Grammar isn’t exactly a big topic of conversation in the insurance industry. There are situations where use of grammar on a document may need to be discussed, but for the most part grammar is just a small part of daily life. Recently, we found ourselves engaged in one of those rare grammar conversations and, without realizing it, ended up discussing owners’ perception of their agencies.
The grammar issue we were discussing was whether a business, should be identified as a singular entity or as a group of people. The question was whether we should state ‘Sukay & Associates is…’ or ‘Sukay & Associates are…’. We’ll come to the correct grammar later; first let’s look at how insurance professionals view their agencies.
Owners and Staff Perceptions May Differ
There are a lot of insurance agency owners out there who equate their goals, with the goals of the agency. They see themselves and the agency as one entity. When they write that their agency ‘is’, they’re also referring to themselves. This point of view can make planning for the future of your agency a difficult proposition. When you equate the agency’s needs with your own, it can be difficult to plan for a time when you won’t be involved in the agency.
It’s likely that your staff sees the agency in a different way. When they talk about the agency, they see it as a collective effort by the whole group. For them the agency is plural, not singular. This can also affect their view of the future. You will have staff members who expect to be compensated for their part in the plural, if the agency is ever sold. There will be other’s whose futures are so invested in the plural, that they expect the agency to go on forever.
Insurance Agencies Are Singular and Plural
When planning for the future of your insurance agency, you need to consider both sides of this grammatical perception issue. An insurance agency is in fact both singular and plural. The success of the agency depends on the plural efforts of its staff, working to the singular goals set by an owner or a board. It’s important that the future of the agency is built for both the singular and the plural.
When you put a plan in place for the future of your agency, it should factor in a number of possibilities. It should provide for your singular needs in a sale or perpetuation, as well as covering the plural future of the business as a whole.
The ultimate destiny of the agency lies in the hands of the owner. That is why our announcement stated, Sukay & Associates is …. In grammar, businesses should be considered singular entities not plural groups. In future planning, however, an agency is both.
If you are considering the future of your agency you might find our free whitepaper “10 Worst Reasons to Sell your Business” interesting.
