1242

ON THE MOVE NEW HIRE FOR BURNS & MCDONNELL AS IT MAKES GAINS IN THE U.K. MARKET Burns & McDonnell , an engineering and construction company, has hired engineer James Crouch to lead its engineering team in the U.K. The Kansas City, Missouri-based firm opened its first U.K. office in Birmingham, England, last year. Crouch is based in Birmingham as the new lead of a growing team of engineers responsible for the engineering and design of future networks for network owners and developers. He joined Burns & McDonnell in January, having previously been head of engineering at Sterling Power Group. Crouch comes to Burns & McDonnell with nearly 10 years of experience in the electricity industry in the U.K. He has worked on a range of electrical infrastructure design-build projects throughout the U.K., and has significant

experience in developing solutions for power network projects. This follows the news that Burns & McDonnell has achieved accreditation to the three standards covered within its Integrated Management System in less than six months. These certifications cover the design, development, project management, and construction of engineering projects. “We are growing our U.K. employee base and making gains in the market, which are tremendously exciting,” says Jonathan Chapman, managing director. “In addition to our contracts won, we are developing a team of talented people who will be instrumental in deploying our innovative infrastructure solutions in Birmingham and across the U.K. I am very pleased to have James on board. He comes to us with strong expertise and knowledge in this sector, and I know he will

bring huge value to our team as we continue to expand. “As we work to meet the challenges in the U.K. electric industry, we are also encouraged by the fact that we have achieved ISO accreditations that will permit all our global practices to operate here on engineering and construction projects. The certification is a globally recognized standard ensuring that key standards are incorporated. It is a significant investment of time and resources but is well worth it because of the benefits it will bring to our clients.” James Crouch says: “I am pleased to have begun work at Burns & McDonnell and to be part of a firm with so much history, expertise, and passion behind it. I am joining the U.K. team at an exciting time and am looking forward to seeing the company develop and expand in the coming months and years.”

LINDA ADAMS, from page 9

❚ ❚ 125 times more likely to call each other out for poor perfor- mance ❚ ❚ 50 times more likely to openly discuss conflict In business, the markers are not always as clear as numbers on a scoreboard after each quarter. And the timeframe is rarely as rigid. But the savviest businessmen and women know that however their team is performing today, they can be better tomorrow. The traits and characteristics of the highest performing teams can be learned and taught. They are as replicable as they are identifiable. If you are interested in having a Super Bowl winning team this year, take the following steps: ❚ ❚ Make sure your players know how to play their position and are playing it. Lack of role clarity and how job respon- sibilities connect with the larger goal is often at the root of poor performance on the team. ❚ ❚ Define the goal and ensure the whole team is bought in. From the last day of last season, the Patriots’ unwavering focus was Super Bowl LII. Does everyone on your team under- stand the overarching and unified team goal? ❚ ❚ Establish the standards of performance. What are the behavioral and operating norms all team members will be held accountable to uphold? Do you hold all team members accountable to the same standards, no matter what their posi- tion or how much of a “superstar” they are? ❚ ❚ Extend trust to team members. Assume positive intent and if you don’t understand a teammate’s motivation or behavior, find out what may be behind it. ❚ ❚ When the going gets tough, have the tough conversa- tions. When things are challenging and the scoreboard says you are losing, improvements and change are required. With- out feedback and debate, and the team’s willingness to engage in honest, sometimes even uncomfortable dialogue, change never occurs. LINDA ADAMS is a leadership development expert and co-founder of the Trispective Group. She is the co-author of The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations . For more information, or to take a free team snapshot assessment, please visit trispectivegroup.com.

data, and looked for patterns. The highest performing teams across all organizations have identifiable traits and characteristics. On extraordinary teams, members have each other’s backs and are focused on team success. They put the team agenda ahead of any personal agenda and commit to work for a teammate’s success with as much energy and attention as they work for their own. “On extraordinary teams, members have each other’s backs and are focused on team success. They put the team agenda ahead of any personal agenda and commit to work for a teammate’s success with as much energy and attention as they work for their own.” Tom Brady may be the best quarterback to ever call a play, but he’s nothing if the offensive line lets him get crushed before he can spot his receiver or fire the pass. Doug Pederson may be the canniest coach, but his genius is irrelevant if his players can’t execute. And that old trope about offense winning games and defense winning championships? All true and still, the best defense in the league is the one that works with ruthless efficiency, hands over the ball to their offense, and watches the rest from the sideline. But most importantly, when things go south, as they always do, the best teams talk about it. The highest performing teams are: ❚ ❚ 106 times more likely to give each other tough feedback

THE ZWEIG LETTER April 2, 2018, ISSUE 1242

Made with FlippingBook Annual report