As I settled down to write May’s blog post, I found myself contemplating the recent changes to our billing department. The thing is, I can’t say that these changes weren’t well thought out or were even ineffective. In fact, most of them have been extremely beneficial, though I must admit that there has been a learning curve. This is precisely why there is such a need for a strong foundation of trust within our department. We must trust that each of us genuinely aims for the best outcomes for both our carriers and customers.
At Buchanan, trust forms the bedrock of our collaborative efforts. There are so many moving pieces, but the foundation is trust. Trust that documents will be sent, trust that times will be kept, and loads will be fulfilled. I think that has been the most difficult part of handling the recent changes to our department. Where does this apprehension come from? Me personally, past jobs and past mistakes can create a genuine fear that those experiences will be repeated. And if you’re like me, then this doesn’t entirely jive with your image of perfectionism and a deep-seated need for control. These are normally positive traits, beneficial even, but they also make it so difficult to let go and trust the process. It is easy to say, hey, let’s take stock of these feelings, let’s take a moment to slow down and think, but that is a lot more difficult to implement when you’re stressed and busy.
Not that I’m upset about being busy. Being busy is amazing!
Ultimately, there came a realization that I wasn’t giving these new departmental changes a chance, and this fear and apprehension weren’t fair to the expertise and professionalism of my Buchanan coworkers. Trusting myself means trusting them. And sometimes you really need an outside-inside perspective, someone who knows the job but who can come into it from a more distant view and really see what can be done to improve the process. It isn’t easy, and sometimes it can even be frustrating, but trust the process, and trust your team.
