- 173
I am sure that every captive carrier operates a little differently, many however, do require different things. They tell you where you can office, your hours, your products, your expected production, who you can hire, who you can sub-lease office space to, what you can and cannot place outside if that's even an option, how to configure your voicemail message, and what you can do with your book of business if/when you are ready to retire. do you have a regional sales manager, district manager, none of the above? If you do, that's who's breathing down your neck and who you have to "suck up to" for anything, those that do - get, those that don't - don't. Of course sucking up or not is always optional, but if you don't play the game you get left in the dirt. Kudos for having your office setup where it can run without you for 3 weeks, I can only aspire for such. My office would probably do better with me out than in but can't let go - the inner micro manager within says no no no...and then there's that nagging work ethic thing, I feel I've got to be in there doing the same level of work I expect from my employees, old habits are hard to break. The younger generation doesn't have such a problem with this and to some degree I applaud them and envy the ability to walk away and have faith it will keep on running smoothly. I'm trying but some days I feel that I might have a little more in common with the Jet Blue flight attendant than I would like to admit.
I don't think its a secret that I'm a State Farm agent and I don't have any of the issues that you list because I've been around for awhile. I choose everything about how my business runs and operates (with exception to forms, brochures, etc) I don't have sales managers and no sales requirements. I have goals and rewards for meeting goals given to me by the company and the local management teams but I make the choice if I want to go after them. I do agree that in order to "get what you want from management" you have to be a producer and I am. Not for them though or because I have to, but for me and for my own personal work ethic and sense of accomplishment.
However, none of this holds true for the new guys and that's what this thread is about. They are told everything to do and are effectively employees. That would not be for me.
I said I hadn't been to the office in three weeks, not that I haven't worked in three weeks. Being at the office doesn't equate to work. You are nothing but an employee if you can't get your office to run without you. You need others making money for you without you so that you can either pursue more money or other interests, hobbies, etc. If you hire good people, pay them well and train them well, you shouldn't be needed except for the big stuff and the big picture. You need to fire that inner micro manager You can't do any of this when you first start out, but after 16 years I would hope that you would have a chance to.
Best of luck!