Move Up The Chain

Here are 7 ways to help rising stars make sure they aren't shot down or overlooked when it comes to being singled out as a future leader...

BE RECEPTIVE
Can you take to feedback and constructive criticism? "You will get staff members who are really vocal about what they have achieved or have done, but when you give them feedback, they reject it," says Busine. That's the mangers cue to reject you as a potential leader of the future...

SOLVE PROBLEMS, DON'T CREATE THEM
Great employees show initiative rather than just sit back and hope someone else will solve the issue for them or give them a step up. Ask your boss if you can become involved in new projects, get onto training programmes and be exposed to how management works.

BE AGILE AND OPEN
Do you have an aptitude for learning new skills, technology and programmes? "Managers should be looking for learning agility here," says Busine. "They want people who can learn quickly and adapt to new environments."

KNOW WHAT TALENT MEANS
Try to get a full understand of what talent actually means to the organisation you are working for. Ask your boss or the HR department to give you information on what is valued and what skills they believe the company will need in the future.

AIM FOR BALANCE
Getting results is great, but not if it is at the expense of the values of the organisation you are working for. "An employee may get results, but they could be leaving a trail of disaster," warns Busine.

THERE'S NO ‘I' IN TEAM
If you want to be a future leader, then you need to show you are a team player; share your success, give credit to others, be inclusive and don't blame other people for failures. You will be demonstrating to your boss that are good at building relationships and it will also help to build your good reputation too.

BE COMPLEX
Can you deal with complex issues and problems? You may know that you can, but you need to demonstrate that to your manager if you want to move up the chain.

Sony & Panasonic Is Dying

Ratings agency Fitch cut the debt ratings of Japanese consumer electronics makers Sony Corp and Panasonic Corp to “junk” status, citing weakness in their businesses. The downgrades deal a further blow to the floundering Japanese tech giants which have been facing weak demand and fierce competition from Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics.

A strong yen and bumps in China, where growth has slowed and Japanese goods have been targeted in sometimes violent protests recently, have also weighed on their earnings. The credit rating agency today downgraded Sony by three notches to BB-minus from BBB minus, saying meaningful recovery will be slow.

“Fitch believes that continuing weakness in the home entertainment and sound and mobile products and communications segments will offset the relatively stable music and pictures segments and improvement in the devices segment which makes semiconductors and components,” it said in a statement.

In a separate statement, Fitch cut Panasonic to BB from BBB-minus, a two-notch downgrade, citing weakened competitiveness in its TVs and display panels as well as weak cash generation from its operations.

Last month, Panasonic cut its forecast and warned it will lose close to US$10 billion (RM30.61 billion) in the year to March, as it writes off billions of yen in tax-deferred assets and goodwill related to its mobile phone, solar panel and small lithium battery businesses.

Ahead of its earnings revision, Panasonic won US$7.6 billion in loan commitments in October from banks including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, a funding backstop it says will help it avoid having to seek capital from credit markets.

Rival Sony made a small operating profit in the July-September quarter, helped by the sale of a non-core chemicals business, and kept its forecast for a full-year profit of US$1.63 billion.

But the two companies, along with Sharp Corp, racked up combined losses of US$20 billion last year, leading them to have to axe jobs, sell assets and close facilities.

10 Reasons - Get A Life

10 reasons why we need life insurance.

To replace lost income for your family- The most obvious reason why we need life insurance is to provide money to replace our income if we die so that our families can maintain their standard of living. Even in two-income families, the loss of one income can be overwhelming without adequate life insurance.

To cover burial and funeral expenses- Even if you don’t have family to provide for, you still need life insurance to pay for your burial and funeral so that you don’t financially burden adult children, siblings, or others with those costs.

To pay medical expenses associated with your death- Unfortunately, many deaths are prolonged and a mountain of medical bills can accumulate.

To pay off a mortgage or other debts- Medical bills aren’t the only debt you need to worry about. A life insurance death benefit can allow your surviving family to eliminate monthly house payments, car payments, credit card bills, or other debt obligations.

To provide money for settling your estate- If there is an estate to be settled, death benefits are paid immediately upon death, so money will be available to pay costs related to the estate (e.g., taxes) while it’s being settled.

