Three Optimization Tactics

Part 1: Burning Time & Your PTV (Personal Time Value)

Every human on the planet has a value associated with their time. This includes everyone—from the gold-cufflinked Fortune 500 CEO orchestrating a conference call in his Gulfstream G550, to the destitute, drug-addicted homeless man gathering cylindrical tender in a forest of steel and concrete.

It’s a simple formula: Income / Annual Hours Worked = Personal Time Value (PTV)

The chart below illustrates some typical tasks that can chew up minutes per day that compound to hours per year of your crucial hunting time. Below are some examples:

As I illustrated in the chart above, multiple tasks appear mundane and a part of “every day at the office,” but if you are self-employed/commission-only, how you effectively accomplish day-to-day activities will significantly affect your income.

In the salaried world, there is a small minority of the inherently sluggish who sleepwalk through their workday because their quasi-Marxist mindset rationalizes reliability and a steady paycheck from their overseer, regardless of how much they contribute to the organization. For those in the commission-only realm, we implicitly have to split our fees, whether as Principal or Broker.

In these scenarios, the sycophant is usually a partner at work not contributing or the Principal of your company not providing any real support, but has no problem spending your hard-earned dollars on expensive hobbies or lavish adult toys.

If someone is at the office, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t working hard. And just because someone isn’t in the office, doesn’t mean they aren’t executing from afar. There is only one way to determine if someone is contributing: look at the production numbers. They don’t lie and always eventually catch up to the unproductive.

Ask your boss about the numbers if you feel under-compensated and something seems off. You deserve some non-proprietary insight as to reciprocity if you are a high-level producer. When you ask this question, be very attuned to their answer. This can be stressful for a self-centered boss because they view your productivity as their treasure and their non-verbal cues might indicate deceit or indignance when you ask the question. If you detect either, reevaluate your situation.

Inherently lazy people walk among us (I’ve met my fair share), but I believe most people have an inner drive to be successful and provide for their loved ones. Most that are struggling don’t know how to properly navigate the political minefield and maximize production.

Finding the right candidate is the first step, but laborious training and multi-year retention are what separates the great companies from mediocre organizations. Every market/MSA has high turnover shops that I call, “Gladiator Academies,” which are great resources for extracting talented producers. The potential employee must also convince the prospective employer that they will be a productive and contributing member of the group and meet production thresholds to keep their position.

Once the job is landed, a new employee must be attuned to their surroundings, culture and implement processes and procedures for ultimate success. This process is similar to training for an individual athletic event such as but not limited to speed walking, equestrian dressage, table tennis, etc. Curling, a sport I consider extremely grueling and mentally exhausting, is an excellent way of honing strategic targeting skills.

Final Thought:

You must train your mind, the way an athlete trains their muscles, to repetitively apply techniques that may be difficult or hurt in the short run, but will make you an influential producer over time. To truly reach your potential and capitalize on opportunities, it’s crucial to establish a track record of productivity through repetitive implementation, which leads to execution, which leads to wealth generation.