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ON THE MOVE RASMITH WELCOMES SAMANTHA CARLSON AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT & PROJECT MANAGER Samantha Carlson has joined raSmith as a landscape architect and project manager to support the Site Design Group at the Milwaukee Site Studio. Carlson has nearly 10 years of landscape architecture experience including site planning, project management, and landscape plans for residential, institutional, and commercial developments. “Samantha brings exceptional design and leadership skills to complement the Site Design Group,” said Tom Mortensen, raSmith site planner, landscape architect, and senior
project manager. “Her contributions will be important as we take on new projects in various market sectors and expand our client base. She has a solid background in design and understands the dynamics of a wide variety of project types.” Carlson teaches a landscape design course at Milwaukee Area Technical College and is a member of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. She holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and studied geography at Augustana College in Illinois. raSmith is a multi-disciplinary engineering
consultant established in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, in 1978. The firm’s services are focused on our public and private sector client needs in planning, design and construction including site planning and design, structural engineering, municipal engineering, transportation and traffic, surveying, development management, ecology, landscape architecture, LiDAR (3D laser scanning), unmanned aircraft systems, construction services and geographic information systems. raSmith works on projects nationwide from our seven locations in Wisconsin, Illinois and California. The firm employs a staff of 220.
BRIAN KING , from page 3
often with small teams that share common work functions. We evaluate last year’s goals and consider what was accomplished, what was missed, and analyze the reasoning. We decide if those goals are still relevant and important based on what we seek to accomplish in the upcoming year. We then set new goals and initiatives, evaluate resources, and develop opportunities for personal growth. Other than the time spent evaluating the past year’s goals, our annual meeting is a very forward-looking exercise. There is no anxiety, uncertainty, or criticism. Our teams actually look forward to our yearly sessions as an exciting start to the year ahead. “Attempting to sum up an entire year of work in a one-hour discussion is pointless. Overall, most employees feel an annual performance review is yet another painful corporate process.” This process of regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings, and an annual planning and strategy meeting has replaced the annual performance review process for most people at A M King. In doing so, we have seen increased performance, greater attention to the overall goals of the business, and personal and professional growth among our teams. It is time for the business world to phase out the traditional annual performance review process. These sessions are not productive and don’t improve the business. Companies should implement a system that fosters open communication among work teams and sets meaningful goals and initiatives for both the business and its employees. This is the process that will improve the business and produce greater results. BRIAN T. KING is the founder and president of A M King, a design-build firm that provides multiple services required of highly complex facilities in niche markets throughout the United States. To connect with Brian and gain more of his insights, visit briantking.com. This article was originally published on groundbreakcarolinas.com. Reprinted with permission.
annual performance reviews as both the reviewer and the reviewee. It’s safe to say I can’t recall any of these reviews as significant, and I certainly don’t remember a lesson learned or meaningful experience from any of these sessions. The structured process does not allow for creativity or development of new ideas. Communication is stifled and measured. In my experience, never have these reviews resulted in greater outcomes, improved performance, or increased profits to the business. The ineffectiveness of annual performance reviews does not, however, negate the need for employee feedback. Most employees want feedback and to understand how they are performing. They also want to understand how they can improve their performance, advance their career, and increase their pay. There is also inherent value for the business in providing feedback and criticism. Companies want employees operating in the most efficient and productive manner. Employers also need opportunities to address both employee concerns and areas for development. The primary problems with the annual performance review process is that they are conducted annually, and they are considered a review. In order to move beyond this archaic process, I suggest having performance discussions on a regular basis, and an annual strategy meeting to set, implement, and evaluate goals and initiatives. I meet at least monthly with those who report to me, and we address a number of topics. Some of these meetings are very formal, while some are more relaxed. We look at how their time is spent and their level of productivity. We discuss the challenges they are facing, allowing me to provide advice and feedback. If I believe they are headed in the wrong direction in certain areas, I bring it up for discussion. If they are not performing well in some aspects of the job, we talk openly about how to solve the problem. If they also have direct reports, we talk about who is excelling and who is struggling, determining what we need to do to make sure everyone on their team succeeds. Our annual meetings are then a session of planning and strategy, sometimes with just an individual, but more
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THE ZWEIG LETTER OCTOBER 25, 2021, ISSUE 1414
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