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Compensation by gender

Sensitive people

T he difference between making and losing money in the AEC business may only lie in whether or not your people are reasonably happy in their jobs and minimally motivated. And it is so easy to demotivate them! People working in this industry can be sensitive. It’s so easy to turn them off – and difficult to get them going again – if you can! Here are some things to look out for: 1)Public contradiction. No one likes to be pub- licly contradicted on something. But engineers seem to hate it more than others. Maybe they have a stronger need to be right? Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. Don’t do it to your people. 2)Sarcasm/negativity. It wears on people and can make them feel bad about themselves. Be on the lookout for people who are like this. They will infect a certain percentage of your staff. 3)Minor money issues. An example of this is when the university I work for made me pay for clear plastic nametags for my students because they weren’t in the budget. Then they did it again with whiteboard markers. Even though the university is a truly wonderful employer, I don’t mind saying that this kind of thing didn’t give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. 4)Draconian policies. “Thou shalt not arrive later than 8 a.m. nor leave earlier than 5 p.m.” “No art shall be hung above the highest point of your cubicle wall.” “Men shall wear suits or sport coats with ties while in the office.” These are examples, all of which I have personally seen in companies in this business. 5)Perceived demotion. Nothing is more demo- tivating than to be a manager and have a new

“People working in this industry can be sensitive. It’s so easy to turn them off – and difficult to get them going again – if you can!”

Using Zweig Group’s Total Compensation Tool, compensation splits between genders were analyzed by department, position, and level. With the black line representing equal pay, it’s easy to see that overall, AEC firms pay men more than women. Compensation for nontechnical staff favors men even more, while production staff splits lean closer to equal pay. F I R M I N D E X AE2S. ...................................................10

Mark Zweig

Alta Environmental. .................................6

Arch11....................................................8

Cybul Cybul Wilhelm...............................4

Dresdner Robin.......................................4

MORE COLUMNS xz GUEST SPEAKER: Curating company culture Page 3 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Human engineering Page 9 xz GUEST SPEAKER: Greater than project management, part 2 Page 11

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc..........2, 10

Kossar Garry Architects. .........................8

RPS........................................................4

Souder Miller & Associates....................12

Thomas Juul-Hansen..............................8

Conference call: Lisa Kay 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 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

BUSINESS NEWS JACOBS JOINS CATALYST CEO CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE IN ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. joins Catalyst CEO Champions For Change companies in demonstrating an active commitment to achieving gender equality in the workplace. Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou, and the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change signatories, have committed to advancing more women, including women of color, into senior leadership positions and onto boards. The initiative, developed by Catalyst, recognizes CEOs and top industry leaders who support and drive inclusion and diversity within their organizations. “Together with more than 50 other global companies and Catalyst, we are making strong organizational commitments to support inclusion, diversity, and gender equality at work,” said Demetriou. “We continually need to raise the bar, holding ourselves publicly accountable for progress and doing everything we can to build workplaces that work for everyone. As CEOs and board chairs, we have experienced the advantages of having women serve in leadership roles. We believe it is important to have a board and executive leadership teams that are representative of our customers, stakeholders, and employees.” To hold Jacobs accountable, Steve Demetriou boldly pledged to be transparent and share metrics on progress. This is the second year Catalyst is reporting on how well Champions For Change companies lived up to their commitments. Numbers show companies are making strides in just a few years, outpacing their global peers in advancing women in the workplace by up to 5 percent. “We commend Jacobs, along with the other Catalyst Champion CEOs, who epitomize inclusion in action. They know and value the importance of creating more gender inclusive workplaces, and serve as inspirational role models for all,” said Catalyst President and CEO Lorraine Hariton.

Jacobs has taken meaningful steps to advance inclusion and diversity in the workplace. The firm was recently honored as Employer of Choice for Workplace Gender Equality, with two women among Jacobs’ Board of Directors and four women among Jacobs’ executive leadership team. Some recent actions include: ❚ ❚ Appointing first female executive vice president in the company’s history. ❚ ❚ Undertaking a full pay equity review with Jacobs’ annual remuneration review and prioritizing budget for any remedial actions required to address inequity in like-for-like roles. ❚ ❚ Introducing conscious inclusion training to all employees over the next year. ❚ ❚ Holding senior leadership accountable for recruiting from a diverse candidate pool both internally and externally. ❚ ❚ Empowering all employees to share opportunities for improvement with leaders. ❚ ❚ Improving talent management and development process to ensure training, development and career advancement are distributed fairly across the company. ❚ ❚ Instituting culture-based leadership metrics into annual executive compensation, which will include inclusion and diversity goals for each senior Jacobs leader. Jacobs’ Women’s Network promotes an inclusive culture where women and men can thrive and feel valued. The network has a vision that together fosters an inclusive environment where gender diversity and equality drive profitable growth. With more than 5,000 members and more than 90 local chapters on six continents, the impact of the network can be felt throughout Jacobs. Its mission is to accelerate a cultural shift by empowering women and promoting gender equality. The network aims to balance out the representation of gender at all levels, influence recruitment, development, retention, and promotion of qualified women and to champion women leaders.

