TZL 1546 (web)

TRENDLINES Formal compensation programs July 22, 2024, Issue 1546 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

46% 48% 50% 52% 54%

Five essential practices you can use to actively engage board members and forge invaluable business partners. Elevating board collaboration

Yes

FIRM INDEX Black & Veatch.............................................8 Eclipse Engineering..................................8 Fluor Corporation.......................................2 ISG.......................................................................... 4 Sigma Consulting Group, Inc..........10 Ware Malcomb..........................................10 Wilson & Company, Inc..........................6 MORE ARTICLES n DAVID DOXTAD & ANDY BRANDEL: The culture transplant Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: Dealing with uncertainty Page 5 n SCOTT RATTERMAN: Successful approaches to mentoring Page 7 n GREG SEPEDA: To infinity … and beyond Page 9 According to Zweig Group’s 2024 Policies, Procedures & Benefits Report of AEC Firms , more firms are adopting formal compensation programs, rising to 52 percent in 2024 from 48 percent in 2023, with 33 percent of employees now having access to this data. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication.

W hat shapes the future of a company at the highest level? In the dynamic landscape of corporate governance, the relationship between a CEO and the board chair is pivotal. This partnership, characterized by transparency, effectiveness, and mutual trust, serves as the cornerstone of organizational success and strategic foresight. For CEOs, the board chair is not merely a supervisor but a crucial sounding board, helping to sharpen their thinking and refine strategies and ideas. So, how can CEOs solidify this relationship to achieve strategic alignment? I’ll shed some light on five essential practices: 1. Cultivate transparency and openness. A transparent relationship between the CEO and the board chair is foundational. For a CEO, openness involves candidly sharing both successes and challenges. This transparency ensures that the board chair can provide meaningful feedback and support, acting as an external mirror that reflects the CEO’s thoughts and decisions with clarity and objectivity. In addition, such openness paves the way for the board chair to mentor the CEO effectively, enhancing the CEO’s strategic thinking and leadership skills while holding the CEO accountable for his/her commitments. 2. Build trust through performance. Trust is the currency of effective leadership and governance. For CEOs, establishing trust goes beyond personal charisma or friendships; it is demonstrated through consistent delivery and performance. The CEO must show competence and reliability in managing the company’s operations and steering its strategic direction. This performance-based trust ensures that the board has confidence in the CEO’s capabilities and decisions, which is instrumental for sustaining long-term organizational growth. 3. Adopt a forward-looking agenda. The board’s agenda should transcend traditional fiduciary duties to include discussions that drive company performance and strategic growth. By integrating topics such as strategy, culture, and talent development into each board meeting, the dialogue shifts from risk aversion to opportunity capture. This forward-looking approach fosters a proactive rather than a reactive organizational mindset, encouraging the board and the CEO to collaboratively seek ways to leverage opportunities, drive impactful growth, and navigate future challenges.

Ying Liu, MBA, LEED AP BD+C

See YING LIU, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

BUSINESS NEWS FLUOR AWARDED U.S. AIR FORCE CONTRACT AUGMENTATION PROGRAM V TASK ORDER FOR TINIAN Fluor Corporation announced that the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Agency awarded the company a task order contract for Pavement and Transportation Support North Field, Tinian, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The task order was awarded under the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program V. The cost-plus, fixed-fee task order has a 60-month period of performance and is valued at approximately $409 million. “We’re honored to be selected to help strengthen the U.S. Air Force’s deterrence capability as part of its global mission,” said Tom D’Agostino, Group President of Fluor’s Mission Solutions business. “Tinian airfield is located in a complex and ever-changing environment and is closely aligned with the nation’s National Defense Strategy for the Indo-Pacific region. As we have proven, Fluor excels at delivering timely and cost-effective solutions in some of

the most logistically challenged locations in the world.” In addition to Guam and Saipan, Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean about 3,700 miles west of Hawaii. Established by the U.S. Air Force to fulfill the Department of Defense’s global mission during contingency events, AFCAP provides the Air Force and other government agencies with additional capabilities to rapidly support the logistics requirements of its deployed forces by using civilian contractors. Fluor Corporation is building a better world by applying world-class expertise to solve its clients’ greatest challenges. Fluor’s 30,000 employees provide professional and technical solutions that deliver safe, well-executed, capital-efficient projects to clients around the world.

Interested in learning more

about the projects and ideas driving the AEC industry forward? Learn more with Civil+Structural Engineer Media.

