TZL 1303

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 J u l y 8 , 2 0 1 9 , I s s u e 1 3 0 3

Percent growth

CEO or business owner?

W hile most every reader of this publication knows I am a big fan of entrepreneurship – I have founded two Inc. 500/5000 companies as well as served as a professor of entrepreneurship for 15 years – not everyone is or should be an entrepreneur. And not every AEC firm is an entrepreneurial venture. What that means is not every firm needs someone functioning as a “CEO” in the classic sense, where this person is completely occupied with the more esoteric aspects of the business such as designing and implementing a strategic plan. Not to say that every firm doesn’t need a business plan. They do. It’s crucial to your success. But it only has so much value – especially in the short term. The fact is most AEC firms need something else, like more activities geared toward the day-to-day survival and profitability of the enterprise. And the top person – if he or she is too preoccupied with the CEO role and longer term, mission/vision/strategy issues – can easily lose their way and FORGET they are owners of a smaller- to mid-size business (and that’s what 98 percent of AEC firms are). Remember that the primary thrust of an entrepreneurial venture is to create value for the owners upon exit. But if you ever want to achieve that lofty and worthwhile goal, your first order of business is to have a viable, profitable business and prove it, every day,

“Are you trying to play the role of the high-flying entrepreneurial CEO in a large firm with lots of resources

Mark Zweig

In Zweig Group’s 2019 Recruitment & Retention Survey of AEC Firms , firm growth rates were calculated by analyzing data on new hires and employees that were fired, laid off, or left of their own accord. Splitting it up by region, firms headquartered in the Mountain and Pacific time zones led the way in growth rate while firms in the Northeast lagged significantly. Notably, Mountain and Pacific firms led the field in both new hire and turnover rates. Participate in a survey and save $320 on any Zweig Group research publication. Visit bit.ly/TZLsp to learn more.

instead of thinking of yourself as a business owner?”

F I R M I N D E X DIGroupArchitecture. ............................ 12

MORE COLUMNS xz PHIL KEIL : In pursuit of excellence Page 3 xz PETER ATHERTON : Scale your business, not your people Page 9 xz JAVIER SUAREZ : Boilerplate: not garbage Page 11

DPS Group. .......................................... 10

over an extended period of time. That means the top person must be

Dresdner Robin..................................... 12

Geosyntec Consultants......................... 12

preoccupied with selling every client and project, with recruiting competent people, with producing quality work that everyone

Holst Architecture. .................................. 2

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A E C F I R M S & M A N A G E M E N T C O N S U L TA N T S Challenging opportunities: Dorian Adams See MARK ZWEIG, page 2 STV......................................................... 4 Page 6

BUSINESS NEWS REACH’S 72FOSTER BRINGS 101 AFFORDABLE HOMES TO SE PORTLAND REACH Community Development, Holst Architecture , local leaders, and community members celebrate the completion of 72Foster, providing 101 new permanently affordable apartment homes to southeast Portland. 72Foster is an intergenerational, mixed-use building, serving both seniors and families with apartment sizes ranging from studios to three- bedrooms. 72Foster also provides 8,900 square feet of ground floor retail to serve the growing neighborhood. Current tenants include Pizzeria Otto, an old-world Neapolitan “pizza joint” devoted to the craft of Italian pizza making, opening late summer/early fall 2019. The design of the building places its mass at the urban edge of SE Foster Road to respect the existing neighborhood scale, while addressing the growing need for increased density in the area. To maintain pedestrian connections, an open breezeway links the public courtyard and residential neighborhood through the building to the Portland Mercado across the street. An open terrace at the fourth floor lounge balances the opening at the ground floor and offers views of Mount Hood. A large community room on the ground floor features folding walls that open to the courtyard. A vibrant mural leads visitors through the lobby and into the community room. 72Foster emphasizes REACH’s goals of providing transit-oriented affordable living while building a vibrant community. As southeast Portland’s population grows and outpaces the current housing supply, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people earning low wages or living on fixed incomes to find quality, affordable apartments. 72Foster is addressing this need through rents affordable to residents earning approximately 60 percent of area