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

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

boss hired in above you. Even if it’s a reorganization of some kind, if anyone feels they are being demoted – or that others will see them as such – their egos could be signifi- cantly bruised and they’ll be unhappy. 6)Not being included. When you pick meeting attendees, pick carefully. Anyone who is excluded could feel bad or left out. Ditto for parties, presentations, or business trips. 7)Not being responded to. I had someone tell me recently that they had thrown their name in the hat for a department head position and never got any reaction of any kind, neither good nor bad. That is demotivating. Or just not being responded to when you send an email to the boss. That can be a morale-buster, too. All of these – or any one of these – could potentially turn off and demotivate someone who is otherwise a good employee. And they should all be avoidable IF you are smart and can anticipate problems. MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

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 January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

O P I N I O N

Curating company culture

It’s a daunting task, but can result in an energized, unified organization that can withstand setbacks while gaining strength.

C ompanies with a highly engaged workforce have seen a 19.2 percent increase in operating income; highly engaged staff are 87 percent less likely to leave an organization; companies with high staff morale have seen a 16 percent stock price increase compared to low morale companies. But if a company’s culture is weak, fragmented, and internally divisive – that firm has little chance for long-term survival, let alone long-term success.

Jennifer Reeves GUEST SPEAKER

business lines, skill sets, markets, regions, and languages truly unify under a single banner? The answer is a three-step process: diagnose the existing culture, architect the desired culture, and engage your staff in the change. of the company’s history and the various behaviors that have become ingrained in the company’s operational style.” “Changing culture is complicated because, at its core, it is a byproduct

Culture – whether intentional or accidental, good or bad – exists in all companies. It’s the largely unspoken set of values and norms governing what the organization considers to be appropriate behavior. It manifests itself in the day-to-day attitudes and actions of employees, but is shaped and driven by a company’s leadership. So, what can you do if you realize that your culture is due for a change? Changing culture is complicated because, at its core, it is a byproduct of the company’s history and the various behaviors that have become ingrained in the company’s operational style. This challenge is multiplied in a large, diverse company, which is likely home to a variety of cultures needing unification rather than one single culture needing a refresh. How does an organization with diverse

See JENNIFER REEVES, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

BUSINESS NEWS DRESDNER ROBIN COMPLETES ENGINEERING WORK ON $25M BALDOR SPECIALTY FOODS HEADQUARTERS EXPANSION Dresdner Robin is proud to announce the completion of its engineering and general design work on a $25 million, 110,000-square-foot expansion of the Baldor Specialty Foods headquarters, storage, and distribution facility in Hunts Point, New York. The design increased floor space to 270,000 square feet, creating 300 new jobs and adding more than 50 new delivery trucks to accommodate increased production. “This expansion will help Baldor increase its product lines with new fruits and produce to serve the area’s top restaurants and grocery stores,” says Michael Muzyk, president, Baldor Specialty Foods. “Dresdner Robin’s incredible design added 42 loading docks and 300 parking spaces to the facility and they worked diligently to ensure construction did not interrupt our 24/7 operation.” Baldor Specialty Foods is one of the largest importers and distributors of fresh produce and specialty foods in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, employing nearly 1,600 people. It curates and delivers fresh produce, meats, dairy, and organics to stores and restaurants within a 120-mile radius of its Hunts Point facility. “We are very happy that our innovative design will help Baldor better serve its diverse set of customers,” says Joseph Mele, director of engineering, Dresdner Robin. “Baldor has some of the best food in the world going out to prime restaurants across the country.

