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Profiles in Risk: E446 – Beyond Technical Expertise: How Soft Skills Minimize Engineers’ and Architects’ Professional Liability Risk With Jeff Hirst of Professional Empowerment Institute

Picture of Nicholas Lamparelli Nicholas Lamparelli : Aug 12, 2023 12:00:00 AM

Risk Management Claims Insurance Industry Profiles in Risk Soft Skills

Profiles in Risk: E446 – Beyond Technical Expertise: How Soft Skills Minimize Engineers’ and Architects’ Professional Liability Risk With Jeff Hirst of Professional Empowerment Institute

Professional Technical Service firms such as engineering or architecture firms have immense professional liabilities. When mistakes get made, people die. Liability exposure is significant and there is a lot of emphasis on becoming more technically competent so that mistakes are minimized. This is part of the “hard” risk management for these firms and the insurance companies that insure those professional liabilities. But there is also a under appreciated “soft” risk management that is overlooked but can have just as much impact on reducing claims frequency and severity.

In this episode of Profiles in Risk, Tony speaks with Jeff Hirst, broker and founder of the Professional Empowerment Institute. Jeff coaches professional services firms (such as architectural and engineering firms) on soft skills. Soft skills are the entirety of the non-technical skill set professionals need to execute their work. This includes intra and inter office communication, time management, stress management, empathy and all of the other non-technical skill sets required for top notch business outcomes. Poor soft skills impacts hard skills to such a degree that that 30-70% of professional liability claims are due to mistakes, errors or omissions of an intangible “soft” problem that leaks into the technical process.

Jeff Hirst – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhirst100/

Soft Risk Management – https://empoweredpros.samcart.com/products/powerful-professional-101-course

About Nicholas Lamparelli

Nick Lamparelli is a 20+ year veteran of the insurance wars. He has a unique vantage point on the insurance industry. From selling home & auto insurance, helping companies with commercial insurance, to being an underwriter with an excess & surplus lines wholesaler to catastrophe modeling Nick has wide experience in the industry. Over past 10 years, Nick has been focused on the insurance analytics of natural catastrophes and big data. Nick serves as our Chief Evangelist.