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DS: Burnout is the result of losing focus on your goals. It’s important to re-ignite the “why we do what we do” by creat- ing diversity in product types and challenges so that there’s always a new “why.” We also have flex hours and generous vacation benefits for rejuvenating. “Burnout is the result of losing focus on your goals. It’s important to re-ignite the ‘why we do what we do’ by creating diversity in product types and challenges so that there’s always a new ‘why.’” TZL: What is the role of entrepreneurship in your firm? DS: If you do become a leader at BSB, it’s largely due to pos- sessing a strong entrepreneurial spirit. We encourage and expect our leaders to adapt and pivot to the changing de- mands of the market and act like founders. In our leader- ship guidelines, which define a clear path to ownership, it’s clear and often stated that thinking like and acting like an entrepreneur is critical. TZL: In the next couple of years, what A/E segments will heat up, and which ones will cool down? DS: I think housing will heat up and retail will suffer. TZL: The talent war in the A/E industry is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline need- ed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? DS: At BSB we have two groups that run the company day to day: Our operations committee is responsible for running the “the back of the house;” and the BD team runs sales. Both of these groups mentor the rest of our teams. We’re also launching a brand new Emerging Leadership Program where all employees participate in tier one training and then have to be selected for tier two and tier three training. Lastly we have a full-time trainer in corporate that manages virtual training using Red-Vector. TZL: As you look for talent, what position do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? DS: We need business developers who are also “hot pen- cils” to support our seller-doer model. We’re also looking for BDers and “front of the house” lead designers who can work as teams. TZL: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next generation of owners? DS: My advice is to get on it! Most firms run out of time and don’t spend enough of it on transition. It cannot be rushed because when that gets rushed it can get ugly fast. We plan
three years for each candidate to have one year shadowing, one year working as equals, and the last taking over using their mentor as a sounding board. TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog-friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? DS: All companies need to adapt and pivot as our workforce demands different environments that will excite them and would most attract them to come and work in your com- pany. That said, protecting your culture can never be com- promised for a fad. At BSB we have a Culture Club, Fun Squads, and design competitions that work in parallel to promote culture, teamwork, and a family atmosphere. We all got involved in the A/E industry because we wanted to express our creativity and our design completions include all employees from accounting and legal to marketing and design. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? DS: We have acquired two firms and several strategic hires have expanded our reach in student housing, multi-family, office buildings, major league baseball, commercial interi- ors, and hospitality. In housing, we’ve lost the last decade and, as a result, have an aggressive acquisition strategy to make up for lost time. TZL: With overhead rates declining over the last five years and utilization rates slowly climbing back up to pre-recession levels, how do you deal with time manage- ment policies for your project teams? Is it different for different clients? DS: For us, it’s not just about time management. It’s about working a proven process with focus. To have real focus you have to create urgency and set targets for tasks that are very specific to avoid what I call “time warps” where folks have no idea how long something did or should take. Back when I drafted I used to use a stopwatch to track my speed so that I knew to the minute how long each task would take and then I worked on process to improve speed. In the BSB In- novation Lab we use Elite Action Teams to work on improv- See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8 “We encourage and expect our leaders to adapt and pivot to the changing demands of the market and act like founders. In our leadership guidelines, which define a clear path to ownership, it’s clear and often stated that thinking like and acting like an entrepreneur is critical.”
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uary 22, 2018, ISSUE 1232
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