I recently bought a new pair of leisure shoes.
That may not sound like a big deal, but these are probably the most comfortable shoes I’ve owned in decades.
Believe it or not, I had been wearing the same brand of tennis shoes I wore in high school and college. They were getting harder to find, but I kept making the effort.
Why?
Because they were familiar.
My wife and daughters kept telling me, “Don, those shoes are out of style, and they can’t possibly be comfortable.”
Eventually, I tried on the shoes they recommended.
I couldn’t believe what I had been missing.
It felt like I was walking on air. I had become so accustomed to my old shoes that I didn’t realize how uncomfortable they actually were.
Naturally, I started thinking about how this relates to my work and my company.
How many things do we continue doing the same way simply because that is how we have always done them?
When I looked at my own typical workweek, I realized there were still a few things I was doing the same way I had done them 20 or 30 years ago.
Not because they were the best methods.
Just because.
Technology has made many parts of our lives easier, but we do not always take advantage of it. Sometimes we dismiss a new system by saying, “I’m good,” or, “I don’t have the time or interest to change.”
But think about how much has changed in the tools we use every day:
- Calendaring systems
- Conflict-of-interest checks
- Client intake procedures
- Communication with clients and coworkers
Many of these changes are designed to make our lives easier and, perhaps more importantly, make things easier for our clients.
One small change we made involved our post office routine.
Our mail is delivered to a P.O. box, and someone from the office used to make a trip there every day. Sometimes we had mail. Sometimes we didn’t.
On the days when the box was empty, we had wasted time and gas.
A friend told me about the Postal Service’s Informed Delivery program. Each morning, we can receive images of the mail expected to arrive that day.
No picture, no trip to the post office.
It was a very small change, but it saved us time, money and unnecessary effort.
Comfortable.
I suggest taking a little time to look at what you do, how you do it and what equipment or systems you use.
Are you still doing something the same way simply because it is familiar?
There may be a better, easier and more comfortable option available.
Get comfortable shoes.
You’ll love them.
I hope this helps.
I’m Don I, your insurance guy.