median family income, less than $34,200 for a single-person household. In addition, Home Forward has provided 20 apartments with Project-Based Section 8 vouchers, where residents will only pay 30 percent of their income in rent, serving those with extremely low incomes. Onsite programs and services to residents will be provided through a partnership with the Asian Health and Service Center. “I’m so excited to see 72Foster open and serve the diverse cultural communities in southeast Portland,” says CEO Dan Valliere. “We are especially grateful to our partner Asian Health and Service Center who, in addition to providing on-site services to residents, has shared our vision for transforming an old, overgrown parking lot into a vibrant community.” The $24 million project is financed with funding from the KeyBank Community Development Corporation, KeyBank Community Development Lending, Freddie Mac (KeyBank Real Estate Capital as seller/servicer), Metro, Portland Housing Bureau, Home Forward, Oregon Housing and Community Services, and REACH Community Development, and is part of the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area. The building is designed by Holst Architecture with construction by LMC Construction Co. The property also includes an expansive 106.5 kilowatt solar array, offsetting utility costs for common space areas of the building. Holst Architecture is a women-owned design studio of talented professionals led by partners Kim Wilson, Kevin Valk, Dave Otte, and Renée Strand. Since 1992, Holst Architecture’s skilled designers in the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland have been creating innovative places tailored to each client’s needs, while expressing the highest environmental, social, and aesthetic ideals.

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

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

can be proud of, with getting bills out and collecting what’s owed, and with not getting sued by someone. These are not necessarily “CEO” level activities in the traditional definition of the role, yet they have to be done well. Whoever is at the helm may need to be personally involved in each of them on a daily basis if they want to see them executed properly. That takes time. Your priorities have to be clear. Sometimes, I think people get bored with the businesses that they run. Or, they get to feeling they are selling themselves short intellectually if they don’t seek out new business challenges. Then they take their eye off the “bird in hand” and start chasing after other birds in the bush. That means they forget their short-term priorities and lose track of what’s important to their survival and prosperity today. I understand how this can happen. I’m sure I have done just that at various times in my professional past. How about you, though? Are you trying to play the role of the high-flying entrepreneurial CEO in a large firm with lots of resources instead of thinking of yourself as a business owner? If so, get back to your real priorities now before it’s too late! 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 © Copyright 2019, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

O P I N I O N

In pursuit of excellence

Have a purpose and commit to mastery and excellence and you will find happiness both personally and professionally.

W e consistently hear about millennials being lazy and unfocused. This bleeds into other generational groups as well. In fact, while crafting firms’ strategic plans, I often hear about QA/QC issues. Leaders in firms lament about how they must pay extra attention because the workforce today doesn’t have the same attention to detail, reverence for quality, and doesn’t understand how that affects client relationships. These are simply symptoms at the periphery of the core issue. What has seemed to shift is the focus on true mastery of your chosen profession and a willingness to look internally to develop an individual and collective morality in the pursuit of excellence.

Phil Keil

Making a commitment to mastery and excellence will make your life a lot simpler. It will take away excuses and reasons for your leadership to doubt you. Filter your actions through a personally driven mission, vision, and value lens. These should align with the firm you have chosen to dedicate your time to. If it doesn’t, you probably aren’t working for the right firm or the right people. I hear a lot about work-life balance and flextime policies these days which partially, in my opinion, is to pursue temporary pleasures. I’m not saying that there aren’t very important reasons for having this balance as most people define it. Not only will mastery, excellence, and moral purpose

help you professionally, but also in your individual pursuit of happiness. In a previous life, I started a medical device firm with the purpose of treating clinical depression. In this capacity I learned just how severe and to what magnitude people around the world are suffering. Whether you come to the realization through a religious worldview, through enlightenment reasoning, or other methods, happiness is moral purpose. That purpose you’ve chosen is the profession and activities you are dedicating your life to. In fact, Aristotle defined happiness in a life well-lived. To him, something was good if it

See PHIL KEIL, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

ON THE MOVE STV WELCOMES NEW CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER Sonja Glatzhofer, a veteran human resources leader with nearly 30 years of experience representing a wide range of market sectors, has joined STV as vice president and chief human resources officer. She will be based in the firm’s New York office and report directly to Milo Riverso, Ph.D., P.E., CCM, STV president and chief executive officer. ”Sonja has a long-standing track record of success in human resources and is a great addition to the STV family,” Riverso said. “Her experience in overseeing and implementing ambitious programs relating to succession planning, engagement, performance, and compensation will go a long way in supporting

