March 18, 2015
“If you don’t like something, change it,” wrote Maya Angelou. “If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” It’s a quote that is particularly apt for this issue of Claims Management, since we’re planning on doing a bit of both in the coming months.
First, let’s talk about that “something” we don’t like here at the magazine: adjusting. Not the profession or the amazing, versatile superstars that make up our industry. (Of course not!) Rather, it’s the word itself that has come under our scrutiny.
There’s something about the word “adjusting” that has always irked me, and the same can be said of CLM’s Executive Director Adam Potter, who has a way of inspiring change with exquisite economy of words: “Stop using ‘claims adjusting’ and ‘adjuster’ in the magazine,” he said on a typically short but content-stuffed phone conversation a few months ago.
He didn’t have to elaborate much. Claims “adjusting” implies that a settlement according to the terms of a contract—which should be clear and free of ambiguity—needs adjusting (usually downward) before it can be paid. It’s a negative connotation, and we don’t like it. So we’re changing it. As of this issue, all variations of “adjusting” have been banished from these pages.
It’s a small but significant step forward in changing the perception of our industry. But we’re far from done, which brings us to that second part of Angelou’s quote. Those attending this month’s annual conference will get a sneak peek on how we plan on changing attitudes with the industry’s help, and we’ll be taking off the official wraps in next month’s issue. Stay tuned!