YING LIU, from page 1

4. Focus on opportunity and growth. The importance of transforming the mindset from merely preventing failure to actively pursuing growth can’t be overstated. A forward-looking board does not only manage risk but also accentuates on capturing opportunities that propel the company forward. This shift in perspective is critical for developing a resilient and ambitious strategic approach that aligns with evolving market demands and opportunities. 5. Be proactive with succession planning. One of the hallmarks of visionary leadership is the emphasis on succession planning. A proactive CEO begins developing potential successors early, identifying and nurturing internal candidates who align with the ideal CEO profile for the future. This planning is a strategic process that should be openly discussed with the board to ensure transparency and alignment with the company’s long-term goals. Such discussions not only secure the company’s future but also demonstrate the current CEO’s commitment to organizational continuity and success. In short, elevating CEO/board collaboration is a high-value endeavor that will undoubtedly drive better performance and higher market valuations for the company. By actively engaging board members and inviting them in, the CEO transforms the board from a governance entity into an invaluable business partner. For a more comprehensive exploration of this topic, check out Zweig Group’s upcoming CEO & CSO Roundtable event in November, where we will uncover further insights together. In the meantime, feel free to contact me if you’re up for a chat. Ying Liu, MBA, LEED AP BD+C, is a strategy advisor with Zweig Group. Contact her at yliu@zweiggroup.com.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

OPINION

The culture transplant

As your firm grows, this person ensures you will maintain your core competencies, values, and environment with your newly added team members.

Y our firm is growing. Are your brand and culture keeping up? Growth involves more than filling existing seats within your geography. It requires maintaining who you are as a firm while investing in your teams and giving them the autonomy to transfer your culture to new offices, geographies, and client bases. One effective way of doing so is to identify and enlist a culture transplant.

David Doxtad, P.E.

CULTURE TRANSPLANT; NOUN. A culture transplant can be defined as: ■ A person who knows how and why a firm ticks and can easily share the how and why to others. ■ A person who inherently unifies people into teams – whether in day-to-day business or over a coffee. WHY A CULTURE TRANSPLANT? Opening new office locations, mergers, and acquisitions are obvious strategic ways to grow your business. Are you maintaining your core competencies, values, and environment with your newly added team members? Understanding the culture of the other firm before you join forces is critical. Both firms must have a tight grasp on culture to blend the good of each group and synchronize all employees. Merging without transferring your culture will result in backtracking, picking up the pieces and starting over with team integration, or, even worse, a siloed

office that does not represent the firm. People who are not integrated into the firm, ultimately, make a less profitable team and result in lost revenue. A culture transplant combats this and positively affects your profitability by ensuring new team members are situated for success, allowing them to focus on projects and clients. In fact, Forbes reports that companies with strong culture have seen a fourfold increase in revenue growth. THE IMPACT OF A CULTURE TRANSPLANT. If you strategize correctly and select the right ambassador of your firm and brand, you will expand into new geographies or office locations and build a team that represents your core values. With a solid team that operates as one and conducts business using proven business methodologies, you will have a better and more profitable team – a win-win. Whether planting a new flag or blending two firms

Andy Brandel, P.E.

See DAVID DOXTAD & ANDY BRANDEL, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

■ Can they serve a specific practice group or market of interest in the new location? ■ Do they understand the firm’s business model and operations?

DAVID DOXTAD & ANDY BRANDEL, from page 3

together, maintaining your culture and its impact on operations is essential. If culture is not the priority, your teams are in jeopardy of becoming misaligned and siloed. Simply put, this is bad for business. Identifying the ideal representative of your firm and incentivizing them to relocate as a firm ambassador is one way to maintain culture. The right people will organically set the pace for how you do business, interact with clients, and elevate the employee experience. CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULTURE TRANSPLANT. Step one is knowing how to identify a culture transplant candidate, because not everyone is qualified. Culture transplant candidates must be able to naturally establish relationships, understand the firm operations and business model, and be committed to growing a team aligned with your firm. Here are things to consider when identifying a culture transplant:

Are they self-motivated?

■

TAKEAWAYS.

