Todays revelation was that sometimes what makes you a good photo assistant is to know how to sweep the pavement outside a building, how to hang pictures on the wall and how to clean mirrors.
I know it sounds crazy, but really, if that's what you can add to a shoot to end up with great images, that might be just enough. The attention to detail is what makes an extraordinary image, and those details won't fix themselves.
I'm forever thankful for my parents for teaching me these skills and teaching me the mindset: "If you do something, do it good."