STV’s diverse and ever-growing employee team.” Before joining STV, Glatzhofer was with a large multi-national engineering and construction firm with offices in 25 countries, as the vice president of human resources for its $8 billion construction services division. In that role, she spearheaded all human resources initiatives. Prior to that, she was with a leading construction and project management firm, where she led the integration and transformation of HR services for a new construction services business line. Additionally, Glatzhofer has held a variety of management roles in finance and insurance, executing both human resources start-up

functions and full redesigns of the human resources functions. Glatzhofer holds a master’s degree in human resources management from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut. Founded more than 100 years ago, STV is a leader in providing engineering, architectural, planning, environmental, and construction management services for transportation systems, infrastructure, buildings, energy, and other facilities. The firm is ranked No. 32 in Engineering News-Record ’s Top 500 Design Firms survey and is No. 12 in its bridges category. STV is 100 percent employee owned.

is a long-term game that we are all hoping to be involved in for some time. Given that, here are a couple of steps you can take right away to help inculcate these qualities in you. 1) Build a routine that allows you to learn, reflect, gather feed- back, exercise, and operate at the highest level of excellence in your daily work environment. Something you consistently follow. For me, I have several routines throughout the day. Outside of some of the topics we’ve discussed so far, I have three pillars – faith, family, and fitness – which, if not in alignment, do not allow me to operate optimally in my profes- sional life. 2) Develop a method that allows you to improve on moral and character issues. Benjamin Franklin was notorious for de- veloping methods for self-betterment. He actually created a calendar of virtues, seeking to wipe out his tendency toward wrongdoing. You can find this online. He also kept a journal that allowed him to track progress. This isn’t going to happen overnight. This is a constant journey that promotes complete dedication to excellence in your professional life. As Jocko Willink says in his book Extreme Ownership , discipline equals freedom. It is a great concept. Don’t try to do everything at once. Slowly integrate new habits and new routines into your life. Discipline is key though. Willpower or motivation is not enough. Take these thoughts and suggestions to heart, and the probability is pretty good you will be very successful in your career and likely make it to the principal/ownership level. PHIL KEIL is director of strategy services at Zweig Group. Contact him at pkeil@zweiggroup.com. “Slowly integrate new habits and new routines into your life. Discipline is key. Willpower or motivation is not enough. Take these thoughts and suggestions to heart, and the probability is pretty good you will be very successful in your career and likely make it to the principal/ ownership level.”

PHIL KEIL, from page 3

fulfilled a purpose. A human’s purpose is to act with right reason which makes us unique. George Washington stated “the consideration that human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” Austrian psychiatrist Victor Frankl wrote in his memoir about surviving the Holocaust, “woe to him who saw no more sense in his life, no aim, no purpose, and therefore no point in carrying on. He was soon lost.” This isn’t merely subjective but backed up by evidence and several studies like the one at the University of Carleton in Canada which found those who reported a strong purpose in life at the outset of the study were 15 percent more likely to be alive than those who did not for every age group. A study of 951 patients with dementia found those who felt a sense of purpose were 2.4 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than others. This has been replicated over and over again so I won’t belabor the point. Needless to say, I’d hire a person who’s taken the time to figure out who they are, who acts with moral purpose, and who has the kind of character that aligns with my firm, over someone with an excellent skill set, on paper, any day of the week. “Making a commitment to mastery and excellence will make your life a lot simpler. It will take away excuses and reasons for your leadership to doubt you. Filter your actions through a personally driven mission, vision, and value lens.” Assuming eight hours of sleep for each of us, that leaves us with 16 hours a day which requires just about all our waking hours be directed toward activities that help us become professionally and personally better. The goal is to achieve mastery. This isn’t working constantly for 16 hours a day. That is simply impossible. It is, however, aligning all of our activities and actions toward this goal. Leaders are readers and this is a part of your development. Developing yourself physically is also key. It will help your cognition, it will help you perform at a higher level, and let’s face it, this

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

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THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

P R O F I L E

Challenging opportunities: Dorian Adams President of Reaveley Engineers, a national structural engineering firm based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

“I am fortunate to be surrounded by great people who are dedicated and loyal to the firm,” Adams says. “I have never terminated or demoted long-time leaders as the firm grew, although we have had a few leave through retirement. The challenge I face most often is getting my leadership team to dedicate enough time to building the business – working on the important/not urgent things needed to pre- pare us for the next level.” A CONVERSATION WITH DORIAN ADAMS. The Zweig Letter: Do you tie compensation to perfor- mance for your top leaders? Dorian Adams: Yes. There is a profit sharing bonus that incentivizes our leaders to market and bring in profitable work that makes up about 5 to 10 percent of their compen- sation. TZL: Do you share base salary or bonus amounts with your entire staff?

