One Saturday morning, I found myself in front of the computer, punching numbers. While I was sitting there, staring at my screen, willing this task to end, I had a sudden realization: I was doing someone else’s job! I had several other people who I employed to do such tasks. I’m not above doing such work. It’s simply not work that I have to do. Hear me out here.
When you go into the doctor’s office for a visit, is the doctor the person who greets you at the desk? No. Is he the person who comes to the waiting room to escort you back, or the person who takes your basic vitals? No. You don’t even meet with the doctor at the doctor’s office until you’ve interacted with several other people. The doctor could do all these things. He would have a lot fewer patients come through his office if he did that. The doctor pays other people to do these other, less specialized tasks so that he can do what he went through years of medical school to be able to do.
Similarly, if you find yourself doing someone else’s job, I hope it becomes a wake-up call for you as it was for me. If your dollars made per hour starts dipping down into the double-digits, you may be doing someone else’s job – and you should stop! This is the law of delegation in action. When you allow other people to take some of the load, your ability to accomplish projects – and your hourly wage – increases. Stop making yourself a salaried employee, and start earning more for your time by letting other people do their jobs; share the load!
For more information on this subject, please download and listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
6 thoughts on “When Doing a Job Right Doesn’t Mean Doing it Yourself”
If only there were a company out there who could develop a platform to streamline the residential transaction. One who uses video, computer vision, and machine learning to offer products such as square footage certification, floorplan, and property data capture, enabling parties to save time and standardize data. Only then could I earn 1/2 of a 1/2 of the borrowers appraisal fee (AMC split), and pay someone else an additional 1/2 for doing it for me.
Dustin, I’m still waiting for you to appear on True Footage’s superstar list https://www.truefootage.tech/who-we-are. With hard work, and keeping you breaks to only 15 minutes, I’m sure you’ll make shift supervisor in a couple of years.
Subject to repairs & alteration performed by Paul H. Look a shiny penny!
Seek the truth.
Bill Johnson………at what point in your life did you become so bitter? You have 0 (zero) credibility to be commenting on anything Dustin chooses to do, so why do you make it a life’s mission to do it?
How about “you do you” (whatever that is) and let Dustin do what he does.
Finally, using a pseudonym just shows that you are nothing but a troll. Grow up!
Considering Dustin hasn’t been a fulltime appraiser since 2010, recently lost/okay sold his appraisal business, and is now a W2 employee for an AMC, my warnings over the last 5 years absolutely have merit. Do as I say, and not as I do, right Dustin.
Stop seeking the truth at your on peril Vince.
Subject to repairs & alteration performed by Paul H. Look a shiny penny!
Seek the truth.
Good reminder Dustin. I’m guilty of this often.
Amen Dustin…great advice!
Great points Dustin! Hits home and emboldens to keep pushing to achieve more with the all important sharing of tasks that we should not be doing with the finite time we have to expend! Keep on keeping on ~