TZL 1525 (web)

TRENDLINES Regional project manager salaries February 19, 2024, Issue 1525 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

$100,000 $105,000 $110,000 $115,000 $120,000 $125,000 $130,000

Job descriptions need radical simplification for authenticity, brevity, and impact in attracting top talent. Crafting clarity

According to Zweig Group’s 2024 Salary Reports of AEC Firms , the average project manager in the Mountain-Pacific region had 17 years of experience and made $125,000. For the same role in the Central region we found the average project manager had 15 years of experience and made $111,000. In the Eastern region it was 14 years and $122,000. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication.

T he saying “familiarity breeds contempt” is certainly true, but I’d like to offer an additional dimension to that old line for the purpose of this article: “Familiarity breeds complacency.” Which is to say, what is familiar to us breeds laziness into us. I don’t mind telling you, I think we as human beings prefer familiarity for that very reason. We seem content doing what is familiar to us with mindless repetition no matter how unfruitful it may be because that is far more palatable to us than the hard work of really thinking through something critically, of really innovating, and of exploring something new and exciting and edgy. If that’s your vibe, so be it – but it goes without saying that complacency, laziness, and mindless repetition are the secret ingredients that will lead you straight to failure. I’ll give you an example: Present day job descriptions remain virtually unchanged from the job descriptions used 30 years ago. Then, as now, they resemble a lengthy and complicated thesaurus explosion. It’s as if organizations have believed that the more complex and cryptic the job description, the more prestigious the position will appear. And here we are today still tipping our hat to that same nonsense. We’re still plaguing our “Careers” pages with a forest of complexity and vague, numerous responsibilities because that’s the way it’s always been, because it makes us look like we know what the hell we’re doing, and because doing something different and innovative takes too much time and effort. Your firm’s art of crafting job descriptions is a crucial step in attracting top talent and effectively promoting your brand. A job description is a sales pitch, folks, and in our current labor environment you have about 10 seconds for your pitch. That’s it. Use the time wisely with a simple but savvy narrative that aptly accomplishes four critical objectives: 1. Attract. Limit your job description to three-quarters of a page at most. I’m not joking. Believe me, anything more is a turn-off, and nobody is reading through half the complicated excess you’re typically putting in your postings anyway. Save the more detailed job description to cite during the actual interview.

Jeremy Clarke

FIRM INDEX Bowman Consulting Group Ltd.......8

Hess-Rountree, Inc...................................8

SCS Engineers..............................................4

Urban Engineers......................................10

MORE ARTICLES n EDUARDO SMITH: The modern COO Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: Affording a small firm acquisition Page 5 n TYLER SUOMALA: Be the best loser Page 7 n JENNIFER HADDAD: Keeping hybrid teams engaged Page 9

See JEREMY CLARKE, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

JEREMY CLARKE , from page 1

Give them a compelling but authentic headline. Flourish it a bit, just don’t make it sound cheap and overdone. Instead of just listing “Project Manager” as the headline you could try something like, “Seasoned Civil Engineer for Iconic Projects.” Don’t use headlines like, “Seeking World-Class, One-of-a- Kind Project Manager.” That just sounds cheap and overdone. People will smell that a mile away. Follow up the headline with a brief, easy to read summary of the position. 2. Entice. Begin the first narrative with a personable and compelling introduction to your firm and limit it to one brief paragraph (yes, just one!). This section serves as a virtual handshake to a candidate, so get rid of all the cold, prescriptive language. It should grab the reader by the shirt collar, captivate him or her, and make it plain to them why they would be an idiot not to want to work here. Let them know at the outset that you’re an extremely selective firm and that in an effort to preserve your highly potent team the majority of candidates won’t qualify. Marginal candidates will be warded off and the best candidates will see it as an enticement to compete. 3. Inform. Present a clear but succinct picture of the position, remembering that at every turn you’re trying to create something compelling for the reader. The job details don’t need to be an HR-esque Magna Carta with endless bullets regarding responsibilities, qualifications, and expectations! Good candidates will already know key tenets of the position and bad candidates can easily be weeded out with knockout questions inside your online application process. The most potent job descriptions adopt a balanced marketing-oriented tone aiming to excite while informing potential candidates. 4. Direct. This is the final segment of the job posting where you give instructions for applying. But don’t lose the opportunity here to a create a compelling climate of achievement for him or her (and simultaneously ward off irrelevant candidates). Something to the effect of: “Exceptional candidates are encouraged to apply via this link. Note candidates not having licensure and a minimum of five years relevant and progressive project management experience in a civil infrastructure context will not be considered and need not apply.” It’s direct but necessary. Please, gather and burn all your current job descriptions (unless of course you’re the “I prefer familiarity over the hard work of innovating” type). Let’s imagine an industry together where candidates can explore positions without needing a decoder ring. A world where employers can express their needs without resorting to thesaurus-induced headaches. The call for radical simplicity in job descriptions is a call for compelling authenticity, a recognition that the heart of a role can often be captured in a few well-chosen words. P.S. Check out this link to see a sample suggested job posting format. Jeremy Clarke is the director of executive search and recruiting at Zweig Group and the CEO of Emissary Recruiting Solutions. Contact him at jclarke@zweiggroup. com.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

