Gm 545
Course Project: Leadership & Organizational Behavior in Action
August 26, 2012
I. Introduction xxxx Insurance Company is a Fortune 100 company based in Northbrook, Illinois that employs over 50,000 employees across the country. It is widely known through its “You are in Good Hands with Allstate” slogan. Allstate’s major business is private passenger auto and homeowners insurance which are marketed under the Allstate brand, Encompass and Esurance (acquired in 2011).
This course project will focus on the Direct Sales & Customer Relationship channel of Allstate Insurance Company. In 2000, Allstate launched “The Good Hands Network,” a multi-access approach to enable customers to reach the company however and whenever they wanted. The network included the sales and service of P&C and financial products through a local Allstate agency, via allstate.com or through 800-Allstate which is the Direct Sales & Customer Relationship channel. At its inception, 800-Allstate was comprised of two call centers located in Charlotte, North Carolina and Woodridge, Illinois. Today, call center operations have expanded to also include locations in San Antonio, Texas and Pocatello-Chubbuck, Idaho.
At my departure from the organization, I held the position of Direct Sales & Service Leader within our Organizational Effectiveness Unit. I was directly responsible for change management initiatives for process improvement, implementation of new units and products into the Direct Channel, customer retention and experience. Additionally, I was directly responsible for coaching and development of frontline leaders in our sales and customer relationship departments.
II. Problem Statement
Employees (all levels) within the Direct Channel at Allstate are resistant and slow to change. Typically, new processes implemented to move the organization forward are not fully implemented and seemingly fail leading to “going back to the ways things have always been
August 26, 2012
I. Introduction xxxx Insurance Company is a Fortune 100 company based in Northbrook, Illinois that employs over 50,000 employees across the country. It is widely known through its “You are in Good Hands with Allstate” slogan. Allstate’s major business is private passenger auto and homeowners insurance which are marketed under the Allstate brand, Encompass and Esurance (acquired in 2011).
This course project will focus on the Direct Sales & Customer Relationship channel of Allstate Insurance Company. In 2000, Allstate launched “The Good Hands Network,” a multi-access approach to enable customers to reach the company however and whenever they wanted. The network included the sales and service of P&C and financial products through a local Allstate agency, via allstate.com or through 800-Allstate which is the Direct Sales & Customer Relationship channel. At its inception, 800-Allstate was comprised of two call centers located in Charlotte, North Carolina and Woodridge, Illinois. Today, call center operations have expanded to also include locations in San Antonio, Texas and Pocatello-Chubbuck, Idaho.
At my departure from the organization, I held the position of Direct Sales & Service Leader within our Organizational Effectiveness Unit. I was directly responsible for change management initiatives for process improvement, implementation of new units and products into the Direct Channel, customer retention and experience. Additionally, I was directly responsible for coaching and development of frontline leaders in our sales and customer relationship departments.
II. Problem Statement
Employees (all levels) within the Direct Channel at Allstate are resistant and slow to change. Typically, new processes implemented to move the organization forward are not fully implemented and seemingly fail leading to “going back to the ways things have always been
References: Atkinson, P. (2005). Managing Resistance to Change. Management Services. Vol. 49 Issue 1, p14-19. 6p. 4. Brown, J. (2010). Leadership vs. Management. Supply House Times. p. 118. Conger, J. (1991). Inspiring Others: The Language of Leadership. Academy of Management Executive, 5 (1), 31–45. Edinger, Scott. (2012). 5 Ways To Ensure That Team Members Develop Into Great Leaders. Forbes.com. Schermerhorn, J. (2010). Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition. John Wiley & Sons. Hoboken, NJ. Yates, K. and Vallas, S. (2012). The Character of Communication. Communication World. p. 23 - 25. (http://www.educational-business-articles.com/leadership-versus-management.html).