Playing to win: a good insurance operation knows the secrets of a good basketball team.

I recently attended a clinic for basketball coaches, and the speakers that day, some very successful college and high school coaches, covered a wide variety of topics. But through it all, they kept coming back to three common themes: teamwork, hard work and execution.

As I drove home I couldn't stop thinking about the value of these three concepts as they relate, not to basketball, but to insurance. Teamwork, hard work and execution may be the foundation of a good basketball program, but they are equally critical to the success of an insurance operation.

* Teamwork is the ability for each department in the organization to fulfill its role effectively. Greatness is impossible without teamwork.

* Hard work is the cornerstone of success for any group. Regardless of the task, the adage about 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration holds true.

* Execution is the ability to get things done the way the organization envisions them being done. This is where the rubber meets the road, and the best laid plans will go awry if any of the departments are out of sync.

I also thought about how each member of an underwriting office in an insurance organization correlates to the players on a basketball team.

The Scorer: A good basketball team recognizes someone with the skills to put the ball in the basket, and they emphasize the need to get the scorer into proper position. In the insurance world, this is the underwriters. A good insurance company focuses on underwriting, and good underwriters are people with good finishing skills. These underwriters are often the face of the company, but they must rely on their teammates to ensure success. The underwriters must be able to recognize opportunities and capitalize on them as the organization needs them to score.

The Center: The big man on the basketball court often does the "dirty work" without a lot of recognition or notice. Centers are primarily responsible for rebounding and defense, similar to the back-room people at the underwriting office: the claims, premium audit, loss control and accounting people. They often operate out of the limelight, but their work is critical. Just as coaching logic says you need a good center to have a winning team, it is hard to imagine a successful insurance company without good claims, audit, loss control and accounting teams.

The Point Guard: The classic point guard on a basketball team is someone who is an expert at setting up teammates. A point guard usually defers on shooting and focuses instead on keeping everyone involved. In this regard, the point guard is the marketing department. Point guards often have the ball in their hand, so to speak, and they skillfully move the pieces into place so their team can score.

The Bench: All good basketball teams have good bench strength. The players on the bench are those who are often out of the public eye but are always ready to pitch in when called upon. They often possess a variety of skills and a breadth of knowledge. This is the support and administrative staffs. They are the backups, and they fill a critical role. In many cases, they step in and replace the first string on a temporary basis; sometimes they become a good full-time replacement. We often see this group as being the glue that holds everything together.

The Coach: The coach is like a branch manager. It's his or her job to tie together the day-to-day aspects of the team, while positioning them for as much long-term success as possible. Like a coach, a good branch manager has a vision for the group and is able to lead the team toward that vision. It's his or her job to motivate and coordinate the team so they function at peak performance.

The General Manager: This is the home office team. They are not generally involved in the direct operations of the field, but they are ultimately responsible for setting the direction of the group. The front office is responsible for the long-term viability of the team. They have the final say in strategy and personnel, but are best served by keeping out of the daily operations of the team.

The business of insurance is no game to the professionals whose livelihood is involved--but the best insurance organizations are like the best basketball teams: those that continuously practice teamwork, hard work and execution.

Michael P. Egan, a Best's Review columnist, is director of property programs at NSM Insurance Group in Conshohocken, Pa. He can be reached at [e-mail].