To leave an inheritance- A life insurance policy is a great way to leave money behind for your family or for a charitable cause. Unlike capital gains, death benefits are not usually taxable.

To provide for future needs of children- A life insurance policy can supply money for children to go to college. Or, in the case of special needs children, it can provide for ongoing care and living expenses.

To provide a source for emergency cash- Many insurance policies allow for cash accumulation, from which you can borrow. Although this borrowing will reduce your death benefit, you may want to have the option if a personal financial crisis arises.

To maximize your pension- When you retire you will likely be given an option to receive a higher pension in exchange for allowing the pension to stop when you die. With a life insurance plan, you can eliminate the need for an after-death pension, freeing you to select the higher-pension option.

To allow for business continuity- If you own or co-own a business, then life insurance that benefits the company is a way to protect the company’s future in case you die. The same issues that apply to families apply to businesses—if a vital income creator dies, there needs to be money to make up for the loss.

3 Types Of Friend You Dont Need

The three types of people to invite out of your life:

Energy vampires. Some people just wear you out; you feel more tired and stressed, less vital after interacting with them. These folks seem to believe that the main job of their friends and colleagues is to help them feel better. I once had a friend who required hours and hours of “processing” – his pain, difficulty, emotional upheaval, the unfairness of his past life: everything needed to be gone over ad infinitim. Sadly, no matter how deeply you listen, no matter how much counsel you offer, no matter how much you put your own needs on the back burner to support these folks, it will not be enough. Think about the friends and colleagues who consistently take more from you than they give back, and ask yourself why you’re still offering yourself to be sucked dry.

I Me Mine: Someone who expected much more from others, on a daily basis, than she was willing to give. For instance, she had no problem asking someone to babysit for her child, or watch her house, or run an errand for her…but when it came time to reciprocate, somehow it just never seemed possible. When she came to visit, everything had to be oriented to accommodate her: the foods she required, the quietest room with the proper light, the cats farmed out to friends because of her allergies. No such accommodations were possible when others visited her. “I Me Mine” people are the center of their own universe, and if they’re in your life, you are always going to have to work around their needs and preferences. Collaboration, reciprocity and give and take are not part of their vocabulary. Do what you can to minimize your interactions with these folks (although they may let you know in no uncertain terms that you’re being unreasonable or unfair not to be available to fulfill their every whim).

Liars. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times – why are you still on the list of people whose calls I return? If someone is consistently unreliable, or tells you things that aren’t true, or says one thing to you and another thing to someone else in order to protect themselves….cut them loose. Liars are the worst. Energy Vampires and I Me Mines are a pain and make your life more difficult – but Liars can create honest-to-goodness legal and moral problems.

The great thing to realize is that you actually have the power to do this. You don’t need have to these people in your life. You can kindly but firmly minimize your interactions with them. And that frees you up to invite wonderful people into your life.

How to Gain Trust From Employees

All great leaders know getting there is the challenge, of course. Here are 5 behaviors for leaders and hiring managers to adopt when struggling to keep employees happy and loyal:

1) Tell the truth. Not everyone is a star. Pick out those with leadership or other valued talent potential and nurture them. This will come back to the business as these individuals, in turn, nurture other workers.

2) Communicate roles and responsibilities. Provide a path to success not only for those with leadership promise but for all employees. Sometimes this will mean difficult changes, but remember the most important skill of a leader: never surprise an employee with bad news. Have a development plan for all, and a get-well plan for those whose performance lags. Make sure everyone knows the plan.

3) Create a workplace culture that values real people relationships. For many employees, workgroup relationships and relationships between managers and workers drive engagement and loyalty more effectively than foosball machines, logo T-shirts, and Thirsty Thursday gatherings.

4) Be fair and open. This does not mean treat everyone equally – it means have transparent processes for managing and leading. Employees are more likely to respond positively to change when the process used to manage change is fair.

5) Model the behaviors you seek. Just as the headmaster at the high school did, accept your responsibility as a leader and act with engagement, commitment and responsibility. Do this every day.

Each of us possesses skills, strengths, talents and flaws. Each of us seeks to belong, to be engaged, to relate to those around us. Loyalty is built on relationships, shared understanding and trust. Engagement and commitment require loyalty, shared goals and fair treatment. Don’t take loyalty and engagement for granted – create a remarkable culture where there are possible and rewarding outcomes of the workplace.

