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Anti-diversity
The biggest enemy of diversity is anti-diversity anything that stomps over things diverse and intending to homogenise them or conversely anything coming in the way of something attempting to diversify. Over the last couple of weeks, I picked two stories both defying this hypothesis. One in a heroic sense and the other in a mysterious way!
By Mr Praveen Gupta
can easily turn womens attention inward as they try to reconcile conflicting messages about how to behave as leaders. What to do then, in a world when image and perceptions matter, and gender stereotypes remain firmly entrenched? Three prescriptions, in the blog, from three women leaders: We should just focus on what we have to do, says Ms Lubna Olyan, the Saudi CEO of Olyan Financing. She believes, women shouldnt be distracted by things that take away from what we are trying to accomplish. The story is never what she says, as much as we want it to be. The story is always how she looked when she said it, say the members of Ms Hillary Clintons press corps. What does Ms Clinton have to say? She does not fight it anymore; she focuses on getting the job done. IMF Chief, Ms Christine Lagarde says be yourself. Dare the difference. But do so skilfully. Dont just let it hang out; and never confuse being authentic with fatal flaws such as treating people poorly. So while you work towards breaking the glass ceiling, do not give up your originality. Being yourself is diversity too.
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www.asiainsurancereview.com
April 2013
Thoughts on Diversity
horizon over which the event can occur. Studies have shown that people are much more likely to buy insurance or invest in protective measures if an event, such as a hurricane, that has a one in 100 chance of occurring next year is presented as having a greater than one in five chance of happening at least once in next 25 years. And if the disaster does not happen well, the truth is that the best return on an insurance policy is no return at all. One should celebrate not having a major loss! Insurers should construct worst-case scenarios for rare events. They can then determine a premium that reflects their best estimate of their expected future risks factoring in the uncertainty of the events happening. Insurers could also consider offering multi-year policies if state regulators allow them price coverage that reflects risk over that period. A multi-year insurance policy with risk-based premiums coupled with a multi-year home-improvement loan to pay for risk reducing measure may enable policy holders to reduce their overall costs. Having diagnosed what keeps us being the most misunderstood industry, the authors demystify our current state and also suggest prescriptions for overcoming this woe. Maybe anti-diverse at the outset but if each market and geography could discover its own remedies; we may soon be a reinvented entity.
Mr Praveen Gupta is MD & CEO at Raheja QBE General Insurance Co Ltd. The article represents Mr Guptas personal views. He champions the cause of diversity also in his capacity as member of Diversity Action Group, Chartered Insurance Institute (London). He is grateful to The Economist for the seminal themes. www.thediversityblog.wordpress.com
What can be done to make insurance a better policy tool and to avoid adverse side effects of the well-intentioned programmes already in place?
One way to convince people, prescribed the authors, of the long-term benefits of insurance is to stretch the time
www.asiainsurancereview.com
April 2013
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