TZL 1240

Who performs your valuations? T R E N D L I N E S W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M M a r c h 1 9 , 2 0 1 8 , I s s u e 1 2 4 0

Building trust with your employees

F inding and keeping good people is the number one problem AEC firms have today. And it will get worse if any of the predictions are true about the demand for talent and the lack of supply. One of the ways to keep people employed with your organization through good times and bad is to build trust with them. Your people need to believe in you and trust that you are telling them the truth about what is happening in the business, what their individual and collective futures are, and much more. But the fact is, employees don’t always trust management. In some companies the situation is really bad. That impacts morale, client service, and productivity. So how can you build trust with your people? Here are my thoughts: 1)Get to know one another. No one is going to trust you if they don’t know you. And they won’t know you unless you spend time with them. It’s the people you spend time with who “matter,” so to speak. And since your time is limited you need to pick them carefully! Who you take to lunch, who you take to client meet- ings, and who you take on business trips that doesn’t actually have to go – this is what I’m talking about. 2)Include them in the business planning process. You have to consider your employ- ees’ needs and opinions as you develop your business plan. They are important! Show them you care about them and trust them to provide worthwhile input by asking them

“Finding and keeping good people is the number one problem AEC firms have today. And it will get worse if any of the predictions are true about the demand for talent and the lack of supply.”

Valuations for A/E firms can vary widely, depending on who does it. Many firms use outdated formulas or multiples that do not capture the company’s real value. Our 2018 Valuation Survey found that those done by a firm’s usual inside accountant underperformed all other categories in four out of six of Zweig Group’s value ratios. The take away here: Use an expert in the A/E industry to determine the market value of your firm’s ownership stake! Whether you are doing an internal or external transition, make sure to get the full value for your firm. OPEN FOR PARTICIPATION zweiggroup.com/survey-participation/

Mark Zweig

F I R M I N D E X Arup........................................................8 Braun Intertec.........................................4 DPS Group. ..........................................10 Gould Evans. ..........................................8 JQ.........................................................10 Michael Baker International. ....................2 Populous. ...............................................8 W&M Environmental Group, LLC.............6

MORE COLUMNS xz GUEST SPEAKER: Be more self-aware Page 3 xz BEST PRACTICES: A competitive advantage Page 9 xz GUEST SPEAKER: The 7 steps of successful project pursuit Page 11

Conference call: Nic Andreani See MARK ZWEIG, page 2

Page 6

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A / E / P & E N V I R O N M E N TA L C O N S U L T I N G F I R M S

ON THE MOVE MICHAEL BAKER INTERNATIONAL STRENGTHENS OPERATIONS IN LOUISVILLE WITH APPOINTMENT OF PATTY DUNAWAY, P.E., AS OFFICE EXECUTIVE Michael Baker International , a global leader in engineering, planning, and consulting services, announced that Patty Dunaway, P.E., has joined the firm as office executive in Louisville, Kentucky. In this role, Dunaway will be responsible for developing, overseeing, and managing Michael Baker’s growth throughout Kentucky, including oversight of several high-profile projects within the state and region. She also will manage client relationships and provide leadership to expand the capabilities of the office by growing its existing services, markets, and client base. “Kentucky faces numerous infrastructure challenges and Michael Baker will continue to assess the needs of our clients with solutions that connect communities and improve accessibility across the state,” said Kenton Zinn, P.E., S.E., vice president and regional director for Michael Baker International’s Great Lakes Region. “Patty is incredibly well-versed in the infrastructure needs of the Commonwealth of Kentucky based on her years of service to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Her extensive managerial and engineering experience will help set Michael Baker apart with our clients as We Make a Difference in Kentucky.” Dunaway brings more than 27 years of experience to her role at Michael Baker. Prior to joining Michael Baker, Dunaway worked in roles of increasing responsibility for the KYTC, a state-funded agency tasked with building and maintaining federal and state highways. As a state highway engineer, she was responsible

Take your advice from Mark Zweig to-go.