OPINION

The modern COO

For any COO to be successful in the AEC industry today, they must embrace the soft side of leadership, focusing on the people and culture as much as the numbers.

I n January of this year, I took on the role of chief operating officer at SCS Engineers; I am the first COO in the company’s history. I’ve been in the environmental services industry since 1990 and have worked for both large national/international firms and small firms, and I started and ran a successful consulting business before selling it to SCS in 2012. At least one of the two national companies I worked with prior to SCS employed a COO, but I moved on from there more than 20 years ago, so I’ll admit my experience with a COO is somewhat dated.

Eduardo Smith, P.E.

Perhaps it’s just me, but I developed this picture in my mind of a COO as someone who just focused on financial performance – who drove the numbers, who managed using a command and control style, who was the bad cop to the CEO’s good cop persona. The COO is the hammer that needs to get unleashed every once in a while to get things back on track, right? Well perhaps it’s because I’m a bit longer in the tooth as they say, or because I now find myself in the role, that my perspective on the COO in our industry has changed significantly. As I’ve held several roles in my career (from project team leader, founder of a company, and senior vice president of a national

firm), I’ve realized that driving numbers is not a great way to run and sustain a healthy business. Financial success is an outcome, a lagging indicator, of getting the leading indicators right – think employee engagement, resource sharing across functions, client satisfaction, and company culture to name a few. And that’s where a COO can really help a business. Sure, there may be times when a quick turnaround of the company or a branch is necessary and the COO may be the right person for that job, but for the most part, the COO can play an instrumental role in making the aspirations of the company a reality.

See EDUARDO SMITH, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

or developing new systems to enhance a managers’ ability to resource share, predict hiring needs and enhance the quality of deliverables. Now think about how many IT system roll-outs or HR training programs have yielded little adoption or no meaningful behavioral changes. That’s where the COO comes in. They can function as the bridge between HR and IT and the client-facing staff (who are already overwhelmed with work, by the way) so that the training and systems that are developed are realistically implementable, given the inherent competition for one’s time. So as in the above example, and as is true with much of what the COO does, he/she must be able to thoroughly understand the firm’s KPIs, diagnose what may be contributing to say a poorer than expected outcome, move upstream, and pull the levers that will positively impact performance, and that KPI. In other words, the COO influences the leading indicators to result in positive lagging indicators. Of course there are a lot of other areas the COO is likely to get involved in, but for any COO to be successful in our industry and in today’s environment, they must embrace the soft side of leadership, focusing on the people and culture as much as (or more than) the numbers. After all, a COO with a great spreadsheet of financial metrics won’t lead a company to financial success, but engaged and supported people in a healthy company will. Eduardo Smith, P.E. is chief operating officer at SCS Engineers. Contact him at esmith@scsengineers.com.

