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BUSINESS NEWS FAULKNER DESIGN GROUP RECEIVES MERIT AT 2018 AURORA AWARDS Faulkner Design Group , a leading national interior architecture and design firm, recently garnered six accolades at the 2018 Gold Nugget Awards. The highly esteemed Aurora Awards have been recognizing the top innovators in design, planning, and development for nearly 40 years. This year’s competitive field boasted more than 400 entries from the southeast region of the nation. FDG’s local Dallas project, One Uptown, brought home a Grand Aurora Award in the Best Multifamily Housing Community-5 Stories or More category, in addition to a Silver Aurora Award in the Best Mixed Use Project category. OneUptown is the creation of a visionary builder and a local team of architects, designers, and builders personally connected with the lifestyle of Uptown Dallas. With one common vision, they carefully crafted a stunning, one-of-a- kind icon that complements the lux lifestyles of its residents with its curved facade, floor- to-ceiling glass, and glass bottom pool directly above the porte-cochère. Another local Dallas project, Broadstone LTD, captured awards in two categories: Grand in Best Interior Merchandising of an Apartment,

and Silver in Residential Community of the Year. Broadstone LTD is located in Trinity Groves, a Dallas neighborhood currently undergoing extensive revitalization to leave behind decades of neglect and blight in an industrial area. When planning Broadstone LTD, designers sought to incorporate the history, art, and overall urban feel of this authentic Dallas neighborhood. Austin-based project The Michael at Presidio was awarded a Grand Aurora Award for the Best Multifamily Housing Community-Up to 4 Stories category. The Michael at Presidio is at the crossroads of casual living and true Austin charm. Located in the booming North Austin neighborhood, this garden-apartment community is situated on sprawling acres of oak trees, canals, and green space. With pedestrian trails and a resort-style amenities center, residents have recreation and leisure at their fingertips. Plano-based project Broadstone Evoke was awarded a Silver Aurora Award in the Best Multifamily Housing Community-5 Stories or More category. The main objective of Broadstone Evoke was to offer a luxurious, upscale lifestyle that was mindful of residents’ everyday experience, and still approachable

for young professionals and families relocating to the area. Developers and designers alike sought to create a vacation-like atmosphere through the high-end amenities and lush in- unit accommodations. Award recipients were announced at the Aurora Awards Gala in August at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Conference Center in Orlando, Florida. FDG, is a fully integrated interior architecture and design firm specializing in multifamily housing and senior living environments, completing more 650,000 units in more than 2,000 communities across 37 states, from Hawaii to New York, and even Canada, working with the largest developers, contractors, real estate investment groups, and management firms in the country for 26 years. These communities are surpassing the industry standard for creativity and quality, earning a reputation as the most highly sought after properties on the market. FDG offers comprehensive design services during the architectural development and construction planning phases of projects, leading the industry with cutting-edge virtual tools and technology, approaching each design solution as a fingerprint in which no two are alike.

DONALD MILLER, from page 9

There is a clear difference between doing work and working toward achieving a larger goal or result. When we at Cuhaci & Peterson figured this out, we assembled something called OKRs (objectives and key results), goals that are inherently measurable and, more importantly, achievable in a reasonable period of time. These firm-wide OKRs really helped each staff member focus on their contribution to something larger, like higher profitability and increased employee engagement. Focus people on results, empower them to decide and think for themselves, give them the tools and training they will need, and partner with clients who will take the journey with you. This makes it almost impossible to fail. Like they say, your clients are only as satisfied as your employees. We at C&P have spent nearly 40 years growing from three people to more than 265 throughout the country serving a wide array of diverse clients. The decades have taught us how to see the need to evolve and change within the industry. Many are still under the mindset that a command-and-control culture is still effective. I say try to win the hearts and minds of your staff while calling out their errors. Creating a culture of accountability will certainly influence the bottom line. Since we have started our best leadership practices, accountability training, and other employee- owned initiatives, we have seen a significant increase in revenue and employee engagement. We still have a long way to go, but are fully committed to following through with our effort to become successful through self- accountability. DONALD MILLER is director of project management at Cuhaci & Peterson. He can be reached at donald.miller@c-p.com.

rather me focus on? Tell me what to do.” Do any of these instill confidence in either party? Absolutely not. Leading through accountability takes a willingness to do a better job at recognizing challenges and accepting feedback toward positive change. “Creating a culture of accountability will certainly influence the bottom line. Since we have started our best leadership practices, accountability training, and And trust me, not owning up to your part in making things better or worse is a slippery slope that leads to poor decisions. I have found that being upfront, kind, and patient is the key to accountable leadership. Communication should also be clear and deliberate. For example, if a key goal of the firm is to decrease employee attrition by 5 percent, then you may want to walk your department heads through the “why” of the quality assurance/quality control process, and how it could increase employee engagement and ultimately win their buy-in. We each have a role to play within the realm of accountability, we just sometimes lose our “why” and create excuses for short-term losses. other employee-owned initiatives, we have seen a significant increase in revenue and employee engagement.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER November 12, 2018, ISSUE 1272

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