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O P I N I O N
W ith an awkward tip of the hat to The Clash, let’s acknowledge that for some, the idea of corporate growth can be a nebulous concept that can carry a negative connotation. Alternatively, for progressive AEC firm leaders and thinkers, it’s oftentimes one of the goals that we strive for. The word growth is often associated with the bald pursuit of profits, but it’s really about the health of your firm and your staff. Should I stay or should I grow?
management ladder or taking on more responsible client service positions. Why does this matter? In our space, we are experiencing extremely low unemployment. Recruiters are relentlessly pursuing our best “Corporate growth is often associated with the monetary reward of a growing company, but there is a strong case to be made for focusing on corporate growth as a retention strategy by providing opportunities for employees to achieve their career aspirations.”
Mitchell Fortner
Our premise is this: The opportunity for expedited personal career development within an AEC firm is tied to corporate growth. I’ve often said that for an ambitious young professional in a landlocked and saturated market area within a stagnant AEC firm, it is extremely depressing to realize that your personal career advancement is directly tied to the unfortunate death, retirement, or termination of your supervisor. That’s just not an exciting place to be for someone who is wanting to grow and advance in their career. On the other hand, firms that are dynamic and growing, opening new offices, acquiring new companies, expanding their service area into new geographic areas, or opening new lines of business, are often creating opportunities for their existing employees. Those opportunities include, and are certainly not limited to, climbing the
See MITCHELL FORTNER, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER April 29, 2019, ISSUE 1294
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