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It takes courage to try something new, especially when surrounded by family and friends... and in front of complete strangers. Last Sunday during the Silverdale Whaling Days celebration, EHL entered a team in the "Dyes Inlet Dash" Outrigger Canoe Races - sponsored by the local outrigger club Hui Heihei Wa'a.

I got the brilliant idea last year when I saw my partner and her workmates compete in the competition. They had so much ding dang fun I had to get me some of that! This spring I recruited my coworkers Rhonda Byers and Lori Smith-Gilbert from our commercial department and Amy Simonis from Employee Benefits and a long time friend from North Kitsap High School (here in Poulsbo) Michele Hackett. It was a reunion of sorts as Rhonda, Amy, Michele and myself all played basketball together in high school when we won the AA State Championships. If we were a winning team in basketball...perhaps we could translate that into a canoe.

Amy, Heidi, Lori, Michele, Rhonda

Of course it wasn't that easy. None of us had any canoe paddling experience (although Lori did have a lot of kayaking experience...which as it turns out is TOTALLY different than canoeing). Regardless, we were totally prepared for 3 things: 1. We were going to have a ridiculous good time 2. We were going to try our hardest to win and 3. We were not going to be afraid of trying something new, no matter how little experience we had.

Do you ever get stuck in the same rut time and time again? Only doing the things that you've always done, that feel comfortable, that you think you understand? What holds you back may be fear. Fear of looking like an idiot... fear of making a huge mistake... fear of costing your company money... fear of failure. What if we never took chances? I think that is failure. In order to learn new skills, gain new information, become a more enriched and enlightened person you must take chances. This can apply to your life in so many ways; big things like careers, love, finance, friendships to smaller things; paint color, car model, and what's for dinner.

Back to the race.

Staring down our competition...

We were gifted with our "coach" Genevieve from the Hui HeiHei Wa'a club who taught us how to paddle and work together as a team. Each team that enters is guaranteed to compete in two races; we competed in four. In the end, we finished with 3rd place (check out the official results) which we are extremely proud of. Are we going to enter the race next year? Heck ya. Are we going to come away with 1st place? No clue. We did come away with new skills, a closer sense of teamwork, and a fearless attitude to try new things, regardless of the results.

Take care.

Social Networking Safety Tips

July 27, 2010

click here for safety tips

The OnGuard Online article presents some sound safety tips for teens and tweens as they pursue Social Networking.

In this world of continuous socialization through very impersonal mediums, I feel it is our job as parents to provide more information to our children regarding the ramifications of participating in various social network sites.  It is difficult to paint the picture of those ramifications at times....  I was thinking this morning though after a rather challenging weekend with my youngest that a good conversation with him will be "what kind of adult do you want to be?"  From there, we can have a discussion about how to get there and risks to avoid taking along the way in order to achieve that.

It is information we try and provide our clients as well;  How to decrease the risks along the way.  It is important to not lose all that you are working for in life due to something you could have avoided or insured against.... Until next time....

Have Risk Management Cuts Gone Too Far?

July 26, 2010

Every day you open your doors to doing business you face risk. There is a cost related to that risk and proactively managing that cost is essential to your success. It is possible to calculate that cost and better manage, mitigate or in some cases eliminate that risk. In a recent article written by David Katz, cutting risk management cost is a delicate issue. You really need to do a cost benefit analysis and understand what risk are you assuming greater responsibility for.

Among the targets in the wave of cost cutting that hit Corporate America last year were insurance and risk-management expenses. To be sure, buyers of commercial property-casualty and workers' compensation coverage were aided by a hotly competitive market that drove prices down. Nevertheless, risk and insurance budgets were also deflated by companies' almost universal urge to trim their margins. The question now, however, is: were the cuts too deep?

Indeed, a new study suggests they were substantial. The combined impact of lower insurance premiums and lower risk-management administrative costs led to a 3.1% drop in average total cost of risk (TCOR) per $1,000 of revenue in 2009, to $10.35 from $10.68 in 2008, according to an annual benchmarking survey sponsored by the Risk and Insurance Management Society and produced by Advisen, a research firm. (For this research firm- TCOR is the sum of insurance premiums and fees, property-casualty loss expense retained by a company, and the costs of running a corporate risk-management department.) I contend there are several other area's that need to be factored into TCOR- including lost opportunity cost, employee turnover, etc. making insurance cost approximately 40% of TCOR.