DA: Our base salary and bonus information is kept confi- dential. However, when determining bonuses and salaries I make the assumption that the information is known to all employees. “At Reaveley Engineers, the primary responsibility of principals is to strategically grow the firm and mentor employees. I believe it takes a minimum of 10 to 15 years for an individual to gain the skill set necessary to thrive in that role.” TZL: How many years of experience – or large enough book of business – is enough to become a principal in your firm? Are you naming principals in their 20s or 30s? DA: At Reaveley Engineers, the primary responsibility of principals is to strategically grow the firm and mentor

THE ZWEIG LETTER Ju

employees. I believe it takes a minimum of 10 to 15 years for an individual to gain the skill set necessary to thrive in that role. We don’t tie ownership to the position nor do we have a specific set of criteria that must be met. Individuals promoted to principal earn their position by having leadership ability and/or a significant book of work. Our youngest principals were promoted to that level in their late 30s. “Individuals promoted to principal earn their position by having leadership ability and/ or a significant book of work. Our youngest principals were promoted to that level in their late 30s.” TZL: Internal transition is expensive. How do you “sell” this investment oppor- tunity to your next generation of princi- pals? How do you prepare them for the next step? DA: We share ownership quite broadly within our firm. Roughly 50 percent of our employees are owners. This allows the ben- efits of ownership to come to people rela- tively early in their careers. By the time an individual is ready to become a principal, they already have significant ownership. We also share project and firm financial information with our employees to train them to think about the business. It also helps that our founder, Ronald Reaveley, chose to sell his interest in the firm at book value which significantly reduces the cost of the investment. TZL: When did you have the most fun running your firm, and what were the hallmarks of that time in your profes- sional life? DA: I must say this last year has been the most fun I’ve had since becoming presi- dent of Reaveley Engineers. In 2017, we began a huge brand evolution project to be the most client-driven structural engineer- ing firm in the region. This brand evolution is much more than a new logo and web- site. We are keeping the great things about who we were and infusing our culture with a new client-driven focus. Communicat- ing the new brand to our staff is a big deal. We have a “Brand Rally” every Monday morning to promote client-driven behav- iors in a fun and energizing way. We also hired a trainer to conduct a year-long train- ing for all of our employees on emotional

intelligence, which completed in February. The essence of who we are has evolved – real cultural change has occurred. Cultur- al change is hard, but when it happens, it’s extremely rewarding. TZL: Describe the challenges you encoun- tered in building your management team over the lifetime of your leadership? Have you ever terminated or demoted long-time leaders as the firm grew? How did you handle it? DA: I am fortunate to be surrounded by great people who are dedicated and loyal to the firm. I have never terminated or de- moted long-time leaders as the firm grew, although we have had a few leave through retirement. The challenge I face most of- ten is getting my leadership team to dedi- cate enough time to building the business – working on the important/not urgent things needed to prepare us for the next level. I’ve moved people to new roles and delegated important initiatives to younger leaders with ambition to make things hap- pen. We all wear many hats so it’s a major challenge to make time to do it all. TZL: How do you promote young and new leaders as the firm grows? DA: We strive to provide challenging op- portunities to our employees and the cream rises to the top. As individuals gain experi- ence, they’re provided with more challeng- ing and important opportunities. Eventu- ally, it’s clear who has leadership potential and those people are given important ini- tiatives to lead, management responsibil- ities, and client-facing roles. We also pro- vide management training through offsite seminars to our emerging leaders and work hard to ensure our promotions are merit based. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job respon- sibility as CEO? DA: Lead. TZL: What happens to the firm if you leave tomorrow? DA: I think Reaveley Engineers would be in good shape if I left tomorrow. TZL: With technology reducing the time it takes to complete design work, how do you get the AEC industry to start pricing on value instead of hours? DA: Commoditization is a real problem in our industry, but it is based on a false See CHALLENGING OPPORTUNITIES, page 8

