. Seventeen students from historically Black colleges and universities in Mississippi completed a 10-week certificate of insurance program offered through the Center for Insurance Transformation at Ole Miss. At the end of the certificate program, the students were offered internships at one of The Council member firms that were also participating in the pilot.

The students offered amazing feedback during these calls. I cannot tell you how many times I heard the words “life changing” as they talked about their internship experience, usually in reference to the support they received from a mentor during the program. The mentors were a go-to resource to answer any of the interns’ questions, including how to navigate life in the office. That’s when it struck me: maybe we don’t have to boil the ocean to change the perception of our industry. We can do it one intern at a time, using great mentors to make the difference.

Small actions can make a huge impact. When we send these interns back to their campuses and they talk about their experience in our industry, their peers may begin to think about the insurance business differently. And so a ripple effect has begun.

Recognizing that great mentors are key, I looked for resources to help develop more of them. I came across the book The Ultimate Guide to Great Mentorship: 13 Roles to Make a True Impact, by Scott Jeffrey Miller. It’s filled with insights and new information. Miller says that “your potential for positively influencing your mentee is incalculable.” I agree and believe that throughout the book you could replace mentee with intern, early career employee, or even experienced team member. The ideas work, regardless of the audience orthe relationship.

Here are the roles Miller suggests we use for maximum impact on mentees.

The first is The Revealer. In this role, you begin to learn about the other person. The Revealer uncovers the mentee’s strengths, weaknesses, fears, and hopes. This is the first step in establishing trust.

In the second role, The Absorber, use careful listening to ensure that you are understanding the information your mentee has revealed, which gives you a solid grasp of this person’s unique qualities.

In these roles, don’t fall into the unconscious bias trap of making assumptions and drawing premature conclusions about the mentee. Always be patient and have an open mind. Don’t tell them what you would do but rather share your experience from when you were in the same situation. Create an environment in which the mentee can be vulnerable. This will help build authentic trust.

Next up is The Boundary Setter. While this might seem to apply most directly to the mentor-mentee relationship, I think suggestions here would work with an intern or an early career employee. Set clear expectations and lay out an agenda for each meeting. Be sure your mentee understands your leadership style—e.g., hands-on or hands-off, or your preferred mode of communication. When interactions go off-topic, call time out and get back on track. Keep your commitment to scheduled meetings.

Using insightful questions in a supportive manner to identify and address any issues facing the mentee is the job of the fourth role, which Miller calls The Questioner. Always be empathetic and understanding to avoid seeming like an interrogator. To be an effective questioner, you must establish trust with your mentee. This will allow the mentee to answer honestly without fear of judgment.

The fifth role is The Challenger. As a Challenger you must help your intern address barriers that can obstruct their success. This role, according to Miller, helps the mentee “distinguish between emotions and reality and brings to light any biases or incorrect assumptions.” But use this role with care, because it is possible to ignore a legitimate concern or problem and end up pushing too far.

In the sixth role, The Validator, it’s important to make the mentee feel seen, heard, and understood. You can do this by affirming or validating their fears, worries, and concerns, which helps build confidence.

The Navigator guides the mentee around detrimental errors and helps keep them on a successful path. This is a role that allows you to help your mentee plan their future, hopefully one that involves joining our wonderful industry.

Miller suggests that in this role you stay ahead of your mentee, anticipating challenges and opportunities that may present themselves.

The Flagger, number eight if you’re keeping count, also helps keep the mentee away from harmful or unsafe decisions. Different than The Navigator, who is watching the future, the Flagger stays vigilant regarding the mentee’s current actions.

The ninth role is The Visionary, who inspires the mentee to follow their dream, even when the mentee doesn’t see a path to get there. The Visionary encourages them to dream big and imagine themselves achieving more than they initially thought possible.

The Distiller brainstorms with the mentee to determine the steps needed to achieve success. The Activator then outlines the steps needed to move forward.

When it’s time to end the mentoring relationship, Miller recommends two final roles. The Connector puts their mentee in touch with the right connections in their network to keep them moving forward. As The Closer you celebrate your mentee’s success and all their growth. This is extremely important because you want your mentee to walk away ready to tackle the next challenge on their own. And, of course, to spread the good word about the insurance industry.

Good mentors can change the perception of our industry one intern at a time. That may not sound like much, but each intern can start a ripple effect, and who knows how far that wave will go.