RICS APC Integrity Podcast 7

Listen Here to the RICS APC Integrity Podcast 7 Right-click here and select “save as” to download the mp3 of the episode RICS APC Integrity Podcast 7. Executive summary for RICS APC Integrity Podcast 7 In today’s episode, Sam talks about integrity. It's a lot more than RICS APC related. And to act with Integrity isn't just an RICS APC ethical standard. It should be a way of life for everyone. As stated in the previous podcast 6, the importance of this topic cannot be overstated. RICS APC candidates are required to reach level 3 in Ethics, Rules of Conduct and professionalism, and integrity is part of it. One wrong answer and it’s a straight referral at the final assessment. This episode seeks to address a common problem whereby candidates just see the ethical standards as a simple memory game, but they are so much more than that. You should really be living your life by them. The links and resources mentioned are covered at the bottom of the page. Listen above or alternatively, search for the SOS APC Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify or Castbox. Transcript of RICS APC Integrity Podcast 7 Hello and welcome to episode 7 of the SOS APC podcast. I'm Sam Piplica, MRICS Chartered Building Surveyor. I'm here to help you with your APC. Today's a follow-up episode on the previous episode on Ethics, taking a deeper look at Integrity regarding the RICS APC. I received a query about what's the most important rules and standard to know and the best ways to memorise all the compulsory bits and everything. And for one thing there isn't an answer to that, so I couldn't answer it, so I decided to make this episode to explain how it's not about simply memorising the rules or standards. I can't remember all the rules, and I don't other surveyors know all the rules off by heart either. However, this stuff should really be apart of who you are as a person. You should treat others with respect regardless if you're a surveyor or not. You should take responsibility for your actions all of the time. This is not about remembering a few choice phrases for an interview. So today, this isn't a, reading from the RICS APC guide type episode, this is about how living in Integrity can positively impact on your life. So before we start, a little side story One of the most cliché things you will hear from anyone talking about the APC to you is, "You must already be a chartered surveyor before sitting the APC interview." Some candidates get demoralised by this cliche, throwaway saying because an internal voice in their head tells them that they're never going to be ready. Their inner voice tells them as they're not a chartered surveyor so they won't pass the APC, they won't submit this year I think what this saying means is that you need to be at Level 3 in your competencies and be providing valuable advice to your clients. It is not saying, you need to be the finished article in everything. The ultimate, all-knowing, surveyor. I really really do not want you to get confused between being competent, and knowing everything. Those two things are massively different. I'm just going unpack this, so everyone's on the same level. A competent surveyor does not know everything. It's impossible to know everything, so don't even try to. But people fall into this trap. And then they're going, "But I still don't have the results. I'm not at the level of a chartered surveyor so I'll just keep learning more things, until one day I'll be ready". Putting this in the context of performance. If you look at a training course, the RICS has loads of training courses, or even a podcast, this podcast, for example, which is essentially CPD. It will give you level 1 knowledge. What you're left with, if you listen through the whole podcast, what you're left with at the end is knowing. Level 1 competence. You know how to do something, or you've heard someone else's experience, so you have knowledge of that. But knowing isn't the same as either having the results or accomplishing it. And what having the results will come down to will actually take more than just knowing. As you know, level 2 and 3 is all about doing and giving advice. But sometimes, that's where people just stop. And this is where people are getting stuck. So what do they do? They go out, and they do more learning, they go out looking for more information. And they're operating from this lie, which in some instances comes straight from inside their head, that that is the reason they don't have what they want is that, they don't know enough yet. They don't bother enrolling on the APC, or they've enrolled, but they haven't done anything on it, or they've enrolled for ages but haven't discussed with their supervisors even the possibility of submitting because they don't think they know enough. Typical phrases It takes many different forms. People say, "I don't have all the knowledge", "I'm not quite ready", "I don't see all the steps", "I don't have all the clarity yet". "I don't have all the pieces of the puzzle. Therefore I can't begin." If you look at results—because that's what this game is about, that's what business is about. That's what the Assessment of professional competence is. It's about results. And for your APC, it's very, very simple. There one result to pay attention to. The result you want is a pass. The result you don't want is a referral. But no matter what results you're focused on, and it could be for any area of your life, not just the APC, there is a prerequisite to all results. And that is action. The funny thing is it's not even just about taking the right actions, but taking the right actions the right way. And this is where we need to shift from knowing to being and doing. This is where we come onto Integrity. To act with Integrity isn't just an ethical standard. It should be a way of life for everyone. Acting with Integrity will change anybody's life listening to this right now guaranteed if you adopted everything I'm saying now. I promise you. It's not just an RICS ethical standard. Integrity is not just about morality, like