There may be no player in the NFL with more detractors than Tim Tebow. Make no mistake;he has a big following. There is, however, a contingent, includingmany sports analysts, who have questioned Tebow's abilities fromthe time the Denver Broncos traded up to draft the quirky young quarterback from Florida.

There was much speculation that the kid, who brought a statechampionship to Saint Johns (Florida) County and a nationalchampionship to Gainesville, couldn't make it in the NFL. Sure, hecould work in Urban Meyer's spread offense, but could he transitionto Denver's offensive style? They said his mechanics were off, histechnique needed polishing, and that he would be nothing more thana flash in the pan.

So, how does this translate to a claims organization? Simple,aside from Tebow being an inspiration and a positive role model, heshows that there isn't one way to do things. After all, hisunorthodox style has been media fodder since the day he wasdrafted. Now, with a 6-1 record as a starting quarterback for thedivision leading Denver Broncos, he is giving people reason topause.

Far too often claims professionals are muddled in the minutiae of processesand procedures, without recognizing that the best results come fromthose who think outside the box. There is a tendency to live in aworld where benchmarking is all that matters, and results must fallwithin the parameters of the proscribed metrics without recognizingthe potential unintended consequences.

Make no mistake, numbers do matter. Just as Tebow's job security depends on numbers, in particular winning,so too does that of a claims professional. Files have to be closed,profits have to be made, policyholders must return, and customersmust be satisfied. Are these things achieved by simply looking atthe numbers?

If claims disposition is 100 percent, then does that mean thatthey were settled accurately? If monthly reports show that 100percent of all customers were contacted within 24 hours of lossreport, then does that mean that the right questions were asked? Ifsupplement rates are dramatically reduced, then does that mean thatbetter estimates are being written? The problem is when numbers arechased instead of results attained.

What Tebow shows is that winning can come in all shapes andforms. The same can be said for claims, where ultimate outcomes canbe reached in a variety of ways, some good, and some bad. Chasingnumbers for the sake of chasing numbers is bad. Getting results ina never ending quest to provide winning outcomes is good.

Perfection is hard to attain, but striving for it is an achievable goal. In 1972, the Miami Dolphins seemingly set thebar for perfection in the NFL, running the table on their way towinning the Super Bowl. While impressive, it was not perfect.Perfection would be the 1933 Providence Huskies whom not only wentundefeated but, never gave up a point.

The best way to measure a claims organization is by establishinga solid quality assurance program. Not the kind of program where amanager randomly reviews a file, but one of impartiality, wheretotal file quality is measured, benchmarked, and improved upon.Like the '33 Huskies and '72 Dolphins, the quest for perfectionneeds to be bred throughout the organization. A culture oftransformative change and innovation needs to be embraced.

Playing Follow the Leader is easy. Across the business universe,however, the true success stories come from those who have buckedthe trend, defied the odds, and came up with new and better ways todo things. Southwest Airlines changed the way people fly;Amazon.com Inc. changed the way people shop; and Apple changed theway people communicate. Herb Kelleher, Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs were not followers; they were innovators who didthings differently.

Whether or not innovation changes the way an organizationconducts business remains to be seen. The one certainty, however,is that those who take the lead in fostering change will gain acompetitive edge in the marketplace. Tim Tebow may not be JohnElway but, as football fanatics are finding out, he can win. TheBroncos just had to adapt to his style, instead of forcing him intotheir way of doing things. Maybe, just maybe, they are on tosomething.

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection wecatch excellence.” – Vince Lombardi