YEAR FOUNDED: 1972 HEADQUARTERS: Salt Lake City, UT NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 49 NUMBER OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: 1 SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Structural engineering ❚ ❚ Seismic design and retrofit ❚ ❚ BIM project coordination ❚ ❚ Concrete and façade restoration ❚ ❚ Sustainable design SECTORS: ❚ ❚ Arts and culture ❚ ❚ Community ❚ ❚ Corporate ❚ ❚ K-12 and higher education ❚ ❚ Government ❚ ❚ Healthcare ❚ ❚ Historic renovation ❚ ❚ Hotel and hospitality ❚ ❚ Housing ❚ ❚ Libraries ❚ ❚ Parking structures ❚ ❚ Religious ❚ ❚ Research and high-tech ❚ ❚ Retail and mixed-use ❚ ❚ Sports and recreation DORIAN ADAMS: Adams was introduced to Reaveley Engineers in his college structures lab and has been with the firm his entire career. With an impressive list of medical and research facilities, he has acted as team lead for several major projects for Intermountain HealthCare, Utah National Guard, Hill Air Force Base, and institutes of higher learning. TAGLINE: “We are the strength behind your vision.”

uly 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

CHALLENGING OPPORTUNITIES, from page 7

TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? DA: As most of our work comes from architectural clients, we have a goal to have our workforce mirror our client firms. Utah is not a very diverse state and there are fewer wom- en graduating in the engineering profession than men and even fewer minorities. This is a challenge. TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? DA: We conduct an annual employee engagement survey every year and one of the questions is “how long do you plan to stay at Reaveley?” Eighty-three percent indicated they plan to stay 10 years or longer and 67 percent indi- cated they plan to stay until retirement. I attribute this to the broad distribution of ownership, exciting and rewarding projects, and our people caring about one another. TZL: Benefits are evolving. Are you offering any new ones due to the changing demographic? DA: We have started a new initiative called “Reaveley Cares” with millennials and baby boomers on the committee to tackle this issue. I expect the outcome will be maximum overtime guidelines to improve work-life balance, more paid holidays, and possibly a policy to create a shared pool of PTO for family leave from time donated from other em- ployees. TZL: What scares you about the geopolitical environ- ment today? DA: Tariffs driving up costs, lack of qualified hires, and eco- nomic downturn. TZL: How are the tariffs impacting your business and that of your clients? DA: Cost of building materials are going up. “We strive to provide challenging opportunities to our employees and the cream rises to the top. As individuals gain experience, they’re provided with more challenging and important opportunities.” TZL: How are the tax cuts impacting your business? Have salaries and bonuses increased? DA: Lower taxes have allowed us to retain more earnings and build up our rainy day fund. TZL: How have the tax cuts impacted your firm’s valua- tion? Do you plan on doing another valuation due to the tax cuts? DA: Our valuation has not changed because it’s based on book value. TZL: Are you currently pursuing the R&D tax credit? DA: Yes, starting in 2015 for the first time. The CPA costs are high, but we will continue to take advantage of it.

assumption that all firms are the same. Anyone can own software, but not everyone can use it effectively and even know if the results are accurate. Firms must communicate the value they provide to their clients outside of the tech- nology. Insist on lump sum contracts and advocate for qual- ification based selection to public and private clients. TZL: If the worker shortage continues, do you see wag- es increasing to encourage more talent to enter the AEC space, or will technology be used to counter the reduced workforce? DA: I see wages increasing to compete for scarce resources, but not necessarily to attract people into AEC careers. That might be a positive side effect of increasing salaries. We have considered offering scholarships to attract high school graduates to enter engineering. Technology will help, but we still need people to do the work. “The essence of who we are has evolved – real cultural change has occurred. Cultural change is hard, but when it happens, it’s extremely rewarding.” TZL: There is no substitute for experience, but there is pressure to give responsibility to younger staff. What are you doing to address the risk while pursuing the oppor- tunity to develop your team? DA: We have a coaching and mentoring program that has a two-part focus: build skills at a faster pace and get assigned to projects that build experience. Coaches review a skills gap analysis with young engineers on a regular basis, and help them set goals to develop skills to meet minimum compe- tency. Coaches also advocate to principals to get engineers assigned to work that helps them build the skills they need. We also have a principal level person with the role of QA/QC as his only responsibility. TZL: Engineers love being engineers, but what are you doing to instill a business culture in your firm? DA: The financial information for our firm and every proj- ect is communicated to all employees. Project budgets are set up in terms of dollars and everyone is expected to create a project management plan with a schedule to meet a target margin. We also send people to business training seminars on a regular basis. Our in-house training program also in- cludes sessions geared to the business. All employees are in- vited and welcome to attend our annual shareholders meet- ing. We encourage employees to build personal relation- ships with clients at every level. TZL: The seller-doer model is very successful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your program? DA: It’s true that the seller-doer model has been very suc- cessful for us, but it’s supplemented with full-time market- ing people. We have not deviated from the seller-doer strat- egy yet, but we have a team-based strategy to service clients which gives marketing responsibilities to individuals on the principal track.