EDUARDO SMITH , from page 3

Now before explaining a bit more of what I mean, I have to say that the COO role may look quite different from firm to firm. I think that’s because the COO is often the person in the C-suite that compliments the other company leaders. If the CEO is an outward (client) facing persona, the COO would likely focus inward – which is probably how most think of their partnership, but the roles can certainly be reversed. Or the C-suite may decide to simply work as a team and divvy responsibilities to meet the strengths of each member, so the COO may need to be somewhat of a chameleon. The COO should be able to flex his/her strengths to compliment the others in the C-suite. But there’s one thing that is typical of the COO’s focus: It is to implement the company’s vision. The COO works with other leaders/managers in the firm (think of your regional or branch managers or market or service area leaders) to develop strategies by which the company’s mission, vision, and values are expressed in day-to-day work. For example, many firms in our space today are likely focusing on employee engagement. Given the tight labor market, recruiting and retaining the best in the industry and maintaining low turnover of desired employees – a good leading indicator – can differentiate a company from its competitors and lead to the profitable growth that most firms desire. So to that end, the HR department may be working on a training program for supervisors, to demonstrate the benefits of coaching, checking in, and helping develop their direct reports. And the IT department may be working on acquiring

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

FROM THE FOUNDER

These four components all work in concert to make buying the business more affordable and easier to fund. Affording a small firm acquisition

L et’s face it. There are thousands of small architecture, engineering, and allied consulting firms out there with aging owners who are ready to retire. The bigger firm buyers aren’t interested in them. They are too small and it’s not worth their time to find them, buy them, and integrate them into their businesses. But acquiring these companies and giving their owners a way to get out is a big opportunity for you to grow your own AEC firm. That is why buying another firm is included in the strategic plans for many growing AEC firms today.

Mark Zweig

Yet, my experience is that most potential smaller and mid-size firm buyers think they cannot afford to buy another company. A typical $2 million revenue AEC business might be “worth” $1.5 million. The $8 million-$10 million revenue AEC firm buyer doesn’t have that kind of cash sitting in their account. So as far as their principals are concerned, buying another firm is just out of consideration until they can “save up” a bunch of cash. But it shouldn’t be. No one writes a check for the entire purchase price of a company up front. I want to show you just one example of how you could structure a deal that would allow you to buy a firm that you may not have considered before.

The way to do it is to get the seller(s) to finance the deal for you. A typical deal structure that has not only worked on dozens of transactions we have helped our clients with but one I have also used myself several times involves four components. And it is critical to understand how your knowledge of these will affect your ability to make an offer and put a deal together that would benefit everyone. Those four components include a cash down payment for ”book value” of the business, an amortizing interest-bearing note, an annual payment based on a percentage of revenue from the selling firm’s clients for two to three years post-sale, and

See MARK ZWEIG , page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

between the two companies versus keeping the sellers out to the side. 4. Employment agreements for selling firm owners. Many think these employment agreements aren’t part of the sale consideration but they are. Let’s say in our example there are two owners. One wants out immediately and the other wants to work for another three years but phase out over that time. So you agree to pay the one who wants out $100K a year for three years to not show up, and the other one gets $200K a year for three years but really would have averaged $100K a year based on the hours he or she will work. The total is $600K going toward the purchase price. Add all these numbers up: $300K down payment, plus $400K note payment, plus $240K “bonus” payment, plus $600K in employment agreements, and you now have a $1.54 million offer to buy this $2 million revenue company. And you have been able to essentially finance 100 percent of the deal and pay for it over time. And hopefully, you will not only make it more profitable than it was but grow it, too. You could multiply the numbers in my example by 10 for a $20 million deal if you wanted to. The concept remains the same. You might ask yourself why a seller would take a deal like this? There are many reasons! The sellers can’t just quit and shut down. They want to protect their employees and long-term clients. And they cannot get any money out of their business any other way. Their book value isn’t liquid. They may have personal debts to pay off. They may be ill. There may be any number of reasons they want to exit. By financing the deal they could save money on their taxes because it isn’t all coming at once. The percentage of revenue payments are a bonus. The employment agreements allow them to retire immediately or slow down gradually and still make some money. This deal structure also allows the buyers to expense out most of their acquisition costs. Of course, you always need to consult experienced and specialized accountants and legal advisors to put this all together. It may not be quite as simple as I have portrayed it above. We are lucky there are some really great experts who work with companies in our industry who help engineer deals like this. I plan on sharing more of my experience in buying and selling AEC firms in future columns here. I’m tired of all of the standard advice I read from non-industry specialized financial jockeys. And it’s time for some new creativity to shed some light on this super-important subject for all of us who own these businesses. Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com .

