It’s planning season. When I say “planning,” I mean the real thing, rather than that other thing that creeps in this time of year, when some insurance carrier reps prescribe seemingly arbitrary growth targets for their appointed agents.

The real thing begins by imagining what is possible rather than focusing on the incremental. Earning the leading market share in your category is possible; squeaking out a couple points of growth is incremental. But achieving what is possible often requires us to do things better, smarter, differently. In other words, it requires innovation.

I was thrilled several weeks ago when my colleagues and I had the chance to meet Stephen Shapiro, innovation expert and author of Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition. Of all the interesting things Steve shared, what resonated most with me was his view that expertise is the enemy of creativity and innovation. The theory is simple: the more familiarity you have with a particular topic, the less likely you are to create a breakthrough because your brain is pre-programmed by your knowledge and experiences to find familiar solutions. Conversely, the best, most innovative solutions to your challenges might already have been solved in other disciplines.

Consider Steve’s example of a Scottish engineer working on ways to locate and seal cracks in gas pipelines. It only took a paper cut for him to make the connection between the capillaries in his finger and his work, resulting in the creation an inert coagulation ingredient that was able to seal the cracks. Today, there is a group of cardiologists and gas pipeline experts in the Houston area called “Pumps & Pipes” who come together as purposeful tangents – very different disciplines who tackle strikingly similar challenges – and share insights that might spark innovations.

There’s plenty of evidence that solutions created by other disciplines are helping to inspire innovations in insurance. A few examples:

Numerous insurers are now pursuing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), aka drones, to improve the claims and risk management process.
When seeking out new ways to help members feel more connected and informed during a claim, PURE executives were inspired by an ad for Domino’s Pizza’s “Pizza Tracker” to create a “Claims Tracker.”
When those same executives were looking for ways to help members deal with trauma following a large loss, they studied how Navy SEALS dealt with PTSD and then ultimately turned to Steven M. Southwick, MD, a recognized expert on the psychological and neurobiological effects of extreme psychological trauma, to help inform an approach that fosters resilience.

If we ask the right questions, more often than not we’ll find that smart companies in other disciplines have answered them in a way that might inspire our own innovations. A few examples of this might include the following:

How can we create an insurance shopping experience that people actually like…and tell their friends about?

Instead of merely studying the direct writer with the latest intergalactic online shopping gizmo, I invite you to look at Trunk Club, a firm that has built a business by targeting a group of people who typically despise the traditional notion of shopping for clothing: men.

Understanding that most men grimace over the clutter and hassle of the mall, but many value highly personalized service and looking good, Trunk Club reinvented the shopping experience in a number of ways. First, they assign a personal stylist to every client, one who is typically educated, articulate, and conversational. Second, they create exceptionally personalized experiences without ever meeting most of their clients in person. Following a phone consultation, the stylist sends an elegantly packed (and easily returnable) “trunk” of hand-selected clothes, typically accompanied by a personal handwritten note. These messages, along with highly professional follow-up emails (complete with photo of the stylist), humanize the experience, contribute to high revenue per transaction, and stimulate word of mouth.

Perhaps it is no wonder that the firm, which was acquired by Nordstrom this summer for $350 million, more than tripled its revenues in the last year alone. Imagine what is possible if we were to find such unexpected ways to reinvent the shopping experience for our own clients.

How can I convert my agency into a place that attracts new customers and stands out in the community?

BMW is tackling a similar question, seeking to redesign dealerships by “decluttering the showroom” over the next several years. The concept is simple – replace cliché cubicles and high pressure conference rooms (not to mention the dreaded Finance Manager in the back office) with bright open space featuring interactive high-definition touch screens and employees assisting customers on tablets. Yup, just like an Apple store.

How can we become an employer of choice for bright young talent?

You don’t need a search engine to know that Google has earned that status. Sure, the company’s exceptional perks – which include organic meals, generous investment in employee training and education, and wellness centers – play a role. But perhaps most important is the culture that Google has created. Almost all “Googlers” say the company has great leadership that welcomes innovative suggestions from employees, and it doesn’t hurt that leadership encourages employees to spend up to 20% of their time pursuing an innovation or other interest of their choice. Imagine if your workplace stimulated so much passion and creativity.

There are many more challenges and opportunities facing our industry that likely have been addressed already in one way or another by a different discipline. Whether these relate to the underwriter seeking new, more efficient ways to properly assess risk; the independent agent who obsesses over differentiating herself from the direct writer down the street; or, the claims adjuster who desires to fulfill the company’s contractual obligations while addressing the client’s emotional needs, the answers may be found in a purposeful tangent. What better time to find one than planning season?

Special Reports /

Agencies facing &quot;planning season&quot; can find inspiration outside the industry

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Agencies facing "planning season" can find inspiration outside the industry