1160

When is the job considered won? T R E N D L I N E S W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M J u l y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 , I s s u e 1 1 6 0

When a key person jumps ship “It could be a critical office manager in a I t happens to all of us at some point. Maybe we have even done it ourselves. What I am talking about is when a key person quits unexpectedly – they jump ship.

Nearly half of fast-growth firms (47 percent) consider a job won at contract award , while 29 percent consider it won at notice to proceed , and 24 percent at selection , according to the 2016 Marketing Survey . (Special discount to TZL subscribers: Use code SPRINGMKT15 to order this survey at 15 percent off on ZweigGroup.com.) F I R M I N D E X Alcoa. .....................................................2 Atwell, LLC. ............................................2 BOKA Powell........................................12 ISG. ......................................................10 Jacobs Engineering...............................12 Kiewit....................................................10 L.A. Fuess Partners...............................12 McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.. .....12 McMahon Associates, Inc.......................3 Miyamoto International............................6 Pacheco Koch......................................12 Ponce-Fuess.........................................12 Reed Wells Benson...............................12

remote location. It could be your CFO who has been there 20 years. Or it might be one of your ‘rising star’ younger employees – someone you have mentored and promoted.”

It could be a critical office manager in a remote location. It could be your CFO who has been there 20 years. Or it might be one of your “rising star” younger employees – someone you have mentored and promoted. The bottom line is they tell you they are going to leave. What matters now is how YOU react to the situation. Here are my thoughts: 1)Recognize the emotions you could be hav- ing and get them under control. You may feel a sense of betrayal. Do not succumb to the temptation to assassinate the character of the person who is leaving! Many principals and managers of A/E firms seem to do this. They are obviously proud of their companies and it’s hard for them to understand why someone would leave so it must be the employee’s fault. Not good. Many times the person leaving – if it is upsetting – is someone who was perceived by others to be a good employee or co-worker. You will unnecessarily cause internal ill-will if you trash this individual. Stay calm! 2)Communicate with your employees. Tell them what happened, what you know, and that you wish the person who is leaving the best of luck. 3)Communicate with your clients. 4)Take action. Just because it didn’t work out doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again. And don’t let any grass grow under your feet. Try to look inside the company first for your replace- ment person if you can. The best candidate may be right in front of your nose.

Mark Zweig

MORE COLUMNS xz CONSULTANT’S CORNER: A messy process Page 5 xz RECRUITING NOTES: Old recruiting habits slowing you down? Page 9 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Setting yourself apart Page 11

See MARK ZWEIG, page 2

Forty down, forty to go

Page 6 High magnitude

Page 3 T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A / E / P & E N V I R O N M E N TA L C O N S U L T I N G F I R M S

ON THE MOVE ALCOA ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS Lightweight metals leader Alcoa announced that Karl Tragl , group president of transportation and construction solutions, has been appointed group president of engineered products and solutions, succeeding Olivier Jarrault. Jarrault will leave Alcoa after working with Tragl to ensure a smooth transition. Prior to joining Alcoa in February, Tragl was CEO of Bosch Rexroth, a $6 billion automation solutions company with 31,000 employees in 80 countries. During his six years as CEO, he delivered sustainable profitable growth through innovation and significant operational improvements, while optimizing the portfolio through key acquisitions and divestitures. “Karl is the ideal leader to drive the future profitable growth of EPS,” said Klaus Kleinfeld, Alcoa chairman and CEO. “He is an execution- focused leader with a deep technology and engineering background and a strong track record of operational and financial success. Karl is the right executive for this pivotal role as we launch Arconic in the second half of 2016.” Tragl has held roles at Siemens, including business unit president in the Automation Drives Group. He began his career as an engineer at the German Aerospace Research Center. Tragl holds a degree in physics from Friedrich- Alexander University, in Germany, and was awarded a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Kaiserslautern, in Germany. Kleinfeld thanked Jarrault for his 14 years of service to Alcoa. “Olivier’s focus on operational excellence and productivity successfully increased the profitability of Alcoa’s downstream businesses. He has played an important role in the transformation of EPS into an aerospace solutions leader.” Succeeding Tragl as group president of TCS is Tim Myers , currently president of Alcoa Wheel and Transportation Products. In this new role, Myers’ responsibilities will include oversight of AWTP and Alcoa Building & Construction Systems, both leaders in innovating aluminum solutions within their respective markets.

