TZL 1381 (web)

inconvenient or outside of conventional hours. We earn being honest upfront, even when we are delivering bad news. When we are not perfect or can’t deliver on a promise, we address it head-on and work out a solution with them. This straightforward communication builds credibility which is critical to trust. TZL: What do you see as the biggest challenge in your new role? How do you anticipate easing into the transition? JB: In my view, leading change is the biggest challenge for all leaders, especially within our industry where so much change is occurring. For example, being able to go from research and development of a new technology to process to full implementation of and anchoring of that technology and process in the culture is something we need to be able to do quickly. Anticipating what impacts our firm while leading change within it is something I find challenging yet also fun. I derive a lot of energy from it. I was selected for president a year in advance of our former President Jim Lee’s departure. This allowed me more than six months to transition my previous roles and begin building the relationships I would need to be successful as president of Shive-Hattery. At roughly the six-month mark, I relocated to our corporate office and became president of Shive-Hattery with Jim remaining as chairman of the board until spring of 2021. Jim and I have six months working together before his retirement. He’s been a great mentor for me, and it’s been a smooth transition. TZL: Diversity and inclusion are lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? JB: We have long recognized that equity, diversity, inclusion, and engagement are drivers of innovation and so important as we strive to create the best client experience and the best experience for our people. The lack of racial/ethnic or even gender diversity in our industry can be frustrating at times when we serve such a diverse client base. We recognize that diversity is more than just racial/ ethnic or gender diversity, but also about communication styles, leadership styles, our perspectives, and the way we approach a problem. As we are creating our project teams,

❚ ❚ A balance that will allow us to continue our culture of flexibility while also supporting our strong learning, teaching, and mentoring culture which is much more effective when done face-to-face. ❚ ❚ A balance that allows the best collaboration for our teams while providing a great experience for our clients. TZL: What role does your family play in your career? Are work and family separate, or is there overlap? JB: I have a supportive family and a network of people who have supported me throughout my career. Work and family life have always been blended for me. This was especially true when our kids were young where it was about integrating one into and around the other. I rarely missed one of the kid’s baseball games or school activities regardless of time or day, but I also had times where my family sacrificed so I could deliver on a promise to a client or colleague. During the busiest and most exhausting time of my life, I had a flexible and supportive family and flexible and supportive leaders and teams in Shive- Hattery. That made all the difference for me. “During the busiest and most exhausting time of my life, I had a flexible and supportive family and flexible and supportive leaders and teams in Shive- Hattery. That made all the difference for me.” TZL: Trust is essential. How do you earn the trust of your clients? JB: Trust is at the center of our client experience. So many people struggle to build trust because they focus on themselves instead of the client. We earn the trust of our clients by focusing on them. We listen, we ask open-ended questions, we let them tell their story, and we don’t rush to a solution. To quote David Maister, “There is no greater source of distrust than advisors who appear to be more interested in themselves than in trying to be of service to the client.” We earn the trust of our clients by doing what we say we are going to do and genuinely caring about them. We are responsive and they come to rely on that because we are available to them during the times when they need us, even if it is

HEADQUARTERS: Cedar Rapids, IA NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 425 YEAR FOUNDED: 1895 NUMBER OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: 11 MARKETS: ❚ ❚ Civic & justice ❚ ❚ Commercial development ❚ ❚ Government ❚ ❚ Healthcare ❚ ❚ Higher education ❚ ❚ Hospitality & entertainment ❚ ❚ Industrial ❚ ❚ K-12 ❚ ❚ Senior living ❚ ❚ Sports ❚ ❚ Workplace SERVICES: ❚ ❚ 3D visualization ❚ ❚ Architecture ❚ ❚ Building information modeling ❚ ❚ Branded environments

❚ ❚ Building envelope ❚ ❚ Civil engineering

❚ ❚ Construction services ❚ ❚ District energy systems ❚ ❚ Electrical engineering ❚ ❚ Environmental services ❚ ❚ Interior design ❚ ❚ Landscape architecture ❚ ❚ Mechanical engineering ❚ ❚ Structural engineering ❚ ❚ Land surveying ❚ ❚ Traffic & transportation ❚ ❚ Water & wastewater ❚ ❚ Water resources

See LEADING CHANGE, page 8

RCH 1, 2021, ISSUE 1381

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