for all aspects of the Department of Highways across Kentucky’s 120 counties. In this role, she managed 4,000 employees who performed all phases of transportation work on nearly 28,000 miles of roadway and 14,000 structures and an operating budget of $767 million. Prior to working as a state highway engineer, Dunaway spent nearly a decade as a chief district engineer for the KYTC, where she was responsible for all aspects of the District 4 Department of Highways Office, which covered 11 counties, a staff of 305 employees, and an operating budget of $22 million. “I embrace the opportunity to join the versatile Michael Baker team in Louisville as we utilize our full continuum of solutions to deliver exceptional service and results for our clients,” added Dunaway. “Through our collaborative approach and innovative solutions, Michael Baker is poised to support the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s infrastructure growth opportunities.” Dunaway earned her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky. She is a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and was honored as state’s Young Engineer of the Year in 2011. Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services, including design, planning, architectural, environmental, construction, and program management. The company provides its comprehensive range of services and solutions to support U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments, foreign allied governments, and a wide range of commercial clients.

thezweigletter.com/category/podcast/

1200 North College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72703 Mark Zweig | Publisher mzweig@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Managing Editor rmassey@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Editor and Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

for it. And then when you get it, try to use their suggestions. And if you can’t use their suggestion(s), tell them why you can’t. Don’t just ignore the feedback loop and then think your people will trust you are listening. They won’t. 3)Share the business plan with them. Whatever the final plan is – share it with your people. Trust them with this information on your goals and strategies. If you don’t want them to share it, tell them so. Doing this will help you build trust with them. 4)Keep them informed about the financial condition of the business. Again, trust your people with the numbers. In a research study conducted by the National Center for Employee Ownership, companies that shared such information with their employees experienced a 1 to 2 percent annual increase in sales growth over what would normally have been expected. Not only that, their trust for management goes way up because management is showing trust in them. 5)Don’t talk about other employees – past or present. Nothing will erode trust faster than for your employees to hear you talking about other employees behind their backs. Also, don’t vilify those who leave the company. It happens often. I have done it myself. But it makes the people who didn’t leave feel bad and wonder if they would be treated similarly. It may seem “soft” to you, but believe me, working on trust between employees and management is smart business. How do you think your company would fare in this regard? MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560

Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/thezweigletter Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year) $250 for one-year print subscription; free electronic subscription at thezweigletter.com/subscribe Article reprints: For high-quality reprints, including Eprints and NXTprints, please contact The YGS Group at 717-399- 1900, ext. 139, or email TheZweigLetter@ TheYGSGroup.com. © Copyright 2018, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

O P I N I O N

Be more self-aware

T here are a lot of compelling reasons to build a better team. Great teams deliver stronger results faster, are more innovative, challenge you to learn more quickly and be at your best, and are simply more fun. Surround yourself with people who will speak their truth, even when it’s hard. And then listen. You’ll see a positive impact on you and your team.

Recently, I found a new reason to build a better team – because most of us are surprisingly unself- aware. Researcher and author Tasha Eurich uncovered this disturbing statistic through her multi-year study on the topic of self-awareness: About 95 percent of us think we are quite self- aware, but only about 10 percent to 15 percent of us actually are! So how can better teams help with self-awareness? Here’s the important connection: We need feedback to help match our internal view of ourselves with the external view. And on the best teams, not only are teammates willing to provide feedback to each other, they are required to. On high-performing teams, peers feel accountable for each other’s success, and willingly provide both

generous support and candid feedback to help each team member be at their best. “On high-performing teams, peers feel accountable for each other’s success, and willingly provide both generous support and candid feedback to help each team member be at their best.” Through years of research on teamwork, I have uncovered four distinct types of teams, from the worst of the worst, Saboteur Teams, to the highest

Audrey Epstein GUEST SPEAKER

See AUDREY EPSTEIN, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

TRANSACT IONS KEVIN D. WILLIAMS JOINS BRAUN INTERTEC IN TEXAS CITY Braun Intertec , an engineering, consulting, and testing firm with offices throughout the central United States, announced Kevin Williams has joined the Texas City, Texas, office as operations manager. Williams brings more than 25 years of specialized geotechnical and materials testing experience serving clients throughout the greater Houston and gulf coast areas. “I’m pleased to have Kevin join our Texas City team,” says Braun Intertec CEO, Jon Carlson. “With his diverse experience working with quality management systems as well as health and safety, Kevin’s background aligns with our vision of being the consultant of choice. His reputation for operational excellence

will support our continued delivery of quality services to our clients as we continue to grow sustainably.” Over the course of his 25-year career, Williams has held a variety of leadership positions, specializing in operations management, business development, and International Organization for Standardization compliance. Most recently, he served as a quality specialist at Fugro Consultants, where he was responsible for data management in addition to conducting compliance audits for various quality management systems such as ISO 9001, 14001, 18001, 17025, United States Army Corps of Engineers and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials R18.

