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ewWhite LAW:
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sus government, growing new arenas of technical services, and expanding geographic coverage. Opening up a Midwest office a couple of years ago helped support our growth im- mensely. And, moving into the oil and gas sector provided more depth to our private industry portfolio. We are devel- oping more IT-focused services now to support existing ser- vice areas as well as new offerings. “We have the attitude that any opportunity we are interested in is within our reach, and achievable, alone or with one or more partners. (Even if it really isn’t, we at least lay the groundwork for learning, expanding relationships, and being better prepared the next time.)” TZL: The list of responsibilities for project managers is seemingly endless. How do you keep your PMs from burning out? And if they crash, how do you get them back out on the road, so to speak? LAW: We recognize that with the huge breadth of respon- sibilities and the ever increasing difficulties and new chal- lenges in our industry, not every situation will be handled perfectly. We request that PMs talk to us early if they an- ticipate problems, and if they do occur, we give them tre- mendous front line, visible support to help rectify the situa- tion and learn from it, without engaging in a punitive atmo- sphere. We also hold many fun events (small and large) to blow off steam and provide a high level of concern for, and flexibility with, family situations. Simply, we care about our employees. We give bonuses twice a year and provide cars for regional office managers. TZL: What is the role of entrepreneurship in your firm? LAW: We have the attitude that any opportunity we are in- terested in is within our reach, and achievable, alone or with one or more partners. (Even if it really isn’t, we at least lay the groundwork for learning, expanding relationships, and being better prepared the next 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? LAW: They do not vary by client, unless it’s a government contract that dictates how time is charged and when. We tell people to put all chargeable time on a project even if it is over budget and will be written off. Otherwise we don’t learn how to correct budgets. (Technology and multiple forms of instant communication have made the workforce See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8
❚ ❚ Go to a well-chosen ownership transition seminar and get started now. ❚ ❚ Determine what you want your legacy to be and determine if you have the talent and interest in-house to maintain it. ❚ ❚ Plan two levels of leaders down. ❚ ❚ Conduct 360-degree reviews throughout the firm of the tar- geted potential owners, prioritize internal mentoring, and consider leadership coaching with outside perspectives.
❚ ❚ Don’t let their heads get too big too early. ❚ ❚ Evaluate all means to finance the transition.
❚ ❚ If the potential leadership ability and interest isn’t there, bring it in if you have time, or consider an outside sale, know- ing you may have to stay involved for a period after the clos- ing. TZL: Monthly happy hours and dog friendly offices. What do today’s CEOs need to know about today’s workforce? LAW: As a generality, today’s workforce prefers flexibility, minimized impact to their personal lives, appreciation, fun, a company that makes a positive impact on the world and is not all about profit, a place to go no matter what their talent distribution is, and accountability by management. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? LAW: Apparently we are out of sync. We’ve been success- ful for 35 years with seller/doer, but it is very demanding for PMs to fill both ends of the spectrum, and as employees’ priorities seem to become more balanced towards increased time with family, the personal investment often needed for seller/doer success seems to be on the downslide. We have therefore become more receptive to a sales force comple- ment. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? LAW: We have always pursued diversification of private ver- “We benchmark compensation with Zweig Group surveys on an annual basis and provide extreme flexibility (work at home, non-routine hours, etc.) We also hold employee meetings and do internal surveys to obtain feedback, and then act on that feedback.”
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arch 5, 2018, ISSUE 1238
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