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OPINION
Go big or go home
In the rapidly evolving universe of AI, firms willing to “go big” will be at the forefront of transformation – with all of the risk and reward that implies.
“T hreads” always find me. I consider them cues from the universe. Sometimes they are the same questions repeated from multiple clients over a few weeks. Sometimes they are the same topics that pop up each day consecutively from random sources. Sometimes they are similar observations from friends and colleagues over a few months. But once I see the “thread,” I can’t unsee it. I start to pay attention. Then I start to act.
Kristin Kautz, CPSM
A thread that has made itself known in the past few weeks is, “Go big or go home.” Are you an innovator? Are you an early investor in AI? And if so, what are the benefits besides the recognition of just being first? Most of my clients say, “We want to be involved with AI, but we don’t want to be bleeding edge.” This is completely understandable. Smart leaders and smart firms want to see themselves as early adopters, but only after the AI is proven and other people have tested it (which comes with significant risk and cost). As an example, it has taken more than two decades for only 53 percent of the AEC firms that should be using BIM to actually use BIM. Two decades to reach 53 percent. AEC firms, as proven by history, want the technological safe bet. I want to ask you, what if? What if you decided to be an innovator? What if you decided to be an early investor? What if you took a risk? And most importantly, what if it paid off?
In the rapidly evolving universe of AI, AEC leaders are increasingly recognizing the necessity of taking bold, innovative moves to capitalize on opportunities in the modern business landscape. From groundbreaking recruitment tactics to all-in on AI, the transition to fixed-rate billing, and the conceptualization of a new employee model, AEC firms willing to “go big” would be at the forefront of transformation, with all of the risk and reward that implies. REFRAMING RECRUITMENT: THE $10,000 REFERRAL REVOLUTION. A standout moment at a 2018 Zweig Group CEO Roundtable highlighted a revolutionary approach to recruitment within the industry. A CEO in attendance revealed their firm offered $10,000 for employee referrals. This sent shockwaves through the room and, at the time, challenged the traditional norms of recruitment rewards. The CEO was willing to bet on the untapped potential of employee networks in
See KRISTIN KAUTZ, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER MARCH 25, 2024, ISSUE 1530
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