Williams has also served as an oil and gas business development manager on the gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana and was instrumental in procuring several large projects after serving as the on-site supervisor to more than 30 technicians reporting to the multi-billion dollar Motiva CEP project for construction materials testing for more than three years. Based in Minneapolis, employee-owned Braun Intertec is a premier engineering, environmental consulting and testing firm with nearly 1,000 employees located in Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin.

AUDREY EPSTEIN, from page 3

If you want candid feedback, trust, and support from your teammates, try these five tips: 1)Assume positive intent. Give your teammates the benefit of the doubt. Assume they are providing feedback not to judge you but to make you better. 2)Talk to your teammates, not about them. You can’t solve problems with gossip. Venting without follow-up action en- sures you are building cliques and solidifying rifts. It takes courage, but talking directly and respectfully with teammates when something goes wrong can solve many misunderstand- ings without creating drama or bringing others into it. 3)Care about your teammates’ success. Start by taking an interest in your teammates’ success. Ask questions about their concerns, know what their goals are, help where you can, and be a good listener and collaborator. You can’t be a Loyalist teammate if you don’t know what drives others’ success. 4)Push your teammates to do their best work and vice ver- sa. On Loyalist Teams, team members challenge each other to reach their goals. Loyalists don’t spend energy watching their own backs, so they take risks and reach higher. Start by ask- ing your teammates to challenge you. Bring them ideas and ask for input. Ask for feedback on your plans. Embrace the idea that your teammates make you better. 5)Ask for personal feedback. Before offering feedback, ask for it first. Ask your teammates what you could do to better support their success. Ask peers for suggestions on one be- havior you could work on to become a better teammate. Give permission for teammates to share feedback by asking for it regularly and listening openly. Thank others for giving you feedback. To defy the odds of unself-awareness, work to create a team of Loyalists around you, people who trust you, support you, and challenge you to be your best. Surround yourself with people who will speak their truth, even when it’s hard. And then listen. When you do, you will see an amazingly positive impact – on you, on them, and on the overall success of your team. AUDREY EPSTEIN is a partner at The Trispective Group and the co- author with Linda Adams, Abby Curnow-Chavez and Rebecca Teasdale of The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations . For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit, trispectivegroup.com.

performing, or Loyalist Teams. While distrust, politics, infighting, and gossip are hallmarks of Saboteur Teams – or “team hell” – trust, candor, feedback, shared goals, and joint accountability constitute Loyalist Team behavior. In fact, compared to Saboteur Teams, Loyalist Team members are: ❚ ❚ 292 times more likely to spend time debating, discussing problems, and making decisions ❚ ❚ 125 times more likely to address unacceptable team behaviors promptly ❚ ❚ 106 times more likely to give each other tough feedback ❚ ❚ 40 times less likely to have “undiscussables” the team can’t talk openly about On Loyalist Teams, team members talk honestly and openly about team and individual team member strengths and challenges. And, because team members extend trust to each other, they assume positive intent when the tougher conversations happen. Therefore, authentic and candid feedback is more easily heard and valued. It feels okay to be imperfect or to experience setbacks. It is less scary to be vulnerable. “Surround yourself with people who will speak their truth, even when it’s hard. And then listen. When you do, you will see an amazingly positive impact – on you, on them, and on the overall success of your team.” What if you could get honest insights and feedback from co-workers who are truly committed to your success and get to see you in action all the time, on both your best and worst days? You can, and you will, if you build a Loyalist Team. Think of how much quicker you could address the unintended consequences of your actions if you were surrounded by people motivated to give you useful feedback.