Under Myers’ leadership, AWTP has become a highly innovative business with significant market share and fast-growing international operations. Prior to his 18 years with AWTP, Myers held automotive commercial roles for Alcoa Mill Products and Alcoa Forged Products. He started his Alcoa career as an automotive applications engineer and prior to joining Alcoa was a product design engineer for Ford Motor Company. “During his 25-year Alcoa career, Tim has successfully combined breakthrough product and process technology development with a deep commercial orientation to create value for our customers and for Alcoa,” said Kleinfeld. “That winning approach will be key to driving greater profitable growth in the commercial transportation and building and construction markets for Alcoa today, and for Arconic tomorrow.” Myers holds a bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of Michigan. ATWELL HIRES DONNA JAKUBOWICZ AS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Consulting, engineering, and construction services firm Atwell, LLC has appointed Donna Jakubowicz, CPSM, FSMPS to director of marketing. Jakubowicz will manage the corporate marketing team as well as create and implement an integrated corporate marketing and communications plan for the company and its four divisions. Jakubowicz has over 20 years of experience in the marketing industry with nationally recognized firms including Barton Malow Company and AECOM Technical Services. She will be based in Atwell’s Southfield, Michigan office and support the company’s 16 offices across the United States and Canada. “Donna will be a great addition to our corporate team as we continue to grow our organization,” said Atwell Vice President Timothy Augustine. “Her extensive professional experience and understanding of our business will take our marketing programs to a new level.”

1200 North College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72703 Mark Zweig | Publisher mzweig@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Managing Editor rmassey@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Editor and Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Megan Halbert | Design Assistant mhalbert@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560 Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: www.thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Blog: blog.zweiggroup.com

5)Stay positive. More than anything else, being positive – not letting your feelings of rejection take hold – is critical. Not everyone is the same and not every situation is perceived the same way by different people. Do some self-examination of what went wrong – pay heed to what you learn so you don’t repeat the same mistakes – and move on. Maybe what seems bad now will seem good later. It often works out that way – IF you can stay positive! MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s founder and CEO. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/yr.). $475 for one-year subscription, $775 for two-year subscription. Article reprints: For high-quality reprints, including Eprints and NXTprints, please contact The YGS Group at 717-399- 1900, ext. 139, or email TheZweigLetter@ TheYGSGroup.com. © Copyright 2016, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER July 18, 2016, ISSUE 1160

P R O F I L E

McMahon Associates is providing transportation and engineering services on the design team for MassDOT’s Casey Arborway project in Boston.

Forty down, forty to go McMahon Associates celebrates its accomplishments as it moves into a new era with continued focus on staff, shareholders, and clients.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

They’ve also dedicated individual months to client appreciation, added a program called “McMahon Gives Back” for charitable work in the communities they serve, and monthly employee recognition pro- grams. DeSantis, who joined the firm 30 years ago, says he has seen exponential growth. They’ve added new services, geographic regions, and completed more than 18,000 engagements for 4,000 clients all while growing to 13 offices in Massachusetts, Rhode Is- land, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. What’s changed the most? DeSantis says it’s the complexity of studies and designs in transporta- tion. “These are technologies and challenges we couldn’t have dreamed of 40 years ago,” he says. “The focus See MCMAHON, page 4

E xciting things are happening this year at Mc- Mahon Associates, Inc. (#21 Best Firm Civ- il for 2015), a 150-person engineering, planning, design, and transportation firm with offices from New England to Florida. The source of the excite- ment? A 40th anniversary that runs through April 1, 2017. “It’s a celebration of our employees, clients, proj- ects, and the future,” says Joseph DeSantis, the firm’s president. The year kicked off with a company-wide celebra- tion that included a shareholder’s meeting, “State of the Firm,” social, press, and email communica- tions to firm friends and clients, and various of- fice-based events, including an anniversary cake decorating contest and monthly photo contests.

