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Your management questions, answered This month, readers seek advice on topics related to ‘working retired,’ nepotism, and project-person fit. O P I N I O N
WORKING PARTNER HAS ‘RETIRED’ Dear Christy,
“One of our partners seems to have retired on the job. He comes in late, leaves early, and doesn’t sell or do anything. But he also owns 20 percent of the company and has been here for 30 years. How can we get him gone?” – Worried in Wisconsin Dear Worried, I know this isn’t the easiest situation, but no architecture or engineering firm can afford to have someone asleep on the job. Just because this person is a partner doesn’t mean he isn’t an employee and doesn’t have to do his job. Figure out a way to buy
HAVE MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS YOU NEED ANSWERED? Dear Christy is THE ZWEIG LETTER ’s newest column, a place for industry leaders to anonymously submit their most pressing leadership, management, finance, marketing, or human relations questions. Each month, submissions will be answered in print, so that the entire A/E/P and environmental consulting industry can benefit from the shared experiences and information highlights. Have a question you need answered? Email Christy Zweig at christinaz@zweiggroup.com or send your letter to Zweig Group, P.O. Box 1528, Fayetteville, AR 72702. Even if letters are signed or if emails contain the writer’s name, all entries will be kept confidential and published anonymously.
DEAR CHRISTY
his stock back and get him out of there – it will be worth it. This person is probably dragging down morale in ways that are bigger than you realize; people that don’t represent ownership well end up decreasing the value of the stock and threaten the overall ownership structure.
BOSS WANTS TO GIVE BROTHER LEADERSHIP POSITION Dear Christy, “Our company president wants us to hire his brother as a marketing consultant. Problem is, none of the rest of us are very impressed with him. What do we do?” – No Nepotism in Nashville Dear No Nepotism, Well, at least it sounds like you aren’t the only one. Having a few people on the same page when it comes to this kind of thing is a big help. Start by determining exactly why you aren’t impressed with this guy. Accurately assess him. If your president is a reasonable person (which he/she probably is) and you bring valid points to the table along with a process in how someone like this should be chosen to be hired, you should be able to get the best person for the job. Develop other alternatives quickly and present a comparison.
NEED TO MAKE SURE SMART, TALENTED ENGINEER DOESN’T DERAIL PROJECT Dear Christy, “I have an engineer in my group who is a very smart and talented guy. However, I am afraid to let him meet a client for fear he will want to completely redirect the direction of the project. We don’t want to do that at this stage. Help!” – Too Much of a Good Thing Dear Too Much, It is great that you have a big mover in your firm, but there’s a time and place for this person to come into a project. Talk with him and explain the current status of the project and the time and work that it has taken to get there. Although a new person might have a better solution, it isn’t a better overall solution for the client to start over and derail the work that has already been done. A big part of an effective solution for the client is getting the job done on time. If you really think he won’t get it, save him for the next project and bring him in at the very beginning.
THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 30, 2015, ISSUE 1129
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