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

The Industry’s #1 Choice for Principal Training EXPERIENCE A DIFFERENT KIND OF SEMINAR FOR AEC PROFESSIONALS // 2018 SCHEDULE 5

Attendees of The Principals Academy earn 12 PDH / 12 CEUs. Zweig Group seminars are eligible for Professional Development Hours credits and Continuing Education Units. All attendees receive a certicate of completion indicating the number of hours earned during each seminar. • Financial Management • Project Management • Leadership • Mergers & Acquisitions • Ownership Transition Planning • Recruitment and Retention environmental consulting rms, and is presented in tutorial and case study workshop sessions. • Business Planning • Marketing/Business Development • Accounting The Principals Academy is Zweig Group’s agship training program encompassing all aspects of managing a professional AEC service rm. It’s the most impactful two days you can spend learning about principal leadership, nancial management, recruiting, marketing, business development, and project management. The two-day agenda covers several critical areas of business management from the unique perspective of architecture, engineering, and

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THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

And

P R O F I L E

Conference call: Nic Andreani A principal currently serving as president with W&M Environmental Group, LLC (Hot Firm #81 for 2016), a 50-person environmental services consulting firm based in Texas.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

“O ne thing we didn’t expect is the significant impact it has on the firm’s culture,” Andre- ani says, referring to ownership transition. “Not only does it communicate that there’s a plan in place, but it shows everyone in the firm that there’s opportunity and recognition for hard work and perseverance.” Andreani serves as president and is responsible for the firm’s operations in Austin, Houston, Plano, Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio. He consults in the field of regulatory compliance with specific experience in the remediation of impact- ed soil and groundwater, brownfield transactions, permitting, development and implementation of corporate level compliance management programs, strategic planning, and environmental litigation support. He participates in process audits and has

worked on high profile matters such as the Deep- water Horizon incident. A CONVERSATION WITH NIC ANDREANI. The Zweig Letter: In the next couple of years, what A/E segments will heat up, and which ones will cool down? Nic Andreani: Our goal is to continue to expand our team of experts who can simplify and solve complex environmental problems. Since we’re Tex- as based, we’re seeing strong investments in oil and gas. There also appears to be strong growth in man- ufacturing across the country. W&M will be pre- pared to support our manufacturing clients in re- mediation, environmental program management, wastewater, and permitting.

Nic Andreani, President, W&M Environ- mental Group, LLC

THE ZWEIG LETTER Mar

drean i

Zweig Group is social and posting every day! C O N N E C T W I T H U S

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TZL: How do you evaluate the success/failure of your firm’s marketing efforts when results could take months, or even years, to materialize? Do you track any metrics to guide your marketing plan? NA: Measuring the effectiveness of marketing is difficult to do using hard metrics for ROI. Since we revamped our online marketing approach in 2015, we track a number of KPIs to track our results. We look closely at website traffic and have experienced a large increase in traffic; we have an increased number of prospects that sign-up to receive en- hanced content (webinars, white papers, videos), and we track the clients and projects that originate as a result of the website and our content marketing. TZL: The last few years have been good for the A/E indus- try. Is there a downturn in the forecast, and if so, when and to what severity? NA: I’ve heard more than one economist discuss a pullback in 2019, so we’ll see if they’re right. We’ve worked hard to grow a diversified firm to limit the effect of a pullback on W&M – diversifying our services, geographic reach and the industries we serve. TZL: The talent war in the A/E industry is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline need- ed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? NA: We’ve worked hard to develop a strategic human re- sources initiative to provide a development and leadership framework that will allow W&M to continue to grow and evolve. Mentoring our high performers, giving them oppor- tunities, and the freedom to innovate goes a long way. And of course, working with good people and clients – there’s no substitute for engaging projects with great clients. “Our people are great. We give them the flexibility they need and deserve as professionals. We’re casual – unless we have a reason not to be – and we’re flexible when someone has a commitment or if their kids get sick.” TZL: As you look for talent, what position do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? NA: Almost half of our planned hires for 2018 are entry level. We’ve got some great relationships with colleges and universities that allow us to recruit college graduates and get them plugged in to contribute to the firm’s success. As we grow, we promote from within where we can, so we con- stantly need to add recent graduates to support our project teams.

TZL: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next generation of owners? NA: One thing we didn’t expect is the significant impact it has on the firm’s culture. Not only does it communicate that there’s a plan in place, but it shows everyone in the firm that there’s opportunity and recognition for hard work and per- severance. “We have a strong vision and mission that the leaders believe in, and we work together to contribute to the firm’s success. Organic growth comes much easier when you’re all rowing in the same direction, but it’s not always easy to get to that point.” TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? NA: It sounds cliché, but our people are great. We give them the flexibility they need and deserve as professionals. We’re casual – unless we have a reason not to be – and we’re flex- ible when someone has a commitment or if their kids get sick. We have high expectations, but we play hard, too. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? NA: We have a successful online marketing approach that helps our technical team tremendously. In 2015, we totally revamped our marketing approach. Prior to the change, our website was basically an online brochure and now we’re over two years into a successful content marking platform. By sharing our knowledge with the environmental community we’re able to attract more new clients and, as a side benefit, potential new employees, too. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? NA: We’ve tightened up our vision and shared it with the team. We know what we’re good at and who our ideal cli- ents are. TZL: The list of responsibilities for project managers is seemingly endless. How do you keep your PMs from burning out? And if they crash, how do you get them back out on the road, so to speak? See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