Joseph DeSantis, President, McMahon Associates

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4 on multimodal transportation solutions of recent years is a progression that can only benefit society in the long run.” Additionally, a dramatic step in the firm’s evolution has been the development of TRAISR, a web-based asset-man- agement program that manages public-sector clients’ infra- structure. MCMAHON, from page 3 “Achieving what we have in the last four decades is inspiring as well a humbling. Our clients have helped us grow by trusting us with challenging and unique projects.” EMPLOYEE INVESTMENT. For the most part, when employees come to work for McMahon, they stay. Why? McMahon in- vests in its employees by offering good benefits, providing a fun atmosphere, and constant training. The firm continues to strive to improve staff’s knowledge and understanding of the latest tools and techniques available regarding traf- fic flow and highway design, while gaining their employees’ trust and dedication through enhanced benefits and a car- ing work environment. The results have been exceptional as evidenced by the lon- gevity of senior staff and low turnover from all levels. Cul- ture is critically important, too. “McMahon stands for quality service to our clients,” DeSan- tis says. “We knew we couldn’t maintain that designation without providing a caring, supporting, and challenging environment for all of our employees – from management team through entry-level positions.” A significant part of their success is also attributed to the inclusion in ownership of key employees. As a subchapter-S corporation, they now have 32 shareholders. McMahon also has: ❚ ❚ Employee flex time. ❚ ❚ The inherent mission to treat all employees as they would like to be treated. ❚ ❚ A strong commitment to advancing women in engineering. ❚ ❚ Social gatherings outside of the office such as picnics and ath- letic programs. ❚ ❚ Executive committee/regional staff interaction events such as go kart racing, snowshoeing, boating, polo matches, and bowling. ❚ ❚ A Pride & Promotion Committee that organizes group chari- table activities and community service opportunities. ❚ ❚ Bi-monthly in-house training, with outside WebEx and online training to supplement for professional development hours. ❚ ❚ An in-house McMahon University program for all employees, in addition to project manager training. And, it doesn’t end there. Surveys form the basis for making enhancements to the firm, either through corrective mea- sures or adding new things to help make them a “Firm of Choice.” All employees share equal voice in regional, office, and company-wide planning sessions to help the firm move

forward. Employee input/feedback is used to shape agen- das, priority topics, and strategic planning. TWO PROJECT PROFILES. With nearly 18,000 projects completed and more in the works, DeSantis shares some details of two current large-scale projects that highlight the breadth of the firm’s expertise in addition to the longevity of the cli- ents they have served: 1)Casey Arborway, Boston. McMahon is providing transpor- tation and engineering services on the design team for Mass- DOT’s Casey Arborway project in Massachusetts, which will remove an aging urban elevated highway. The structurally de- ficient Casey Overpass, which is part of the Arborway, Route 203, is being removed and the project will restore a missing connection along Boston’s “Emerald Necklace.” During the planning stage, McMahon determined existing and projected traffic volumes, analyzed the traffic operations, prepared VIS- SIM traffic simulations, developed the successful conceptual design for the selected at-grade alternative, and participated in extensive public outreach. The project is located in the vicinity of the Forest Hills Sta- tion in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, and the concepts developed were multi-modal with extensive bike, pedestrian, and transit elements. Final design is complete and the project is currently under construction. McMahon is providing con- struction services, particularly as it relates to the signal tim- ings and traffic management. 2)Swarthmore Roundabout, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore Town Center West is a development concept that includes the construction of an inn, restaurant, and re- tail space for a campus and community bookstore, located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, within the Swarthmore College on the west side of Chester Road, opposite Rutgers Avenue and Swarthmore Borough’s central business district. This project was a “complete streets” transportation solution which included a roundabout, a newer concept in Pennsylva- nia, and blended the needs of motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users with surrounding land use from early plan- ning through design and construction. The project included extensive public outreach, including meetings, brochures, and VISSIM microsimulation to educate citizens with regards to the traffic operations and benefits of the roundabout for all users. “Achieving what we have in the last four decades is inspir- ing as well as humbling,” DeSantis says. “Our clients have helped us grow by trusting us with challenging and unique projects. We look forward to the next 40 years to see how we continue that growth and how the industry evolves. And as our shareholder base increases, we look forward to seeing how the next generations build on the foundation our first 40 years provided.” forward to seeing how the next generations build on the foundation our first 40 years provided.” “We look forward to the next 40 years to see how we continue that growth and how the industry evolves. And as our shareholder base increases, we look

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O P I N I O N

A messy process Even if the strategic planning process turns out as hoped, it can still be an adventure with plenty of thrills and spills.