Our expert team worked hard to minimize disruptions to the facility. We created an engineering timeline that allowed Baldor to remain open 24 hours per day, seven days per week during the design and construction process.” The construction and engineering of this project is being done in two phases. The first phase of the expansion is complete and is fully operational. Construction is nearing completion on the second phase, with 30 additional loading docks being added to the facility. Dresdner Robin was chosen for the expansion project because of its history and expertise in land-use consulting and design. Beginning work in 2015, the firm created a multi- phase plan for design and construction at the site. The parcel of land is owned by the New York Economic Development Corporation, so Dresdner Robin worked with the city to gain approvals and permits on all construction and engineering services on the site. “During the construction phase of the project we found many unforeseen obstructions such as subsurface utilities and remnant structures that caused our team to redesign the project on the fly so the project can keep moving forward and hit our targeted deadlines,” says Rob Laner, assistant project manager, Dresdner Robin. Other engineering challenges included high ground water on the site, requiring substantial dewatering for excavations, as well as a 42- inch gas line and 24-inch gas line from the

adjacent Con Edison site that the team had to design and construct around. Dresdner Robin partnered with architectural firm Cybul Cybul Wilhelm on the design of the expansion. “We worked closely with the architect, CCW, on this project to ensure that our visions matched to create an ideal expansion for Baldor,” continues Mele, of Dresdner Robin. “We’ve worked with CCW on numerous projects and recognize the importance of a strong partnership between the engineering firm and architect on large projects such as this.” Baldor has operated its Hunts Point, New York, facility since 2007, situated in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center in the South Bronx. This center is comprised of more than 155 public and private wholesalers, including the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market, the Cooperative Meat Market and the New Fulton Fish Market, which generates more than $3 billion in sales annually combined. Dresdner Robin is a land use consultancy headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. The firm 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. With offices in locations across the New York City and Philadelphia metro areas, Dresdner Robin prides itself on being comprised of the most creative, multi-functional engineering team in the region.

JENNIFER REEVES, from page 3

❚ ❚ Establish key metrics upfront to measure the progress and success of the culture change. ❚ ❚ Clearly communicate (frequently and using multiple chan- nels) what the new ways of working will be. ❚ ❚ Provide training to staff on desired behaviors and ensure that senior leaders role-model those behaviors daily. ❚ ❚ When employees resist the new culture, respond quickly with firm feedback and reiterate the desired behaviors. ❚ ❚ When employees demonstrate attitudes and behaviors that exemplify the new culture, respond quickly with praise and recognition. Senior management and human resources leaders must not only lead the change and serve as role models of the new culture; they must also work to mobilize employees to support the change while managing pockets of defiance. It’s a daunting task but not an impossible one; when approached with insight and commitment, the result is an energized, unified organization that withstands setbacks while continuing to gain strength from its newer, clearer, healthier culture. JENNIFER REEVES is director of people and culture North America, RPS. She can be reached at jennifer.reeves@rpsgroup.com.

An example is RPS. The diagnosis phase began with a global survey of the firm’s 5,600 staff to solicit feedback on topics including internal career opportunities, work/ life balance, benefits, leadership effectiveness, and client commitment. The survey’s results provided vital insights and ideas, which were solidified via post-survey focus groups. Next came a series of global workshops with staff at all levels to come to agreement on the culture that we will strive to create going forward. “Senior management and human resources leaders must not only lead the change and serve as role models of the new culture; they must also work to mobilize employees to support the change while managing pockets of defiance. It’s a daunting task but not an impossible one.” We are now entering the change phase and will navigate it using best practices including the following:

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

ZWEIG GROUP 2019 EVENT SCHEDULE

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THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

P R O F I L E

Conference call: Lisa Kay President, Alta Environmental (Best Firm #4 Environmental for 2018), a 50-person firm based in Long Beach, CA.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

“I t’s said that people typically don’t leave companies, they leave bosses,” Kay says. “Making sure we cultivate great bosses who create great opportunities for employees

with, this has been a common issue for principals and PMs alike. Let’s all get trained in master negotiating and learn how to describe our values in terms that resonate with the client’s business. “One of our challenges as engineers, scientists, architects, is that we are not always great at holding tight to explaining the value of our work. We need to get better at that.” TZL: Do you tie compensation to performance for your top leaders? LK: We have created an incentive compensation program that is directly linked to exceeding our financial goals. The program is not only for our top leadership but there are in- centives for staff consultants who beat personal invoiced hour/dollar revenue targets each month which allow them to earn up to $1,000 in incentive on a monthly basis. We also incentivize sales successes that are directly tied to our

to grow and evolve is key.” A CONVERSATION WITH LISA KAY.

