Do repetitive manual tasks bring down your appraisal firm or bank appraisal department?
Think Zoom calls are a complete waste of time?
Meetings done with a lighthouse mindset can help people feel included, trusted and as important team members.
Give others the opportunity to contribute to the success of your firm or department.
Individuals coming together as a team to identify bottlenecks generate productivity mojo.
As the owner of a commercial appraisal firm, consider using RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) to successfully implement report writing (Edge) in your office.
As the appraisal manager, use RACI to successfully complete an onboarding of an appraisal/environmental workflow platform that helps you effectively manage appraisal volume (YouConnect).
Complex projects make it easy for teams to lose track of tasks. A RACI matrix gives you a quick glimpse at how roles and responsibilities come together for different project tasks.
Responsible: the person(s) who does the work.
Accountable: the one person answerable for successful completion of the work.
Consulted: subject matter expert(s) whose knowledge is required.
Information: people who need to be informed of the progress.
Avoid project confusion
A RACI matrix helps set clear expectations about who does what and where the buck stops. RACI encourages team members to take responsibility for their work, but you need to first get their buy in. If you just create a bunch of projects and insert people’s names without discussions and agreement to their roles; the project will go nowhere. Example: having the young appraiser responsible for report writing will fail.
To make a RACI matrix, open Excel then: 1. List project tasks and deliverables in column A, 2. Add people’s names and roles across row 1 and 3. Add RACI letters into the various boxes. Don’t overthink it but consider the steps necessary for successful implementation.
Anti-Dilbert Meetings
Avoid being cynical about meetings. It’s a tell that you’re likely not an A player.
Dilbert: “What? Sorry. I was using this time to think about something useful.”
Co-Worker: “Maybe your boss can fill you in.”
Pointy-Hair Boss: “I was brain-golfing.”
“You have a meeting to make a decision, not to decide on the question.” Bill Gates
5 Tips to keep your team in sync
- Clear purpose.
“You cannot respect someone but disrespect their time.” Mokokoma Mokhonoana
- Outcomes.
“Thoughts and behaviors consistently aligned with success will eventually produce the outcomes that create it.” Billy Alsbrooks
- Listen to understand.
“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” Bryant H. McGill
- Be aware of your assumptions.
“When you change what you believe, you change what you do.” Spencer Johnson
- Get confirmation
“Wisdom is nothing more than confirmed imagination.” Criss Jami
Fix your manual tasks
Listening to understand is the main ingredient of empathy. Get together with your appraisers and staff even if you haven’t in the past. It may seem a little “Dilbert” to have meetings, but individuals working hard without improved processes creates burnout.
Maybe have a meeting to discuss an outline of what can move the needle for your appraisal firm or appraisal department. Everyone says they’re swamped, so there should be plenty of things to talk about. Have everyone document their day/week/month. You will likely see a trend of manual repetitive tasks.
Create initiatives and track them on a collaborative app like Click-up. Meet consistently to discuss.
Productivity is a discussion away. Have meetings.
Become less swamped, more productive appraisers.
