TRANSACT IONS RLG CONSULTING ENGINEERS ACQUIRES ATSE CONSULTANTS, LLC With the turn of the new year, RLG Consulting Engineers acquired ATSE Consultants, LLC. , a professional design firm that specialized in structural design and analysis of new and existing structures. RLG acquired ATSE assets, staff, and customer contracts which will be completed under the RLG brand. ATSE was a natural choice since their basic core principals aligned with the client focused principals of RLG. “This acquisition allows us to reach our goal to increase staff size in our Peoria office to help meet the increasing demands of our national client base,” says Michael McLaren, COO and principal. “The combination of ATSE and RLG will afford the ability for us to continue to meet our growing client demands while providing the excellent client experience our clients
have come to expect,” added Allen Taylor, president, ATSE. The two companies and their employees have collaborated on many projects over the years, allowing for a seamless transition for internal and external clients. RLG maintains the reputation of a Dallas- based civil, structural, forensic engineering, and surveying firm committed to providing quality nationwide services across a variety of market sectors, expanding its base in structural and forensics engineering services. With this well-planned acquisition, RLG has absorbed ATSE employees registered in 17 states. “This acquisition will strengthen our structural engineering services and provide a large increase in RLG’s bandwidth, ensuring the firm will continue to meet the needs of today’s rapid-growth market,” says Stuart Markussen, president and CEO at RLG.
Though the firm’s employee base has increased, the organization’s structure will remain the same and there will be no changes in the roles of RLG’s top officials. The company is confident about the acquisition benefits and anticipates future growth to follow. Founded in 1953 by Raymond L. Goodson, Jr., RLG Consulting Engineers specializes in civil, structural, surveying, and forensic engineering. For more than 66 years, RLG has been recognized as one of the top engineering firms in Texas for their ability to attract and retain a talented, experienced team. Known for thorough and meticulous work, RLG has designed major projects in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and throughout the country. The staff includes professional engineers holding licenses in 47 states, graduate engineers, and registered professional land surveyors.
TAMMI NAGUCKI, from page 9
❚ ❚ Do you understand everything you need to understand to connect with this person/group? ❚ ❚ Do you understand or at least appreciate the experiences of your audience?
others see you is your personal brand. Your personal brand also affects how people connect with you. CONNECTING THROUGH EMPATHY. At a basic level, humans desire to be understood. “Feeling understood prompts you to relate more fully to others, to show more willingness to be open and vulnerable with them.” As Carl Nassar (“The Importance of Feeling Understood”) astutely observes: “When we feel understood ... we show [others] our true selves – flaws and all. In turn, they are more likely to be vulnerable and honest with us. This helps us connect ... on a deeper level, improving the quality of our relationships” (from Psychology Today ’s “Feeling Understood – Even More Important Than Feeling”). Genuine connection happens when you begin to understand someone from their perspective, not what you want their perspective to be, and then fully appreciate them. Understanding others will help you build the connections that will lead to success – in your professional and personal life.
❚ ❚ What details are you missing? ❚ ❚ What history are you missing?
COMBINE LOGIC AND EMOTION. Once you’ve considered the variables of communication above, you are ready to respond in a manner that builds a connection. Take a minute to absorb the intel you’ve gathered and formulate a response that indicates your understanding of their situation. At this point, the information at your fingertips is both logical and emotional. Combining these two gives you a fuller picture and leads your audience to feel understood. Building this trust is crucial for the connection to be genuine. Play out the scenario in your head, first – test run the message. Consider the possible reactions from your audience. Have you conveyed the message you intended? Have you received the verbal or non-verbal response you expected? This process of empathizing will lead to lasting connections and trust. Trust and understanding are the two critical ingredients to successful communication. Build a connection with your audience through understanding and empathy so they trust you and your message. TAMMI NAGUCKI, CPSM, is director of marketing at Environmental Design Group. Contact her at tnagucki@envdesigngroup.com. “It is especially crucial in today’s high tech/ digital communication climate to take a step back, pause to appreciate where your audience is coming from, and structure a message in a way that makes a real connection with your audience.”
Pause to appreciate: ❚ ❚ Their background ❚ ❚ The current situation ❚ ❚ Their emotions ❚ ❚ How they communicate with you, and why ❚ ❚ How you fit in this scenario ❚ ❚ How they view your involvement ❚ ❚ Your history with this person/group
❚ ❚ The choices you have to react ❚ ❚ And put yourself in their shoes.
Ask questions:
© Copyright 2020. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
THE ZWEIG LETTER March 23, 2020, ISSUE 1337
Made with FlippingBook Annual report