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ON THE MOVE PPG ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS PPG announced that Vince Morales and John Jankowski were appointed to new positions. Both appointments went into effect June 1. Morales, currently vice president, investor relations, and treasurer, will have continued responsibility for investor relations and assumes additional responsibilities as vice

president, finance. Jankowski, who joined PPG in 2013 in his current position of assistant treasurer, is appointed vice president and treasurer. Morales joined PPG in 1985 and held a variety of finance leadership roles of increasing responsibility including manager, sales/ exchange accounting; director, managerial/

financial accounting; and vice president, investor relations. Jankowski began his career in 1990 at Bethlehem Steel Corp. as an engineer and then a production manager. In 1995, Jankowski joined H.J. Heinz Co., where he worked for 18 years and advanced through finance leadership roles.

CREATING A “CLASSLESS” SOCIETY. I am far from a bleeding heart, but I do believe that extreme hierarchies at work alienate, instead of encourage, inclusion. There have to be leaders, but you must be able to relate to those you lead which in- cludes leading by example. For that reason, you must be conscious of the image that you project within the office and be watchful for both subtle and overt signs that you consider yourself better or above your staff. How often have we seen a leader drop work on someone else’s deck and then head home at 5 p.m.? I would like to think never, but I know I was the recipient of that treatment early in my career and it sticks with me to this day. As we advance in our careers, there will always be added rewards and benefits, but we need to remember where we came from and how leaders both motivated and infuriated us. Do not repeat the sins of your forbearers. HOW MUCH DOES ANYONE NEED TO KNOW? Creating an open culture does not mean that all firm information is available to all staff. We all have fiduciary duties which may require con- fidentiality. Also, ownership comes with risks which may make sense to a partner, but may send other staff running for the doors. However, by sharing as much information as possible regarding firm operations, you will create a higher degree of “ownership” in the firm by all staff. “We must also remember that in the absence of information, staff will create their own storyline about the current and future health of the firm.” Some shared information, such as contract scope, should be obvious. Other information, including backlog and contract pursuits, can provide assurances to staff of future work and better define the strategic goals of the firm. Specific job costs not only reflect on management of work, but also better informs on how to cost future work. We must also remember that in the absence of information, staff will create their own storyline about the current and future health of the firm, and that invariably some will want to create a horror story instead of one with a happy ending. STEPHEN LUCY is CEO of JQ with offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Lubbock, Texas. Contact him at slucy@jqeng.com.

STEPHEN LUCY, from page 11

business, a trust that permeates and is shown through deep relationships with your peers, employees, and clients. “The end goal of developing an open culture is trust – a trust that prevails through the life cycle of every business, a trust that permeates and is shown through deep relationships with your peers, employees, and clients.” COMMUNICATION IS KEY. As in almost all aspects of our business, the way we communicate to others has a direct bearing on how successful we are in fulfilling our goals. Although texting and emails are expedient ways to deliver informa- tion or get answers from others, it is not the best means to convey that you want to engage and be open with your staff, especially when it comes to the establishment of a firm’s culture. Is your staff going to trust and want to follow the person who looks them in the eye and delivers the message, or an anonymous email which could have been composed by another and just sent out under your name? The power of personal communication cannot be overstated. I understand that logistically some firms have no choice but to convey information by mass means, but for the majority of our industry, there is no excuse for failing to communicate in person. Absent an interactive dialogue, you have already proven you have an open culture in name only. REIMAGINING THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT. The open concept office environment is not new, but it certainly has evolved. While some consider it just an economic benefit to avoid con- structing as many physical walls, the real benefit should lie in the removal of those unseen walls which hinder interac- tion between teams or create silos between services. If properly designed and implemented, an open office creates greater collaboration and conversation among employees. Productivity improvements occur not just because of this visible, new level of accountability, but because now you can more easily engage others around you and share ideas. The physical space sends a special message to staff, clients and peers about how you operate. You have democratized everyone’s experience and leveled the playing field by simply eliminating walls.

THE ZWEIG LETTER June 20, 2016, ISSUE 1157

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