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PERCEPTION IS REALITY
I would like to
take this opportunity to thank each and every one of
you for your support in electing me as your new UFAA
President. The Presidency is a position that
represents tremendous obligations and
responsibilities. I will do everything in my power
to carry out my duties to the best of my ability.
It is my expectation that with the help of the
National Board Members, Chapter Presidents, National
Office Staff and general membership we will develop
and implement a successful agenda.
It is an
understatement to say that I feel humble following
in the footsteps of our three most immediate
presidents, Keith Van De Walker, Jerry Watt and
Ralph Buchanan. I had an opportunity to serve with
each of these gentlemen as National Treasurer and
learned some very valuable lessons. I ask you to
take the time to thank each of these gentlemen for
their past, current and future contributions to the
UFAA organization.
My purpose in
writing you today is to let you know that we are
going to concentrate on shaping UFAA into a positive
and agent benefit driven organization. It is my
intent to ensure that you receive more communication
on topics of current and future concern to our
organization and to provide you and your agency with
information and benefits that are not readily
available in any other forum.
It is my
perception that our primary responsibility as an
association is to care for and help fellow agents
succeed. It is not our intent to be negative, to
litigate against Farmers or to pick a fight. But
make no mistake; we will do whatever is necessary to
protect our membership. I prefer to take the
approach of analyzing each situation on its
individual merit and determining the best solution
for that particular issue. Hopefully, UFAA and
Farmers can establish a mutually beneficial dialog
to identify the best solution to some very trying
situations.
Two hot buttons
for me are integrity and respect. This association
can no longer tolerate any member or non-member
being disrespectful or marginalizing another member
or non-member because of their opinion, ideas, PIF,
sales count, etc. We are a team and we need to act
like a team. Like many of you, I have sacrificed
significant time, PIF and income to help my fellow
agents. The primary purpose of UFAA is to protect
the rights of its members and to help them achieve
success in their agencies.
I
believe that, if we act as a positive group,
positive results will happen.
I prefer to take the approach of discussion with
Farmers regarding common concerns in a calm and
rational manner rather than to battle all the time.
The real conflict between agents and Farmers lies in
the breakdown of communications and/or inexcusable
personal behavior. This usually occurs when
individuals lower on the totem pole act out of
malice, misinterpret policy directives or
inconsistently apply company policy. Once this has
occurred, Farmers is obligated to defend their
employee even though they may find the behavior
reprehensible. So let us all live with the old
carpenter’s motto of “measuring twice and cutting
once.” In other words, management needs to analyze
each situation on its merits and determine whether
they are doing the right thing or doing the easy
thing. The bottom line is everyone is trying to
make a living and provide for his or her family. I
am not talking about knowingly breaking the
provisions of the contract; I am talking about the
conscious decision of an individual to put their
welfare above that of others for no other reason
than greed or sales quota.
The
United Farmers Agents Association has always
contended that it is the legal and moral obligation
of Farmers to follow the contractual language of the
AAA, (Agent’s Appointment Agreement) and adhere to
the Independent Contractor
statutes as defined by the Internal Revenue Service
code. This is exactly why UFAA filed an amended
Declaratory Relief Action (DRA) in May 2007. The
new DRA was filed on behalf of all agents in all
states and its purpose is to ask the courts to
render a decision on the contractual language in the
AAA. Let it be clear, UFAA is not seeking monetary
damages, just a judicial interpretation on what the
language in the AAA actually means to both parties.
Many of the
disagreements that arise between agents and Farmers
can usually be categorized as an over zealous
individual within the company that has taken it upon
themselves to misinterpret or ignore the AAA
contract. If we can eliminate these situations and
follow the rules based on the actual language of the
contract, we can reduce the financial devastation
that these intolerable misinterpretations can cost
an agent. If UFAA and Farmers could cut down on
litigation and the loss of agents
livelihood/agencies, wouldn’t that mutually benefit
both parties? Will the top Management of Farmers,
please instruct and emphasize to all parties
concerned forthwith, to strictly adhere to the
language of the Agent’s Appointment and the
Independent Contractor’s provisions under the law?
The majority of
hardworking men and women at Farmers do not
represent the individuals described earlier. So I
ask the agency force to initiate the submission of
the names and circumstances of those individuals
within Farmers that are doing an outstanding job and
we will publicize those individuals’ names in our
updates, on our web site (www.ufaa.com) and in our
quarterly magazine, the “Voice.”
Remember that
you only get ten seconds to make a positive
impression on any individual that you meet for the
first time. So your future relationship with that
person is defined by your short interaction.
Perception is reality and you have to live with
those perceptions. So, live your life to the
fullest with integrity and respect, always have a
smile on your face and make a good impression, as
“Perception is Reality.”
In the words of
the famous actor Andy Garcia, “We all fall in life;
the trick is to fall forward.”
Tom Schrader
United Farmers Agents Association
National President
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Mission Statement
The United Farmers Agents Association is a
professional Association committed
to helping our members through education,
communications, support and information, and
to establish a true partnership with Farmers
Group, Inc. |
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