Rough Notes

A better approach to accountability A 2025 multi-year Workplace Accountability Study … revealed that 82% of respondents indicated that when holding others accountable, they “either try but fail or avoid it altogether.” By Kimberly Paterson, CEC Charlie is young, smart and ambitious with excellent people skills. He shows plenty of potential, but he lacks one critical characteristic— accountability.

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Court preserves preservation effort Florida East Coast Holdings Corporation (FECH) ran a Florida railroad and had concerns over the impact of Hurricane Irma, which caused havoc in the state during the summer of 2017. FECH determined that their railroad crossing gates were particularly vulnerable to storm damage.

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Sorry but it doesn’t stack up Ronald and Ellen Saslow (Saslows) held both a primary auto policy with $500,000 uninsured motorists/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) limits and a $1 million umbrella issued by Bankers Standard Insurance Company (Bankers). While the above policies were both in force, an accident occurred. Ronald and a passenger (not Ellen) were injured in a serious accident.

When hiring early-career individuals, you can’t expect them to have a vast amount of knowledge of the insurance industry or coverage forms, so that kind of assessment would likely not produce the results for which you are looking. Always check with HR experts and/or an attorney before using any assessment tool. Reinvent your training and educational materials, vendors and providers. In the past, learning material and then spitting it back on a test was the norm.

Seeing another’s perspective Clients are not looking for another insurance presentation. They are looking for someone who understands the business behind the risk. By Carolyn Smith, APR, CRA, TRA Every insurance and risk management professional has experienced it: You meet with a prospect. You ask thoughtful questions, present strong recommendations, explain the coverage, and answer every objection. From a logical standpoint, your solution is clearly the better choice.

Looking for “rights” and “wrongs” in the AI future [O]ur inner critic often keeps us in one place, feeling both stagnant and frustrated, but also safe and predictable. It’s a relationship worth exploring—and challenging—if that feels right for you. By Alan Demers Artificial Intelligence (AI) now permeates business and daily life as a tool, a substitute for humans, or a subject of experimentation. This landscape is fraught with contradiction, making it difficult to untangle hype from reality.

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS She’s offended by being rescinded Progressive Michigan Insurance Company (Progressive) agreed to provide a no-fault auto insurance policy to Janice Sherman (Sherman). It was in force when she was rear-ended by a vehicle that fled the scene (the at-fault party was never identified). Sherman was injured while a passenger in one of her two vehicles that were insured by Progressive.

Providing clarity and purpose When leaders project confidence grounded in clarity and purpose, the organization … begins to believe in the direction, the mission, and ultimately themselves. By Brent Kelly One of the biggest myths in business is that confidence is something you’re born with. We tend to look at highly successful leaders and assume they simply possess a natural level of confidence that others lack. They seem decisive. They communicate clearly. People follow them.

Be aware of the inner voice that talks you out of taking risks [O]ur inner critic often keeps us in one place, feeling both stagnant and frustrated, but also safe and predictable. It’s a relationship worth exploring—and challenging—if that feels right for you. By Meg McKeen, CIC I probably shouldn’t. I’m not sure I’m ready. It would be easier if I didn’t.

INSURANCE-RELATED COURT CASES Digested from case reports published online COURT DECISIONS Sorry, your loss is derivative Sorry, your loss is derivative Fama Diop’s (Diop) husband lost his life in an auto collision. She filed a claim against GEICO General Insurance Company (GEICO) that insured Marie Gill (Gill). A minor in Gill’s household had driven the car that caused the accident. Shortly after, Diop sent a settlement request to GEICO. GEICO responded by filing a lawsuit against Diop and Gill.