Overcome the Distraction
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 |
posted by Lori Power |
Posted in: life insurance, insurance, insurance coverage, insurance plan, health spending accounts, benefit coverage |
The discussion around the new Distracted Driving laws in Alberta makes me think about all the things we get ‘distracted’ by.
As I drive down any Metro road, at any given time, there are so many distractions - other drivers, mosquitoes that have snuck in, my kids. But road signs ... they have reached a whole new level of distraction. Never mind the old fashioned wooden advertising, we’re now in the electronic age and these new signs – jumbo billboard types that use to be a rarity to see at a concert in a stadium – are now the norm on the side of the road, not just to advertise, but entertain as you drive by or sit in traffic. Never mind trying to figure out your next turn or even what street you’re on, these new signs deliver what to eat, what to wear and where to go to do these things and how long it will take to get there. Who needs GPS?
Of course the idea of the new law is to have your eyes on the road ... but the message ... so glittery and available, taking us off course, encouraging us to stray from the intended purpose - getting where we are going safely.
Isn’t this a metaphor for most things in life and business?
With the intention of getting things done, we are often put off course by the distractions, the glitter, the want. It is the want that often makes us forego the need even with our health coverage. So, instead of having the right benefit plan, which covers the needs and takes care of the things we want, we get distracted by the glitz, the show, the sale.
In our business of employee benefits, we are jaded. We KNOW people need coverage for life and disability insurance, health and dental coverage, but people get distracted (scared away) by the cost of implementation and swayed by glittery mix messaging. In the end, often people forego what they and their employees “need” and they wind up with substandard coverage that creates havoc and frustration when the time comes for them to make a claim.
The point, stay focused. Keep your eyes on the road and the job at hand of providing benefits to cover the necessities. Engage qualified, competent consultants who will ensure you understand exactly what you are buying and why you are buying it. If you don’t have a need for it, don’t buy it ... it really is that simple. Then when the time comes, you have the benefit of necessary coverage, at an acceptable price without any barriers to successful outcomes.
