Too many times, when I walk into an agency, I can pinpoint that insurance agency operations are actually causing more stress—when in reality, they should be there to clear out problems and reduce stress. The main point of leadership and operations is to provide structure, find problems, identify solutions, and manage culture. When there is a lack of effective insurance agency operations, the stress level can rise.
Now, we are huge advocates of running insurance agencies based on facts, not feelings. Just having numbers available can cause stress when first starting to identify challenges. The really good leadership and insurance agency operations teams use these metrics as a starting point and identify clear plans with milestones. In addition, some team members just hate change—any change creates a stressful environment. Trust me, I know—change can be hard. But an effective agency operations team helps mitigate, not eliminate, all stress.
I know we have an effective insurance agency operations team when the majority of the team is on track, and a handful of people have their hair on fire. Generally, the “hair-on-fire” people live in this state, and the calm state can actually make them anxious (we all know a few of these people).
How To Reduce Stress in an Insurance Agency
To get started, we want to give insurance agency operation teams some tips on how to reduce stress and cultivate a culture of structure and flow. Allow me to define flow for a minute.
In my day-to-day operations, I strive for flow—a day that feels normal and natural. This is the day I get the right amount of sleep, work out, eat in accordance with my plan, work within my kill zone, and have the appropriate amount of downtime I need daily to stay on track. This is when I feel like I am the best version of myself.
In the past few weeks, I have been off track due to flight delays, tighter-than-normal time margins, and an overdone travel schedule. When that happens, I don’t sleep, work out, or maintain my usual routine. I can tell you that I am diligently working to get back to this flow state. It feels great when you’re there, and when I’m not, I am challenged to solve the issues that disrupted it.
For more tips, check out our new series: Cool, Calm, Covered: Mastering Insurance Job Stress
1:1 Coaching Meetings
Coaching meetings are set aside 1 – 2 times per month between the team member and leader. These meetings are very powerful to touch base and check in. You can get a pulse for how the person is doing and share facts not feelings. People love to have individual time with their leader (unless they’re off track – and these are the people you need to spend time with).
Celebrating Milestones
Being in insurance can feel like we aren’t winning. You have to remember that if your team takes 20 calls and 1 call is bad, they think about that one call. They don’t think about their 95% success ratio. Select milestones to celebrate, which may include:
- Hitting premium targets
- Sales goals
- Cross-sell numbers
- Retention rates
- Embracing a new technology or project
Your Personal Attitude
The leader or manager needs to understand their attitude is contagious. When they talk about how busy it is or how upset the clients are you are infecting your team with that attitude. Leaders and insurance agency operations need to be sunshine, rainbows, and butterflies. They need to set the pace and tone of the team. I have seen far too many leaders speak far too often about the problem, when they need to invest their time into finding solutions.
If you need a boost of motivation checkout our new series on: Cool, Calm, Covered: Mastering Insurance Job Stress.
Stop Playing Soccer on a Football Field
Really great insurance agency operations teams identify when the market shifts, the team is short staffed and/or it’s a heavier renewal season and they modify the strategy. It has always perplexed me that when a team is short staffed we don’t have a clear plan. Or when the hard market rolled in we didn’t make adjustments until team members were absolutely miserable. A great insurance agency operations team rides the wave, makes adjustments, and is calling plays on the field.
Conclusion To Stress Busting Tips for Insurance Agency Operations
Stress in the insurance industry is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to define your experience. By shifting your perspective, setting boundaries, and focusing on what you can control, you can transform your role from overwhelming to empowering.
Remember, you are the communication channel—not the news itself—so don’t internalize stress that isn’t yours to carry. Prioritizing your well-being and following structured processes will help you maintain balance while still delivering exceptional service.
If you’re ready to take control of your stress and build a more sustainable approach to your career, check out our new series: Cool, Calm, Covered: Mastering Insurance Job Stress. It’s time to work smarter, not harder, and create a career that thrives without the burnout.
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