rch 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

BUSINESS NEWS PHOENIX RISING FOOTBALL CLUB SELECTS POPULOUS, GOULD EVANS ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS TO DESIGN PROPOSED MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER STADIUM Phoenix Rising Football Club is excited to announce the selection of two award-winning global architectural design firms as the design team for the proposed Major League Soccer stadium. Populous , a leading architectural firm that has designed seven MLS stadiums; and Gould Evans , a Phoenix-based multi-disciplinary design firm with expertise in environmentally responsive structures, will be collaborating to create the newest professional sports stadium in the greater Phoenix area. In its continuing quest to receive an MLS expansion club, Phoenix Rising FC sought proposals from leading architect and design firms across the country. They received seven exceptional proposals, and in collaboration with Goldman Sachs, the finalists were narrowed down to three top- notch firms followed by further analysis conducted by a variety of respected consultants. “It was important for us to make sure that the selected firm really understood our needs,” said Brett Johnson, co-chairman for Phoenix Rising FC. “We need to build a stadium that will be comfortable for both the fans and players, so it was crucial that the winning architectural design team understood the challenges and opportunities associated with the Sonoran Desert. We conducted months of analysis with multiple organizations to ensure we were

picking the ideal companies for the job and we could not be more excited or confident in this partnership. This announcement represents another milestone in Phoenix Rising’s ‘Rising is Ready for MLS’ campaign.” Arup , an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists conducted extensive analysis of the design plans of all three finalist firms. Arup helps clients solve complex challenges such as harsh climates and has conducted a variety of studies on the topic. Additionally, local award-winning construction experts, Mortenson Construction, further assessed the building plans to determine the best possible proposed design and construction, based on their vast knowledge of complex construction projects. With 15 offices on four continents, Populous is a global architecture and design firm that designs the places where people love to be together, such as Yankee Stadium, the London Olympics and the Super Bowl. Over the last 35 years they have designed more than 70 soccer stadiums and 14 national stadiums around the globe. Since it was founded in 1983, Populous has designed Wembley National Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Orlando City SC Downtown Stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, and Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. “Phoenix Rising fans deserve a state-of- the-art MLS stadium, and we couldn’t be

more excited to create that environment,” said Scott Capstack, principal at Populous. “We will bring the best of our global soccer design experience to this wonderfully exciting project.” Gould Evans, based in Phoenix with four additional offices around the country, focuses on regionally appropriate designs with a blend of proven passive and technical solutions to reduce temperatures before and during games. Their approach to the new Phoenix Rising stadium will include providing tactical shade while maximizing ventilation and water as a vehicle to cooling. “Part of designing the optimal desert soccer experience includes employing heat mitigation tactics through a carefully choreographed strategy,” said Krista Shepherd principal for Gould Evans. “As Phoenicians, we are calibrated to living with the sun, and we know what is needed to make comfortable outdoor places.” Together, Populous and Gould Evans are ready to create a world-class 365-day venue that serves fans and the broader community as a full-scale entertainment destination. The two companies are starting their design work immediately on behalf of Phoenix Rising FC. Plans for the new, privately financed stadium are on track, pending an MLS expansion award to Phoenix, with the facility ready to open as soon as the 2021 MLS season.

CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7

TZL: While M&A is always an option, there’s something to be said about organic growth. What are your thoughts on why and how to grow a firm? NA: We’ve been successful in growing W&M organically. We have a strong vision and mission that the leaders believe in, and we work together to contribute to the firm’s success. Organic growth comes much easier when you’re all rowing in the same direction, but it’s not always easy to get to that point. TZL: Do you use historical performance data or metrics to establish project billable hours and how does the type of contract play into determining the project budget? NA: Definitely. We know what it takes to get a project done and what resources are needed. We also have a good under- standing of the value we bring. It’s about relationships and listening to what the client needs and developing a solution that works for them and us. TZL: What’s your prediction for 2018? NA: At W&M Environmental Group we’re off to a tremen- dous start and I expect 2018 to be a very successful year for the company. We’ll continue our growth plan, get great peo- ple and help them grow, add new partners in the firm and solidify our relationships with strategic clients.

