As part of our work as a domestic insurer we have a standard insurance policy course that most new staff members attend. The course covers a number of our insurance policies, which we go through from cover to cover.
The main feedback we get from groups is that reading an insurance policy is boring (shock horror!), and they would like more interaction, visual aids and group work to interpret the policies.
While we use these as much as possible, our concern with going too far down this track is that if a group incorrectly interprets part of the policy through a key word, picture or role-play, the group will go away with the incorrect information, even though we have corrected them at the time.
Does anyone have any suggestions to liven this training up, while still ensuring staff members have complete understanding of such an important legal document?
Tony Boon
6 Responses
Insurance Training
Hi Tony
Firstly I was wondering what business area your target delegates were from (Sales, underwriting etc.)as this would probably affect what you did. But here are some general ideas on the info provided
Put it into english: Presumably you’re not handing out a policy document and reading through it with your delegates? If you are, change this to a powerpoint/flip chart presentation. Create handouts that cover the key aspects of the policy documents without the jargon that’ll kill a live brain within 5 mins! I have a few examples of this if you or anyone wants them. E-mail me through my profile if you do. Ask your delegates questions rather than talk at them
Pictionary : You can use pictionary as a fun way to refresh on sum insured events. Of course, you’d need to keep a hold on it to ensure there are no incorrect details, but this is a fun, memorable way with interaction. The key is using it as a refresher
Presentation: You can get your delegates to present what you’ve just taught back to the group. You can get different people to present different aspects of the policy
Make it relevent:
Use props such as dolls houses/toy cars to illustrate the sum insured events then, directly relate it back to the docs
There are some ideas, hope this helps
All the best
Rich
could you do it back to front?
Could you send out the appropriate information to the delegates in advance (in a sufficiently non sombulent format or formats) for them to absorb and then, on the day give them a relatively quick individual test followed by case studies that are detailed enough to test their application of the knowledge…
Might work
and be less boring
PS if it is boring for the delegate who does it once, how boring is it for the trainer?
Rus
vivid v portable
Hi Tony
“Our concern with going too far down this track is that if a group incorrectly interprets part of the policy through a key
word, picture or role-play, the group will go away with the incorrect information, even though we have corrected them at the
time.”
Could it be that the erroneous message is delivered in a vivid way and the correction in a more conventional, low key manner,
whish doesn’t stick?
If so, you have the choice between:
– using pre-recorded material only (PPT, video, podcast etc) to have total control over your content.
– Keep the same setting but deliver corrections in a more vivid and memorable way.
The first solution can allow for portable content accessible outside the classroom.
The second solution is low-tech and easy to test on a pilot group.
All the best
Remy Bertrand
what do they NEED to know
Tony,
I was wondering if you and your team could decide exactly what needs to be learnt. You used the words “complete understanding”, but do you actually know what a “complete understanding” is? If you do, then you can validate the training by having an assessment of some sort at the end of it. I’d also point out that having a complete understanding of policies really takes a lot of time,and frequent use and practice.
Alternatively, I would use “what if” scenarios all the way through, or case studies from real life, or flow charts, or moving flowchart visuals.
I’m totally with you on your new starters needing to know the basics and what they are talking about, I’d just suggest that this seems a good time to review all of that.
Steve
Adding in trick questions
In addition to what others has suggested, perhaps you could role play a case which went to court. Split the groups into three (prosecution, defence and jury) and have them argue their perspective as to why the insured was or wasn’t covered in that circumstance.
Bored stiff or brought to life?
Hi Tony.
Good points made by other respondents here. Particularly like the one about if it’s boring for the delegates, how boring is it for the trainer who may repeat the activity many times. Will impact the trainer style and delivery. If you cannot refresh the material, can you refresh the trainer?
Also, consider splitting the group into two teams. Have one team look at the policy from a seller’s perspective and the other from a buyer’s perspective. Ask each team what it is that they think they have either sold or bought. Is there a correlation or divergence? You can fill the gaps or re-educate on the important points.
Good luck.