■ Your people represent your brand. It is important that new team members understand your brand – culture transplants ensure they do. ■ Not all employees make good culture transplants. Identifying who fits the criteria is essential. ■ In addition to contributing to low turnover, culture transplants grow the team. They ensure that new offices feel like they belong in the firm. ■ Culture transplants set the precedent for how your firm operates. Do you want new employees to be efficient and productive quickly? A culture transplant is an effective way to set pace and expectations for new employees. Fostering growth and culture over Teams doesn’t cut it. Invest in culture transplants to tap into growth and create opportunities for others along the way. David Doxtad, P.E. is the president of ISG. Connect with him on LinkedIn. Andy Brandel, P.E. is the executive vice president at ISG, a nationally recognized architecture, engineering, environmental, and planning firm. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Are they a strategic risk taker?

■

■ Do others consider them to be a champion of your firm?

■ Are they looking for an adventure and a challenge for their next stage of life?

■ Do they efficiently influence and earn the trust of others?

■ Are they open to professional growth in an unconventional way?

Do they do their job well?

■

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

FROM THE FOUNDER

Dealing with uncertainty

W e live in turbulent times. Things are happening that could result in a lot of change. Plus business can be unpredictable. People are involved. That creates uncertainty. And AEC firm business owners hate uncertainty. We live in turbulent times, and you can never fully eliminate uncertainty – but there are several approaches you can employ to combat it.

Uncertainty will always be there. You can never fully eliminate it. So what can you do to combat it? Here are seven approaches: 1. Set up predictive metrics and monitor them! More firms need to do this than actually do it. This includes looking at things such as web hits, inquiries, specific project opportunities, proposals made and won, and backlog in months and dollars so you can develop some sense of what is going to happen in the future. It may help to present these numbers graphically and look at trends over a period of months. But if everything is going up, feel good about your future prospects! And if done, start doing things to turn that around before you feel the real effects of it. Either way you will be better prepared for what’s likely to come.

2. Keep all long-term commitments to a minimum. Why sign a 10-year lease if you can get a three- or five-year lease? Why hire “permanent” if you can do it through contract? Apply this logic to every single decision you make and while you may not maximize your opportunity, you will be better prepared if things get ugly. 3. Keep overhead as low as possible. Again – same logic as above. Go cheap. Rent or lease versus buy. Pay down debt. Do whatever minimizes cash flowing out to build up as much cash reserve as possible. A strong balance sheet is the best way to deal with uncertainty. 4. Develop contingency plans. What would you do if there was some sort of real economic

Mark Zweig

See MARK ZWEIG, page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

ON THE MOVE WILSON & COMPANY ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS IN ACCOUNTING, BUSINESS PROGRAMS, AND HUMAN RESOURCES Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects, has announced the recent promotions of Catherine Cochrane, Brenda Bevington, and Amy Straquadine, and significant enhancements in its accounting, business programs, and human resources teams. These advancements underscore a commitment to responsible growth and strengthening the firm’s internal infrastructure. Cochrane, controller, has been promoted to associate vice president. Under her leadership, the accounting team has bolstered efficiencies within Wilson & Company by consistently refining processes through automation, standardization, and continuous process improvement. The team has proactively identified financial internal control risks and implemented effective mitigation strategies. The accounting department’s contributions provide clients with transparency, accuracy, and invaluable financial insights, empowering them to make well-informed decisions crucial to their success and growth. Bevington has been promoted to associate vice president of business programs. Business programs encompass risk management, project management training programs, safety and drug testing programs, maintenance of corporate licenses and

registrations, and management of the corporate insurance program. Under her leadership, the business programs team also manages a fleet vehicle program, oversees facility management for each office location, manages the firm’s security clearance, and develops internal training to connect staff to Wilson & Company’s purpose and culture of Higher Relationships. Business programs enable Wilson & Company to stay compliant, providing training, tools, and resources for our project teams and creating a great work environment with the office space and our culture. Straquadine has been promoted to associate vice president of human resources. In the past two years, she has led the team in creating an inclusive people development plan, completing comprehensive benefit and compensation benchmarking, and implementing tools and processes to improve employee experience. Wilson & Company’s human resources team creates a coherent framework for hiring, managing, and developing employees to support organizational goals. Each aspect of human resources works together to support company culture, achieve the firm’s purpose, and meet performance targets at every level – internally, for clients, and within the broader community. Wilson & Company’s strategic human resources management focuses on developing and implementing programs that

address and solve business challenges and contribute to business objectives. “As we continue to expand, our internal infrastructure is the foundation of our operational effectiveness, benefitting not only our employees but also our valued clients,” said Jim Ross, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Wilson & Company. “The synergy among our accounting, business programs, and human resources teams is pivotal in propelling our growth and ensuring our collective success as a business.” Wilson & Company, Inc., Engineers & Architects, has brought more than 700 people together in 15 offices over nine states to build Higher Relationships through discipline, intensity, collaboration, shared ownership, and solutions with our clients, partners, and communities. After 90 years of business, professionals continue to hone their craft with us, including civil, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineering; architecture; planning; biology; surveying; mapping; GIS specializations; drone piloting; financial analyses; program management; construction administration and observation; and a growing number of multi-disciplinary specialties. We seek to create value for a diverse client base, including federal and municipal governments, public transportation agencies, railroad companies, industrial and commercial corporations, and private developers.

