Have we become the do it yourself (DIY) generation? Have we been sold on a philosophy that I can do pretty much anything as good as the experts?
Just look at the growth in DIY retailing….. home furnishings and hardware stores that have sprung up in the last decade: Home Depot, Lowes; the increase in DIY instructional magazines and videos; and the new DIY Network cable channel.
What has driven this phenomenon? Where did it come from? Likely it originates out of the sense of accomplishment to be derived from ‘doing it yourself.’ It’s about taking ownership. It is about self-reliance. It’s also likely a bit ego driven.
For most people it is also about cost.
There is a belief that there are significant cost savings in doing things yourself. However, I would wager that for every person that was able to pull off redoing their washroom at home there are far more who failed or ended up spending more personal time and money than anticipated.
The DIY retailers sell you the raw materials, the instructions and the tools to undertake a project but they are missing the most important ingredients of planning, experience and expertise.
Not everything can be DIY.
For example, you require an electrician to certify the work you have done or your home insurance may be null in void in the event of an electrical fire.
Similarly why put your organization at risk thinking that you can handle very technical components of your business, like HR. Anyone can handle the transactional aspect of HR such as benefit administration but it requires true experience and skill to handle a mass layoff or prevent a union drive from succeeding. HR is not a DIY.
