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Tamarack Grove staff celebrating the firm’s placement on Zweig Group’s 2021 Hot Firm List.
THE RIGHT PATH, from page 7
the client? Is it the market sector? Is it us? What can we do to put things back on the right path for success? TZL: You started the company in 2007 to “serve a need in the industry.” What was that need that was not being filled? How has the firm evolved since you first conceived it to what it is today? BS: I felt that the industry lacked a “connection with people.” I saw the industry evolving into a commodity. In the first few years of my career, I started to think about what I would do differently if given the chance. I started thinking about the importance of company culture. I was employed at a place that didn’t care much about culture or making connections. Connections breed relationships. When I had the opportunity to set out on my own, I created Tamarack Grove Engineering on the foundation that “life is about relationships.” Within our office we ask everyone on our team what makes us different. We don’t just want to give a client a finished product. It’s our knowledge, availability, experiences, depth, other- centeredness, and responsiveness that adds to the end product that we deliver. We want new and repeat business founded on the relationship first and the work second. I often tell our staff that we’re in the relationship building business first and structural engineering second. I also didn’t want to just be a local firm. I wanted our relationship-driven attitude to pervade all of North America. And, technology makes it possible. So, over time, Tamarack Grove grew into a firm with licensure that helps clients all over North America. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility? BS: Being a servant leader and teaching others.
TZL: It is often said that people leave managers, not companies. What are you doing to ensure that your line leadership are great people managers? BS: I agree with this 100 percent. Here at TGE, it begins with simply valuing all staff. We have weekly leadership training with our engineering staff managers because we want to empower them to lead their team. We require all of our staff managers to meet one-on-one with each team member, quarterly. We cover topics having to do with our leaders’ weaknesses and strengths. We ask questions such as, “How can we get better in leading you?” and, “What are your goals?” “We want new and repeat business founded on the relationship first and the work second. I often tell our staff that we’re in the relationship building business first and structural engineering second.” TZL: When you identify a part of your business that is not pulling its weight in terms of profitability or alignment with the firm’s mission, what steps do you take, and what’s the timeline, to address the issue while minimizing impacts to the rest of the company? BS: Our very first question we always ask is, “What can we (leadership) do to help out?” Our underlying theme is “We win as a team, we lose as a team.” Everyone is responsible for pulling their own weight, but it’s never all put on one person’s shoulders. When we see an issue or trend, we bring it to light and all work on trying to address it. Is it
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THE ZWEIG LETTER NOVEMBER 1, 2021, ISSUE 1415
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