what is right and what is wrong and what is just. The RICS guidance, which I based my last podcast on, only really talks about that. Now that's ridiculously important, the RICS guidance is ridiculously important for your APC, you need to know that. But is being told you need to be trustworthy going to shift you mentally to achieve the things you want to achieve? I don't think so. Question Did my last episode change your way of thinking? I don't think so. Or was it just passing on level 1 knowledge? For me, Integrity is about, it's a matter of being your word. Be impeccable with your word. Do what you say you're going to do or do not say it. If your terms of business… Let's bring it back to surveying. If your terms of business state that you're going to get a survey report out within five working days of carrying out that survey, then that's also your word. And sometimes there are circumstances where it's not possible because other work has come in that you or your directors deem more important. But then it comes down to communication. I'll come back onto this later, but. Communicating with your client to keep them informed that the timescales have changed. But, this, that isn't something to be taken lightly, breaking a promise. And if that is a continuing issue, the other side of this is called overpromising and under delivering. Then your word means nothing. You need to remember that this is a services industry. Surveying firms don't have products to sell, they have people. People are their products. And if the people working for a firm have a reputation for not delivering on a promise, or not having Integrity, or not doing what they said they're going to do, then that can have a serious impact on the viability of the business. But if your circumstances are being changed by other people, you're not managing your own workload if you're at the graduate level. Then your personal Integrity is at odds with the values of the firm, there's going to be a conflict there. The core value of the firm needs to match the RICS values. To act with Integrity. And when you realise you are your word, and you honour your word, and you do what you say no matter what, then what simultaneously when you are your word is something called commitment. Commitment is created. Integrity and commitment, these are ways of being, these aren't things you learn in a book or a training course. These are things that we already know. You already know all this. You already know when you're being in Integrity, you already know when you are being committed to something. Now, there are different levels of commitment, I get that. I'm committed to making this podcast, and I'm committed to helping APC candidates generally. But I'm also committed to my family, my wife and my two boys. Commitments do range in importance and priority. I hate to bring in down here and paint a dark picture, but just for a moment, let's say there was an economic collapse, or natural disaster, or BREXIT… in fact, scratch that last one, I am an optimist. But the point is, I would literally do whatever it takes to make sure my entire family were safe in any of those scenarios. Whatever it takes. That is commitment. And people toss this word around, "Oh, I'm committed, I'm committed to doing XYZ." Committed is not when I feel like it and when it's convenient and when it's not scary. Commitment is whatever it takes. And so when we can start to create these distinctions for ourselves and operate this way, we're going to start to get in action because we are being our word, we're being in Integrity, and we're committed to doing what we said we're going to do. We're committed to the outcome. Remember what I said before about there being a prerequisite to any achievement, and that is action. You've got to be in action. And so if you're sitting there going, "Look, I only have two hours a day." That's fantastic! If you can be absolutely committed and in Integrity with yourself, to working on your APC for two hours a day, you are going to achieve great things! The right actions? The difficulty comes with knowing what the right action is. In your job, you're probably being managed. If you're at the graduate level, someone is managing you. But on your two hours in an evening, you're working for yourself, there's no one there to manage you. No-one is holding you accountable but you, for you to commit to those two hours. For a lot of people, that's now, that's scary, as they've never felt that before. Unless you run a business yourself, so, therefore, you are holding yourself accountable for running that, you've probably never been this situation. Integrity becomes key because you need to be your word, you need to do what you say you're going to do or do not say it. It's discipline as well. Now, I'm fully aware this is easier said than done. I couldn't even tell you how many times I said I'd do something and not done, because it's easier not to do those things and put them off. And procrastination… I really struggle with focus and distraction. I can't even hold a conversation with my wife if cbeebies is on, and now I'm going off topic… But, first off, yes it's easier said than done. And secondly, it's my job, my role as an RICS APC coach to make integrity and other things simple for you. Integrity is a simple concept. It's very simple, but it's not going to be easy. And it's going to be tough. And I believe, if you're listening to this right now, you are tough, right? You didn't sign up for easy when you decided to become a chartered surveyor. But you're listening, you're here, you're here for a reason. It's easy to not be in Integrity. It's easy, but we do it, and we do it all the time. Like the times when you bump into a friend on the street, and you're like, "Yeah, I'll call you next week," and we don't call them. Part of the piece of this is honouring your word. So a simple example of this is if you're running late for a meeting. Say you have a 10 o'clock meeting, and you're going to be there at 10:10. If you're running late... ...honour your word by communicating when