Per Advisen, on paper, insurance costs plus the cost of uninsured losses constitute an overwhelming portion of a company's total risk costs. Last year, for instance, the average cost of insurance premiums plus retained losses per $1,000 revenue was $9.11. At the same time, risk-management administrative costs stood at a relatively meager $1.24, according to the study, which is based on data from more than 1,400 companies in the United States and Canada. (The cost of premiums plus retained losses in 2008 was $9.38, and risk-management administrative costs were $1.31.)

Still, an especially severe slashing of administrative expense can have a disproportionate effect on cost of risk as a whole. Cutbacks in risk-management departments may have left companies more exposed to costs if disaster strikes, says Robert Cartwright, a RIMS board member and loss-prevention manager at Bridgestone Americas Holding. "When a catastrophe hits, you have less people who are able to handle the problems out there, and it becomes a major problem," he says. "If you've cut too far down, you don't have the resources available to get things back on track in a very quick manner."

For overly lean companies in storm-prone areas, a particularly active hurricane season this year may represent a major peril. Property damage, loss of income, and business-interruption risks may burgeon for such corporations, especially if they operate in a number of affected states, warns Cartwright.

In fact, Cartwright says he's seen some companies' costs rise because of excess cutting. Lacking adequate staff to prevent workers' compensation claims, such companies have seen claims rise -- and insurance premiums go up accordingly. In turn, they've cut their risk-management staffs to make up for the expense hike. "The recession had a domino effect on risk management and risk managers in general," adds Cartwright. "Risk managers are being asked to do more with less."

Allow EHL to help you manage, mitigate and sometimes eliminate the risk you face. Call me to set up a brief executive overview to hear how we are helping our clients retain more of the dollars they've earned.

The Importance of Second Opinions

July 15, 2010

Things that make you go...hmmmm?

My dad always says "take the urgency out of important decisions when you can." Sometimes in life two opinions may not be better than one. Ever had a tough topic and asked friends for advice? You then sat down and tried to sift through the blender of input and facts from far too many people, only to find yourself more confused than when you started? I know I have. I always say that I swim upstream on some things in life, one being that I excel at making large decisions, but stress about the little daily choices. Most people agonize over the big stuff. Many of us were raised that with big decisions we should slow the process down and do research or seek counsel. Great advice that I will not disagree with on today's blog post.

Working in the world of health care and health insurance for nearly 13 years, I have preached to countless employees the importance of seeking a second opinion, particularly when facing any large health-related decisions. Sometimes we have to drink from our own Kool-Aid, which is what I did today. Taking my advice I scheduled a second opinion in Seattle before embarking on tentatively scheduled shoulder surgery. Unfortunately I had reached the point where the pain of staying the same was worse than the pain of change (surgery) and I truly hoped that the procedure would be the magic bullet.

As I was shot up the elevator this morning overlooking the Puget Sound on such a gorgeous sunny day, I thought to myself "what if this doctor doesn't agree?" I knew the easiest route was for the two physicians to concur on the diagnosis and treatment plan. I could then face the scalpel with confidence (is that really possible?) knowing that after rehabilitation my quality of life might be back on track. Easy, huh?

Unfortunately doctor #2 came in with a completely different outlook, approach, as well as concern about the surgeries in question, and wanted to order an entirely different type of MRI. I was open to the information, and was a very engaged patient, but left his office shocked, bewildered, and holding modified lab orders and referral sheets.

Yet again, "risk" and "insurance" are a part of our daily lives. The risk of not getting a second opinion in my case may have led me in the direction of multiple surgeries (two per shoulder), unnecessary pain, stress, scars, and medical bills. While I paid a price today of some disappointment for not finding a more "quick fix," it is difficult to predict what the true risk might have been had I not sought a second surgical opinion.

So while the medical journey may be longer for me having gone the "slower" route, and there may be a few more intersections to pass through, dad was still right!

My advice, thanks to my dad, remains unchanged. Go get your second opinion!

Here's to your health.

Time well spent

July 13, 2010

Do you ever get so busy you know that if you stayed up for a full week you still would have things to do? That's where I am right now. Website optimization, multiple marketing campaigns, and various computer technology clashes that have me wondering if perhaps technology is overrated... I'm not complaining though, just observing. The situation reminds me that although I may have little control over what is put on my plate, I can control how I react to it.