S trategic planning connotes an organized, step-by-step effort. It’s true, but it’s also quite messy because it’s a change initiative. In fact, the only reason to have a strategy is to effect change and, whether it’s negative or positive, all changes are stressful because with gains there are losses. We’re giving up the familiar and heading toward the unknown.

Gerri King CONSULTANT’S CORNER

Though often executed by the leadership team, if done correctly, the strategic planning process should include everyone at every level of the organization. (Remember, the people who do the job every day know how best to solve the problems.) Well thought out assessments will provide the necessary information to move forward and, predictably, a lot of unexpected information will emerge – often derailing the original plan. In the interest of moving fast, it’s rare that the appropriate amount of time is allowed. On the other hand, do not even begin unless the senior leadership team is committed to seeing it through from deployment to inclusion to implementation. Anything less will lead to cynicism among the employees and, ultimately, your external customers. The following questions are pivotal to the process:

❚ ❚ Why should we change? ❚ ❚ What are our challenges? ❚ ❚ What data collection is needed and what will we do with it? ❚ ❚ What should be included in our action plan? ❚ ❚ Where are we now and where do we want to be? ❚ ❚ How will we get there? ❚ ❚ Who must do what? ❚ ❚ What are our opportunities and barriers? ❚ ❚ What are our strengths and weaknesses? ❚ ❚ What resources (financial and staff), are we willing to commit? If responded to honestly, the conclusions can send the process into many unanticipated directions.

See GERRI KING, page 8

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Miya

P R O F I L E

Kit Miyamoto in an earthquake zone in Ecuador earlier this year.

High magnitude Earthquake engineer Kit Miyamoto travels the world to dispense knowledge and training to those who need it most – those who have lost it all.

By RICHARD MASSEY Managing Editor

recognized for this kind of thing.” Miyamoto is an intrepid engineer who routine- ly risks his health, and even his life, to bring in- valuable experience and insights to communities – many of them in remote areas of developing coun- tries – reeling from devastation. “They usually need direction and the confidence to recover and rebuild,” Mimayato says. “After an earthquake, you lose everything. We know what works and what doesn’t, and how the public sec- tor should coordinate with the commercial sector.” For instance, in the aftermath of this year’s earth- quake in Ecuador, a resident thought his house was ruined, but upon inspection, it was deemed sal- vageable. “One little crack does not mean you have to tear the building down,” Miyamoto says.

G lobetrotting structural engineer Kit Miyamo- to, one of the world’s preeminent consultants in seismic risk mitigation, and his firm recently re- ceived a Presidential “E” Award for Exports from the United States Department of Commerce. Miyamoto International , one of 73 compa- nies to receive the honor, was recognized for its global approach to life-saving technical knowl- edge and training in construction practices. The Miyamoto firm, based in California, specializes in disaster mitigation, response, and reconstruction, as it applies to earthquakes. In addition to its U.S. offices, Miyamoto has locations in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. “I was surprised,” Miyamoto says. “I know it’s rare for the industry [structural engineering] to be

THE ZWEIG LETTER Ju

amoto

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Kit Miyamoto meets many people through his work. Here he drinks tea with a displaced family in earthquake ravaged Nepal. The Miyamoto firm is active doing damage assessments there.

Through the course of his travels – Miyamoto has been around the world – he has discovered a pattern. Partic- ularly in the developing world, it’s not necessarily the building codes that are to blame. Rather, it’s the lack of access to quality engineering and quality materials that cause most of the problems. Structures were nev- er built to withstand an earthquake, so when an earth- quake strikes, those buildings don’t survive. “After an earthquake, you lose everything. We know what works and what doesn’t, and how the public sector should coordinate with the commercial sector.” That was the case in China, where buildings made of cast-in-place concrete with unreinforced masonry walls collapsed. The Sichuan Earthquake of 2008, as it is known, at a magnitude of 7.9, killed more than 69,000 people. “That was really bad,” Miyamoto says of the China quake. See MIYAMOTO, page 8

