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O P I N I O N
S ure – things are real messy right now. As I write this, the new president has yet to be inaugurated. There is disarray and polarization throughout the government and citizenry. Things are real messy right now, but we can all get safely to our destinations if we keep our cool. Keep a cool head and carry on!
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc, and our hospitals are full, while the disease is killing as many as 4,000+ people a day. Meanwhile, we have a new, more contagious strain of the stuff starting to make its way across the land. Certain sectors of the economy are battered, while others are exploding. We can’t visit with many of our old folks. Food bank lines are long. Everyone’s life has been affected in some way. 2021 is not starting out great. Because of all of this, and for many other reasons, owners and managers of A/E firms may be feeling a lot of stress. I get it. While I have owned a business of some sort for most of my life, I can’t say I’m sorry not to be in that position now. And don’t think your employees are less stressed. Most know less about the financial condition of your firms than you do. They are bound to feel vulnerable and uncertain about their futures. But, hey – you have to take the good with the bad, right? There’s been so much good in this
business over the last 10 years! Many A/E firm owners had their best years in this business over the last decade. You grew and prospered. A lot of great work was done by the architects, engineers, planners, designers, scientists, and surveyors under your employ – and the needs aren’t going away for most of what your firms do any time soon. So, as the battle-scarred veteran of this business in the room, I’d like to give you some advice. Here it is: 1)Stay calm. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the vortex of negativity and inaction. This is easy to do. Things may not be the way you like them. It may feel like your world is spinning out of control. The glass is half full (or emptier). You could be angry. But guess what? If you allow all that stuff to fill up your brain you will not have the capacity or bandwidth to do your job leading your firm or team. You must remain calm and steady. Not to say you want to be a
Mark Zweig
See MARK ZWEIG, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 18, 2021, ISSUE 1375
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