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

O P I N I O N

S ince the Great Recession, AEC leaders have been fixated on growth – and for good reason. But even when the “going is good,” much of that growth is doing damage and putting leadership teams and firms at risk. Do you want to survive the next year, the next recession, and the ongoing reset of the workplace, the marketplace, and the recruiting space? Scale your business, not your people

Our current growth model is a problem and won’t serve us well going forward either. Greater scale is what’s needed to build our business to win today and over the long-term. GROWTH VERSUS SCALE. Business growth and scale are often confused. Business growth can simply be an increase in revenue. Most often this requires an increase in expenses to support and sustain the new growth. For us in the AEC industry, that support is typically in the form of hiring additional talent to produce the new work. Business scale is different. It is a process of increasing revenue with little to no increase in

expenses while maintaining high quality. Scaling a product-based business is typically easier than a service-based business. “To progress professionally and generate profit, key individuals must take on increasing levels of responsibility and be leveraged over more clients and more staff.” THE PROBLEM WITH GROWTH. In general, we have a “one-to-many” distributed influence approach to growth in the AEC industry.

Peter Atherton

See PETER ATHERTON, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

ON THE MOVE DPS GROUP PROMOTES JIM GRUNWALD TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, U.S. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DPS Group announced that Jim Grunwald has been promoted to senior vice president for U.S. business development. Based in the DPS Boston office, Grunwald will be responsible for sales and marketing of DPS Group’s services throughout U.S. markets and the company’s U.S. business units, including architectural and engineering design; commissioning, qualification, and validation; technical services operation; construction management; and strategic consulting. “Since joining DPS, Jim has played a key role in expanding Boston’s project portfolio, working closely with senior management to lead Boston project operations during a time of steady growth,” said Frank Keogh, CEO of DPS Group. “Jim has made outstanding

contributions toward advancing DPS’ strategic initiatives, and we are confident in his ability to competitively position the firm and help grow the DPS business in the U.S. life sciences market.” Grunwald brings more than 30 years of experience in the AEC industry to his new position. He joined DPS Group in 2015 and previously served as vice president of strategic development for Boston’s project operations. In this role, he successfully led teams and delivered strategic capital projects for leading biotech/pharmaceutical and advanced technology clients. Grunwald supports all of DPS’ internal and external client relationships with expert guidance in the areas of planning, risk assessment, site selection, estimating, CQV, and operational readiness. He also has special expertise in strategic planning, real estate development, and risk assessments

associated with capital projects and product development in the regulated industry and advanced technology sectors. Additionally, Grunwald fulfills the role of project sponsor for many of DPS’ strategic project initiatives, providing senior management oversight and guidance to project teams on behalf of clients including Moderna, Sanofi, AbbVie, Acorda, Brammer Bio, and Waters Corporation. Grunwald is an active member of ISPE Boston, having previously served as president of the chapter’s board of directors and helping to start the ISPE Boston Chapter Scholarship Fund. He is also a founding member of the I2SL New England Chapter. DPS Group is a privately-owned engineering, consulting, and project management company, serving high-tech industries around the world.

PETER ATHERTON, from page 9

Relying solely on more of the same is not a credible strategy for today and won’t prepare us for a future trending more toward the amount of “value produced” than “time-spent.” Increasing our ability to scale will be more critical to successfully competing and profiting. For most firms, now is the time to adjust our strategic planning and invest. As leaders, we can’t confuse the good market conditions of today with doing what’s right and needed to win tomorrow. DESIGNING FOR SCALE. Scaling our business moving forward is likely to include the following elements: ❚ ❚ Integrating new technology ❚ ❚ Process innovation ❚ ❚ Productization ❚ ❚ Leveraging of the gig economy ❚ ❚ Value escalation ❚ ❚ Transformational thinking ❚ ❚ In-demand branding Re-opening our strategic plan or reconsidering its implementation in light of these elements is an important first step if we’ve not already done so. Part 2 of this series focuses on growing our people to help scale our business. Part 3 focuses on what it takes to build a brand designed to attract and save us time and money while increasing loyalty and retention. PETER ATHERTON, P.E., is an AEC industry insider who has spent more than 20 years as a successful professional civil engineer, principal, major owner, and member of the board of directors for a high-achieving firm. Atherton is now president and founder of ActionsProve, LLC , author of Reversing Burnout. How to Immediately Engage Top Talent and Grow! A Blueprint for Professionals and Business Owners , and creator of the I.M.P.A.C.T. process. Atherton works with AEC firms to grow and advance their success through strategic planning implementation, executive coaching, performance-based employee engagement, and corporate impact design. Connect with him at pete@ actionsprove.com.