uly 18, 2016, ISSUE 1160

GERRI KING, from page 5

“We’re exposed completely,” he says. The Miyamoto firm promotes the installation of fiber rein- forced polymer to strengthen columns, tuck-under parking reinforcement, shear walls, and seismic dampers – shock absorbers for a building. Miyamoto is part of the massive engineering process of ret- rofitting as many as 15,000 buildings to comply with the sweeping seismic regulations approved last year by the Los Angeles City Council. In Southern California, the big worry is that the San Andreas Fault will erupt, while up north in Oregon and Washington, the Cascadia Fault is the cause of anxiety. “People are starting to think about it, and that’s a good trend, but we have to act fast, and the private sector needs to take the lead,” Miyamoto says. Increased awareness of seismic risk indicates that the mar- ket in domestic resiliency is on the upswing, a fact that shouldn’t escape engineering students trying to figure out what career path to take. Miyamoto also says that young engineers should consider the prospect of internationaliz- ing their work. “There’s a huge opportunity for young people,” Miyamoto says. “As American engineers, we need to do more [interna- tional work]. We do great engineering design here, and we should share and do it globally.” Miyamoto is known as a great communicator, and his web- site, populated with blog posts, press releases, photographs, field reports, and videos, is a showcase for his love of words and images. “Engineers need to communicate,” he says. “We have a lot to say. We need to talk about our experiences. Communication is as important as the work.” 4) Using teams appropriately. 5) Willingness to fix core processes and systems. The two major reasons for conflict in organizations are role confusion and lack of clear process. 6) Skills alignment or more training to make that happen. 7) Regular review and reassessment of the plan. When the above is embraced and seen as a challenge worth addressing, you are likely to emerge with a successful strategic plan to which people can commit. The by-product is the coalescing of teams, cross-functional commitment, and a generally happier workforce that feels included and valued. So, the good news is, strategic planning is a messy process that results in a strong agenda for a successful future. And, if you think you don’t have time to do it, ask yourself if you have time not to because it is far better to be in a proactive position than reactive. A well conceived and executed strategic plan is your insurance policy. GERRI KING, Ph.D., is a founding partner and president of Human Dynamics Associates Inc. For more information, visit gerriking.com.

Some see this as overwhelming and others as exciting and adventurous. It is, indeed, an adventure and if approached as such, can unite and elevate the staff to levels not imagined. Once immersed, it’s not a given – but also not unusual – for organizations to consider changing their mission and vision statements, business definitions, values commitments, internal and external customer service approaches, and strategic philosophy. In addition, solving some problems may create others. It’s sometimes difficult to keep the energy high, but so worth it to keep going. The usual reasons plans fail include a lack of leadership commitment, turf-protection, cultural malaise and inertia, reluctance to allow the time to engage, inadequate information, and not listening to input from all employees. The keys to successful implementation are: 1) Turning priority issues into measurable action steps. 2) Realignment of the organization with the new objectives. 3) Encouraging accountability without blame or punitive re- sponses.

MIYAMOTO, from page 7

Miyamoto’s work centers on new construction in addition to repair and retrofit solutions. Mindful of the surround- ings, Miyamoto uses available materials and labor, parsing out the strengths and weaknesses, and in the process, of- tentimes develops the “repair guidelines” appropriate for the local economy. Miyamoto has been active for years in Haiti, where a 2010 quake destroyed as much as 50 percent of the country’s building stock and killed around 160,000 people, or per- haps many more. His experience in Haiti, scene of one of the deadliest earthquakes in history, informs his work in other disaster zones. “Little things we do have a gigantic impact. It motivates me to be out there.” The firm is helping to shape a positive outcome in Nepal, where a 2015 quake, at a magnitude of 7.8, flattened entire villages, killed around 9,000 people, and did severe damage to the capital, Kathmandu. Miyamoto has conducted more than 90 damage assessments there for private, public, and international agencies, and has many retrofit projects un- derway. Though Miyamoto has a big reputation as a leading global expert in seismic risk and consulting, it is the human con- nection that drives him – comforting a distraught house- wife, reassuring a nervous business owner, or helping kids return to a safe school. “Little things we do have a gigantic impact,” he says. “It mo- tivates me to be out there.” While Miyamoto’s work abroad captures headlines, his firm deploys a great deal of resources in a place that is extremely vulnerable to a catastrophic earthquake – California.

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 18, 2016, ISSUE 1160

O P I N I O N

Old recruiting habits slowing you down? Demanding a resume is a good way to scare off potential hires, but your chances improve if you pick up the phone and sell your firm.

O ne of the biggest challenges facing the AEC industry is old interviewing habits. As a recruiter working in this industry we see it all, and one of the biggest mistakes is the importance that hiring managers place on seeing a resume. If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times: “I just need to see a resume.” It’s an age-old refrain from a bygone era – before LinkedIn and online recruiting changed the game. It’s one of the most frustrating aspects that my recruiting team faces.