Chances are you have already been through those more than once and you are still here. So have a little faith! No one really knows what the future will bring but you are smart and you will figure it out when you get there! So what are you doing to combat uncertainty right now? Anything? Maybe it’s time! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com. “There will always be ups and downs. Chances are you have already been through those more than once and you are still here. So have a little faith! No one really knows what the future will bring but you are smart and you will figure it out when you get there!”

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

meltdown? Who would you keep and who would you let go? What costs would you cut? Do you know how you would eat? Where you would live? Make out a doomsday, worst case scenario plan now. It could impact every decision you make and reduce uncertainty. 5. Diversify. Get into other markets and specialties. Get into other businesses outside of the AEC business. Put your retirement money into different industries and types of companies. Don’t be dependent on any one business or market. Diversification reduces risk. 6. Live in denial. You can always just carry on and ignore what’s going on externally. People do it all the time. But truthfully, this approach can come back to bite you in the rear. Or it may not. Why stress if you cannot do anything about it? 7. Have faith in yourself that no matter what happens you will overcome it. There will always be ups and downs.

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

OPINION

Your employees’ mentoring experience can weigh heavily in determining whether your firm is a great place for them to work or not. Successful approaches to mentoring

I recently took Zweig Group’s Best Firms To Work For employee survey, which includes some great questions about firm mentoring programs. It reminded me that mentoring is important, and the employees’ experience with it can weigh heavily on determining if your firm is a great place to work or not. As a branch manager who has been leading staff in some capacity for about 10 years, I’ve learned some lessons over the years about mentoring.

Scott Ratterman, P.E.

To mentor is to advise or train someone to grow their skills. The role of the mentor, the benefits of the relationship, and the expectations all need to be customized to each individual or scenario. Ask: What’s the end goal? Everyone needs a mentor on their first day of starting a job. Whether it be fresh-from-college engineer-in- training or an experienced P.E. who has moved over from another firm, mentoring is required. The new hire with years of experience likely doesn’t need as much mentorship for technical skill set functions, but someone needs to onboard them into the systems, processes, and culture of the firm. But more often, when I think of mentoring, I gravitate toward the mentoring of a less experienced engineer. Most of the new hires at our firm come right out of

college. They may have worked a summer internship, but other than that they have hardly any experience working in a professional environment. Coming from a firm with about 70 employees spread across six offices, here’s my recommended approach to mentoring: ■ Have a plan. Especially if you are a smaller firm, onboarding an entry-level team member can result in failure if there’s no mentor to take the lead. ■ The branch manager assigns a team leader, project manager or themselves to be the go-to for the new team member.

See SCOTT RATTERMAN, page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

BUSINESS NEWS BLACK & VEATCH RECEIVES FULL NOTICE TO PROCEED FOR CANADA’S FIRST FLNG PROJECT Global liquefied natural gas infrastructure solutions leader Black & Veatch, in partnership with high-tech shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries, has received full notice to proceed from Cedar LNG LP partners to begin constructing Cedar LNG’s floating liquefaction facility to be located in Kitimat, British Columbia. Black & Veatch will be responsible for complete topside design and equipment supply, including its market leading PRICO® technology. SHI will be providing the hull with the containment system, and fabrication and integration of all topsides modules. “Cedar FLNG has achieved another milestone of notice to proceed, solidifying an excellent partnership between SHI and Black & Veatch,” said S.I. Oh, Samsung Heavy Industries executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “Both of our firms continue to excel in FLNG market.” Cedar LNG is strategically positioned to leverage Canada’s abundant natural gas supply and British Columbia’s growing LNG infrastructure to produce industry-leading, low-carbon and cost- competitive LNG for overseas markets.

