W. Wiseman - #1

      Often I wonder what it would be like if the industry was perfect. What would that look like? Is that even possible? I think the realistic answer is no, there will never be a perfect industry built for all parties involved. It’s the unfortunate truth that we are in an ever changing climate. Every day we read about the changes being made to either help or hinder what we do as professionals. But, I think there is plenty of opportunity to help us reach a much better position as an industry than we are today.  
 
      As many know, for better or worse, I am a very vocal individual. I often act as the fire starter to evoke those thoughts and fears, concerns and other emotions that are not as present in the current conversations as they may need to be.  We as contractors and technicians are the only ones who are going to get our industry to a level in which we are respected. We work in a specialized field taking risks and liabilities that few others do. We have the power to make change and all it takes is UNITY! This one word is literally the key to taking back this industry that has been unrightfully seized from us by those on the outside.

     A perfect industry may not be possible today, but we as a group can break down the walls and eliminate all the hoops we are constantly being forced to jump through. We need to take the first step towards regaining credibility as an industry and building back the trust and respect we deserve. This  crucial step is taking ACCOUNTABILITY for the past transgressions or mistakes we have made that could have lead one to have doubts in our industry. It is possible that there are some that will read this and say, “no -- not me I am perfect and I have never made a mistake.” But take it back down to a micro level. We must acknowledge to ourselves every time we have been wrong. By this we’re not saying to post every time you have made a mistake. These things happen and it’s a learning experience, but there are a lot of things that happen on a daily basis that require far more accountability from within our own industry. If we are able to do this we will be respected on another level. If we hold ourselves accountable for the future we will only be benefitting the movement as a whole.
     
      With the above two key elements in play there is no way we as an industry cannot regain the ground that is rightfully ours. We can dictate what we do and why we do it allowing for our clients and customers to have peace of mind that things will be done correctly. We will not be able to eliminate all the issues in our industry but we can start with our priorities and work our way down the list. This past week after hearing about from those at the RIA event I think everyone needs to take a step back and realize there is a support system available but you have to learn to navigate your available assets. Let us as an industry move forward in a positive direction with unity and accountability as a key focus for the quickly approaching future.

Whitney Wiseman - NORRP Executive Director