JimiC

I kind of fell into insurance where I've earned promotions and have been a supervisor for 15 years. I do not aspire to becoming a manager since my current role is stressful enough and I'd need a college degree which I do not have.

I have seven associates reporting to me, five of which have poor attitudes and are mediocre performers at best. I work hard, but should put in more time to ensure that I meet all the required expectations as the workload is overwhelming. I make a nice salary and am set up pretty well to retire in as little as ten years when I'm 62.

Most of my peers I call the young whippersnappers. They are willing to stay late every night and work from home to get the job done. I did that for years, now I'd like more time to focus on my family and enjoying life. It's kind of conflicting though because the more time I put in at the office, the less the workload and expectations will weigh on me.

Anybody have advice on how to reignite my fire? I'm pretty good with time management, so I don't think changes there are the answer. There's also nobody I can delegate any tasks to.

I'm drawn to the saying "do what you love, love what you do." I wish it was that easy while dealing with the exorbitant cost of living.

I was sober for over six months last year and although my anxiety diminished, I did not become reinvigorated at work. Right now I'm only on day 17 (including 44 of the last 46 days sober). I'm working hard at not drinking, but don't expect that sobriety itself will be the catalyst to improve my work life.

Well, thanks for reading! I could have put this in the Cafe, but figued I'd get more feedback here. SR rocks

DreamCatcher17

I am also an insurance agent.

I am motivated by money, so I look for new ways to bring in new clients. Find mortgage loan officers, realtors, etc... to have coffee or lunch with. See how I can help their clients save money, is my specialty

I blog, I am on many networks to find new clients, I go through current client files to make sure they are happy, I send out birthday cards, 4th of July cards, thank you cards, letters letting them know of current referral programs, cross-sell for life insurance, umbrellas, etc...

I purge files

There is so much to do at my workplace.

Best of luck

JimiC

Thanks DreamCatcher. I'm not an agent, so no commission motivators for me. I do get a yearly merit increase based on my performance.

DreamCatcher17

You're welcome. I've got nothing then, lol.

ProfessorD

JC-NY, I really like hearing from you so I'm just going to take a random shot in the dark which might not be helpful at all, lol. We work in very different fields, but I think all work boils down to human relationships. Can you do more to mentor, nourish, and get to know the seven associates with poor attitudes? Maybe if you got closer to them, it would be less overwhelming and more enjoyable to put in the longer hours, etc. Plus they might have better attitudes if they have a good relationship with you, resulting in less work from you?

Like I said, might not be helpful at all.

JimiC

Excellent thoughts ProfessorD and much appreciated! One is totally closed off, but I have gotten to know everybody else. I think it's important to show I care for them and their families on a more human level. I could do more to nurture them, time is usually the obstacle here but I will make more of an effort.

Unfortunately there is often a "hate the boss" mentality. Ultimately their gripes are with the company and job itself, not me. There is a Fish Philosophy book about choosing your attitude. Maybe I should read it again and pass it on to my team.

PalmerSage

Hi JC-NY! I've been with my current organization for a long time, too (promoted through the ranks over the course of 16 years). Actually, since I've been sober, I've appreciated the fact that my job is not overly stressful or demanding anymore, and even though I'm not super motivated or ambitious the way I was in the past, I'm giving myself points for being awake, alert, clear-eyed and present...after all, this is the same job that I did well while hungover and in withdrawal. My advice would be to focus on your sobriety, be grateful for your job's stability, and look further down the road in your recovery to really "wow" everyone, if that makes any sense?

JimiC

Thanks PalmerSage, that does make a lot of sense. Last year management all went to a three day training where it was said that "employees don't leave their jobs, they leave their managers." My current manager is an unpredictable hot head who micro-manages through emails which we all have issues with. I get along with her, but this just adds to the daily stress....now I'm getting agitated lol.

J50

What about a taking a course online, or through continuing education? Something that gets your juices flowing?

How about picking up a new book? I read 4 Hour Work Week over the summer and while one of the themes was to work for yourself, it had a lot of great concepts.

I also agree with mentoring as suggested by Professor D. I've been trying to help out a few people at work with their career paths recently. John Maxwell said, "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." It's always good to help someone out.

JimiC

Good suggestions J50, thank you! I like the quote from John Maxwell. Coincidentally I just ordered a book by him a couple of hours ago called "Jump Start Your Leadership." It should help me better examine myself and also provide actionable methods to succeed.

J50

Great minds think alike 😁. I like leadership books because they get me back on track when I feel like I need a kick in the pants.

ProfessorD

Of course I would also peddle the online classes or continuing education ideas

PalmerSage

JC, was that First, Break All the Rules/Gallup/StrengthsFinder? I am deeply immersed in the same...

J50

Another favorite of mine is from Lou Holtz:

People have 3 questions of their leader:
1. Are you committed?
2. Can I trust you?
3. Do you care about me as a person?

When you are in a position of authority, you have the ability to influence the culture and environment. The key is get people motivated and understand that they will feed off your energy. If you aren't getting support/direction from your boss, you have to get it from somewhere. In addition to mentoring, what about seeking out a mentor for yourself (Tony Robbins is big on this)?

JimiC

The book I bought yesterday is called Jumpstart Your Leadership, a 90 Improvement Plan. Is what you mentioned a series of books?

JimiC

More good stuff J50, appreciate it. I had a mentor in my younger years, I’m not really considering it now just because I’ve hit the ceiling in promotional opportunties. I am inquisitive and seek best practices that will benefit me.

I really like the idea of reading more business books and maybe trying and online course or two.

I’m open to more thoughts and am feeling inspired already. Thanks everybody.

MyLittleHorsie

I am a Chamber member as well as a women's only business group, a volunteering group... The main point is, in addition to great lunches, most of the time, sometimes the chef's experiment, I get a few monthly pep talks! I have seen some phenomenal speakers, some of whom have become my friends. I went to one with a social media influencer, there was not a single person in the room, for whom she could no suggest a way to boost business and morale through a social media channel. I like that the different groups are different sizes, have different personalities, different focus, but I always come out of a meeting with a full tummy and feeling like I have reinvested in myself, making myself a better business owner, boss, consultant, client - too!

JimiC

That's awesome MyLittleHorsie, those pep talks really seem beneficial. I've listened to some Ted Talks on the way to work which I enjoy. Lee Brown was a speaker who really charged me up.