TZL 1301

angst of a monumental, capital intensive transition that can ruin the fun. That, and our success and continual efforts to im- prove, are our “sell.” We are succinct and clear about the risks, commitments, and possible rewards, and encourage candi- dates to consider this as their career-de- fining decision. We are okay with a “no,” as people are at different circumstances personally, professionally, and financially. They’re still great team members. “As a widely held firm, we are perpetually in ownership transition. While that makes for some busy work, it also ensures that we avoid the intensity and angst of a monumental, capital intensive transition that can ruin the fun.” TZL: Describe the challenges you en- countered in building your management team over the lifetime of your leader- ship? Have you ever terminated or de- moted long-time leaders as the firm grew? How did you handle it? MS: You have to have a team that fits your leadership style, folks that you can trust implicitly, and are confident enough in their role that they can do their jobs well and give you the necessary news you need to hear – good or bad. Changes may be necessary if people don’t meet that cri- teria, but it’s important to have an open channel of dialogue to ensure that, togeth- er, you find the right place for the person and you don’t lose a good team member. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job respon- sibility as CEO? MS: “Exciter” – a CEO needs to ensure that we’re bringing an energy to all that we’re doing and exploring – and channel, not squander – the great energy that teams create spontaneously when they sync well. TZL: If the worker shortage continues, do you see wages increasing to encour- age more talent to enter the AEC space, or will technology be used to counter the reduced work force? MS: Yes and yes. We monitor and adjust compensation based on market factors to attract new talent and also retain the team we have. We are also investing in the R&D,

technology, and tools that will help us do our work more efficiently now. 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? MS: Providing the right amount of respon- sibility at the right time is the responsi- bility of our senior leaders. TLC provides training and tools to help support young project managers in developing their skill sets. We also have an Emerging Leaders program to develop those who we envision as our future leaders. These people are typ- ically drawn from our PM ranks, to expose them to the soft skills and talents they need to see and grow within themselves. An additional outcome of this program is the strong relationships that develop among the participants – connecting our various offices and disciplines across oper- ating units. It’s very beneficial to both the participants and the future of our firm. TZL: Engineers love being engineers, but what are you doing to instill a busi- ness culture in your firm? MS: We have a long-standing project man- ager training program called the “Business of Consulting Engineering” that goes be- yond the basics and makes these emerging and key staff aware of the actions, risks, consequences, and rewards of their role at TLC. You can’t just beat people over the head with metrics, you need to give them the tools and training to get them and their teams to the next level. TZL: The seller-doer model is very suc- cessful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your pro- gram? MS: Relationships with architects, own- ers, and contractors are crucial to our suc- cess. We’ve successfully built our firm on the seller-doer model which has resulted in a very high percentage of repeat clients. The balance of selling and doing varies – with some staying very engaged in the management of the project, while others are available to the team and check in reg- ularly to maintain continuity. There is no one perfect solution – it depends on the personalities and management styles of each individual. TLC does have a handful of dedicated business development staff who are integral to our on-going success. See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

YEAR FOUNDED: 1955 HEADQUARTERS: Orlando, FL NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 385 NO. OF OFFICE LOCATIONS: 13 SERVICES: ❚ ❚ Mechanical ❚ ❚ Electrical ❚ ❚ Plumbing ❚ ❚ Structural engineering ❚ ❚ Technology

❚ ❚ Energy services ❚ ❚ Commissioning ❚ ❚ Life safety and fire protection ❚ ❚ Acoustics ❚ ❚ Lighting design MARKETS: Arts and entertainment, education, federal government, healthcare, high-rise, historic preservation, public safety and judicial, science and technology, sports and recreation, unique and innovation, hospitality and housing, infrastructure/central energy plants, mission critical, mixed-use, office, restaurant and retail, senior living, themed entertainment and transportation. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: Building technologies are evolving rapidly. TLC actively researches new technologies and how they can be incorporated into their designs, as well as how to accurately model these when evaluating building energy budgets. TLC’s Peak Institute, also known as PI, leads the way in embracing new systems and technology, as well as sharing this information across TLC and with its clients to benefit building owners.

ne 17, 2019, ISSUE 1301

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