NA: We hold regular PM lunch and learns and try to focus those on tools and processes to help them succeed. Sharing tips, tricks, and best practices doesn’t hurt either. TZL: What is the role of entrepreneurship in your firm? NA: We were founded by a great entrepreneur, so it’s guided us well. Surround yourself with good people and know when to get out of the way. “You must hold people accountable in their role and be prepared to act. Keeping someone in a role that doesn’t align with their strengths can create many issues, but most notably in team morale.” TZL: They say failure is a great teacher. What’s the big- gest lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? NA: You must hold people accountable in their role and be prepared to act. Keeping someone in a role that doesn’t align with their strengths can create many issues, but most notably in team morale.

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

O P I N I O N

A competitive advantage

B etween wrapping up business and preparing for family time most of us probably ended 2017 in the same mad rush. But in the haste to end the year, did you overlook how to best start 2018? Evaluate where you are, how you can improve, rank yourself and your team, and then work through every way you want to perform better.

inquisition to determine name and purpose, a process that clearly implies they are not an impor- tant part of your business? Of course, client experience is not just about the greeting, but how everyone on your staff inter- acts with that client. Are calls and emails returned promptly? Do clients know that you value them? “Between wrapping up business and preparing for family time most of us probably ended 2017 in the same mad rush. But in the haste to end the year, did you overlook how to best start 2018?”

How about evaluating your firm’s operations? This may sound like a tall order when your plate is already full, but why avoid evaluating your successes and failures? You should also not just review the typical items such as finances, but focus on those experiential aspects of your firm that can create real differentiators from your peers. From my perspective, there are five key areas that should be reviewed – aspects of running a business that can deliver competitive advantages in 2018. 1)External client experience . When you are provid- ing services that can be replicated by 10 other firms, how can you distinguish yourself and not be seen as a commodity? One way is to provide a differentiat- ing client experience. This does not have to be an elaborate proposition as it can be as simple as how your client is greeted when they call your office. Do they hear a helpful voice or are they put through an

Stephen Lucy

See STEPHEN LUCY, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

ON THE MOVE DPS GROUP ANNOUNCES HELGA SALLING TRAORE AS NEW VICE PRESIDENT FOR USA STRATEGIC CONSULTING BUSINESS UNIT Helga Salling Traore, a recognized leader in the life sciences sector in the United States and Europe, has been appointed vice president of strategic consulting USA for DPS Group . In her new role, Traore will be responsible for growing the DPS consulting business and expanding the team in the Americas, reporting directly to Sue Cooke, managing director, global strategic consulting. Cooke commented: “I am delighted that somebody with Helga Salling Traore’s capability, experience and track record is joining DPS and I have no doubt Helga will play a major role in the expansion of our consulting business in the United States.” Traore said after her appointment: “I have been very impressed with the way DPS Group has grown its business globally in recent years and feel the company ethos and agile and

client focused culture is the perfect basis from which to successfully grow this business and offer more extensive support to our life science clients. I am very excited to work with Sue and our team to grow the consulting business.” TraorejoinsDPSGroupfromAdventEngineering where she was vice president of operations for the Eastern Region United States and Canada. Previously she held senior leadership positions with NNE (a subsidiary of Novo Nordisk), Labflex, AKVA Group Denmark, and AN Group. Traore holds a master’s degree in engineering and industrial management from the University of Aalborg is Denmark with post graduate training in business law, business economics and marketing. A native of Denmark, Helga has lived in the United States for seven years and lives with her family in Cary, North Carolina. DPS Group is a leading engineering and

construction firm with a focus on the life sciences and semiconductor sectors. DPS delivers services for clients across the complete engineering and construction value chain including feasibility studies, concepts, architecture, engineering, procurement, construction management, commissioning, qualification, and validation. DPS Group has applied its extensive process engineering expertise for more than 40 years, as well as significant Lean Construction experience to assist clients in high-end process sectors such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices and semiconductors deliver their manufacturing facilities speedily, safely, and cost effectively. DPS Group has grown substantially in recent years and now employs more than 1,300 people in our offices and on client sites in Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Singapore, and the United States.

