Hello team,
It was great seeing so many of you at the Town Hall a couple of weeks ago. The reaction we received to our key note speaker, Jim Abbott, was awesome. His message really resonated with me as I know it did with so many of you. Throughout Jim’s comments, I found myself thinking about my personal goals as well as the opportunity ahead for OneDigital. His words were both inspiring and relevant as his message aligns so well with OneDigital’s journey. Each letter in Jim’s acronym “ADAPT” had a powerful meaning, but in particular, I identified so closely with the last letter- “T = TRUST.” If you recall, Jim talked about his perfect game… those amazing few hours in his life, standing in the middle of Yankee Stadium with thousands of eyes on him while he executed at the highest possible level in his field. He was PERFECT! I had goose bumps as he spoke about the relationship and the TRUST between him and his catcher. Over and over again his catcher reminded him to trust him, trust himself and trust his team. Jim bought into that TRUST giving him the strength and confidence to pitch the game of his life which likely changed his life forever!
This story struck such a cord with me because I believe that TRUST is so important to OneDigital’s success and our own personal growth. One of our value drivers is TRUSTWORTHY, and I see every day how important that is to each of you. When our clients know that we are trustworthy, it gives them PEACE OF MIND that they are in good hands. When our co-workers trust each other and know that “WE’VE GOT THEIR BACK,” it gives our team the confidence and comfort to perform at their highest level. That shared value is a big part of why we continue to be so successful.
I’d like to challenge each of you to take this value a step farther in 2018. If we can truly display unwavering trust in those around us then our success can go from great to extraordinary. As we evolve as a company, it’s necessary to let go of some personal control and trust others to help us carry the torch. For our sales teams, consider how your performance can soar by trusting Client Services to provide peace of mind to our clients. That trust and empowerment will allow you to get out of the details and provide more room for overall growth. Another example is those offices that should be considering greater segmentation of your book of business with our Enterprise and Select teams. These teams are a proven winning bet. I know that some of you are thinking that nobody can do it better than you… but you’d be surprised what can happen when you TRUST. These are just two examples of how trusting others in the company will allow greater opportunity and success for all.
Reflecting on my own circumstances, I rely heavily on my team to help lead OneDigital. I enjoy all aspects of this business, but trusting my leadership team to have my back and carry the torch in their areas of expertise has led to greater success for our business, and most importantly, a better work-life balance and higher engagement level for me. This level of trust is part of our culture and is necessary as we continue the tremendous momentum we’re experiencing.
As we target our goals and all that what we hope to accomplish in 2018, I challenge each of you to look to your team and other departments in the company for support. We are ONE team eager to accomplish ONE goal of becoming the best benefits firm in the industry. Ultimately, the trust we place in others enhances our client experience and allows us to get better at what we do. As we kick off the year, I hope you remember to Be Trustful of others. I think you’ll find that this practice will take us to even higher levels than we previously thought possible as we all look to – pitch our perfect game!
Adam
