Participating in ASHI

by Michael Casey October 1, 2002

This month let’s talk about participating in ASHI and about serving in leadership positions for inspector organizations. If you had said to me more than 15 years ago when I joined ASHI, “You will be President of ASHI,” I would have said, “You’re nuts!” At the time, I was busy building my credentials and a business with a partner. We were swamped with work, and there was not much time for developing the profession through ASHI or any other professional organization. Plus, I had bills to pay. Making money comes first, right?

Monthly meetings prove valuable

Sure, making a living is important. Having some extra resources for retirement and some of the fine things in life is also important. Years ago when I was working with Ray Begin, he told me that membership in ASHI was important to him, and it should also be important to me. I decided to join. I also joined our state association, CREIA, at the same time. It was expensive to do both, but I believed it would benefit me to have state as well as national knowledge (selfish, huh?). Once I started attending monthly meetings of our local CREIA/ASHI chapter, I found I was learning a lot from these people. They were open, sharing advice, both technical and business. I got more involved in the chapter, serving on several committees and as an officer.

Home inspectors must be united

Later I was the chair and co-chair of the California Coalition of Home Inspectors, the state’s group open to all home inspectors for purposes of monitoring and influencing legislation regarding home inspectors. Here I learned how important it is for home inspectors to act together with a unified voice when it comes to legislation. All home inspectors in a state should be provided a venue for input. Disagreements should occur and be worked out in private. Unequivocally home inspectors must be united in public. Other interests will sense any real or potential conflict and take advantage of it, most likely to the detriment of the profession.

The rewards of service

After participating at the state level, I served on committees and helf director positions at the national level. One of the benefits has been the potential and actual business associates I have met while participating in professional organization activities.

Years of service have expanded my knowledge of the business and of the profession. I know more as a direct result of interaction with many persons throughout North America who practice home inspection, and who were willing to share their thoughts and experiences with me. This knowledge has given me a broader understanding of our profession, and it has provided me with the perspective to consider local and national influences upon the profession. I recommend service in home inspection professional organizations to everyone. Make a commitment to your chapter, to a local state organization or to ASHI national. If you’re interested in national level activities, fill out and return the ASHI Call for Volunteers form being distributed this month.

To finish this thought, I present the following quote:  

People who work for all kinds of companies fall into two distinct categories. There are those who love their jobs, are having fun, and creating success for themselves and their company. Then there is the other group. Those who hate their jobs, are miserable, and seem to be going nowhere – often with a company that is going nowhere.

What is the difference? Focus.

The losers focus on themselves, with their heads down, eyes locked onto the task that is in front of them. They are just watching the clock and marking time, and have no sense of satisfaction of accomplishment at the end of the day.

The winners are focused on someone else. They are focused on the customer. They know that the only sure path to success and satisfaction is to be of service to another person. It’s not because they are saints or goody-goody types who let others take advantage of them – far from it. It’s because they know that the only way to get what you want in life is to help as many other people as possible get what they want.

If you don’t understand that life and business is a Win-Win game, then you don’t understand the rules. Focus On The Customer – Winning And Keeping Today’s Tough New Customer is about how you win in a marketplace that offers more challenge, and more opportunity, than ever before.

The rules have changed. Today the customer is in control. To succeed today takes intelligence, creativity, and a willingness to exceed the old standards of customer service.

For those who have their focus clearly on the customer, the rewards are great.”  — Written by Joe Calloway, keynote speaker at ASHI InspectionWorld 2002.

To win, focus on being of service to others. Take care and we will talk next month.


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