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ZWEIG GROUP SERVICES ZG SERVICES Zweig Group approaches each project as a cross-functional team consisting of professionals with different expertise working toward a common goal. ZG has been in the AEC industry for more than 30 years and brings that collective knowledge to every assignment. ZG’s history isn’t just extensive, it’s also successful. Zweig Group is a three-time listed
Inc. 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Privately-Held Firm. Advising services provided by Zweig Group include business valuation; ownership transition planning; firm mergers, sales, and acquisitions; management audits; strategic business planning; and more. Visit zweiggroup.com/ service to learn more.
The Principals Academy ZWEIG GROUP’S FLAGSHIP
TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FIRM LEADERS
CHAD CLINEHENS, from page 1
to build backlog and brand preference. Train your technical team as doer-sellers and empower and incentivize them to build relationships to fill a pipeline for the future. Employ the best creative marketing staff you can to elevate your website, social media programs, thought leadership, pursuit-strategy process, and other awareness activities to build your brand and position your firm as the preferred choice in your markets. It is critical to act now, when the economy is good. There will come a day when your clients have fewer dollars to spend. Position yourself now so they spend those dollars with you. For more information on how to position your firm and build a doer-seller team, contact Doug Parker, FSMPS, CPSM, Zweig Group’s managing principal and CMO, at dparker@zweiggroup.com or Jen Newman, CPSM, Zweig Group’s managing director of business development strategy, at jnewman@zweiggroup.com. ❚ ❚ Commit to continuous learning firm wide. The number one challenge firms face is recruiting and retention. The number one benefit identified and highly valued by employees of AEC firms for the past two years is training and development. But, we continually hear that firms aren’t providing training and development. In fact, Zweig Group has seen firsthand this unfortunate trend over the last year in declining attendance at training seminars and decreased commitment to internal formalized training programs. Compare that to the overwhelming data in our Best Firms To Work For survey, which indicates that firms with active training programs have employees who believe they work for a great firm. There is a disconnect here. Firm’s struggling to recruit and retain need to start with a progressive training program to meet the needs of their employees. Zweig Group is here to help. This year, we made a significant investment in learning with the addition of Marci Thompson, Zweig Group’s chief learning officer. We have greatly expanded our ability to provide in-house training programs. If you would like to learn more about options for your firm, contact Marci at mthompson@zweiggroup.com to design a custom solution. ❚ ❚ Make strategic planning a yearly activity. With more than 70 percent of strategic plans not fully executed, the opportunity for you to make your firm strong now when times are good will greatly improve your resilience in future turbulent economic times. Make sure your long-term strategic plan is up to date and your C-suite is able to commit the time and resources necessary for continuous execution of initiatives. Make business planning and annual activity where every market sector of the firm has specific, measurable goals to ensure advancement of the overall plan. Firms with strategic plans are 12 percent more profitable and enjoy stronger recruiting abilities. We recommend that firms get a third-party facilitator with AEC-specific expertise to design a plan that advances the firm. For more information on strategic planning, contact Phil Keil, Zweig Group’s director of strategy, at pkeil@zweiggroup.com. I recognize the challenge of committing resources to even the few things listed above. However, you must find a way to make it happen. Many of the recommendations I’ve made require concurrent or consecutive execution to realize the full benefits possible, making the challenge even greater. The value of maintaining long-term focus in this short-term environment cannot be understated. Your firm can increase your competitive advantage at a time when the industry is lowering the bar. You can become bigger, better, and stronger today, enabling you to be resilient in any conditions of tomorrow. Despite short- term issues eroding long-term focus, you can beat the metrics and be the contrary example. If you have questions, are have similar issues, or want to share your own story, reach out to me anytime. CHAD CLINEHENS is Zweig Group’s president and CEO. Contact him at cclinehens@zweiggroup. com.
Elevate your ability to lead and grow your firm at this impactful two-day program designed to inspire and inform existing and emerging firm leaders in key areas such as: leadership, financial management, recruiting, marketing/business development, and project management.
REGISTER TODAY
http://bit.ly/PrincipalsAcademy
1200 North College Ave. Fayetteville, AR 72703 Chad Clinehens | Publisher cclinehens@zweiggroup.com Richard Massey | Managing Editor rmassey@zweiggroup.com Christina Zweig | Contributing Editor christinaz@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Senior Editor & Designer sparkman@zweiggroup.com Liisa Andreassen | Correspondent landreassen@zweiggroup.com
Tel: 800-466-6275 Fax: 800-842-1560
Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: thezweigletter.com Twitter: twitter.com/zweigletter Facebook: facebook.com/thezweigletter Published continuously since 1992 by Zweig Group, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA. ISSN 1068-1310. Issued weekly (48 issues/year) $250 for one-year print subscription; free electronic subscription at thezweigletter.com/subscribe © Copyright 2019, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group. All rights reserved.
THE ZWEIG LETTER November 11, 2019, ISSUE 1320
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