Engaged Leadership

               

Being a socially-engaged leader may not be an innate skill for many leaders, but it is increasingly necessary as the multi-generational workplace puts more strain on corporate cultures and social media is opening up channels to “what it’s really like to work at this company”.

Without further ado, here are five skills social leaders possess – and which detached leaders should add to their management repertoire:

1) Sensitivity to non-verbal cues. A skilled social leader does not rely on one form of communication, but practices all – verbal, written, non-verbal, viral, and so on. Being sensitive to non-verbal cues is difficult because it requires a leader to have a well-integrated personality – to understand where her issues start and stop. I’m not saying you have to be a paragon of mental health, but you do need to be able to shut off the noise in your own head long enough to read people and understand what’s going on with them (at a meta level, of course.)

2) Socially interactive. You don’t have to know everyone’s name or how many kids they have, but you do have to be adept at interacting at a social level. If your CEO says ‘Hi’ to everyone but his, her eyes say ‘Stay away’. This person is not comfortable with social interactions and thus is unaware of how managers and employees are thinking, feeling and reacting.

3) Shared sense of value and purpose. People join companies for lots of reasons, but what’s more interesting is why they stay. They stay because they share the values, the purpose, the mission and vision. If you’re a leader and you don’t share your sense of the company’s value and purpose, you’ll be doing a lot of remedial recruiting.

4) Socially committed to a building an engaged community in the workplace. Okay, committed is not an S skill, but what I’m driving at here is the importance of social communities and social media in today’s world of work. Paternalistic managers, top-down leaders, sometimes have trouble with this skill, but it’s critical. Your company is no longer in a bubble, it’s in a social sphere where online communities can influence business results and your company reputation – even, perhaps especially, when they’re not your customers. Is anyone in your company tweeting, blogging or creating social community? Is it even encouraged? Are you blogging as a leader figure?

5) Sincerely interested in your employees, your social talent communities, your environment. You can learn some skills and fake others but it’s tough to fake sincerity. I’m sure some will argue it doesn’t belong on this list, since it’s a personality attribute, not a skill per se. But for me, sincerity is what makes the difference between a leader and a task manager. If you’re not sincere you’ll do things which might make business sense but which will eventually backfire – as did the CEO I mentioned earlier. Bringing in new tech talent made sense, but neither the CEO nor the CTO valued sincerity or honest communication, and now the company is paying a heavy price.

Social engagement is not a management overlay on a toxic culture; it’s not a Band-Aid. It’s a way of thinking about business, and doing business, in a socially aware and engaged fashion using the power of social networks and communities to relay your personal leadership brand, your employer brand and your employee brand. It’s how the world of work is today, and how it will be in the future. So engage! Make the move to socially-engaged leadership. No time like the present.

Australian - Under-Insured

AUSTRALIANS are putting themselves at great risk by failing to take out insurance to protect their families if they become sick, injured or die. A study has found women fail to plan their insurance cover before starting a family, and many do not have a policy for themselves or their partner. The Westpac Women Insurance Survey, to be released this week, reveals six out of 10 women find insurance complicated and do not have life insurance cover.

Because superannuation has a component of insurance in there, people think their families are covered and that's not right. Insurance just keeps getting put aside because they feel it's too complicated and too expensive.

 

There are several types of insurance that can cover policy holders at critical times, including life cover, total and permanent disability cover, trauma cover and income protection. 95 per cent of Australians do have adequate insurance.

Annalise Law, managing director of marketing services company The Kanga Group, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 24. The 35-year-old says her decision to take out trauma insurance, which pays a lump sum in the event of a critical illness, helped her get through the ordeal. She received a one-off payout that helped her during her recovery.

"Literally 90 days after I took out trauma insurance, I found out I a lump in my throat," Law says. "If you have dependents or assets, you must have life insurance. If you are leaving behind a spouse or children, you don't want them to be grieving you and they are worried about finances."

The Westpac survey found 26 per cent of respondents without cover say they could not afford the premiums. However, people can often increase their life insurance cover within their super fund, with the premiums effectively paid by their employer contributions instead of their household budget.

"About 83 per cent of Australians will insure their cars but only 23 per cent will insure their ability to earn an income. When you look at the value of a car, it might be $30,000 but an income might be worth millions over your life."