To progress professionally and generate profit, key individuals must take on increasing levels of responsibility and be leveraged over more clients and more staff. As teams build-out, the “one” becomes more standardized and has less day-to-day interactions with clients and non- direct-report members of the team by design. This limiting connection, however, is becoming more problematic (more on that later in this series). At the same time, each “one” often carries the burden of at least two roles as “doer-seller,” or “principal-manager,” or “manager-engineer.” The problem, especially today, is that our best talent is disproportionately burdened by this model. Workloads for most are skyrocketing, clients are demanding more, budgets are tighter, there’s less new talent, and there’s less time to fully engage and develop the talent we have. Even though much of the work is getting done and profits are high, this is not “scale.” Operating in this mode is not sustainable and there is a cost – in the short-term for talent and culture, and longer-term for production in terms of talent burnout, disengagement, and the bottom- line in addressing talent loss and project quality gaps. THE NEED FOR SCALE. Developing talent takes investment and time, and cost-effectively adding experienced talent is a challenge – unless you are truly doing something special to attract them (more on that later too). Business scale is different. It is a process of increasing revenue with little to no increase in expenses while maintaining high quality.” “Business growth can simply be an increase in revenue. Most often this requires an increase in expenses to support and sustain the new growth ...

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

O P I N I O N

Boilerplate: not garbage

O h boy, just suggesting that I will write about making a case for boilerplates produced an incendiary reaction, not unlike a battle in a Game of Thrones episode. I feel the need to clear the air: I do not support the use of boilerplate information in final proposals to be submitted! In this era of recycle/reuse/renew, instead of discarding boilerplate information, we should embrace it.

❚ ❚ The blank page phobia. Über creative writers, like Jim Patterson, who have series of books based on the same characters, use a framework from the pre- vious novels for jumping into a new one. Basically, we do not have to start writing on a blank page. Starting from scratch is usually a terrifying ordeal, so make everyone’s lives easier by presenting great write-ups previously used to steer your writers in “In this case, I am trying to establish the fact that boilerplates can, in fact, be useful in the beginning stages of a capture plan, or even an ongoing proposal effort.”

Javier Suarez

In several previous articles, I discourage marketers and technical professionals from using such canned language. However, in this case, I am trying to establish the fact that boilerplates can, in fact, be useful in the beginning stages of a capture plan, or even an ongoing proposal effort. Ron Dulek, author of The Elements of Business Writing , said that “clarity is the most serious communication problem in business.” To achieve the level of clarity that results in engaging write- ups, we need to go through a process, similar to how a muralist sketches their vision before ascending a scaffold to start painting. Boilerplates can be that little push that moves us along the right path. Here are some pitches for effective boilerplate uses:

See JAVIER SUAREZ, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

BUSINESS NEWS LAND-USE FIRM DRESDNER ROBIN HELPS NEW JERSEY ACCOMMODATE GROWING EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Jersey City, New Jersey-based land-use consultancy, Dresdner Robin , has provided a suite of services for two New Jersey urban education projects, furthering its mission of bringing creative solutions and technological innovation to development in underserved communities. The firm offered expert engineering, environmental, planning, and survey services to the Clinton Hill Early Learning Center in Newark, New Jersey, and produced a campus vision report for Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School in Jersey City, New Jersey. The initial project for the early learning center involved developing a temporary site to supplement the existing operation while a new, permanent facility is developed. The charter school project involved a land-use vision report utilizing the firm’s landscape architects, surveyors, and input and advice from the school community. “These are meaningful education projects and our firm played a direct role in their outcome,” said Grant Lewis, Dresdner Robin’s senior project manager, engineering. “Bringing creative technological solutions and a collaborative nature to the projects, Dresdner Robin continues to address community needs in a densely populated state whose educational requirements remain ever-changing.” The New Jersey firm worked with the Maher Charitable Foundation on a temporary learning center on a vacant block in Newark’s South Ward. The one-acre site, leased from the New Jersey School Development Authority,