Randy Wilburn

1) When a recruiter sends you a candidate that looks or sounds good to you, ask them to arrange a phone call with the candidate ASAP. Time is of the essence in the AEC industry, and if a good recruiter finds a potential candidate, you may not have a large win- dow of opportunity. I always tell my clients that it doesn’t cost anything to have a 15- to 30-minute “If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times: ‘I just need to see a resume.’ It’s an age-old refrain from a bygone era – before LinkedIn and online recruiting changed the game.”

As recruiters, we take the time to learn about the candidate and create an informative profile that we present to our client. This candidate profile covers the basic information that any hiring manager would need to determine if someone is suitable to work at their firm. Sometimes we get so much information that the only thing missing is the candidate’s blood type. While I may be exaggerating a little, I think you get the idea. If you are a hiring manager and you are one of those people who always needs to see a resume, you should worry about the future of recruiting. I don’t believe you will be able to keep up over time with the change in technology and procedures. Here are three things you can start doing to make sure you don’t get left in the recruiting past:

See RANDY WILBURN, page 10

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ON THE MOVE KIEWIT APPOINTS NEW LEADERS FOR ITS POWER GENERATION BUSINESS Kiewit is promoting four leaders within its power business. To meet the evolving needs of the energy market, these leaders will continue to strengthen Kiewit’s position as a one-stop source for the power market. Leading energy projects in North America and Australia, Tom Shelby has been appointed president of Kiewit Energy Group. Since 2004, Shelby has provided senior executive oversight on a wide range of energy projects, including nuclear, gas- and coal-fired plants, in addition to refinery facilities and oil extraction projects. Shelby brings more than 30 years of global experience in the power market and has been on the company’s board of directors since 2006. Dave Flickinger has been named executive vice president of Kiewit Energy Group and will lead the teams performing more than $1 billion annually of power generation, transmission, and distribution work in North America. A 23- year Kiewit veteran, Flickinger started his career as a field engineer and quickly gained roles of increasing responsibility, overseeing safety and quality performance, human resources, business development and strategic market leadership. He has extensive experience in air quality control upgrades, transmission and distribution, and fossil fuel generation. Kevin Needham has been promoted to president of Kiewit Engineering & Design Co. and leads the company’s power markets and strategy group. During his more than 25 years

ISG: ISG’S NEW CEO MAKES FIRST KEY APPOINTMENT ISG announced the promotion of Damian Farr to the newly created role of managing director for the company’s engineering services business across Europe. Farr leads a specialist team that has delivered more than £1 billion of data center projects across Europe in the past five years. ISG is currently delivering a number of complex and highly-engineered construction projects in Belgium, Finland, and the Netherlands. Farr brings more than 20 years of experience working across highly-engineered facilities for customers in the energy, technology, science, and healthcare sectors. Prior to this appointment, Farr led the delivery of one of ISG’s largest data center projects in the Nordics. Paul Cossell, ISG’s CEO, commented, “Our expertise successfully delivering technically advanced and complex built environments gives ISG a highly compelling international offer, and Damian’s appointment emphasises our focus and ambitions in the European arena.” Farr added, “We have a talented and wide- ranging team of industry professionals that constantly strive to challenge what is possible, both from a technical and delivery perspective. Innovation and creativity really find a home within the complex engineering services space, and we have a fantastic interdisciplinary team in the continental Europe business, that consistently pushes the boundaries to create an unbeatable experience for our customers.”

of power delivery, construction, engineering, and design leadership experience, Needham has worked on the front lines of high- profile combined-cycle gas plant projects in engineering, conceptual design, and management positions. In addition to leading teams focused on business development, marketing, and competitive strategy in the power space, Needham is responsible for the more than 1,000 design engineering staff working on projects across North America. John Jennings has been promoted to president of Kiewit Power Constructors Co., leading more than 2,500 people performing EPC services for power developers and utility clients on new and existing power plants. These projects include simple and combined- cycle gas plants, air quality control systems and nuclear modifications. Jennings brings 25 years of engineering and construction experience on large, complex power and infrastructure projects using EPC, design- build, construction manager at risk and bid- build delivery models. “These four leaders have had a significant role in growing our power business by successfully running complex, large-scale operations, facilitating innovative contract delivery methods and staying in tune with and ahead of market trends,” said Rick Lanoha, president and COO at Kiewit. “As energy markets continue to evolve, we are strategically equipped to provide new engineering and construction solutions that will help clients efficiently and effectively deliver key projects across North America.”