The near-shore export facility will feature electric-driven equipment powered by renewable energy, making it one of the lowest-carbon-intensity LNG facilities in the world. “Black & Veatch is committed to helping our clients and the communities they serve make meaningful progress on their decarbonization journey,” said Laszlo von Lazar, president of Black & Veatch’s Energy and Process Industries business. “The Cedar LNG project represents important first steps toward reducing carbon emissions through lower- carbon LNG facilities, which can supply customers looking to move away from more carbon-intensive feedstocks.” The project represents a number of firsts: Cedar LNG will be the world’s first indigenous majority-owned LNG project, the world’s first electric driven FLNG powered by renewable energy, the first air cooled FLNG facility, and Canada’s first FLNG export facility. Cedar LNG also will be one of the world’s lowest carbon intensity LNG facilities because its electric driven refrigeration compressors, boil-off gas compressors and six centrifugal pumps are all powered by renewable electricity. The Cedar LNG project brings together the Haisla Nation and Pembina to develop

the Haisla Nation-led project while strengthening the partnership between SHI and Black & Veatch. The project is a key element of the Haisla Nation’s economic and social development strategy and will further advance indigenous economic reconciliation by allowing the Haisla Nation to directly own and participate in a major industrial development in its territory. Black & Veatch is a 100 percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, the firm has helped clientsaddress the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. The Cedar LNG project is a partnership between the Haisla Nation and Pembina to develop a floating liquefied natural gas facility in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, within the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation. Strategically positioned to leverage Canada’s abundant natural gas supply and BC’s LNG infrastructure, Cedar LNG will be powered by renewable electricity from BC Hydro, making it one of the lowest carbon intensity LNG facilities in the world.

months, moved to our Bend office for six months, and landed in our Missoula office. This was all planned out and part of the employment offer letter. This engineer got exposure to all kinds of different projects, styles, and personalities. It worked magnificently because it fit their personality and personal goals. Our firm operates with full integration between all offices, and we encourage staff to travel to visit and spend time working with other offices. Lastly, be prepared to individualize your mentorship plan. Never get frustrated with the person being mentored because it’s probably not their fault things aren’t going well. Scott Ratterman, P.E., is group director at Eclipse Engineering’s Portland office. Connect with him on LinkedIn. “Everyone needs a mentor on their first day of starting a job. Whether it be fresh-from-college engineer-in-training or an experienced P.E. who has moved over from another firm, mentoring is required.”

SCOTT RATTERMAN, from page 7

■ Alternately, if that becomes a time burden, consider a team approach, where multiple members of the team all work together to provide mentorship. Mentorship responsibilities can rotate to alleviate time spent teaching and keep day-to-day project work in good standing. ■ Be willing to adapt, because the mentor and the mentee may not be a good fit for each other. You never know who the mentee is going to relate to and not all teaching styles work for those learning. The personality of the person being mentored could be that they do the work, do what they are taught and dial in those processes to become successful at that niche of work. The more outgoing mentees go above and beyond to develop relationships with others. These individuals tend to expand their horizons faster and become more well-rounded. We have experienced scenarios where the mentee naturally leans toward one person for mentorship, or alternatively the mentee gets exposure to many mentors over various types of projects. As an example of the latter, we had an entry-level engineer who wanted to move around the first couple of years of their career. They started in our Portland office for six

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

OPINION

To infinity … and beyond

Seizing opportunities fosters a mindset of continuous improvement, enabling us to refine our skills and expand our horizons.

T he other day, I watched a SpaceX launch with my dad. I mentioned that there were plans to return to the moon. My dad asked “Why?” and without really thinking, I initially replied that I thought we needed to remind ourselves that we could. That response lingered with me for several days, so I did an internet search. Turns out, I was not too far off. The NASA website states, “We’re going back to the moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and inspiration for a new generation of explorers: the Artemis generation.”

Greg Sepeda

Earlier this week, I spoke at a school about careers in STEM fields. One of the things I spoke about was the challenges of the next 20 years. We discussed diseases, the growing population, climate change, and an aging infrastructure. And we talked about where new ideas may come from. I told them that their generation would be the ones to solve these problems, not mine because we need new ideas that consider the integration of the entire systems as well as the human element, all while trying to minimize unintended consequences. The years of doing things the way we always have would not work for these future solutions.

This may be why I get such a charge out of watching rocket launches, even the ones that fail. We are trying to do something we have not done in more than 50 years, and that is land a person back on the moon. And then, we are aiming beyond for Mars. We are trying to push our limits again on what we can do. Elon Musk said, “You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great – and that’s what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. And I can’t think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars.”