Innovate, Inspire & Delegate

There are many different ways to lead. CEOs with markedly divergent styles can be successful in different ways. The same leader will often adopt different styles in different circumstances. There is no one correct way to lead or manage. Ultimately the right way is the one that works for you and for the organization in delivering the goals you set out to achieve.

Let’s contrast two extremes of leadership style that I have designated as the command and control leader and the innovative leader. The command and control leader is goal-oriented, authoritative and decisive. He or she is well suited to a structured regime with clear tasks. The innovative leader, on the other hand, is better suited to an ambiguous or fluid situation. He or she is much more focused on creativity, innovation and helping the team to find new ways forward.

The command and control leader…	The innovative leader…
Leads from the front.	Leads from the side.
Directs.	Inspires.
Checks and controls.	Trusts and delegates.
Improves effectiveness and efficiency.	Finds new approaches.
Thinks he knows best (and often does).	Harnesses the abilities of others.
Has a strong sense of direction and purpose.	Has a clear vision and communicates it.
Prioritizes operational over strategic issues.	Prioritizes strategic over operational issues.
Gives directions and orders.	Asks questions and solicits suggestions.
Treats staff as subordinates.	Treats staff as colleagues.
Is decisive, often without prior consultation.	Ponders and solicits input before making decisions.
Builds a team who can execute policy and implement plans.	Builds a team who can create and innovate.
Instructs.	Empowers.
Hires based on experience, track record and qualifications.	Hires based on attitude, creativity and latent capabilities.
Discourages dissent.	Encourages constructive dissent.
Cares about results above all.	Cares about ideas, peoples and the vision.
Promotes himself as the leader and figurehead.	Shares exposure and prestige with the team.
Encourages action, activity and work.	Encourages ideas, innovation and fun.
Rewards performance.	Rewards entrepreneurial action.
Is numbers-oriented and analytical.	Is ideas-oriented, analytical and intuitive.
Sees technology as a means to do things better, faster and cheaper.	Sees technology as a means to do things entirely differently.
Minimizes risk.	Takes calculated risks.
Abhors failure.	Is comfortable with failure.

It may appear that I am painting one of these characters as a saint and the other as a sinner but it is more complex than that; each has a role to play. There are times when you need take command and there are times when you need to empower. But you cannot micro-manage everything in a large organization – especially in turbulent conditions. You must inspire and delegate.

The command-and-control leader’s approach is fine for improving operational efficiency in a well-defined environment. However, in today’s fast moving, complex situations, we need to supplement conventional approaches with more of the skills of the innovative leader.

Innovation - Key Driver

Innovation is a key lever for growth – a top strategic priority for many organisations as they shift from crisis mode to recovery mode. As economic and competitive pressures increase, companies need competent leadership to engage their talent to work smarter and more productively.

This means being innovative – looking for better solutions, better products and better processes that address current and emerging needs that drive the company forward. Failure to innovate means no risks are being taken, no new ideas implemented. Growth is not possible for companies who are simply maintaining the status quo. But what is innovation? Where does it come from, and whose job is it?

Most corporate leaders understand that innovation is essential for survival in today’s business world. However, the definition of “innovation” varies among business leaders. In some cases, any change in product offering can be defined as “innovation,” while other companies reserve the term for dramatic changes in product or process.

Some define innovation as creating competitive advantage in the marketplace by finding new ways to solve a customer problem or filling existing and emerging needs. Regardless of different definitions, there are a number of common practices for promoting a culture of innovation:

Embrace Failure, but Learn Quickly
When business leaders model a tolerance for risk, others become more willing to take the chances needed to realise promising ideas. It’s important to learn from failure but in addition to accepting failure, innovative companies need to avoid perfectionism. The goal is to get the new offering to market as quickly as possible rather than to achieve perfection. Creativity is all about failure so don’t punish mistakes— learn from them.

Provide the Right Rewards
Innovation springs from individuals and teams as part of a creative process to solve problems and address existing and emerging needs. It’s critical that organisations provide compensation structures and other rewards that encourage innovation across all functions of the organisation.

Build a Diverse Team
Diversity goes beyond race and has moved past simple demographics. It can be defined much more broadly to include various ways in which groups of people differ significantly from other groups of people. You need people that are different than yourself in order to be successful. Companies seek smart people, who display talent and communication skills.