This time of year is also traditionally very busy for me because one of my many varied jobs at EHL is to serve as event coordinator for our annual charity golf tournament benefiting the Kitsap Community Foundation. The vast majority of our staff help run the event from check-in to the registration table to covering hole-in-one holes. We look forward to a great day at Gold Mountain Golf Club every year. Considering our usual late great Summer weather, our September 9 event should be beautiful.

Why do I spend countless hours preparing for this tournament? It’s for the foundation. KCF was founded in 1993 by a group of dedicated citizens who wanted to ensure there was a "forever" mechanism for providing on-going support to meet the needs of our community.

This goal is accomplished through the distribution of grants which are funded through "forever" endowments and other funds. Endowment funds ensure an ongoing stream of funds to support and encourage the broader community good today and for generations to come.

This is our 8th year of sponsoring the tournament. Fred Hill Materials was our co-sponsor for the first 6 and last year (2009) and this year (2010) we are thrilled to have  the Suquamish Tribe and Port Madison Enterprises as Title Sponsors. Our goal this year is to have a full course of golfers (144 golfers and 36 teams) and a full plate of commercial sponsors. Last year we raised over $15,000 for the Kitsap Community Foundation.

If you are a golfer, please consider attending our event. Everyone has a ridiculously good time and a lovely banquet dinner is included. If you have some money in your advertising budget please consider becoming a sponsor. We have different levels that accommodate all budgets.

Visit our Acorn Classic page on this website for information, pictures of past tourneys, and on-line registration.

So, regardless of the number of activities I have going or the quality of interesting projects I contribute to, I am most proud of my work on the Acorn Classic. It is time well spent.

EPA Announces Delay in Enforcement of Lead Rule 

July 7, 2010

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it was delaying enforcement of its Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule, which became effective on April 22, 2010.

EPA has acknowledged the need for additional time for renovation firms and workers to become trained and certified under the rule. The specific delays are:

• Until October 1, 2010, EPA will not take enforcement action for violations of the RRP Rule's firm certification requirement.
• For violations of the RRP Rule's renovation worker certification requirement, EPA will not enforce against individual renovation workers if the person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in, by not later than September 30, 2010, a certified renovator class to train contractors in practices necessary for compliance with the final rules.  Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010.

Numerous concerns exist with the overly complex and burdensome RRP Rule, including the removal of the opt-out provision and the lack of reliable test kits. The rule could have a severe impact on the remodeling market in several parts of the country and expose dealers and contactors to unnecessary liability. In addition, new proposals from EPA on clearance testing and an expansion of the rule to commercial construction pose additional challenges for the industry, which has still yet to recover from the recession.

EPA's announcement can be downloaded here.  For more information on compliance with the RRP, click here.

Communication

July 6, 2010

"The neighbor kid is an only child. He does not have any brothers or sisters to play with. When you are outside playing, I'd like you to try and be-friend him..."  I said to my 7 year old son.

"But mom, he's weird..."  said my son

"Weird how?" I inquired

"Weird like my brother..." he admits.

"All the more reason why you should play with him. He will be able to see things in a way that you cannot."

This conversation just occurred over the past weekend and I have to admit that I was "waiting" for him to recognize that his brother is different. Although over the last couple years I have tried to explain to my youngest child that his brother's brain files information differently, I was not sure if my adult words were making sense. It appears that they did in some small way, but not very clearly....

This is an universal issue though, right? How to communicate to others in a way that they will translate within their own experiences in the way that you meant it to. Since we can only control the message we send and not how it is received, this feels impossible to me at times (on both ends of the spectrum)....

There are volumes written on this issue - and I am no expert so I am certainly not going to pretend that I have anything of substance to add to the issue.

What I do know as a mother, is that both my kids are unique individuals and that I cannot communicate with each of them in the same manner. The oldest is very literal and therefore being too abstract does not work. The youngest on the other hand, is very imaginative (which is extremely exciting to see and watch!)....

I try and remember this lesson that my children have taught me in my relations with others. Some friends I can be very literal with and some I have to "dance" around. Neither way is right or wrong - just an acknowledgement of what works best for that communication model.

It is the same with our clients. Each family has a different risk, set of experiences, knowledge, etc.  As a Risk Advisor, we simply work to determine which method of communication works best and then continuously work to try and meet the needs and expectations. That is one very solid benefit of EHL - our Mission Statement includes that we work as Trusted Risk Advisors - we focus on the relationship, getting to know our clients, going the extra mile...

Until next time....

Laura Ahlstrom
Special Needs Coordinator
Personal Risk Advisor