The Zweig Letter: 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? Lisa Kay: This is a great question. As an industry we need to really work on raising the bar here. We all have stories of the client calling to complain about the $30,000 invoice when they are spending $300,000 in legal advice every month. One of our challenges as engineers, scientists, and architects is that we are not always great at holding tight to explaining the value of our work. We need to get better at that. I have learned that sometimes the client isn’t really looking for a discount or a reduced fee, they just need the justification to explain it to management. Many times when a client calls to question or negotiate the rates we fall right back into negotiating against ourselves rather than working harder on the justification. Over all the firms I’ve worked

THE ZWEIG LETTER Jan

goals. This incentive program was de- signed to anchor a high-performance and goal-oriented culture. “Leading a team of people is about creating opportunities for them to be able to grow, learn, thrive, and create great solutions for our clients.” TZL: Do you share base salary or bonus amounts with your entire staff? LK: Let’s be honest. It is difficult to keep salaries under wraps when you are propos- ing on public jobs. Project managers need to build budgets from the ground up and many public clients require the raw rates plus build up. For these reasons, we must have a rate range for each position that we track and update annually for the public proposals. We don’t openly discuss indi- vidual salaries but it would be silly of me to imagine the team isn’t aware of their colleagues’ base salaries. We also share the bonus information regularly. I believe in transparent management. People perform better when they understand what they need to do to be successful. TZL: When did you have the most fun running your firm, and what were the hallmarks of that time in your profes- sional life? LK: The most fun is when the firm is win- ning interesting and innovative project work and the younger talent gets a rap- id path to advancement by learning fast. Providing opportunities for scientists and engineers to learn and rapidly grow their careers, becoming recognized as technical experts by colleagues and clients, really energizes me. Leading a team of people is about creating opportunities for them to be able to grow, learn, thrive, and create great solutions for our clients. TZL: There is no substitute for experi- ence, but there is pressure to give re- sponsibility to younger staff. What are you doing to address the risk while pur- suing the opportunity to develop your team? LK: This is the most attractive feature of working at Alta. As a young engineer or scientist, Alta is the place to be for rap- id growth in a nurturing and safe envi- ronment. We give responsibility and al- low younger staff to lead their own proj- ects, manage their client relationships, manage budgets, create and execute mar-

keting campaigns, learn and become ex- perts in a specific area, and grow fast. I’ve never believed in some set formula for how long it should take someone to get to a specific level. We manage risk through mentorship, regular check-ins, our struc- tured process, weekly meetings, and scopes/plans for each activity. TZL: Engineers love being engineers, but what are you doing to instill a busi- ness culture in your firm? LK: We focus on key performance indi- cators that matter and set goals around those. Accountability is critical in a busi- ness and holding folks to meeting our business metrics is fundamental. This means we review our financials together every single month and everyone in the firm knows how we are performing ver- sus plan. We talk about the business and what it takes to be successful. We also talk about why profitability is so important to allow us to do the things we want to do, such as acquire new equipment, experi- ment with new ideas, and spend money on training and continuing education, among other things. “Inclusion is a way of being, or behaviors. Diversity is easier to solve for in many cases, in my opinion. Ensuring you have created an inclusive culture is a little more like wrangling fog.” TZL: The seller-doer model is very suc- cessful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your pro- gram? LK: We still ascribe to the seller/doer model, but we also have one full-time business development director who is in the market positioning for the strategic longer term wins and relationships. Since we have gone this direction our number of new client IDIQs and MSAs has increased dramatically. TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? LK: People often use the terms diversi- ty and inclusion in the same context but those are two very different things in execution. Inclusion is a way of being, or See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 50 NO. OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: Five HEADQUARTERS: Long Beach, CA THE FIRM: Alta is an is an environmental engineering and consulting firm specializing in subsurface remediation, air quality, building sciences, sustainability, water resources, and environmental health and safety compliance services serving the needs of industrial, municipal, construction, and transactional clients throughout California. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: Alta Environmental is committed to environmentally as well as socially sustainable practices, whether they are recommended to clients or implemented within internal operations. While assisting clients in complying with environmental policies, regulations, and changes associated with their operations, Alta Environmental provides services and recommendations that incorporate sustainable policies, procedures, and equipment and helps facilities achieve their sustainability goals and obtain certifications. In addition to providing environmental and sustainability consulting services to our clients, Alta Environmental implements sustainable policies and procedures throughout its own operations.

