Boggs continues to distinguish himself as one of the most candid, insightful, and impactful educators in the insurance industry. His recent LinkedIn article, “Are You Running a Half-Donkeyed Insurance Agency,” is not only sharply written but rings with truth that every insurance professional, especially those in agency leadership, should reflect upon. It is a wake-up call disguised as a critique, laced with Boggs’ wit and wisdom.
Boggs begins by reflecting on a career immersed in the world of insurance agencies as an agent, a trainer, and a coach. He has seen the spectrum, from the brilliant to the bumbling. He noted some agents who grasp their purpose with clarity to those who, quite frankly, should reconsider their career choice.
The article offers a no-holds-barred assessment of the current state of many agencies, concluding that a vast majority fall into what he calls the “half-donkeyed” category. It’s a provocative term that captures the essence of a troubling truth. Many agencies excel at knowing their production numbers, ratios, and closing stats, but neglect a deep and lasting understanding of insurance coverage, which is the most important requirement since agents sell coverage.
This is not the first time Boggs has leveled this kind of critique. I’ve written about his contributions before. In an earlier blog post, I discussed his excellent “Twelve Rules for Reading an Insurance Policy,” which remains one of the clearest and most practical guides for anyone in the insurance field learning how to read a policy.
In another article Sixteen years ago, “Insurance Agents, Adjusters and Attorneys Can Learn Important Coverage Topics Reading Chris Boggs’ Articles,” I noted how valuable his insights are for agents, adjusters, and attorneys alike when trying to navigate complex policy language and concepts. His work never coddles or indulges. Instead, it challenges insurance professionals to rise to a higher standard of competence and integrity.
In this latest LinkedIn post, Boggs shares a memorable quote from his father: “Crazy people don’t know they are crazy; stupid people don’t know they are stupid; and crazy stupid people know everything.” It’s humorous, but pointed. Boggs suggests that many in the insurance business, despite being well-intentioned and performance-driven, fall into a category of “crazy stupid.” This is a condition born not of malice or laziness, but of willful ignorance about the true complexities of insurance contracts. They assume competence because they can quote metrics but ignore the foundational need to understand what is actually being sold, bound, and promised.
The irony is sharp when contrasted with the way courts in some jurisdictions view the role of insurance agents. Despite the immense complexity of insurance policies that Boggs so clearly outlines and the deep study required to truly understand coverage, some judges still hold that agents are nothing more than “order takers.” In this view of the standard of care owed by agents to policyholder customers, the responsibility to ensure adequate and appropriate coverage rests almost entirely on the insured, who may have no idea what they truly need or how to ask for it.
I explored this troubling logic in my blog post, “Are Insurance Agents McDonald’s Order Takers or Professional Advisors? The Massachusetts View,” where courts absolve agents of any duty to advise unless a special relationship exists. This legal stance stands in stark contrast to the professional reality Boggs advocates, where agents are not passive clerks at a drive-thru window, but active, informed counselors capable of protecting their clients from catastrophic gaps in coverage. It is a strange quirk in insurance agent negligence law that insurance agent educators tell agents of their enormous responsibility, which the law then ignores.
Insurance is a business rooted in the power of words and the precision of legal language. It demands ongoing education, intellectual humility, and a commitment to mastery. Boggs’ article is a reminder that agency success should be measured not just by growth charts and commission numbers but by how well agents truly serve their clients by knowing the policies inside and out.
Anyone in the insurance profession who cares about being more than average and aspires to be among the small percentage that really knows what they’re doing should be following Christopher Boggs on LinkedIn. His insights are necessary for mastery of insurance coverage. His latest post is another example of his ongoing mission to elevate the industry and call out those who think they’re in the top one percent without earning it. For those ready to do the hard work of becoming truly excellent, his voice is one of the best to learn from.
Thought For The Day
“Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.”
— Pat Riley
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