Jennifer Navarro, a Senior Agency Management Specialist with Selective, found a sense of purpose while taking the training this year. She said, "I took the course for professional and personal development. My main goal was to provide abuse risk management expertise to my agents and their customers. What I got out of it was so much more. It has changed my perspective on how much I can do as an individual to improve the safety of vulnerable populations and how important awareness and knowledge transfer are in the overall equation. The opportunity to positively impact our society makes me incredibly proud."
Like Jennifer, I am proud to be one of the 69 Selective employees who received the CPG designation – the most of any U.S. insurance carrier!
Extending access to professional development to agency partners
Because of our employees' overwhelmingly positive response, Selective recently expanded the CPG training program to a pilot group of appointed agents. We have found that agents are glad to help their customers build a culture of safety. As Jason Lacayo, Commercial Lines Producer for HUB, said, "Since completing the CPG training at Selective, I have wasted no time discussing the resources I can offer our clients."
Programs like CPG help insurance consultants like Gregory Okonowski from The Arizona Group, identify gaps in their customers' abuse prevention programs they might otherwise not know to focus on. As Gregory said, "Through the Guardian program, I have learned about the responsibility we all have to prevent abuse. Now that we have the tools, it's time to get the word out to our customers and communicate zero tolerance for abuse."
Continuous learning in everyday practice
The CPG training program is only one example of how continuous learning can ensure ongoing professional growth and lasting benefits for customers. In practice, professional development means:
- Having a learning mindset: Embrace a proactive approach to professional development by regularly seeking new knowledge and skills.
- Setting goals: Identify specific professional goals that align with your career aspirations, break them down into actionable steps, and incorporate them into your daily routine.
- Apply and share knowledge: Seek opportunities to implement new strategies, techniques, or best practices. You reinforce your understanding by actively using and sharing what you have learned.
By completing the CPG training program, Selective Insurance employees and agency partners can build new knowledge and expertise, better serve customers, promote prevention, and mitigate risk. That builds trust and nurtures a culture of safety within Selective and outside of it.
To learn more about the Certified Praesidium Guardian™ training, visit: https://www.praesidiumguardian.com
About the Author
Allison Paulson is Assistant Vice President, Community and Public Services Strategic Business Unit (CAPS SBU) Leader at Selective. She is responsible for Selective' s profitable growth strategy for this business unit. Allison joined Selective in 1984 and has held various leadership positions throughout the organization, including Business Segment Manager in the Contracting SBU, Underwriting Manager for Large Accounts, and Business Segment Manager in the Mercantile & Service SBU.