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

consulting agreements for selling firm principals. These all work in concert to make buying the business more affordable and easier to fund. Here is a specific example of how to buy a $2 million firm: 1. Book value down payment. The book value down payment is essentially cash for cash and accounts receivable. It’s like moving money from one account to another. In the example above, a $2 million annual revenue firm would probably have a book value in the range of $300K-$500K. So you use $300K-$500K of your cash for a day or two (or draw on your own line of credit) for your down payment. But once you own the business you get $300K-$500K in short-term liquid assets to pay yourself back that money immediately. “No one writes a check for the entire purchase price of a company up front. I want to show you just one example of how you could structure a deal that would allow you to buy a firm that you may not have considered before.” 2. Amortizing note. The note in this case could be another $300K-$500K, and let’s say that will be paid out over three years. For this example, it is $400K paid in three annual payments, or $153K a year at 7 percent interest. That money comes from profits this selling business will make. Hopefully a $2 million revenue firm with lower overhead (because you will be reducing professional liability, legal, marketing, accounting, etc. expenses post-acquisition) should be able to generate at least 15 percent margin post acquisition. That’s $300K a year assuming absolutely no growth. That leaves you about another $150K a year left over. 3. Earnout not based on profit, but instead revenue from existing clients. The next component is a percentage of revenue from existing clients at the time of the sale. Let’s say in this case that is $1.6 million a year for three years from these clients (80 percent repeat business). A 5 percent payment based on revenue would be another $80K per year for the sellers. I like percentage of revenue from existing clients versus percentage of profit in earnouts for many reasons. There won’t be any arguments over profit. There won’t be any barriers to moving work and people around. Work could be done by the buyer for the seller’s clients and they would still get their 5 percent. It’s cleaner and encourages integration and cooperation

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THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

OPINION

Be the best loser

Losing out on a bid could present you with an opportunity to turn a “not this time” into fuel for your pipeline and processes.

I magine losing a multimillion dollar public infrastructure project after months of preparation. The impact of the loss can lead to not just financial implications but also a significant dent in team morale. (Maybe, if you’ve lived this experience before, you don’t have to just imagine it.)

Tyler Suomala

The fact is that facing a lost bid or proposal is not just common; it’s an inevitable part of the business. Every AEC firm across the world loses. From small firms working on local projects to large corporations handling international contracts. And, if they’re pursuing a healthy amount of work, then they’re likely losing more often than they’re winning. The typical response involves moving quickly past the loss. This might mean immediately jumping onto the next project or pushing the team to do so, often neglecting to address the loss constructively. Many firm leaders avoid discussing the setback with their teams or seeking detailed feedback from clients, focusing instead on the pipeline of future opportunities. This approach is harmful to every AEC firm.

Repeated mistakes and missed opportunities for learning and growth are common outcomes. Without engaging with clients or teams post-loss, leaders lose out on critical insights that could refine their strategies and approaches. For example, if a firm consistently fails to effectively communicate their value to prospects, they are likely to continue losing proposals for as long as the issue isn’t addressed. A CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH TO LOSING. There are two valuable components of loss that shouldn’t be ignored. The first is maintaining a strong relationship with the prospect, regardless of whether they move forward with a competitor. A “No” now can turn into a “Yes” later and you want to be top of mind when opportunity strikes. The second is refining your business development process based on

See TYLER SUOMALA, page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

TRANSACTIONS BOWMAN ACQUIRES PHOENIX-BASED HESS-ROUNTREE, INC. Bowman Consulting Group Ltd., a national engineering services firm delivering infrastructure solutions to customers who own, develop, and maintain the built environment, today announced the acquisition of Hess-Rountree, Inc., a full- service engineering firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. With an emphasis on renewable energy, educational and sports facilities projects, Hess-Rountree provides comprehensive civil engineering, land surveying, contract administration, 3D laser scanning, UAV aerial mapping and photography and as- built BIM modelling services to a range of clients. All Hess-Rountree employees have joined Bowman in connection with the acquisition. During its more than 50 years in business, Hess-Rountree has worked with over 70 school districts throughout Arizona. The firm has successfully completed over 800 educational facility projects for new and existing elementary, middle school, high school and higher-education

campuses. Additionally, the company has growing practices in the design of athletic fields and courts and renewable energy projects. Led by current president Doug Osborn, P.E., the firm has expanded to serve a diverse range of public and private sector, institutional and tribal clients throughout Arizona. “Hess-Rountree has geographic adjacency with our Arizona operations and their experience will immediately contribute to several of our national practice areas,” said Gary Bowman, chairman and CEO of Bowman. “When we first met Doug and his team, we were aware of their extensive portfolio of projects throughout the Arizona educational market. The more we got to know their business it became apparent to us just how entrenched they are in their markets and how they have earned their impressive reputation. We see many opportunities for synergy in this acquisition and are excited to get started with integration.” “Joining with Bowman is the right decision at the right time for us,” said