Foster Connections with External Stakeholders
Employees are not the only source of innovation. Inside and outside stakeholders are able to see the project with fresh eyes, assure that it meets customer needs, and will be invested in a positive outcome if they have been involved in the development and implementation processes.

Identify and Develop Leadership Competencies that Drive Innovation
Many organisations develop leadership competency models to define the characteristics or behaviours that will drive innovation. Some of the competencies that are associated with driving innovation include emotional intelligence, social intelligence, analytical capabilities and technical competencies. Emotional skills and the ability to have a vision are ranked as some of the most important.

There is no single path to innovation; that path must originate in the minds of the organisation’s executive leadership. The executive office isn’t just the place where the buck stops. It’s also the place where the future begins.

Leadership Lesson From Politican

It has been a long election season for U.S. citizens, the press, pollsters and presidential candidates alike. But with Election Day upon us, there are lessons to be learned about how to sway people, inspire them and lead change, not just for voters and those seeking office, but for business executives, too. Here are some campaign-inspired dos and don'ts for leaders in the corporate world:

1. Don't Be Political, But Do Know What People Care About. Like the candidates, leaders need to know the hot-button issues that people care the most about. What are the people in your company most anxious about, and what do they need direction on? Provide that direction, get those resources, but avoid posturing and manipulation -- it causes trouble and mistrust. There will be politics, but, as John Bell, former CEO of Jacobs Suchard said, "Deal with politics, but don’t be political."

2. Don't Pander, Be Authentic. Leaders don't have to kiss babies to show that they can connect with regular people, but they do need to use emotional intelligence. It's important to be likable, to actually listen to employees, not just act as though you are, and to show that you care. That's how good leaders garner followers.

3. Don't Peddle Your Influence, Align Your Interests. Politics is often about trading on quid pro-quo relationships -- and using one's "influence" to get votes. In business, leaders must "lead with influence," which should not defined as "influence peddling," but as "the ability to generate results collaboratively, in a variety of contexts, without direct or positional authority." Leaders must understand the importance of authentic relationships and actively seek to align interests with people at all levels inside and outside the organization around shared goals. If they can't do that, they will go nowhere.

These skills are important to both win the White House and be successful throughout the presidential term, but they are also imperative to running a successful business of any size. It's a matter of time before we learn which candidate meets the above criteria in the eyes of the prospective constituents, but for business leaders, there is no better time than the present to evaluate the role you play in your company's success.

Insurance For Mid 20s

Many people in their mid- to late 20s lack the skills needed to manage their money and are unaware of the variety of financial products available to them. Purchasing a life insurance policy, for example, is something that rarely crosses the minds of most young adults.

There are specific questions most young people need to ask themselves. “Can you or should you depend on your parents to bail you out if you have an accident or suffer critical illness? Are they going to pay your rent? Your parking? Your cable bills? How is that going to affect your family situation?”

Is it really necessary for young adults to purchase life insurance?
Yes. Life insurance needs arise when you have a financial improvement or increased responsibility such as marriage, a new baby, the death of a parent, a home purchase, a promotion or new job, an increase in pay or when starting a business as a key person.

Can I afford to pay the premiums?
Compare the cost of insuring a vehicle that declines in value. Then look at the price of premiums that insure your life. Is it worth insuring a $10,000 vehicle, but ignoring the cost of a $100,000 life policy that will pay off the balance of the debts should you pass away? In certain cases, premiums are tax deductible.

Will I qualify?
If you are insurable, then risk determines the rating of premium based on age, sex, smoking status and lifestyle risk. Even speeding tickets can double your premiums, so insure while you are young and risk-free because once you start living fast and furious, you may no longer be insurable.

What are the benefits of purchasing life insurance at a young age?
The popular belief about life insurance is that it is only useful when you die to cover final expenses, to ensure your family maintains their standard of living and leave an estate. What many young people don’t realize is that life insurance is also useful while alive. It can be used as debt protection, to access liquidity, to organize your business succession, to supplement your retirement income and to provide for long-term care or home care.

How do you select the right life insurance for your needs?
Seek professional advice! The first thing any legitimate adviser will do is conduct a needs analysis and examine your entire financial situation. Never take any advice from someone who skips this step, as no fund recommendations should be made without a clear financial picture of the client.