See GREG SEPEDA, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

ON THE MOVE WARE MALCOMB ANNOUNCES PROMOTION OF CHRIS STRAWN TO VICE PRESIDENT, CIVIL ENGINEERING Ware Malcomb, an award-winning international design firm, announced that Chris Strawn, P.E., has been promoted to vice president, civil engineering. In this role, he oversees the firm’s land development civil engineering practice and leads the expansion of its civil services across the Americas. “Chris is an accomplished civil engineer who has made substantial contributions to the firm through his leadership of our civil engineering practice and as a member of our executive team,” said Matt Brady, executive vice president, Ware Malcomb. “We congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion.” Strawn brings more than 25 years of experience in all facets of civil

engineering and land surveying, including project management, site planning and development and entitlement procurement. In his ten years with Ware Malcomb, he has been instrumental in business development, fostering client relationships, leadership development and oversight of civil engineering teams across the country. Prior to joining the firm, Strawn ran a successful Denver- based civil engineering firm for more than ten years. A registered Professional Engineer, Strawn’s project resume includes a variety of public works, roadway projects, commercial land developments, infrastructure master planning and design, site design and entitlement processing efforts. He has provided significant leadership heading up the firm’s civil Advisory team, and as a

member of ahe firm’s internal planning and facilitation of leadership trainings. Strawn earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering degree from Colorado State University, and an MBA from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He has been involved in many industry associations, including NAIOP, ULI, and ACEC, and always strives to lead and stay involved in many of the community service initiatives that the company pursues. Today, Ware Malcomb’s civil engineering practice includes 18 civil engineering leaders, more than 80 technical team members and has grown into 16 offices while completing civil engineering design for numerous projects in 25 of its offices. Established in 1972, Ware Malcomb is a contemporary and expanding full-service design firm.

something else. Yes, some failures come with a very expensive learning curve (ask Elon Musk), but the key word there is “learning.” You fail, you try something else, and you keep moving forward. A learning curve is not just a process. It represents the journey of acquiring new skills, knowledge, and experiences. Embracing the learning curve brings forth numerous benefits, including: ■ Fostering adaptability. It enables individuals to navigate through various challenges and changes with ease. As one climbs the learning curve, they become more adept at problem-solving and decision-making, crucial skills in any endeavor. ■ Cultivating resilience. Improvement takes patience. Each hurdle overcome and each lesson learned strengthens one’s resolve and determination, empowering them to persevere in the face of adversity. ■ Promoting innovation and creativity . As individuals explore new territories and absorb fresh insights, they uncover novel perspectives and ideas that can spark innovation and drive progress. Ultimately, seizing opportunities fosters a mindset of continuous improvement, enabling us to refine our skills and expand our horizons. In the end, those who dare to take chances not only shape their futures but also inspire others to pursue their dreams. I think it is necessary that sometimes we shoot for the moon, if only to remind ourselves that we can. After all, everyone can be part of the Artemis generation. Greg Sepeda, retired, was formerly chief engineer and vice president of operations at Sigma Consulting Group, Inc. (a Waggoner Company). Contact him at gpsepeda@gmail.com.

GREG SEPEDA, from page 9

In our professional lives, taking chances can be a pivotal force that propels us toward success and fulfillment. Each opportunity seized, each risk embraced, opens doors to new experiences, learning, and growth. Whether embarking on a new career path, launching a startup, or pitching an innovative idea, embracing uncertainty can lead to remarkable achievements. Taking chances cultivates resilience and adaptability, essential traits in today’s dynamic work environment. It fosters creativity, pushing us beyond our comfort zones to explore uncharted territories. While the fear of failure may loom large, it often outweighs the potential rewards of daring greatly. I shared with the classroom that it is OK to fail. Any new solution is going to be untested. And most will not work that first time – they will fail. But as Thomas Edison famously said, “I didn’t fail. I found 10,000 ways that don’t work.” Ask Elon Musk about his reusable launch systems and Starship programs. By my last count, SpaceX’s Starship rocket prototypes have exploded six times. Or ask this young robotics class what they did when their underwater ROV sank that first time. You try “Each opportunity seized, each risk embraced, opens doors to new experiences, learning, and growth. Whether embarking on a new career path, launching a startup, or pitching an innovative idea, embracing uncertainty can lead to remarkable achievements.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 22, 2024, ISSUE 1546

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