nuary 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

BUSINESS NEWS ARCH11 RECEIVES AIA COLORADO TOP HONORS FOR MIXED-USE BUILDING DESIGN IN DOWNTOWN BOULDER AT 2018 AWARDS Boulder/Denver architecture firm Arch11 received top honors from the American Institute of Architects Colorado at the organization’s Design & Honor Awards Gala. AIA Colorado characterizes this year’s winners as “pushing their designs to the next level so that they serve the community and clients, both today and in the future.” Arch11 received both the AIA Colorado Notable in the North award and a Colorado Award of Excellence for its 909 Walnut Street project – a modern, mixed-use building in Boulder’s historical downtown. The award-winning building at 909 Walnut Street is located on one of Downtown Boulder’s last remaining infill sites where the property owners envisioned an “exemplary” project that would combine their commercial objectives for a sustainable, mixed-use building with the aesthetic demands of the area’s turn-of- the-20th-century context. To maximize the desired outcome, Arch11’s Principal E.J. Meade and Project Architect Kimble Hobbs realized early in the process that to maintain the streetscape’s integrity, less would be more. Working within the city of Boulder’s Downtown Urban Design Guidelines and stringent zoning regulations, they manipulated the buildable volume to optimize square footage and provide daylight deep into the 14,475-square-foot structure. A three-story structure with two floors of offices above a ground-floor restaurant, the 909 Walnut design references the height and proportions of its masonry neighbors while establishing its own presence in Boulder’s iconic low-rise commercial cityscape. To shade the south-facing glass along the street front, Arch11 suspended a slender brise- soleil made from terracotta “baguettes” from the building’s structure. About the delicately proportioned screening device that serves

to both shade the interiors and maintain the established building edge along the sidewalk, the AIA jury said that they “loved the sunshade and the way it addressed the street.” “Windows” on the 909 Walnut building were subtracted from the continuous sun screen to provide light and views from within and to emulate the look and proportions of its brick neighbors’ deep “punched” openings. Light scoops on the east and west sides of the building – where windows weren’t permitted – deliver additional daylight to the lobby and second- and third-floor offices. With a commitment to sustainable design throughout, the building’s energy performance was projected to be 43 percent better than a similarly sized/located baseline building. Overall, the AIA Colorado jury praised the project as “beautiful!” and appreciated it as “sophisticated and well-accomplished inside and out.” Of the honor, Arch11’s Hobbs says, “Arch11 is grateful to have been a part of this project and delighted to have it receive the highest honor from the awards jury. With this award,” he adds, “we are reminded that good buildings are rarely possible without a patient, understanding client and a team willing to put hard work into the pursuit of ideas.” Arch11 has previously proven its ability to creatively repurpose buildings with contemporary design solutions that respect the past in projects such as Boulder’s 1904 Pearl Street and the Canyon Center office building. Similarly, such Arch11-designed restaurants as Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder, and Denver’s Humboldt, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot and Ignite! have each given new life to older structures while reflecting the authenticity of the place. Founded in 1993, Arch11 has gained recognition for projects ranging from exceptional residences to institutional planning,

mixed-use development, and product design, including a 2009 Firm of the Year Award from the Colorado AIA North chapter, and in 2017 Principal E.J. Meade received Colorado Homes & Lifestyles magazine’s Circle of Excellence Award. With offices in Boulder and Denver, Colo., Arch11 has more than 30 combined years of green building technology leadership. The team’s unusual level of hands- on experience ranges from boat building to furniture making, contributing to its reputation for commitment to craft, detailing, and design integrity. GLASSHOUSES TO OPEN IN NEW FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN FALL 2019 Glasshouses, developer, and operator of Glasshouse Chelsea, announced a Fall 2019 opening of a flagship property, The Glasshouse at 660 12th Avenue. The 75,000-square-foot glass enclosed space will accommodate up to 1,850 guests for seated dinners and will feature sweeping views of New York City, waterfront facing outdoor terraces, pre-function spaces, a VIP Lounge, and several Green Rooms along with cutting-edge lighting, audio, video, rigging, and production systems. The high-rise space has been designed as a canvas without bounds and will have the flexibility to host small or large social events and weddings, corporate gatherings, product launches, or full production fashion shows. The décor will offer clients a timeless, clean aesthetic, allowing them to create their desired vision with an unparalleled Manhattan backdrop. From the high finish polished concrete floor with patterned zinc strips to the customizable decorative ceiling outfitted in silver leaf wallpaper, the main floor has been designed by interior architect Thomas Juul-Hansen and Kossar Garry Architects with a focus on sprawling views and individualized use of the space.

