A good friend of mine, Lt. Col. Sam McCallie USAF AFRC/SEF, a pilot with the US Air Force sometimes likes to talk about things that fly in the air, you know, airplanes. As a safety instructor, he stresses that being focused, knowing where you're going and having the training to deal with bad situations is critical to avoid "bending metal." Smart pilots are all about safety and typically don't skydive, "Why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane?"

The scientific definition of vector involves two quantities known as magnitude and direction. What sets a vector apart from a single quantity such as speed is the fact that a vector has direction as well. The difference between going 55 miles per hour versus going east at 55 miles per hour. When pilots say "all thrust and no vector" they means that somebody has a lot of energy and motivation, but no direction, focus or purpose. I'm sure you've seen the type; lots of energy, but can't focus enough to get a single job done. "All over the place."

Do you remember Tony Robbins, the motivational speaker 20 years ago that would have you stand on a chair and scream "peak state" as you beat your chest? I still remember his seminars especially the energetic vibe, though not necessarily his content. However, Tony Robbin's more recent incarnation has to do with your personal direction, your vector.

Mr. Robbin's Ted Talk Why We Do What We Do is an excellent splash of water on the face through questions that might challenge your vector. What is your motive for action? What drives your life today, not 10 years ago? What makes the difference in the quality of people's lives? What makes a difference in their performance?

He then drills down to three larger questions:

1. What are you going to focus on? (Focused=feeling, past/present/future, self or others?)
2. What does it mean? (Is it the end or the beginning?)
3. Are you being punished or rewarded? (What are you going to do - are you going to give up or move forward?)

He's trying to answer the question, where are you going through the art of fulfillment. It's about appreciation and contribution. The past does not equal the future. Decision is the ultimate power. The defining factor is never resources, but in resourcefulness. Get the right emotion, you can do anything. Your decisions shape your density.  

Many commercial appraisers feel a little bit like Moses, wandering and wondering when things will get better. Some appraisers have found the Promised Land in their attitude, their internal dialogue that sets their vector of where they will take their appraisal career and thrust of how much effort they will apply. Not a Pollyannaish fantasy, but rather results fueled by optimism and knowing what you're after. Think more like CPAs, who despite challenges similar to the appraisal industry, always seem to find a way to create new products and services. Create your own opportunities, be more like Kirk and less Spock.

Negative appraisers remain negative regardless of our industry changes, which can lead to disorientation, having lost their bearings. Positive appraisers gain the competitive advantage, especially with adoption and implementation of technology, but almost as important, through appropriate vector and thrust with a positive and grateful attitude. It might be time for you to find your internal GPS coordinates, then step on the gas. If you decide to do this, first decide where you're going, then do it. 

  

When I was a kid, I had the attention span of a flea and was constantly frustrating my teachers who all thought I had potential, but I had zero focus and could never sit still for more than a half-second. Homework would be completed, but (somehow...) lost/destroyed in transit from home to school, I breezed through math problems and obtained correct answers, but couldn't explain how I got to them. When I was in 6th grade, I finally had a teacher who got through to me, Mr. W. He could see that my frustration and impatience with myself was my main hindrance and he was determined to keep me from giving up when I was challenged with things that were not naturally easy for me.

Mr. W was a Hawaiian surfer dude who had a laid back style of teaching, but also doled out profound pieces of wisdom, usually in the form of parables, one of which stuck with me for years. He told me a story about a fly that was trapped inside a room, trying to escape from a closed window. No matter how hard the fly tried to get through the glass, it wasn't happening and it seemed as if its fate was sealed. As the fly frantically buzzed around, it eventually found another window, which was open, and was able to once again be free. The moral of the story is that sometimes it is beneficial to work smarter, not harder.

As an adult, this theme becomes an obvious one, as we have all experienced the frustration of expending great amounts of effort to yield results that are disproportionate to the time and energy invested. Commercial appraisers can relate, as fees are decreasing and expectations for output volume and turnaround times are becoming more demanding. Our motto here at Realwired is, "Streamlining the Business of Commercial Real Estate" and it is our goal to help you increase your efficiency and become more competitive through the implementation of technological solutions. Our product Edge, is a powerful report-writing tool that allows you to integrate Microsoft Excel, Word, and DataComp (our comp database product) to create reports faster and smarter without wasting valuable time copying and pasting in the traditional fashion, all while maintaining your current report format and also allowing dynamic customizations.

We have been thrilled with the recent feedback from our Commercial appraiser clients who have adopted Edge, and love how its automated nature promotes report consistency and shaves time off of the internal review process; all while keeping their reports from looking "canned." To learn more about Edge or our other appraisal suite products, feel free to contact Amanda Wolff or James Taylor for a demo!