by Randy W. Hall

Humbleness certainly isn’t celebrated much in this culture. Way too often, most of the time the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Which is to say the one who makes the most noise seems to get the most attention. But when it comes to dignity, personal fulfillment and lasting success, being noticed and garnering attention just for the sake of getting ‘credit’ or ‘kudos’ isn’t worth the effort.

Watching the 10-part documentary on Michael Jordan and championship-era Chicago Bulls of the 1990’s, (specifically the 1998 squad which was the focal point of the project) this point that ego has no amigo was driven home to me. I followed that team in real time, like many sports fans, so taking a trip down memory lane to go back to that time and re-live the journey and glory of Jordan and his teammates and the Bulls organization was cool and illuminating. Unlike my 23-year-old self, (my age in 1998), in the documentary, I paid attention to the architects who put that squad together, Jerry Krause the GM and Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner.

While I won’t dispute that it was incredible that they managed to win 6 titles in 8 seasons, it’s also crazy to think that the last title (or maybe more), were won despite the disharmony fostered by Krause and, to a lesser extent, Reinsdorf. You see Krause bristled that all the credit for the teams run was heaped upon Jordan, head coach Phil Jackson and the excellent Scottie Pippen primarily. Whatever crumbs of credit were left over went to him, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant and a host of other role players. This rankled him so severely he alienated Jackson, going so far as to inform him he could go 82-0 and win the title in 1998 and he wouldn’t be brought back as coach!

This of course set him at odds with Jordan, who vowed not to return to the team in 1999 unless Zen Master Phil was coaching him. And Scottie Pippen was royally pissed at the organization for being severely underpaid (despite he himself signing the contract that locked him in at below-market value for years). Krause fomented the anger and disgust because his ego was no amigo. He figuratively cut off his nose to spite his face.

Psychologists, both professional and armchair, would have a field day diagnosing and analyzing the pathos Krause must’ve had to voluntarily break up the Bulls before they ever lost their title on the actual court. It’s a study in hubris, and how pride cometh before a fall. Not only did Krause’s plan to disband the Bulls fail spectacularly, the documentary brought to light that they didn’t even get to enjoy the ride of becoming champions, at least to a certain extent, because of jealousy and distrust.

The road to excellence was fraught with levels of unnecessary stress and angst well before the fall from grace took it even lower. It was more a relief than joy when they won most of the time because Krause helped create a semi-hostile work environment, that along with media and fan expectations, was a classic “damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t” conundrum. Which is a shame, in hindsight, because when done from a love-based perspective of cooperation, winning a championship or world title is considered the main point of professional athletics and the veritable holy grail of accomplishments! Just about every championship squad had reunions and retrospectives dedicated to their team winning because in our culture it’s so difficult and rare to reach those heights!

To turn it into a petty, fear-based endeavor really sours the experience for the main players involved in the psychodrama. But these guys were human, and they get twisted up in human emotions like the rest of us. Maybe they were too alike in the sense that their stubbornness refused to bend in the heat of the moment to acknowledge they were on the same side with the same goal. Michael Jordan was notoriously petty (his Hall-of-Fame speech is a great example). Krause, for a variety of reasons, wouldn’t show weakness or compromise to anyone, apparently, not even an all-time meal ticket like Michael Jordan and Company.

So, what does this have to do with you and me and insurance? Here’s my crack at connecting the two seeming disparate concepts:

We all can learn that most of us have fear-based ego traps that can stop us from connecting with what’s best for us sometimes. Mr. Nice Guy Medicare Advisor (aka me, Randy W. Hall) view every client from a unique, holistic perspective. I’m not going to convince you one way or another based on what’s best for me, what company or insurance plan you ought to enroll in.

My job, as I see it, is to give someone unbiased information and answer questions that help us arrive at a good solution to a question of what is good for everyone’s particular situation. Also, if you come to me already knowing, (or pretty sure) of what would be, the best course of action, I’m happy to assess and, ideally, verify what you think already. Also, if necessary, I’d give you an alternative perspective to consider if warranted.

The issue with salespeople, or agents who look at their side of the client-agent relationship from a viewpoint slanted to their perspective, is it leads to problems from the clients’ angle that could’ve been avoided.

Example: You call someone from a particular insurance company. They look up your drugs and doctors and it turns out they’re all covered. From that agents’ perspective, they can’t sell you anything else, so they enroll you in the best plan that they have available to sell you.

It hardly rises to a crime, but little did you know that had you called an independent, non-biased agent (conveniently such as myself 😊), there was a much better option that what you enrolled in, in terms of co-pays for you plan to see doctors or a hospital stay, your drug prices may have been lower (sometimes significantly less), and you could’ve gotten superior extra benefits such as dental, vision, or hearing than what you were limited to by calling just one company to research your options.

Also, sadly, there are situations where folks are put onto plans that are ill-suited to a clients’ needs simply because the salesperson must meet a quota, or, to be more charitable, not in-tune with thinking of the client first and foremost. Sometimes, it is nefarious. Just like there are scam artists of all persuasions, some use your Medicare insurance as a vehicle to take advantage of you. Most robo-calls the vast majority of seniors deal with are attached to the parasites of my industry.

As a rule, I won’t make your insurance situation worse. If I can’t improve your insurance plan, I let you know and give you that peace of mind. My goal is to be a beacon of positivity in this world of Medicare madness. Give me a call or text about what it is you need or are looking for and let me prove it to you, with no pressure ever. For Mr. Nice Guy (aka me), no ego (on my part) is your amigo!

Jordan & Krause: Frenemies at best