STEPHEN LUCY, from page 9

health and longevity of your firm. And the cost is minimal versus the value added to the firm. 4)Staff development. Is your existing staff what you need to achieve your future goals? Or has your firm settled into a comfort zone where everyone holds the same views or has grown stagnant? It is incumbent to evaluate your staff and determine gaps that need to be filled by additional training, acquisition of new talent or termination of underperformers. Bringing in outsiders or advancing top performing younger staff might stir things up and send the messages that creative thinking and taking greater risks are ways to succeed and grow. There is also the tremendous value of mentoring your team. Most of us can point to our past internal and external men- tors who helped guide our careers, but are we providing the same opportunities to our developing leaders? Helping your rising stars connect with those mentors can lead to network- ing opportunities you may not have even considered. 5)Managing expectations. Set clear expectations and goals for your team. If you don’t, they will provide their own and you and your team will never get on the same page. By establish- ing a known playing field for your staff, you will clearly estab- lish both your and their expectations for the year. It is equally important to manage your clients’ expectations. Bad news? Prepare them and explain it. Promise to follow-up promptly? Do it and don’t delay. Your follow-through and that of your team should be integral to how you intend to op- erate and be a differentiator when it comes to competing for client loyalty. Finally, be open to change. Be open to improvement. Evaluate where you are, how you can improve, rank yourself and your team, and then start to methodically work through every way you want to perform better. What better time to evaluate your firm than with the start of a new year? STEPHEN LUCY is CEO of JQ with offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Lubbock, Texas. Contact him at slucy@jqeng.com.

Do you show appreciation for their business? Think about all those things you don’t like that others do and then review how your team measures up. Also, ask your team for input as you may be surprised at what they say. 2)Internal client experience. All those items that are impor- tant to an external client are just as important to an internal client. We say that our most valuable asset is our staff, but do we treat them as if that is true and as if each position is es- sential to the firm? That’s not to say that the CEO should be washing dishes in the breakroom, but all staff must recognize the contributions of others within the firm. Leadership must set the example and younger staff need to see that your leadership team is engaged. The future of your firm is probably within your existing staff, and you need to nurture and protect that value. “Be open to change. Be open to improvement. Evaluate where you are, how you can improve, rank yourself and your team, and then start to methodically work through every way you want to perform better.” 3)Public relations. It is surprising to me how few companies use public relations to establish and reinforce their brand. Many firms simply rely on a brand based on the partners’ rep- utations. These “cult of personality” firms typically have self- limiting opportunities as you either love or hate the leader. The purpose of public relations as related to competitive advantage lies in how you express your story about your projects and your people, and how you promote your entity so that it maintains a life of its own, long after your current partners retire. That type of brand identity is essential to the

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

O P I N I O N

Time is a luxury AEC teams do not have. And time spent on a losing effort drains resources, morale, and bandwidth on existing projects. The 7 steps of successful project pursuit

T ime is the enemy of project pursuits. Client demands, project schedules, and marketing teams stretched to the limit prevent AEC teams from putting their best foot forward in proposals and interviews.

“The headquarters needs to be done on time so that … the 100 new hires arriving in April will have a place to work.” “The building needs to be completed within its bud- get so that … the developer can sell it in five years as planned and invest the profit into their next proj- ect.” “These steps – when implemented – enable teams to create a unique strategy and stick to it, build original content instead of using a boilerplate, and deliver the best possible proposal and interview.”

Developed while preparing more than 200 teams for project interviews, “Seven Steps of Successful AEC Project Pursuit” addresses issues that prevent teams from preparing effectively. These steps – when implemented – enable teams to create a unique strategy and stick to it, build original content instead of using a boilerplate, and deliver the best possible proposal and interview. Before the proposal: 1)Know the client. Teams often focus on the project’s obvious needs (anyone ever heard about staying on budget and on schedule?) and miss the big picture. What are the client’s business reasons for doing this project? Who are the client’s customers? What is the biggest concern of each person on the selection panel? Keep asking “so that …” to drill down to what really matters.