LK: I believe people will stick around if they are given op- portunities to grow a career and evolve within the firm. Also, most important is having a great team of people who truly enjoy working together. It’s said that people typically don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. Making sure we cultivate great bosses who create great opportunities for employees to grow and evolve is key. “I purposefully stop myself and ask for others’ insights, regardless of if they are different from mine. I am a strong personality and it takes time for people to realize I am listening and considering their perspective, that I value the differences. It requires trust and openness.”

CONFERENCE CALL, from page 7

behaviors. Diversity is easier to solve for in many cases, in my opinion. Ensuring you have created an inclusive culture is a little more like wrangling fog. You may think you have one but it’s important to find out from the inside if every- one feels its inclusive. Are they heard? Do they feel comfort- able speaking up even with the contrary opinion or idea? I purposefully stop myself and ask for others’ insights, re- gardless of if they are different from mine. I am a strong personality and it takes time for people to realize I am lis- tening and considering their perspective, that I value the differences. It requires trust and openness. Instilling inclu- siveness as a “way we be” starts at the top by modeling the behavior and expecting it of others. TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around?

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

O P I N I O N

Human engineering

One of the most coveted characteristic traits an engineer can possess is also one of the most elusive.

W hat is human engineering? It’s an attempt to reinvigorate an overlooked characteristic trait. The most common definition is your ability to lead, communicate, and negotiate. Some call it “soft skills,” or maybe “non-technical skills.” And I hate it. Not the traits themselves, but the terms we use to refer to those traits. They are mentioned so often that they lose their meaning.

Adam Zach GUEST SPEAKER

How many times do you hear the term “soft skills” and immediately disregard it? The message fails to land. That’s why I prefer the more encompassing term “human engineering” instead. As an engineer myself, it’s easier to get caught up in typical engineering duties – applying math and science through design to create things. Human engineering, on the other hand, is separate, but related to engineering, and specifically deals with the people part of the equation. Let’s look at two famous examples: 1)Andrew Carnegie, the Steel King. A true rags-to- riches story, he started off making $1.20 per week in the late 1800s, moved to the railroad industry and made his fortune by ultimately selling his steel company to JP Morgan for $500 million dollars. This is what he wanted on his tombstone: “Here lies a man who was able to surround himself with men

far cleverer than himself.” Was he a smart man? Yes. Technically proficient? Absolutely. But what set him apart? His ability to lead, communicate, and leverage people. “How many times do you hear the term ‘soft skills’ and immediately disregard it? The message fails to land. That’s why I prefer the more encompassing term ‘human engineering’ instead.” 2)Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. He graduated from Princeton with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering. When asked about the success

See ADAM ZACH, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

BUSINESS NEWS JACOBS RECOGNIZED WITH PRESTIGIOUS 2018 WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION’S WATER HEROES AWARD Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. was honored by the Water Environment Federation with the prestigious 2018 Water Heroes Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have performed above and beyond the call of duty during an emergency situation to continue protecting the public and the environment. Four Florida- based Jacobs operations management project teams, including The Villages, Key West, West Melbourne and Pembroke Pines, were recognized for their ongoing efforts during the most expensive and destructive U.S. hurricane season on record. Staff members and leaders at the four project sites operate and maintain water and wastewater utility systems that serve more than 345,000 residents. The Jacobs-operated facilities were in the path of destruction during the 2017 hurricane season. More than 230

Jacobs staff collaborated and shared skills and resources state-wide to prepare and respond to the events. The staff lived and worked at the project sites voluntarily throughout the storms to ensure the water and wastewater facilities remained up and running. The project teams made extensive pre-storm preparations to prevent issues like facility overflows and speed the return of facilities to regular service soon after the storms passed. “It is an honor for our projects to be nationally recognized for their dedication to their communities,” said Jacobs’ Vice President of Operations Management and Facilities Services Steve Meininger. “With nearly 40 years of water and wastewater operations and maintenance experience, Jacobs has the knowledge, skillset and training to not only prepare for emergencies of this magnitude, but also mitigate the damage done. Our clients value this experience and the resources we bring, especially during hard times.”

