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OPINION
If you’re serious about growing your design firm, you need to add outside experts to your board of directors. Do you really want your firm to prosper?
I founded an engineering/landscape architecture/geomatics firm named “McAdams” in April of 1979 while I was enmeshed in an MBA program at Duke University. I carefully nurtured my nascent enterprise with everything I had, conscious of relying on my business education more than my civil engineering degree. What I did not do is consult with others in the design industry; because, “Hey, I’m a freshly-minted Duke MBA!” What advice could I possibly need from others in the design industry (who probably didn’t have an MBA)?
John McAdams
Well, about 15 years in, I learned there is a wealth of knowledge out there in our industry, and I was missing out on a lot of industry-specific know-how about running a successful design firm because I didn’t bother to access it. So some other top McAdams officials and I started going to industry conferences – a very eye-opening exchange of ideas, actually; and then at our 40th anniversary we finally firmed-up the structure of our board of directors, set term limits that were staggered, and brought in three seasoned outsiders who are tremendously valuable. Here’s is what you get with outside directors: 1. Knowledgeable advice from design-industry and corporate veterans who have navigated issues you have not experienced. 2. Business executives who hold your firm’s CEO accountable for internal matters, as in:
When are you going to get serious about curing your receivables problem? What will you do to improve the work climate? Or adios those toxic employees? What programs or changes can you implement to improve talent retention? Internal directors, who report to the CEO, are a lot less likely to press these issues. 3. Executives (current or retired) from other industries (public works managers, DOT officials, real estate development executives, construction industry executives, etc.) can be invaluable in gaining introductions to potential clients, expanding into new market sectors, and in coaching the design firm as to serving selected industries with excellence.
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THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGUST 25, 2025, ISSUE 1599
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