Culture is the spine of Symmetry Financial Group. Without it, we would be less than we are today and make less of an impact on our clients, communities and ourselves. As we grow as an organization, our drive to improve our culture does as well. With the help of our parent company, Quility, we’ve made great strides in cultivating a work culture that we are proud to call our own.
The Ripple Model™, a Quility initiative, is our newest effort to expand our impact and better the lives of everyone who encounters Symmetry Financial Group — client, agent or corporate staff.
Here we will break down the importance of culture, The Ripple Model’s role in that importance, and the three pillars that support this cultural initiative.
Culture is more important in 2023 than ever before. A positive culture attracts more clients, spreads brand awareness and is a valuable recruiting tool. More importantly, setting the foundation of a positive work culture allows your team to grow personally and professionally.
By intentionally setting a path and focus for your organization’s culture, you can make improvements to everything from brand recognition to your team’s mental and physical health. There are no drawbacks when it comes to building a positive work culture.
There are a few key aspects you’ll want to cover when building your organization’s culture . Philanthropy, volunteering and staff wellness programs are three important areas you’ll want to spend some time focusing on when developing your work environment.
The Ripple Model is a directive we’ve developed as an organization that gives our agents a chance to make a ripple of impact in their communities and across the nation. This initiative combines heart and data to create opportunities for Symmetry agents and corporate staff to better themselves and their communities.
The two women behind The Ripple Model are Quility Co-Founder, Meredith Ellison, and our Senior Director of Well-Being and Philanthropy, Whit Zeh. Together, the two co-creators have developed a system of impact and culture that is designed to evolve and grow as our organization does.
“We wanted this culture model to stem from the people; for the people to create a healthy culture and for them to guide us in what that looks like. While we want to lead from the top and the values of the company’s founders, we always want to learn and listen from the bottom up,” says Zeh .
The Ripple Model is supported by three pillars that make up the roadmap of our wholehearted culture. Each pillar is designed to zero in on a different aspect of our culture here at Symmetry Financial Group: Community outreach, women+ empowerment and well-being and personal growth.
We’ve found that by focusing on individual aspects of what makes a culture great, we can enhance the overall work environment for Symmetry agents and corporate staff. Each pillar of this model is designed to pinpoint a specific need for our culture.
Community outreach is the first pillar of The Ripple Model. The goal of this pillar is to enrich lives and impact communities through relationships, service and support. Whether that’s philanthropic or volunteer support, Symmetry agents have ample opportunities to make an impact in their local communities.
The Ripple Model works with a list of community partners to help make an impact in communities nationwide. With both national and local charities, Symmetry agents can find opportunities to volunteer with non-profits like Habitat for Humanity, Make-a-Wish and Our Voice.
As of 2022, The Ripple Model has helped with nine home restoration projects with Habitat for Humanity, has packed 100,000 meals to help fight food insecurity among local community partners and has achieved 350 corporate staff volunteer hours. We have also donated $2.5 million to community partners across the country and granted 165 wishes for the Make-a-Wish foundation.
Exclusivity and equality are pivotal to the well-being of an organization’s culture. That’s why our second pillar, Women+ Empowerment is so important. Through this pillar, The Ripple Model amplifies the work and voices of every self-identifying woman among our agents, leadership and corporate staff.
By collecting and connecting the feminine voices behind Quility and Symmetry Financial Group, the second pillar empowers our agents and corporate staff to lift each other and grow as leaders.
The third and final pillar of The Ripple Model is Well-Being and Personal Growth. Making an impact in your communities and workplace is only possible when working on yourself as well. This pillar of our culture helps Symmetry agents live with intention while aligning with their highest selves.
Ellison points out that ,“ What becomes important is to encourage a balance between what we can learn from looking out and what we can gain from looking in. ” Self-growth comes from a place of reflection and learning about yourself.
For this reason, the third pillar of The Ripple Model is designed to help agents and corporate staff focus on their personal well-being while discovering what their best self looks like.
With The Ripple Model, Symmetry agents are given the tools and resources needed to better themselves, their clients and their communities. Leveraging the support of the model’s three pillars, agents can work on every facet of their personal and organizational culture.
From volunteering and philanthropy to women+ empowerment and personal growth, The Ripple Model gives our agents and corporate staff the opportunities to make a ripple of impact.
As a Symmetry agent, you will have access to high-quality life insurance, disability income insurance, critical illness insurance, and annuity products from more than 30 well-known insurance companies. This gives you the flexibility and reach you need to tailor plans to meet clients' individual coverage needs.
To learn more about how to begin a fulfilling career as a life insurance agent, contact us today.