Business Issue
This leading global commercial and industrial property insurance provider differentiates its services by showing interpersonal versatility to clients in crisis. Skill development in trust-building, listening, adaptable communication, and managing conflict is prioritized for all employees and leaders across the organization. For example, consultant engineers rely on versatile communication to connect with the various client constituents and gain buy-in to the organization’s risk management recommendations, and adjusters rely on empathy skills when assisting people through crises.
Solution Summary
Wilson Learning has served the organization as a dedicated training partner for over 30 years, training 150–250 individuals each year. With versatility identified as a core competency, Building Relationship Versatility™ is a required program and has consistently received strong support from the senior leadership team. Training is delivered face-to-face or virtually, with virtual being the primary method during the pandemic. Refresher sessions provide additional opportunities for application practice, reinforcing not only the indispensable skills but also the organization’s trusted advisor service approach.
Outcomes
- “When an adjuster makes contact with people who have experienced a catastrophe, they encounter people at the pinnacle of emotions. It is critical for adjusters to understand that when they get verbally attacked, this is not the person’s normal behavior. We think this training is so important that all of our adjusters around the world have completed some version of Social Styles.”—VP of Claims
- “It was very productive to get the management team together to focus on leadership versatility. We shared insights from various perspectives and will apply these principles daily.” —VP Research and Development
- “Versatility training is critical to our young engineers coming out of college, teaching them how to identify and adapt their style and communication when working with others.” —VP Learning and Development
- “. . . All of our training programs reference back to Social Styles, allowing more tenured employees to get versatility ‘boosts’ that increase their communication effectiveness no matter what job they do.” —VP Learning and Development