Property Assessment

Upgraded Microsoft Office 2003 to 2010 Version

In an attempt to modernize my computer system (which in all of its sophistication consists of a Sony Vaio laptop that I purchased in 2009 and some pretty basic software) I upgraded from Microsoft Office 2003 to the 2010 version.

I just upgraded a few days ago so I can’t give any feedback about the success of the conversion except that I haven’t ran into problems yet.  After the initial upgrade I immediately opened one of each type of programs of the Office Suite I worked with in the 2003 version (Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word).  And I was able to open a file in each of these programs without getting any error messages or messages telling me I had to take some action in order to open or use the file.

My next step is to try and open and use some older work files that used Microsoft Office versions older than 2003.  These are as critical as most of useful files were used as templates for newer files.  As a real estate valuation geek I am an avid user of Excel so my hopes are mostly focused on this program’s capabilities.

We would like to hear from any readers who have upgraded to Office 2010 so we can learn from your experiences and insights.

More to the Point, I Need a To-Stop-Doing List

Changing Potentially Destructive Habits

If you are like most of us, you have a to-do list you mark off as items are competed.  I’ve been using to-do lists in some form or another (handwritten, computer generated, PDA, or phone) for many years.  Author Chris Guillebeau advocates a To-Stop-Doing List.

In Gillebeau’s words “Your to-stop-doing-list is exactly what it sounds like: a list of things you simply don’t want to do anymore.”  Energy draining tasks, time wasters, and efforts that don’t contribute to your overall goals, are among the suggestions. Your to-stop-doing list needs to be uniquely your own.  You are the only one who knows your daily routines and practices.

As for me, my to-stop-doing list includes:

• Watching Television – The male population in the United States between 40 and 55 years of age watches an average of 4.5 hours of television each day.  Just think of what you could do with those same hours!
• Abusing E-mail – This includes checking for incoming e-mails too often and reading e-mails that just aren’t useful.  I’m limiting my check of incoming e-mails to twice a day (and telling everyone of this practice by way of an autoresponder) and eliminating e-mails through greater attention to subject headings and sender name.  According to author Bill Jensen you can delete up to 75% of your e-mails through the use of e-mail scanning strategies.
• Getting Lost in Internet Searches -  I’m guilty of going off on Internet search tangents if I don’t write down a quick note stating what I’m searching for and why.  The and why part is critical for me.  I could keep searching forever because I thoroughly enjoy researching topics.  However, to be an efficient researcher I need to set time limits and stick to them.

Of course my to-stop-doing list is longer than three items.  Gillebeau encourages us to come up with at least three to five things that you currently do but should stop doing.

Isn’t that the sound of New Years’ resolutions approaching?

Invest in Your Career

Education and training budgets are thin during these economic times, if not non-existent.  During the five year period from 2007 to 2012 when I worked as the chief assessor for a small jurisdiction, they had no budget at all for education and training. But during that time I managed to attend one international assessment conference, and several state-sponsored and appraisal organization-sponsored classroom or online courses.

For me, continuing education is not an optional undertaking, it’s a requirement. And in a fast-paced field like assessment administration and property valuation, it should be a desirable goal. While attending several courses attendees commented to me that it was a shame that my employer wasn’t paying for my educational expenses. My response was, well they are letting me take administrative leave with pay and I’m hoping my accountant agrees that it is a justifiable employee expense.

For those of you who run your own appraisal businesses, or tax compliance and management companies, I’m sure you can see the benefit of someone paying your salary while you are sitting in class or attending a three day conference. But this is seldom overlooked by people who haven’t been there. I have spent five of the last 10 years working as an independent property tax consultant. And I’ve attended educational courses knowing that I was not only paying to addend the course, but forgoing the opportunity cost of not producing any work while I was there.

No matter where you are in your career, invest in your education. It will be some of the best money you have ever spent and will endure for your lifetime.  And knowledge is something you can pass on to others.

If you are an assessor or in the field of assessment administration, or property tax compliance and management, I urge you to buy the recently released Conference Proceeding of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO). I was fortunate enough to have attended the conference this year and it was packed with educational content. I spent about $2,500 attending the conference (I flew from Rome, Italy to Kansas City, Missouri), but you can get the proceeding for just $35, if you’re a member, and $55 if you’ve not a member.

And because there were so many interesting educational sessions each day, I will study the proceedings to find out what I missed while I was in my sessions. The following link will take you to the IAAO website to see a detailed description of the proceedings and purchase them:

http://www.iaao.org/Store/detail.aspx?id=EPROC_CONF-12
   
Be sure to give me your feedback on the proceedings. I really think you are going to enjoy them!

Richard

Clever Summer Reads

Best Book Recommendations for Career Advancement

Whether you are taking limited time off and staying around home or taking a long and exotic vacation, if you’re like me you’ll want some reading material for entertainment.  I usually bring a few books (in paperback or e-reader version) that are just for fun and some for education.  If you consider yourself to be a lifelong student, as I do, you may enjoy one or more of the following books for your summer reading pleasure.

I’ve read each of these dozen books over the last 18 months and recommend them all for various reasons.  Six are what I call traditional books on their topics and the other six are non-traditional.  I consider them non-traditional because the author takes a unique and sometimes controversial approach to the subject.  I recommend these non-traditional books to even the most conservative readers if for no other reason than to discover what new thinking is out there and what your employees or job candidates may be thinking. 

Many of these books are available in paperback, e-reader, or audio versions.

Traditional

The First 90 Days in Government by Peter H. Daly and Michael Watkins

The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan by George B. Brandt, Jayne A. Check, and Jorge E. Pedraza.

You’re In Charge - Now What? by Thomas Neff and James M. Citrin

The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael Watkins

StrengthsFinders 2.0 by Tom Rath

Right From the Start: Taking Charge in A New Leadership Role by Dan Ciampa and Michael Watkins

Non-traditional

The Art of Non-conformity by Chris Guillebeau

The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman

Living for the Weekday by Clint Swindall

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink

Please comment on these or your own favorite books so that our readers can benefit from your experiences and insight.

Walking a Mile in the Shoes of Your Customer

Viewing Your Operations as the Public Sees Them Can Work Wonders

What if a marketing panel or consumer commission was to be formed tomorrow that would review your current operations and make suggestions for improvements in the areas of customer service and public reactions?  As scary as that may sound to most of us, putting your operations through a similar exercise may be just the point of view you need for a fresh approach.  

By putting yourself in the other person's shoes you are able to see things that you would otherwise miss.  Face it; your operations are too familiar to you because you see them every day.  You need to see them anew, as if for the first time.  Try these exercises and then create some of your own:

1. Play the role of a customer walking into your building for the very first time.  Is the directory and signage clear as to where you are located?  Is someone there to greet you and offer assistance?  Are any reference materials like brochures, pamphlets, published indexes or maps available in plain sight?  Would a summary list of available services or publications be offered?
2. Review the marketing and public relations publications that you have distributed most often during the last year.  If these publications were displayed on a rack with several publications from the local visitors association or competing service providers would they leap out and say "read me first?"  Reading the publications, as if for the first time, is it clear and concise, or could improvements be made?
3. Playing the role of the customer trying to find you online, is your office easy to find using all of the typical key words and phrases that someone not knowing your office as well as you do would use?  Then check the websites for competing services.  Are their websites more attractive and easier to navigate than yours, or have more useful content or search capabilities?

Try these exercises in seeing through the eyes of the typical customer with the most important areas of your operations and I guarantee you will find areas of improvement.