We’ve all heard of the classic debate: What’s the correct way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Allow me to introduce a new debate: What’s the correct way to get dressed in the morning? Ridiculous as it may sound, I do have opinions on this, and it all comes down to one thing: efficiency. Allow me to elaborate briefly.
When I get dressed in the morning, I start by putting on my boxers (I mean really, what else would come first?). After that comes the deodorant, so that I don’t have to worry about putting deodorant on with a shirt on. After that comes my usual blue oxford, followed by my socks. This way, I don’t have to pull the legs of my pants up to put my socks on. I then put on my khaki pants. Putting the pants on after the shirt makes it easier to tuck the shirt into the pants. When all of that’s done, I put on my belt and my shoes, and I’m ready for the day. Too much information? Probably, but there is a method to my telling you.
Why do I get dressed this way? It all comes down to efficiency. I’ve broken down the process of getting dressed into a series of steps, and this allows me to be more efficient. Sounds silly, I know, but I do not want to spend 4 minutes getting dressed when I can spend 3 and spend another minute doing something I want to do (getting dressed is not high oh my “want to do” list). Similarly, breaking down everything you do as an appraiser into tasks, each with a specific series of steps, will help you to run your business with more efficiency. Part of working on your business and not just in it is making sure you know what the process is for a given task, and perfecting it to make it as efficient as possible. Becoming more efficient will make you more capable of reaching your goals in your business and your life. Take a look at the things you do in your office over and over again. Develop a routine and a procedure that causes you to do them well, but do them fast. “But it only takes an extra minute” is not an excuse. Those extra minutes add up to hours and days over the lifetime of your appraisal office.
For more information on this subject, please listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