is a mistake and a waste of time. You should help them un- derstand why your company is great and what you do to help your team members grow and get better at their jobs. Nowa- days, personal and professional development programs are a fundamental component of firms that are growing. Growing companies are attractive to candidates. Nobody wants to be in the same place five years from now, even if the pay is good. I recognize that some of this advice may sound foreign to you, but I’m encouraging you to throw out the old way of recruiting great talent and try to implement some of these practices. Trust me. They work. And if you get stuck somewhere in the process, give me a call or shoot me an email and we will try to get you unstuck. RANDY WILBURN is director of executive search at Zweig Group. Contact him at rwilburn@zweiggroup.com, or 479.856.6171. “Don’t sit back and make the candidate do all the talking. Yes, of course, you want to hear about them and their background and expertise, but you also want to make the candidate aware of why your firm is the best place in town to work.”

RANDY WILBURN, from page 9

phone conversation with someone who may be a fit for their organization. Requiring a resume before you talk to someone can hurt you in the long run. 2) Please consider where the candidate’s mindset is. A person who is not actively looking for a job may be more inclined to have a conversation with a hiring manager. In their mind, it’s not a major commitment, and it may be worth checking out the competition up close and personal. As a hiring manager, you must use this rationale to your advantage. If you start making candidates, or potential candidates, jump through too many hurdles, you will lose them. “When a recruiter sends you a candidate that looks or sounds good to you, ask them to arrange a phone call with the candidate ASAP.” 3) You have to “Sell the Sh#&” out of your firm. Don’t sit back and make the candidate do all the talking. Yes, of course, you want to hear about them and their background and expertise, but you also want to make the candidate aware of why your firm is the best place in town to work. Asking a candidate who’s not actively looking why they want to leave their firm

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O P I N I O N

T he competitive environment continues to change at light speed, and that in turn has translated into the way we lead and manage businesses. At the same time, many continue to experience the commoditization of their core services, which only heightens the competitive pressure. Setting yourself apart Figure out what your firm is and what its values are, and remain disciplined if you want to flourish in a competitive market.

Gerry Salontai

❚ ❚ Operational Excellence is the focus on efficiency and maintaining a low cost structure. Characteristics in- clude skills at price competition, a focus on projects rather than individual clients, less self-directed staff, and a high emphasis on productivity. ❚ ❚ Product Leadership encourages creativity, innova- tion and having “experts” in the market. Some of the characteristics of this discipline include longer sales cycles, less concern for the client, and more of an emphasis on, “Look at me, I’m the best.” This approach focuses on a high degree of staff creativity “One thing that’s certain – there will always be competition. The question is what a company can do to set itself apart.”

One thing that’s certain – there will always be competition. The question is what a company can do to set itself apart. The starting point lies in identifying your dominant, secondary and tertiary Value Disciplines in your business. The Value Discipline is a model created by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema that describes the way you win and execute business in the company. And it’s important to understand these in order to lead and manage, and to achieve the best results in all aspects of the business. There are three categories of Value Disciplines – Client Intimacy, Operational Excellence, and Product Leadership. ❚ ❚ Client Intimacy is the endeavor to build long-term and deep client relationships. Some characteristics of this discipline include longer sales cycles, measur- ing client satisfaction to measure success, the need for an entrepreneurial approach to clients, and in- vestment in people and relationship building.

See GERRY SALONTAI, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 18, 2016, ISSUE 1160

BUSINESS NEWS JACOBS ENGINEERING WINS MAIN CONTRACT TO BUILD $5.3B MONGOLIAN MINE Jacobs Engineering has been awarded the main contract to build the $5.3 billion Oyu Tolgoi underground copper and gold mine in Mongolia. Jacobs is responsible for engineering, procurement and construction management services to implement the materials handling systems for the new underground mine and associated surface and underground infrastructure. Development of the underground mine, which was delayed in 2013 because of disputes with Mongolia’s government, is key to operator Rio Tinto’s copper growth ambitions; approximately 80 percent of the mine’s value resides in the underground, with copper grades about 3 times higher than the open pit, which already is in production. Oyu Tolgoi is a partnership between Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill Resources and the Mongolian government.

