Cream of the Crop This is a monthly column introducing professionals who represent the best in their respective industries Definite goals provide career direction By Ella Lee Clear objectives have helped in balancing work and family life The importance of having a goal in life should never be underestimated. Whether you are a student aiming to top your class, an employee striving for promotion, or a parent intent on providing the best for your family, a clear objective will provide drive and purpose. In particular, it will help to give shape to a career and plot a course in life. That is certainly how Maggie Lee sees things. And, as a result of setting clear objectives for herself and reviewing them regularly, she has built a successful career and become a role model for others within the insurance industry. Ms Lee is currently regional director of ING Life and doubles as president of the General Agents & Managers Association of Hong Kong. Attaining the qualifying membership of the industry's Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) for 15 years, she was also admitted this year to the honour roll for her outstanding performance. Since only six per cent of insurance agents worldwide achieve MDRT status, this is seen as a mark of particular distinction. Good time management helps Ms Lee to balance her work and family responsibilities Ms Lee originally joined ING Life as an insurance agent in 1986 and the first important lesson she learnt from her mentor was about setting goals. "That manager told me about the MDRT and, although I knew it would be difficult to achieve membership, I made it my target," she says. While picking up the essential skills and knowledge for selling insurance, she also realised the need for consistent professionalism and, most importantly, of never giving up. This attitude was vital in the first six months when she had to face many rejections from people as yet unfamiliar with the benefits of insurance coverage. However, she persisted and convinced herself that positive thinking and hard work would lead to success. Special day Her colleagues were also a source of encouragement. "Seeing what they could achieve, I believed that any problems could be overcome," she recalls. In fact, it was only a matter of time before this dedication paid off and her client base began to grow. Further progress was confirmed with MDRT membership in 1990 and then with life membership in 2000, when ING Life even named April 11 as "Maggie Lee's Day". While continuing to develop her own client portfolio, Ms Lee was asked to take on responsibility for managing a team in 1992. At first, she found the task of management more difficult than expected, but realised it was an important part of career development and made doing the job well her new goal. Ms Lee has set progressive career targets to motivate herself The biggest challenge lay in training and retaining competent agents. "Especially if it is a small team of young professionals, you need to be exceptionally caring and provide detailed instruction and close guidance," she explains. "However, when agents become more experienced, you should give them more freedom and space to grow." She adds that it is essential to observe continuously and understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual team members. It hasn't always been easy and perhaps the worst moment came when all but one of her team resigned. Characteristically, Ms Lee still managed to view things positively. "It is never too late to learn from mistakes," she says, adding that any number of reasons can lead to an agent deciding to leave. Good prospects One point she emphasises is that an insurance agent must keep learning and accept that the market will continue to change. "The industry has become more professional and its current focus is on financial planning," she notes. "Newcomers should therefore have no doubts about the overall prospects provided they are well equipped for the business and prepared for continuous learning." Face the challenge, never give up In her current senior executive role, Ms Lee focuses more on staff training and business development. She still has targets, though, and they are to achieve sales growth of above 20 per cent and increase the sales force by over 30 per cent this year. As a believer in developing the "whole person", no matter how busy things are at work, she tries to make time for yoga, spa visits or wine tasting, in order to relax. Ms Lee also insists on helping her two daughters with various school activities. For her, a sign of success is being able to find a balance between career, family life and personal interests – a goal to which many of us would no doubt aspire. Milestones 2005 Promoted to regional director Qualified for MDRT life membership and honour roll (15 years) 2004 Accepted the 2004-2005 presidency of GAMA HK 2002 Obtained the company's Champion Agency Director of the Year 2000 Became an MDRT Qualifying and Life member 1998 Took on the roles of local chair of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) and project chairman of the General Agents & Managers Association of Hong Kong (GAMA HK) 1992 Promoted to manager and started building her own team 1989 Obtained the company's Champion Agent Award (and again in 1991) 1988 Won the Distinguished Salesman Award from the Hong Kong Management Association (and again in 1989 and 1991) 1986 Joined ING Life as an insurance agent Taken from Career Times 13 May 2005 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]