Don't forget the human connection
Despite making enormous leaps and bounds in recent years around technology, the benefits industry is still, at its core, all about people.
“It was certainly a strange year, but we felt like we got the job done.”
I think that succinctly sums up the pandemic experience for many of us. In fact, when it comes to the events of the past year and the way things currently stand, it’s safe to say a lot of people in our industry probably share the opinions of Jonathan Coddington, the subject of this issue’s Face of Change interview.
Like the rest of us, Jonathan adapted quickly when the world turned upside down and has done everything he can to make the best of a bad situation. But while he has learned plenty of new lessons and strategies in this newly remote environment, that doesn’t mean he’s ready to write off everything that made him successful in the first place. As he puts it, “Are we going to go back to face-to-face meetings? I hope so at some level. If YouTube videos and online enrollment are more beneficial to everyone, then we’ll do it. But I miss human interaction and going out to meet people.”
Read more: Is loneliness the next health crisis?
After all, despite making enormous leaps and bounds in recent years around technology, data and other 21st century innovations, the benefits industry is still, at its core, all about people. Not only employees and families, but also the network of advisors and other benefits professionals working and partnering every day to solve our broken health care system. As the industry has grown more complex and the pace of change has accelerated, advisors have increasingly responded by connecting in person and online to share ideas, offer advice and … just chat. Competition has often turned into collaboration.
In this month’s feature, “A little help?” Alan Goforth examines another tried-and-true form of human interaction: mentorship. Be sure to take some time to read the thoughts of advisors Kai Williams and Allison De Paoli as they discuss the role that mentorship has played in their careers, and offer some tips and strategies on how to build strong relationships within your own career and organization.
As Kai Williams puts it, “It’s foolish to think you can go anywhere in life solely by yourself.”
And speaking of networking and human interaction, be sure to take a look at the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo preview section on page 28, where you’ll get a sneak peek of a few of the great sessions coming up August 16–18th in San Diego, including our newly announced keynotes speakers, Ana Navarro and George Will. We can’t wait to see you there.
It’s been way too long!
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