Simple habit separates doers from dreamers Shopping for a new auto insurer? Consider these reader favorites
Steve Jobs may no longer be with us, but Apple’s co-founder continues to make a lasting impact that will last for generations. In a classic 1994 interview, Jobs illustrated an uncommon habit found in the most successful people: “Most people never pick up the phone and call. Most people never ask, and that’s what separates the people who do things from the people who just dream about them.”
Jobs explains in the interview that, at the age of 12, he mustered up the courage to call up none other than Bill Hewlett, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard. The ask? “I want to build a frequency counter, and I was wondering if you have any spare parts I could have,” Jobs said. Amused at the boldness of the boy on the other end of the line, Hewlett laughed and gave Jobs the spare parts. Oh, and a summer job at HP. Jobs said, “I was in heaven.”
This single phone call impacted Jobs’s life and taught him one of the greatest lessons of his brilliant career: Be willing to ask for something you want.
Fear keeps so many people from asking for what they want and seeking help from their bosses, peers and colleagues. According to research published in Harvard Business Review, 75 to 90% of all help people at work give to one another starts with making an ask.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine recently polled its readers about their favorite financial services companies.
Among auto insurers, these two stood above the rest in the survey. Respondents scored auto insurers based on how competitive their rates are, how positive the experience is when making a claim, and if they’d recommend the insurer to others.
USAA
USAA, the overall winner, far outpaced its competitors on the criteria we asked readers to evaluate. “Their service, reliability and professionalism are second
However, many people don’t ask for what they need, as their managers and executives do not encourage or reinforce this behavior. Consequently, nothing ends up happening most of the time.
Does your environment foster the freedom and safety for employees to ask for help? One useful workplace idea to use is a reciprocity ring, a concept introduced by social scientist pioneers Wayne and Cheryl Baker. It was later adapted by organizational psychologist Adam Grant as part of his work on generosity, documented in his book “Give and Take.” Here’s the concept in simple terms: I help you and you help someone else, and maybe that person will end up helping me (or someone else) sometime in the future. This loop makes asking for and offering help easy and effective.
To make the reciprocity ring practical and results-oriented, participants need to to none,” one reader says. A few pointed to strong customer service as a standout feature, too, with one saying that “USAA has the best customer service of any financial service organization I use.”
USAA membership is available to military gather in groups and share their requests with one another. Asks should be something important that a person cannot obtain or attain on their own — for example, a key contact with a specific skill to help with an upcoming project or task. Participants then make contributions by matching up a solution, using their knowledge, offering up resources and ideas, or connecting them with a key contact.
The Bakers, along with Grant, created a technology platform called Givitas to facilitate the reciprocity ring in any organization and integrate it into a company’s people practice.
The reciprocity ring changes the way we see helping and problem-solving.
The research found that when reciprocity is widespread in organizations, it builds community, improves productivity, promotes learning and builds a climate of trust. And it starts with making the ask. service-members and veterans, as well as their spouses and children. Those who have an auto insurance policy with USAA can take advantage of various discounts, including up to 10% off for bundling auto and homeowners policies, lower rates for teens who maintain high grades, and a discount of up to 3% if you set up automatic payments of your insurance premiums. USAA’s mobile app provides a range of features — you can pull up your auto insurance identification card, change your coverage, pay bills, request roadside assistance, and file and manage claims.
Progressive
Readers gave Progressive a nod for offering competitive rates on its auto policies. “Progressive has consistently given me the best quotes on auto insurance,” says one survey respondent, who also noted “fantastic customer service and follow-up” through two claims with the company.
Progressive offers the option to reduce your insurance rate by participating in its Snapshot program. Through a mobile app or device that plugs into your car, Progressive tracks your driving habits and rewards you for safe behaviors, such as limiting hard braking and acceleration, keeping your hands off your phone while behind the wheel, and avoiding late-night driving, when the roads tend to be most dangerous. Progressive’s mobile app includes the ability to view and share insurance ID cards, report and track claims, pay bills and see policy information.