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org chart is financial information shared? BW: We share financial informa- tion with the entire firm every other month at our all staff meeting. I don’t believe that the depth of the informa- tion provided should be the same for everyone at our firm. We try to ensure that we share the appropriate infor- mation with each individual. Trans- parency is important and as our staff grows in responsibility and in their understanding of the business, we share more detail so that they under- stand why decisions are being made. Some staff members are less interest- ed in specific financials and prefer to only know whether we are doing well or poorly. As a society, we are inun- dated with information so we try to be strategic in our information sharing. We believe that information overload is real and it’s important that we man- age that consistently and effectively. “Lifestyle is becoming more important to some, which means that our industry needs to continue to evolve. This is challenging, but necessary for all of us to retain the best in the industry.” TZL: The talent war in the A/E indus- try is here. What steps do you take to create the leadership pipeline need- ed to retain your top people and not lose them to other firms? BW: We have heavily invested in WSB University, WSB’s innovative learning center, and continue to look for ways to improve how we provide educa- tional opportunities to current staff, as well as external talent working in the A/E industry. WSBU is an ambi- tious initiative for us that will contin- ually evolve as staff continues to grow and adapt to new methods and tech- nology. Additionally, we’re focused on benefits, equipment, technology, fa- cilities, and our culture to elevate our- selves amongst competitors. There is no one step that will solve this issue for us, but we are convinced that by striv- ing to be the best that we can be, we will retain at a high rate. Our biggest challenge is losing staff to our clients. Lifestyle is becoming more important

to some, which means that our indus- try needs to continue to evolve. This is challenging, but necessary for all of us to retain the best in the industry. TZL: As you look for talent, what po- sition do you most need to fill in the coming year and why? BW: Mid-career staff is always the most difficult to find throughout our service areas. We have been success- ful recruiting new graduates and don’t see an issue competing for young pro- fessionals. Finding experienced staff is always difficult and seems to be where we lose staff who leave based on life- style needs or a shift in their career paths. TZL: While plenty of firms have an ownership transition plan in place, many do not. What’s your advice for firms that have not taken steps to identify and empower the next gen- eration of owners? BW: Wake up! Stop being greedy and start sharing ownership with those who are helping you be successful! This is not an industry where you can transfer ownership without using your profits. Our salaries don’t sup- port a big investment and your staff have other responsibilities and com- mitments. You can retain your best staff by helping them become owners, if you have a transition plan that will motivate your team to grow and in- crease your value. This is a win-win sit- uation and if you haven’t started, you are doing a disservice to yourself and your team. TZL: Zweig Group research shows there has been a shift in business development strategies. More and more, technical staff, not marketing staff, are responsible for BD. What’s the BD formula in your firm? BW: We prefer the seller/doer model since it seems to create continued suc- cess, but we also recognize that busi- ness development staff are necessary to set the table. We have a combina- tion of staff in each area and are fo- cused on developing more as we grow. TZL: Diversifying the portfolio is never a bad thing. What are the most recent steps you’ve taken to broaden your revenue streams? BW: We have been committed to this See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

YEAR FOUNDED: 1995 (Bret Weiss has served as WSB’s president/CEO since 2000. Under his leadership, WSB has grown and transformed from a provider of engineering services to a full-service consulting and design firm.) HEADQUARTERS: Minneapolis, MN OFFICES: 12 offices in 4 states. NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 475 (full-time, part-time, and seasonal) SERVICE OFFERINGS: ❚ ❚ Civil and municipal engineering ❚ ❚ Community planning ❚ ❚ Transportation ❚ ❚ Construction ❚ ❚ Energy ❚ ❚ Environmental ❚ ❚ GIS and asset management ❚ ❚ Landscape architecture ❚ ❚ Transportation ❚ ❚ Water WHAT’S THE WSB WAY? It’s a commitment made by all staff to each other and their clients. In their daily work, WSB staff members embody this set of staff- developed principles called the WSB Way. These principles define their culture and value system and describe how they serve each other and their clients. This program causes staff to challenge each other to be the best they can be and focuses their attention on three primary attributes: ❚ ❚ Over-the-top customer service ❚ ❚ Integrity ❚ ❚ Technical excellence

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