Scott Johnston GUEST SPEAKER

See SCOTT JOHNSTON, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

SCOTT JOHNSTON, from page 11

them for sharing as well. This prevents the silo approach, where everyone is off in their own corner preparing, coming together only at the end. 5)Create needed visuals. Many AEC firms start the interview prep process by looking for visuals from other project pur- suits. The result is that the slides or images feel like a square peg in a round hole. Visuals must do work you cannot do yourself. When developing the outline, ask yourself how visu- als can support your presentation, not lead it. Remember: The client is not hiring your PowerPoint deck – they are hiring you! 6)Plan for the Q&A and interactive exercises. While the Q&A section of the interview is still standard, panels are turning to unusual formats and interactive exercises to dif- ferentiate teams. One recent interview we prepared a team for used a third-party facilitator as an intermediary for the team and client. To prepare, ask yourself: ❚ ❚ Do you have a go-to process for answering whatever ques- tions or exercises the panel throws at you? ❚ ❚ How will you create interaction and smooth transitions between team members and between team and panel members? ❚ ❚ What questions can you ask the panel that will demon- strate your knowledge of the project and their business needs? Teams often try to guess the questions and memorize an- swers. But panels rarely ask the exact question you planned for, so the memorized answer often misses the mark. Check out “Three Strategies to Nail the Q&A” and “Five Tips to Mas- ter Impromptu Scenarios” to learn more. 7)Practice! To many teams, practice means sitting around the conference table debating strategy and discussing how they intend to answer questions – but without actually deliver- ing their answers. Real practice means rearranging the room to match the interview room, using co-workers as stand-ins for panel members (complete with nametags of whom they represent), filming, and playing back the recording. Present- ers should use only the notes they will bring to the interview (notecards or none), and visuals should be near-final and used in the run-throughs. This is where the valuable revisions hap- pen, where you see how much time you are using, and where you can smooth out your transitions. Time is a luxury AEC teams do not have. And time spent on a losing effort drains resources, morale, and bandwidth on existing projects. Apply the Johnston Training Group “Seven Steps of Project Pursuit” to your process to make the best use of your precious proposal and interview time. SCOTT JOHNSTON is a principal strategist and facilitator at Johnston Training Group. He can be reached at scott@jtgroup.com. panel already knows what you do. Tell them how you do it using real steps, phases, people, places, and processes to be memorable.” “The key is in the details. Selection panels tell us over and over that they read and hear the same general statements. The

Stick to the project’s obvious needs and you come across as a “box checker.” Tap into why the project is happening (and how you can help) and you become a strategic partner. Guess which team is more likely to be shortlisted and win the inter- view? 2)Know the competition. Firms can tie themselves in knots obsessing about their competition. To avoid getting sucked into a never-ending “What if they ...” loop, ask yourself, “What are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of each firm?” Then push your strengths and compensate for your perceived weaknesses. Factor in whether the competing firms have done work for this client or this project before and you’re good to go. We advise teams to limit their time on this step to no more than 30 minutes. “Time is the enemy of project pursuits. Client demands, project schedules, and marketing teams stretched to the limit prevent AEC teams from putting their best foot forward in proposals and interviews.” 3)Develop a unique strategy. What strategy will you present in the proposal and (hopefully) the interview? This is often the hardest step, especially when the biggest factor is cost. To find your “golden thread,” ask yourself these questions: ❚ ❚ What can we say and do that our competitors cannot? ❚ ❚ What specific lessons learned from past projects will be applied to this project? ❚ ❚ How will our work on this project contribute to solving the client’s biggest needs or concerns? The key is in the details. Selection panels tell us over and over that they read and hear the same general statements. The panel already knows what you do. Tell them how you do it using real steps, phases, people, places, and processes to be memorable. For a school renovation project where the client valued the safety of students on the site above all else, a team went be- yond the usual “safety is our #1 priority” language in the pro- posal. The superintendent described how he looks at safety from multiple viewpoints – through the eyes not only of able-bodied students but also of those who use wheelchairs or those who are sight-impaired. He wrote about putting himself in the shoes of a tired, inattentive student trudging to class on a dark morning with headphones on. After viewing the site from multiple perspectives, the team explained how they would design the site to keep the building secure and paths around it safe. The team’s unique strategy of applying the best possible safety practices helped them get shortlisted (and win the project). After being shortlisted: 4)Develop an interview outline. Decide who will address which topics and the amount of time they have based on the interview guidelines. Build the outline on a shared drive so everyone can see each other’s progress (or lack of progress). As team members fill in their sections with notes and ideas, they can see what other ideas are being developed. We en- courage team members to record their practices and upload

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 19, 2018, ISSUE 1240

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