Doug Osborn, P.E., president of Hess- Rountree. “Having been around Bowman in Arizona for many years, we know their people and we have followed their extraordinary growth story. Bowman’s local, regional and national platform presents opportunities for our firm and our people to grow well beyond what we have already accomplished. We all look forward to applying our relationships and skills from within Bowman to help achieve the company’s long-term strategic growth objectives.” Financed with a combination of cash, seller notes and equity, the acquisition falls within previously discussed target multiples and operating metric ranges and is expected to be immediately accretive. The company anticipates the acquisition will initially operate at an annualized net service billing run rate of approximately $3 million. More detailed information on M&A activities, pipeline and guidance updates are provided in connection with scheduled quarterly and annual communications.

approach not only shows sportsmanship but also builds bridges in the industry. It’s a chance to connect, share insights, and even pick up a few tips from their success. 5. Documentation. Create a “lessons learned” document or spreadsheet for all proposals, focusing on what worked and what didn’t. This should be a living document, regularly reviewed and updated with insights from new experiences. It serves as a valuable resource for continuous improvement and strategic planning. 6. Analyze and adapt. Conduct a thorough analysis of the feedback received and look for trends or recurring issues. Develop a plan to address these in future proposals. This might involve training for your team, revising your proposal templates, or reevaluating your business development methodologies. Implement the changes and monitor their impact on your success rate. Losing out on a bid doesn’t just mean waving goodbye to the time and energy you put in. For AEC leaders, how you bounce back from these losses will continue to shape your firm’s future. These strategies aren’t just about damage control, they’re about turning a “not this time” into fuel for your pipeline and processes. It’s about getting back up and doing so with a clearer direction and a bit more wisdom. Tyler Suomala is founder of Growthitect. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

TYLER SUOMALA , from page 7

feedback from prospects. If you don’t understand where the misalignment occurred, it’s likely to happen again. Here are six strategies that address both components: 1. Personalized notes. After a loss, take the time to send a personalized note or email expressing gratitude and acknowledging the opportunity. This small gesture can differentiate your firm and lay the groundwork for future interactions. Be genuine in your communication, and try to reference specific aspects of the engagement to show that your interest is sincere and informed. 2. Constructive feedback. Make a call to gather detailed feedback on your proposal. Approach the conversation with an open mind and be prepared to ask specific, thoughtful questions that can provide insight into your firm’s performance. This feedback is a treasure trove for improving future proposals and understanding client expectations. 3. Proactive follow-up. Several months after the project begins, check in with the client. This can be a simple message or call, expressing your continued interest and willingness to provide support. This proactive approach can lead to unexpected opportunities and keeps your firm in the client’s mind for future projects. 4. Competitive congratulations. Make a personal call to your competitors to congratulate them on their win. This

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

OPINION

Keeping hybrid teams engaged

When leaders combine a strong company culture with workplace flexibility and employee empathy, they can create an environment where hybrid work can thrive.

I n this post-pandemic era, both employers and employees are working to redefine their employment expectations and determine which pandemic practices will become the “new normal.” One area still in hot debate between C-suites and talent pools is remote versus in-person work. While fully remote and entirely in-person work arrangements each have their share of pros and cons, hybrid work has emerged as a seemingly positive middle ground within the architecture and engineering industry, offering the best of both worlds for companies and their employees.