A Leader That Unite Not Divide

Acceptance Speech from Obama
No surprise he is the President of USA

"I also want to say to Governor Romney, congratulations on a spirited campaign. I know that his supporters are just as engaged and just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today. We feel confident we’ve got the votes to win that it’s going to depend ultimately on whether those votes turn out. And so I would encourage everybody on all sides just to make sure that you exercise this precious right that you have that people fought so hard for, for us to have.”

“I’m looking forward to the results. And I expect that we’ll have a good night. But no matter what happens, I just want to say how much I appreciate everybody who has supported me, everybody who has worked so hard on my behalf. And again, I want to congratulate Gov. Romney and his team for a hard-fought race as well. OK?”

Another Giant Falls

Eastman Kodak will be scaling back benefits paid to retirees as part of a restructuring program aimed at pulling the century-old photography pioneer out of bankruptcy.

Medical, dental, life insurance and survivor income benefits, which were costing the company $10 million per month, will be terminated at the end of the year as part of a proposal agreed upon with an official committee of retirees.

Kodak, which filed for bankruptcy in January, has said it will have eliminated some 3,900 jobs by the end of the year. The company plans to sell off its consumer film business and focus on digital printing, graphics, entertainment and commercial films.

The Rochester, New York-based company, started in 1892, led the way in popularizing cameras, film, slide projectors and home videos. At its height in the 1980s, it had 145,000 workers. But years of poor performance in the age of digital cameras forced it to lay off thousands and close 13 manufacturing plants and some 130 processing labs since 2003.

The company pioneered research into digital photography beginning in the mid-1970s. But it was Asian manufacturers that stole a march in that market in the 1990s as Kodak failed to see the need to break from its old business lines.

Increasing Motor Insurance Premium

Yesterday at the Dewan Rakyat, Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek Hussin said the new, higher vehicle insurance premium rates will be implemented gradually in stages from this year until 2015 so as not to burden vehicle owners.

Insurance agents in the country are against a proposal to raise premium payments on motor vehicles. The General Insurance Agents Association Malaysia (Perwakim) instead wants the government to conduct a thorough study before implementing the new streamlined motor vehicle insurance framework.

Its president Athi Rao said the new scheme is only a short-term solution as the claims settlement system is still not optimal. He suggested instead that the government sit down with industry representatives to reach a mutually beneficial solution. Athi said inefficient supervision had led to higher claim settlements as the process involves external factors such as payments to intermediaries.

He added that in 2011, motor vehicle premium payments totaled RM6.3 billion but payments for repair of vehicles amounted to RM4.7 billion including RM600 million as compensation for stolen vehicle claims, just 76 per cent of the total premium collection, meaning insurance companies made a 24 per cent profit.

Plain Insurance Agreement

Insurance companies should simplify the products they sell and make them transparent for customers, according to Swiss Re managing director (property and specialty) Asia Mike Mitchell.

“Insurance companies must know what their consumers are looking for. Simplicity of products is important and they should be tailored to meet the specific demand of the consumers,” he said at one of the panel discussions at the 26th East Asian Insurance Congress here yesterday.

He added there was a pent-up demand for life insurance products based on a recent survey by Swiss Re. The findings revealed that the aggregate mortality protection gap across 12 insurance markets in the Asia-Pacific region had expanded significantly over the past decade from US$16 trillion in 2000 to US$41 trillion in 2010.

The study was intended to encourage the life insurance industry to better engage with the public in Asia and educate them on the importance of life insurance matters, he added

Mitchell said the survey also showed that consumers were willing to buy life insurance products at or above their market value and it was important to make the consumers aware of the products.

Chartis Singapore Insurance Pte Ltd chairman Leslie Mouat felt that it was the duty of the insurance industry to act upon customers needs so that pricing of insurance products was robust and accurate.

To this end, he said communication on the right products to customers was vital for the development of the industry moving forward. He said agents, as intermediaries of insurance companies, needed to trained accordingly.

ACR Capital Holdings Pte Ltd of Singapore group chief operating officer and group chief underwriting officer Clarence Yeung said agents represented the insurance companies when selling products to consumers.

The key here, he added, was to switch from merely selling insurance products to that of meeting what customers wanted in a product.