MCCARTHY TO BUILD SOUTHWEST AIRLINES’ NEW FACILITY McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. announced it won the award to build Southwest Airlines’ new office and training facility on the company’s corporate campus in Dallas. The new building, called “Wings”, consists of a 414,000 square-foot office building and an attached 367,000-square-foot flight training center which will house 18 flight simulator bays, associated offices, and ancillary areas. The training portion of the structure will be constructed out of a special hardened building that can withstand 210 mile winds as it must remain operational every day of the year in all weather conditions. Also included in the project is a 1,900 car parking garage and surface parking that together will provide for a total of 2,500 cars, and additional site work and construction of pedestrian bridges. “We are thrilled that Southwest Airlines chose McCarthy to build this new addition to their headquarters campus,” said Ray Sedey, McCarthy’s Texas region president. “Due to our

experience in building cutting edge corporate headquarters and training centers for top companies, as well as many airport projects, we know how to approach this project to get it done on time and within budget.” Southwest’s corporate campus is adjacent to Love Field Airport. The project architect is BOKA Powell and the landscape architect/ civil engineer is Pacheco Koch . Reed Wells Benson is the mechanical and electrical engineer and L.A. Fuess Partners and Ponce-Fuess are providing structural engineer services on the project. The project commenced in June and is expected to be completed early 2018. Building Southwest Airline’s new facility extends McCarthy’s experience in the aviation sector. McCarthy has completed 40 airport projects from large–scale airport expansion and renovations, custom border patrol, federal inspection, flight and gate information and display systems, security screening checkpoints and baggage handling systems to airport parking facilities.

GERRY SALONTAI, from page 11

evaluate the business and categorize what you are doing in the three model areas. Is the vast majority of the work you perform based on price competition solely, relationships, or services that are unique, innovative, and better than the competition can provide? This is a tough process because the tendency is to believe all three are involved in decision- making, and sometimes that might be. However, this concept needs to be thought through in terms of “what we will emphasize” to win and execute work, as many clients will always choose multiple ways to evaluate a company they will hire. Next, determine the secondary discipline you will rely on. For example, if you determine Customer Intimacy is the primary discipline and Product Leadership is secondary, it is key to identify what service offerings set you apart from the competition. These service offerings again are not in terms of better quality or how great you are delivering – rather they are a bona fide unique set of capabilities that are defined by technology, innovation, and value received by the client. Creating strategies to identify and cultivate those clients that will benefit from your innovative service will guide you to establishing those deep relationships offering a unique set of capabilities. Attracting, retaining, developing, and educating staff that fit the characteristics of these two disciplines then becomes a guidepost for the company. The concept is simple – doing it is much more difficult. Having the fortitude to move away from, divest, or de- emphasize clients and service offerings that don’t fit your discipline model will lead you to higher financial and overall business success. The key is discipline, focus, and commitment to set yourself apart by not succumbing to the vanilla approach of being everything to everyone. GERRY SALONTAI is the founder of Salontai Consulting Group, LLC. Contact him at gerry@salontai.com.

and internal investment in staff.

The question is, which is best to set oneself apart? Any of these can be the basic building block that will help set a company apart from others. For example, being the most efficient and low cost provider can set you apart from others if you choose the Operational Excellence model and endeavor to compete in a more commodity-based environment. This is not a bad choice – rather just a choice. One of the keys to success with the Operational Excellence model is to avoid having a business with equally weighted disciplines. Choosing and reinforcing a dominant discipline is the most successful approach, even though it’s difficult because many have well-diversified capabilities. “Having the fortitude to move away from, divest, or de-emphasize clients and service offerings that don’t fit your discipline model will lead you to higher financial and overall business success.” Organizational alignment is a problem in our business, especially if you have multiple disciplines, branch offices, or regions, and it’s why we have so many individuals that are in buying and selling positions in the company. As an example, we find ourselves allowing a part of the business to pursue projects and compete on price rather than building deep relationships with a handful of clients. All while having the discipline to say “no” to those that are only interested in price. The result is we have a business that is not structured financially to compete on price. The first step in this Value Discipline process is to critically

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 18, 2016, ISSUE 1160

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