The Water Environment Federation is a not- for-profit association that provides technical education and training for water quality professions who clean water and return it safely to the environment. Jacobs also sponsored the Operations Challenge at WEFTEC 2018, reaffirming its position as a leader in the operations and maintenance of wastewater facilities worldwide. Jacobs is a long-time sponsor of the annual challenge, which is a platform for top wastewater collection and treatment personnel to display their skills. Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government, and infrastructure sectors.

ADAM ZACH, from page 9

grads are ready. Seventy percent versus 33 percent, seems backwards, right? As employers are hiring engineers, they are looking less at GPA and more towards related experiences and human engineering qualities. “A whopping 85 percent of your financial success is attributed to skills in human engineering, according to the Carnegie Institute of Technology. Only 15 percent is tied to technical skills.” The big question is, how do we climb the hill of human engineering? ❚ ❚ Through learning. Learning through books, classes, webinars, podcasts, seminars, and workshops are the most common. The different material is often quite a refreshing change of pace for most engineers. ❚ ❚ Through doing. Start practicing early and often. Join an organization like toastmasters, present ideas to friends and family. Start doing! ❚ ❚ Join a team. An example would be to join a program and work with others to build your human engineering intelligence. ❚ ❚ Join a community of other forward-thinking engineers to share common struggles and discuss with fellow travelers on the road of engineering. ❚ ❚ Can’t find a team? Ask me. Or create one yourself! If you knew that 85 percent of your financial success would be attributed to human engineering, what would you do differently? ADAM ZACH is a project engineer with AE2S in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and a lifetime learner. He can be reached at adam.zach@ae2s. com.

of Amazon, Bezos said, “If there’s one reason we have done better than our peers in the internet space over the last six years, it is because we have focused like a laser on customer experience, and that really does matter, I think, in any business.” They focus not only on technology, but people. But why should engineering students, faculty, and professionals care about human engineering? ❚ ❚ Financial motives. What surprises most people is that a whopping 85 percent of your financial success is attributed to skills in human engineering, according to the Carnegie Insti- tute of Technology. Only 15 percent is tied to technical skills. ❚ ❚ A lot of aspiring engineers have it backwards and don’t realize it. We spent 80 to 90 percent of our time focused on the “technical” aspects of engineering. ❚ ❚ Think of college. How many credits or classes did you at- tend that discussed technical versus non-technical mate- rial? Most colleges spend about 90 percent of the curricu- lum on statics, dynamics, circuits, mechanics of materials, and other engineering essentials. Maybe 10 percent of the curriculum is on senior design, working in a team, and extracurricular activities. The problem? We are so over- whelmed by the technical that we don’t have time for the non-technical! ❚ ❚ This is not meant to belittle a university education or the technical work done in our industry. To be successful, you absolutely need to learn the technical skills, work hard, and git’er done. That’s the price of admission. But we all kind of know the same things. So, what’s going to set you apart from your peers? ❚ ❚ False sense of confidence. By the time we graduate, we feel we have paid our dues and are ready to enter the workforce and be productive. This is in line with a survey from the As- sociation of American Colleges and Universities, which found that 70 percent of college students say they possess the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Employers, conversely, see things differently and think less than one-third of recent

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

O P I N I O N

W e have a mission as an organization. It is why we exist. The best ones attract, inspire, and guide our actions. We also have a mission as individuals. These are more about our “who” than our “why,” and it evolves over time. With more competition, more intensive procurement, higher costs, and increasingly lower fees, firm leaders must leverage the power of mission. Greater than project management, part 2

To maintain success in a marketplace with greater competition, more intensive procurement, higher costs, and increasingly lower fees – and to better position our firms for the future – top leaders and organizations are leveraging the power of mission. Our organization’s mission statement connects us to others. It articulates the impact we want to have through our work and beyond. When designed well, it is a perfect “pre-game strategy” or leadership “master plan” to help establish our brand and set targets that motivate us to accomplish great things and navigate challenging times. To do so, our mission should be focused on a positive and resilient “just cause” in service to others, and one that all of our employees – present

and future – would be willing to believe in and sacrifice for. As an industry, we have become pretty good at aligning our mission with our clients’ missions. Our business development and client relationship management systems are advanced. They focus on building relationships and understanding issues, desires, goals, opportunities, and constraints well before we begin work on a deliverable. We strategically identify, qualify, and develop, and then shift additional effort into the proposal, selection, and contracting processes over the course of months, and even years, to convince them we are the firm of choice. Most of us would

