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growth in the recent past. MG: It’s organic as well as via acquisition. Being from an agricultural background, I preach that anything that lives must grow. We have a robust growth strategy that challeng- es our existing locations year in and year out to expand and stretch. We also have a focused M&A strategy to increase our geographic footprint, add a service area we see that our client base needs, or strengthen our position in a current lo- cation or market share. Being methodical as well as persis- tent in our efforts toward growth while standing fast in the principals of our strategy is key. Getting lost in the idea of growth and deciding to grow for the sake of growing can po- tentially do more harm than good. TZL: What’s the greatest challenge presented by growth? MG: Much of our growth has come from acquisitions. We focus on integrating new team members into Fehr Graham so that there’s consistency in how we do business at all loca- tions. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but culture is every- thing. Ensuring compatibility of the cultures and integrat- ing the two entities to form one requires focus and atten- tion. TZL: When hiring, what is the most important thing you look for? MG: The key tenets when hiring obviously change depend- ing on the experience level you’re hiring. However, in all cas- es, the ability to communicate orally and in writing, solve problems, and demonstrate a high level of empathy/emo- tional intelligence is key. Leadership potential and profes- sionalism are also attributes we seek. TZL: When firing, what’s your guiding philosophy? MG: Treat everyone with the highest level of respect. No one gets fired because he or she is a bad person or because he or she made a mistake. A separation occurs simply be- cause behaviors don’t align, and the lack of alignment is hurting the team. TZL: Great company culture is a cornerstone of any great firm. With a growing business with multiple offices, how is the firm’s culture maintained? What are the inevitable changes caused by growth? MG: We continue to work on culture as we add firm offic- es. More and more, we learn how important it is to have See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8 “We must offer more than just a job. There must be opportunities for creativity, professional advancement, and fun. We know our best resources are our people. We make sure they know it, too.”

❚ ❚ Our clients are part of the team throughout the project, not simply people we engage to sign a contract and don’t see again until we hand them the final product. ❚ ❚ We follow up to ensure we met product goals and our clients’ expectations. It is important to us that they had a good expe- rience. We must be proactive, intentional, and thoughtful in our ap- proaches as well as highly communicative as even the best- laid plans and projects experience bumps. When setbacks or complications arise, we effectively communicate with our clients and work with them to find resolutions. This ap- proach allows us to maintain – and oftentimes build – trust. “Sharing key stats and including our financial information with the team builds trust and encourages ownership of what we do each day. I’ve found that most of our employees appreciate that we’re transparent.” TZL: What’s the best way to recruit and retain top talent in a tight labor market? MG: We must offer more than just a job. There must be op- portunities for creativity, professional advancement, and fun. We know our best resources are our people. We make sure they know it, too. We develop and maintain relation- ships with our staff and show we value them in diverse ways such as: ❚ ❚ Providing a realistic work schedule. I’m not saying our people don’t put in the hours to meet client demands, but we work hard to communicate that achieving work-life balance is a Fehr Graham priority that helps everyone perform at a higher level. ❚ ❚ Giving our team more than tools of the trade, which are an expected minimum these days. No one is willing to find a way to make due with a typewriter or Mylar and a LEROY set. We must put current technology in the hands of our people and make sure we give them access to the training they need to use it. ❚ ❚ Relationships are key. Relationships with college campuses, relationships with high school guidance counselors, relation- ships with professional societies, and most importantly, re- lationships with our staff. Word of mouth to fill a position is much more effective than a job posting on a website. We also invest in young people who live within our markets with the hope they may come to work with us after they earn their degrees. We offer several internships for future engineers (civil and structural), landscape architects, geolo- gists, and more. TZL: What’s your preferred strategy for growth, M&A or organic? Give us a synopsis of how your firm effected

ember 18, 2017, ISSUE 1216

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