Jennifer Haddad, GPHR, SHRM-SCP

But is hybrid work really a win-win? Two significant benefits of hybrid work include better work-life balance for employees and increased employee retention rates. At the same time, however, hybrid work environments can make it harder for employees to stay connected to the company culture, which can hurt long-term motivation and productivity. The good news is there are small steps an organization can take to mitigate this potential downside of the hybrid work environment. To keep their hybrid employees engaged, firm leaders can work to create an environment that promotes connection with:

■ Teammates. The connections created between team members are the essential building blocks of a successful hybrid work model, as these connections can promote unity and belonging. Examples of tools that leaders can leverage to promote teammate connection include: Online collaboration tools. Using online

platforms like Teams and SharePoint can help teams maintain consistent two-way

See JENNIFER HADDAD, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

■ The organization. In a remote work arrangement, connection to the company culture becomes the only distinguishing factor that keeps a talented individual as an employee of Company A instead of Company B. Companies should, therefore, aim to leverage whatever tools or resources are necessary to promote a strong company culture to keep their offsite employees engaged. In a hybrid work arrangement, the company has the added opportunity to engage with employees on the days they are in the office, so it would behoove business leaders to try to make the most of those in-office days as well. Examples of tools leaders can leverage to promote organizational connection include: Onboarding experience. Paying special attention to the onboarding process can set new hires up with a positive connection to the company from day one. Virtual or in-person onboarding is an excellent chance for the company to welcome new hires into the culture and ensure they know where to go with questions. Carefully crafting a meaningful onboarding experience for hybrid workers has been shown to lead to increased retention rates (by more than 69 percent in some cases), especially when the company’s senior leadership gets involved with the onboarding process. Mentorship programs. Mentoring programs can offer a host of benefits for a company, such as keeping employees engaged with the company culture and providing employees with development opportunities. While benefits afforded to mentees may be more apparent, mentoring programs also benefit the mentors, who can gain hands-on leadership and coaching experience. Hybrid events. Offering employees the option to attend events virtually or in person with other employees promotes the company’s commitment to flexibility. The events could be related to professional development, industry networking, specialty work teams, or social affairs. While various opportunities for employee engagement exist, company social events, in particular, have been shown to lead to increased engagement and productivity. As more firms adopt a long-term hybrid approach, the volume of best practices and methods for engaging with the hybrid workforce will continue to grow. Whichever methods an organization chooses, the key to those initiatives being successful may hinge upon the company’s willingness to listen to the needs of its workers. When a company seeks and responds to employee feedback, those interactions can positively impact the employee experience and create a culture of feedback and trust. When leaders combine a strong company culture rooted in trust with workplace flexibility and employee empathy, they can create an environment where hybrid work can thrive. Jennifer Haddad, GPHR, SHRM-SCP is human resources manager at Urban Engineers. Contact her at jvhaddad@ urbanengineers.com.

JENNIFER HADDAD , from page 9

channels for communication, collaboration, and feedback, whether remote or in-person. Behavioral assessments. Using a communication assessment like DiSC can help people learn more about their teammates’ work styles, which can improve team communications and promote intra- group vulnerability. Casual meeting spaces. High-performing teams need strong foundations of trust, so they will need opportunities to build that trust outside of their immediate tasks. When the team is in the office, they have the chance to create connections through chitchat or “water cooler” talk, and they will need similar opportunities to keep building on those connections when working remotely. Teams can engage in virtual relationship-building in a couple of ways, including general “water cooler” chat channels and video check-ins instead of emailing. “When a company seeks and responds to employee feedback, those interactions can positively impact the employee experience and create a culture of feedback and trust.” ■ Connection with tasks. Communication becomes especially important in remote and hybrid work environments, as physical isolation can create unintentional information barriers that can lead to increased task ambiguity. Examples of tools leaders can leverage to promote task connection include: Regular check-ins. Holding regular one-on-one and group check-ins can provide leaders with a valuable opportunity to listen to employee feedback, reinforce the group’s mission and vision, share project updates, and check on task progress. These meetings do not need to be long but should be held at regular intervals. Clear expectations. Setting clear expectations for work progress and outcomes can help prevent ambiguity. When employees know what is expected of them, they can feel confident they are working toward the right goals. Leaders can communicate and reinforce expectations through multi-modal communication channels, job descriptions, remote work plans, and job aids/process documents. Celebration of individual and team progress. Tracking and communicating team accomplishments and showing employee appreciation becomes even more essential when teammates are not in the same place. Leaders can help employees feel more connected to their tasks by celebrating team and project wins.

THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 19, 2024, ISSUE 1525

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