Nicole Rathbone
Claims Manager
Our Team Leader, Nicole Rathbone, has worked at LV= General Insurance (LV= GI) for over 20 years. There’s been plenty of change over the last two decades, but it’s never been as exciting as it is right now. Why? We’ll let Nicole tell you.
“We’re shooting for the stars”
I joined LV= GI in 1996 – so I’ve been around a little while now! I worked in various people-focussed operations roles before settling into my current role as Claims Manager. Now I spend my time helping my team leaders help their teams be the best they can be. I love the variety of my role and the fact that there’s constant change and constant opportunity. We never stand still. Every morning I wake up and wonder what I’m going to walk into. It’s quite exciting! LV= GI has changed heaps over the years but right now, it’s zinging. We’re shooting for the stars and it feels good to be part of.
“It feels like I’m truly making a difference”
The project I'm working on at the moment is really exciting. It’s a systems thinking intervention where we’re completely redefining what we want from our leadership team. We’re challenging things like targets and measures for our frontline people, and the concept of giving feedback. It’s all about understanding what matters most to our customers and it has the potential to be quite ground-breaking in the contact centre and insurance world. As part of the project, our handlers work really hard to try and connect with their customers. We want to come across as natural as possible and move away from that typical view of a call centre mentality which has built up over the years. It’s really exciting and feels like I’m truly making a difference.
“We work hard, but we have a lot of fun”
There is a healthy focus on social activities here. We work hard, but we have a lot of fun. And I absolutely believe that most of my role is about building relationships. If you have those relationships in place then anything you have to deal with on a day-to-day basis is that bit easier. And for me, there’s nothing better than seeing the look on someone’s face when they’ve achieved something – especially when you’ve been on the journey with them and watched them develop. Part of my job is to help people recognise where those opportunities are and if they want some support to help them get in the best possible position, that’s great. But we don’t spoon-feed people. The real learning happens when the individuals are testing and developing themselves.
To be successful at LV= General Insurance, you need to:
- Have a strong sense of personal responsibility
- Want to develop, to improve, to learn
- Put your hand up, be prepared to ask questions and take ownership of things
- Want to make a difference
- Have a sense of humour and not take yourself too seriously
