We caught up with the brilliant and insightful William Auten a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

William, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear your thoughts about making remote work effective.

Our team operates remotely, with a majority of our members located overseas. We prioritize utilizing systems and software that enable us to work flexibly, both remotely and at any time of the day. This approach is not meant to enforce a 24-hour work culture, but rather to accommodate our overseas partners in different time zones.

As someone inclined towards systems-oriented approaches, we have successfully leveraged screen capture videos and audio to train and continually educate our team. We conduct our quarterly meetings and weekly one-on-one sessions via Zoom, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.

Working with team members in different time zones does have its challenges. On the downside, it can create difficulties in synchronizing schedules. However, on the positive side, it allows our overseas team members to progress on tasks that will be ready for us in New York by the following morning.

Another limitation we encounter with remote team members overseas is their inability to perform certain physical tasks. Our responsibilities involve direct interaction with individuals at accident scenes, gathering evidence, and capturing photographs of incident locations. Additionally, conducting face-to-face meetings with injured claimants and policyholders who have filed claims against them is an integral part of our work that cannot be accomplished remotely.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Auten Claims Management is dedicated to providing independent claims adjustment services to insurance carriers and self-insured entities. My journey in the insurance claims industry began in 1996 when I was introduced to it by my then-girlfriend’s father, who managed an independent adjusting claim office in Buffalo, New York. Recognizing my construction background, and communication skills, he suggested that I explore a career as a claims adjuster. Intrigued by the idea, I embarked on a two-year journey of studying the field, obtaining my license, and ultimately joining a competitor’s firm.

Since then, I have gained valuable experience working for independent adjusting firms and insurance companies, both as a direct employee and as an independent adjuster. From 2007 to 2017, I had the privilege of serving as the Vice President of Claims at Ontario Insurance Company.

In 2017, I embarked on a new endeavor by starting my own business, which became Auten Claims Management in 2019. Throughout our journey, we have formulated a clear mission and philosophy centered around client support. Our primary goal is to cultivate trust with our clients, which holds immense importance. Trust serves as the bedrock that allows customers to rely on us as a credible source of information, empowering them to make well-informed decisions regarding their claims. By fostering trust, we build strong and enduring relationships with our customers, positioning ACM as a reputable and reliable industry resource. Recognizing that trust is paramount, we prioritize its cultivation in our everyday interactions and operations.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I would highly recommend three books to any small business owner. The first is “The E-Myth” by Michael Gerber. This insightful book emphasizes the importance of creating a business that can run independently, rather than being solely reliant on the owner’s involvement. It highlights that without building a self-sustaining business, one simply has a job. For instance, as an independent adjuster, initially, I handled all the work myself, which was akin to having a job rather than a business. Although I have now built a team that alleviates some of my responsibilities, I have yet to achieve the point where the business can fully function without my presence. I will delve deeper into this aspect shortly.

The second recommendation is “Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz. This book presents a practical framework for managing finances in a way that guarantees setting aside profits. It provides clear guidelines to allocate funds and offers a visual representation of the profit at any given month or quarter. By establishing seven bank accounts as part of this system, you can easily determine the funds available for bill payments. Initially, the idea of multiple bank accounts may sound peculiar, but I assure you, once you read the book, it will make perfect sense. Since implementing the Profit First method, we have experienced higher profitability in 2023 than ever before.

Lastly, I suggest reading “Clockwork” also by Mike Michalowicz. This book builds upon the concepts introduced in “The E-Myth” and offers a framework for developing systems and operational efficiency within a small business. Clockwork focuses on achieving the goal of a four-week vacation, which symbolizes the business’s ability to operate autonomously while the owner is away. By systematizing operations and implementing the principles outlined in the book, small business owners can work towards this goal. I was so convinced by the ideas presented in the book that I enrolled in the Clockwork training program, which perfectly complements the book. The program, led by Adrianne Dorison, a co-author of the Clockwork book, further enhances the understanding and application of the concepts. I am excited to share my insights on this topic through an upcoming podcast, as I have scheduled my four-week vacation for May 2024!

In summary, these three books provide invaluable guidance for small business owners. “The E-Myth” teaches the importance of creating a self-sustaining business, “Profit First” offers a financial framework to ensure profit allocation, and “Clockwork” presents strategies for systematizing operations and achieving business autonomy. I have personally found immense value in implementing the principles from these books, and I believe they can greatly benefit any small business owner.

Any advice for managing a team?

Granting employees autonomy in problem-solving involves providing them with three essential elements: information, permission, and desired outcomes. Employees need access to relevant information to effectively complete a task. This includes the necessary resources, knowledge, and context to understand the problem at hand. By equipping employees with the right information, we enable them to make informed decisions and take appropriate actions.

In addition to information, we provide employees the permission to decide how to approach and execute a given task. Empowering them to choose their own methods and strategies fosters creativity and ownership. It encourages them to utilize their unique skills and expertise to find innovative solutions. By granting permission, we show trust in our employees’ capabilities, allowing them to take ownership of their work.

In addition, our staff must have clarity regarding the desired outcomes. Employees need a clear understanding of the goals and expectations associated with the task. By defining the desired outcome, we provide a guiding framework for employees to align their efforts. This clarity ensures that our staff can work towards a common objective and make decisions that align with the overall organizational goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://auten.claims/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autenclaims/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auten.claims
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auten-claims-management-inc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/auten_claims
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CuUhvXfK4RHEDtHa0Ulym?si=3b0a8849e9614c29

Image Credits
All photos taken by William Auten