you're not able to hold it. Send a text or anything, or a phone call. And the thing is, you're either doing that, or you're not. This is either something you're choosing to make discipline, you're choosing to make a priority, or you're not. And there's just no other way around it. You're either being in Integrity, you're either being self-integrous, or you're not. Awareness of distinction is just such a vital piece of this. To begin, even just for the next couple of days, become aware of what you're giving your word to, who you're giving your word to and what you're saying, and making a concerted effort to follow through on that. Quote Living in integrity is like climbing a mountain without a top. Werner Erhard And that's exactly what it is. That's also depressing… It's something that you'll never get perfect. We are humans at the end of the day, we're always going to fall short in some way. But it's not about that, it's about making this as a value, important to you in your life. Because the fact of the matter is as a chartered surveyor, you represent the image of the whole profession. But also, you are an individual where you are the leader of your own destiny. And if we don't make our word golden, then think about the ripple effect that that will have. Even when we say we're going to go create a new goal, like, I'm going to pass the APC, or I'm going to go start my own company. It's like, well, if you say you're going to call your friend back or go to lunch with them or be at a 10:00 meeting and you're not doing that, are you even going to do the APC? Are you even going to start that firm? Your word becomes nothing. So to me, what really motivated me to make this a priority was realising that when I can trust myself when I honour what I say, what comes out of my mouth, I know that whatever I put my word on is going to happen. And that's empowering. That's what I'm saying, for those who adopt this, it will change your life. Because it's that empowering that you can trust yourself. Because you know when I say I'll see you tomorrow at 10:00 and I'll see them at 10:00. When I say, I'll be on the call at 3:00 and you will get a call at 3:00. I should probably change this to you to make sure you're empowered. And then you say I'm going to pass your APC, you will pass your APC! And if that's not motivating to you, if that doesn't make being in Integrity a little bit easier for you, then I don't know what does. Does that make sense? Hopefully, that makes sense. Remember small wins. All those small wins add up to big results. If you turn up to that meeting on time, celebrate it. You've completed one small piece of that bigger task. And it will all add up to the big results in the end. The dark side of this is then we shame ourselves for not doing what we've said that we'll do. Please do not do that… You're a human being, we're all humans. I'm a huge fan of self-love and compassion for yourself, for forgiveness. Not everything is in your control. So if you're just sitting here beating yourself up because you're late or you forgot whatever… or you've not done your APC. I forget stuff all the time. The amount of stuff that comes across my desk that goes through my mind and everything. I can't retain it all. If you're not forgiving yourself, there's no amount of beating yourself up and self-loathing that's ever going to give you the thing you want, whether that's passing your APC or anything else. So to summarise; Acting with Integrity is so much more than an RICS Global Professional and Ethical Standard. If you actually live in Integrity with yourself, not only will your clients trust your word but you will as well. And to be clear, this isn't anything new. I didn't make this information up. In fact, I took most of this information from inspirational stuff that I've read and listened to in the past. I'm really just a messenger passing the information on, passing the information on for something you already know. You already knew this stuff. But what I want to add to the conversation is the question, are you living it? Are you living in Integrity with yourself? My confession I felt like I had to do this episode because I haven't delivered on my commitment to you. I promised in my last episode that more great interviews are coming. Two weeks have gone by, and I've not even arranged them yet. I can give excuses such as work got in the way, but going back to what I've preached here, I can't say I've been in Integrity with myself, as I'm the one who's allowed work to get in the way. I have a commitment. And I intend to keep it. So I'm going to get these interviewed arranged, and it's going to provide you with so much good information in future episodes. And now your call to action. I've said mine, and now it's your turn. What I need you, the listener, to do, is to hold me accountable and challenge me, "have I arranged an interview with an Expert to provide you with a shed load of valuable APC advice?". Email me at [email protected] to make sure I stay on track Or find me on LinkedIn - I'm super easy to find. Fun fact - I am literally the only Sam Piplica on there. I'm pretty much the only Sam Piplica anywhere that I can find, even with the billions of people on Facebook. Anyway, going off topic now… just hold me accountable. And if you really want to get involved, let me know what topics or competencies you want an episode on. Or if you know anyone I should interview, let me know that too. As usual, full transcript and show notes are on the website blog, www.sosapc.com/podcast7 I've been Sam Piplica. Thank you very much for listening and good luck with your APC. Links and resources mentioned for RICS APC Integrity Podcast 7 The RICS website The RICS Ethics page RICS Ethics Walkthrough (free training CPD 1 hour) Ethics Decision Tree by the RICS Action required by you Like I said on the podcast email me at [email protected] to make sure I stay on track. If you have any particular RICS APC topics you want me to cover, like I did with Integrity or you know someone who could give a great interview, please do be in touch.