Alignment

If you look around the company, you can probably find some specific items misaligned with our core values and mission. These are "inappropriate" practices that have somehow crept through the woodwork.

We say we are a flat company. By this we mean we work in process and task teams. A formal manager may have many people directly reporting. We are able to do this because process and task teams always have leaders to coordinate the work, even though they may change with each new task. To succeed in this type environment, we need to be collaborative. In a company with outstanding technical talent, such as RLI, the need for small, managed departments is a thing of the past.

A key to the success of a "flat" company is the 360 degree evaluations. The 360 degree evaluation is a tool to evaluate managerial behavior and to collect feedback on the person’s work performance. The manager may not work closely with a person who directly reports to him over the evaluation period. To be fair in this type situation, this person’s peer evaluation must be carefully considered.

The company’s goals and aspirations should be your goals and aspirations. If they are not, either your goals or the company’s goals should be changed. You have the opportunity to influence the company’s goals during the planning cycle. Be sure your views are heard at this time. If we are all marching to the same drummer, we will all arrive at the Promised Land at the same time.

Attaining alignment is a continuous process of identifying and correcting those things that push the company away from its mission and impedes progress. This can be anything from noise levels too high to concentrate, to non-productive floor plans. It is important we work in an ethical, fair environment. Ideally, we should all be on the same wavelength, helping each other provide world-class service to our customers.

Currently, our productivity per employee is double the industry. We produce around $900,000 in premium written per employee. Even so, we can do things better. We can make it easier for associates to produce. This is what the suggestion system is all about. Think about what may not be in alignment with our core values or mission. Think about what can be done to improve the situation. Use the suggestion system and experience the gratification of getting an obstacle out of the way.

It’s all about alignment.