now consists of a one-story, 9,350-square- foot building – constructed using 10 modular trailer units. The Clinton Hill facility serves 78 students, from infants to 5-year-olds. The temporary site will remain in use while the firm develops design documents, acquires land entitlements and conducts an environmental investigation to allow the construction of a permanent facility on an adjacent block. Dresdner Robin is responsible for all aspects of site development (including layout and zoning analyses, etc.). “This is an important project for the community and a direct response to its needs. Overall, it is a great way to facilitate ongoing progress for Newark,” Lewis added. “Some of its notable features include a playground for toddlers along with a community room for various local needs.” The firm provided engineering and planning testimony during a 2018 public hearing in support of site plan approval from Newark’s Board of Adjustment. Dresdner Robin also provided environmental services to comply with requirements of the Department of Children and Families, including remediation on soil and groundwater. DIGroupArchitecture , of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was the architect of record and a critical partner for both Newark projects. Dresdner Robin also completed conceptual design, programming, and analysis work at Dr. Lena Edwards Academic Charter School, which serves approximately 400 students at the site of the former Saint Patrick and Assumption/All Saints parochial school – at 509 Bramhall Ave., Jersey City, New Jersey.

The school’s physical space required alterations to match its next-gen curriculum. In 2018 and early 2019, Dresdner Robin’s landscape architects worked with the campus to develop a comprehensive report, incorporating curriculum components and anticipated future needs. “Dresdner Robin has truly been a strategic partner in this project, allowing DLEACS to accommodate the educational needs of current and future students,” said Christopher Garlin, CEO of the Jersey City charter school. “Their work to anticipate demands on the space, while also incorporating the feedback of the school community, was special and we’ve valued the concepts they’ve put forward.” The firm met with DLEACS administrators and stakeholders in a design charrette, gathering input from faculty, parents, and students. Data obtained from the gathering was used to develop a campus-wide program diagram, which informed the conceptual design. “Dresdner Robin will continue its work on community-oriented projects,” added Lauren Venin, project manager, landscape architect at Dresdner Robin. “We provide a range of services for the revival of urban landscapes and our projects – like those in Newark and Jersey City – bring clear results.” Dresdner Robin provides creative solutions that emphasize service, client satisfaction, and technological innovation with specialties in site/civil engineering, land surveying, environmental service, planning, surveying, and the revival of urban landscapes.

JAVIER SUAREZ, from page 11

boilerplates as locked PDF files. The idea is to have something to compare to after writing the new language for the submit- tal. Include the lessons learned based on past comments from reviewers of previous documents. The intelligence gained by looking in the mirror can prove invaluable. ❚ ❚ The “Hello, my name is…” tag. If used correctly, your boiler- plate is never used as-is and you have several versions of the same topic. It is important to label your boilerplates to make it easier to select for future uses: for example, “quality control AND stormwater AND municipality” or “project management AND new K-12 facility AND repeat client.” Redefine what boilerplates used to be – a collection of generic texts – and create a library of past successful write-ups. Give it a new name if you want. Once more, I am not suggesting that you use boilerplates as-is in final documents, but there are ways to make them work to your advantage. In this era of recycle/reuse/renew, instead of discarding information, we should embrace it. Zig Ziglar said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” So, use boilerplates as your starting point to greatness! JAVIER SUAREZ is the central marketing and sales support manager with Geosyntec Consultants. Contact him at jsuarez@geosyntec.com.

the right direction. The key is to keep a close eye on the devel- opment of the text so that the final product is not the original boilerplate you submitted for reference. “I am not suggesting that you use boilerplates as-is in final documents, but there are ways to make them work to your advantage. In this era of recycle/reuse/ renew, instead of discarding information, we should embrace it.” ❚ ❚ The chameleon effect. It is common to find boilerplates for internal processes like project management, quality control, schedule/cost control, etc. Technical professionals are ex- tremely tempted to use them as-is, but we must remind them of the message sent to the client by doing so. The best prac- tice is to edit these processes to match the client’s needs and requirements – showing them how we adapt instead of push- ing the same thing to every client for every project. ❚ ❚ The mirror, mirror on the wall scene. You could share

THE ZWEIG LETTER July 8, 2019, ISSUE 1303

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