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THE BEST EVER, from page 7
will seriously change the role of engineering professionals. We’ve all seen the software that balances cuts and fills on a site, now extrapolate that to an entire roadway or commer- cial site design. Think about it, every bridge is like a hand- tailored suit. It will not stay that way. When you talk to the AI community, there isn’t much, if anything, they’re afraid of tackling. TZL: Diversity and inclusion is lacking. What steps are you taking to address the issue? PBC: I’ve had some fascinating conversations about diversi- ty and how it delivers value to an organization. A few years ago, I posed a question to a classmate as we discussed a case study that had demonstrated companies with diverse boards of directors financially outperformed those with homogeneous ones. The results were inarguable. Diverse boards made for more valuable organizations. The cause was attributed to the value of diversity of thought, experi- ence and background. I asked if it might be at least partially attributed to the fact that homogeneous boards may have members selected based on existing access, friendships, and familiarity, where boards displaying diversity were more likely comprised of individuals selected based on demon- strated skill and abilities. I have always been unhappy with how my question was brushed aside so easily. Here’s my point: I think it has worked significantly to CME’s advantage to recognize that talent resides in all genders and races, and if you focus on finding, hiring, and nurturing tal- ented individuals you naturally end up with a diverse work- force and the additional advantages which come with a wid- er range of personal experiences and perspectives. Our peo- ple are hired and promoted based on talent. As a small, for- profit firm, we don’t have the wherewithal to narrow our talent search beyond the skill sets a role requires. Our staff, to a person, is in their role based on their professional abil- ity. We cannot afford anything else. It is not a surprise to me that our focus on professional ability and potential has led us to far exceed the AEC industry’s average measures of gender and racial diversity. Talent resides across the full spectrum of gender and race, and I believe CME is proof of that. “Seeing key staff take ownership of the idea that we can and will grow to be a much bigger organization, and work hard to create the culture, processes and systems necessary to be that bigger vision, is just the best experience ever.” TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around? PBC: Well the answer to that is pretty straightforward – growth and a commitment to help every staff member de- velop and grow their professional value. If we cannot grow fast enough to provide someone with an opportunity to grow within CME, I am willing to write a letter of recom- mendation to help them move on to the professional role they deserve. I get a lot of disbelieving looks when I say it, but I mean it.
running your firm, and what were the hallmarks of that time in your professional life? PBC: Right now. We are winning bigger projects and deliver- ing value to our clients in ways we could not have imagined 10 years ago. As a result, many of our people have been able to step into more meaningful and challenging roles. Seeing key staff take ownership of the idea that we can and will grow to be a much bigger organization, and work hard to create the culture, processes, and systems necessary to be that bigger vision, is just the best experience ever. “The greatest change we’ve made in our benefits was to go to an undefined vacation policy. Everyone in the firm is expected to take at least three weeks off each year. You can take more with the approval of your supervisor. Taking less than three weeks is discouraged.” TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility as CEO? PBC: Change implementation. TZL: What happens to the firm if you leave tomorrow? PBC: Nothing. They are entirely whole without me. I tend to be the one who sees business opportunities earliest, but they would pick up that role quickly. TZL: With technology reducing the time it takes to com- plete design work, how do you get the AEC industry to start pricing on value instead of hours? PBC: It has started. Since 1996, average industry profitabil- ity (EBITDA) has gone from 6.5 percent to more than 11.5 percent. More and more firms are recognizing the value of business skills and are folding MBAs and CPAs into their leadership teams. Over time, that knowledge will change the industry. 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? PBC: Yes and yes. As the demand for engineers continues to grow, pay scales will be pushed higher. Many clients resist the increases, but at their own peril. I have seen large firms make the choice to stop working in certain states as wage caps and short-sighted contracting restrictions squeezed their margins to the point where they clearly had better places to put their capital to work. If you think about it, states will lose the best firms first, as the most talented are always in highest demand and therefore more portable. “Af- fordable and mediocre” is not much of a motto! AI is going to enter our space far faster and more profound- ly than most of us are able to imagine, and when it does it
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THE ZWEIG LETTER February 25, 2019, ISSUE 1285
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