Peter Atherton GUEST SPEAKER

See PETER ATHERTON, page 12

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

BUSINESS NEWS SMA HOSTS ANNUAL MEETING OF WATER ENGINEERS FOR THE AMERICAS Souder Miller & Associates , a civil, environmental, and surveying firm with 10 offices in New Mexico and Colorado, recently hosted the annual meeting of Water Engineers for the Americas. Water Engineers for the Americas was founded in 2002 by a group of engineers and professionals at SMA. Built off their prior experience working with Habitat for Humanity, U.S. Public Health Service, andwithWaterlines, another non-profit already doing work in Central and South America, the founders of WEFTA created an organization where they

could connect donors and volunteers directly with communities throughout Latin America, and together develop ways to alleviate the problem of unsafe water supplies and inadequate sanitation. Since its inception, the number of volunteer professionals has grown to over 50 engineers, scientists, and water professionals connecting donors and NGOs with over 100 indigenous and underprivileged rural communities from Chiapas, Mexico to the altiplano in Bolivia. In rural, often indigenous communities without drinking water, WEFTA volunteers work together with community members to design,

build, improve and manage systems that bring safe and reliable clean water supplies not just for the homes of the communities, but also local medical facilities and schools. The projects are community-based, self-help projects that require participation from the community, encouraging empowerment and ownership of the systems. This past annual meeting was held at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and included presentations by WEFTA volunteers that have worked in Chiapas Mexico, Panama, Honduras, and Bolivia.

PETER ATHERTON, from page 11

perspective, much of what we do is pretty amazing if we take the time to think about and express it. Designing our work environments to best develop and retain our talent will take more effort. As our talent evolves in terms of their interests and passions, we also need to co-create ways to align our work with their “life purpose,” their mission, if we hope to retain and fully engage them. Work projects will never be enough. FIVE STEPS TO TAKE. To leverage the power of mission, we can begin with these five steps: 1) Revisit our mission. Does it inspire and attract? Does it ad- vance both sides of the talent-client equation? Is it able to guide us to where we want to be? Is it a brand we want to be associated with as both leaders and employees? 2) Revisit our mindset toward talent. Have we considered the mission of our employees? Do we know the “purpose” our work serves in their lives? Do we have a specific plan to opti- mize and advance it? 3) Reimagine our “employee development” and “employee re- lationship management” systems to maximize growth and engagement. 4) Redesign our work, performance, and incentive systems around our mission to make it happen. 5) Invest in and celebrate great project management and execu- tion as the key to realizing our mission and advancing our firm and industry. There is major change taking place in the AEC industry. Despite our great work and vital role, we need to adapt if we want to attract, inspire, and remain relevant. Our mission can be more than website text or words on the wall. Our mission has the power to produce wins for our clients, our talent, our organizations, and beyond. It’s not only possible, it’s essential for our future viability. PETER ATHERTON, P.E. is an industry insider having spent more than 20 years as a successful professional, principal, major owner, and member of the board of directors for a high-achieving AEC firm. Pete is now the 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 the creator of the I.M.P.A.C.T. process. He can be reached at pete@actionsprove.com.

agree that this is appropriate – and that even more is needed. Purposely and strategically engaging with clients up-front on how best to solve their problems and advance their cause works. It also builds affinity and loyalty. Imagine if we designed and executed our internal employee engagement, development, and management systems with the same level of care, intensity, and investment? Would that be enough to become and remain the firm of choice for our best employees? Throughout our industry, there is the growing chasm between “what it takes to be successful” using traditional means and metrics, and the desire employees have today to win at both work and life. This separation is leading to burnout and exhaustion, lower profits, less engagement and retention, and an erosion of workplace culture. This needs to be leadership’s biggest priority (and mission!) – even if some on the team have not yet fully embraced the issues. A well-designed mission is especially powerful during challenging times when talent has the choice to step away, and is doing so in increasing numbers. We can all agree that we would like to break the cycle of burnout and disengagement and have projects with larger fees and longer schedules. How to do this in our current state is the challenge. To progress, we need a shift in leadership mindset and new investments to engage and develop our talent in ways deeper than our clients. On the client-side, we engage to “serve a purpose,” to design a solution to solve one or more of their problems. On the talent-side, “serving a purpose” is more akin to having a “job,” to put food on the table or pay the mortgage. This won’t generate the drive and commitment needed to get out of our current cycle. To advance, we need our talent to “find purpose” and build careers in the work we do. Fortunately, from a work

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 7, 2019, ISSUE 1278

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