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ragher

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to be clear on performance expectations and goals. We en- courage candid, frequent feedback so there are no surprises and we outline a clear process to turn things around when expectations are not being met. Next steps and outcomes are outlined and we follow through. Yes, there are times it’s not a fit and we work closely and professionally with HR to make the best decision for the employee, VHB, and our clients. TZL: Firms that have principals and firm owners who lower their compensation and invest back into the firm perform better, grow quicker, and have higher valua- tions. How do you balance owner compensation with in- vestment in the firm? MC: We work hard to compensate our employees appro- priately for their expertise, level of responsibility, and con- tributions to our future through salary, benefits, and in- centive compensation. Separately, we seek to create long- term wealth building opportunities by managing a success- ful business venture. An employee’s role in the day-to-day operation of the company determines their compensation. An owner (approximately 25 percent of our employees) is someone who has demonstrated consistent strong perfor- mance and consistency with our core values and has been vetted and recommended for ownership by senior manage- ment and approved by the board of directors. Our employ- ee owners also have the opportunity to acquire additional stock on an annual basis based upon their contributions driving the company forward and exhibiting positive behav- iors consistent with our core values. In summary, our compensation program is focused on an- nual performance and market conditions; it thereby results in having the financial opportunity to invest in VHB’s fu- ture. The ability to accumulate long-term wealth results from ensuring the company’s consistent balanced short- and long-term performance. “Individuals within marketing and communications are too often our unsung heroes. Their partnership with our engineers, scientists, planners, and designers helps to effectively tell VHB’s stories and convey our value to our clients.” TZL: How does marketing contribute to your success rate? Are you content with your marketing efforts, or do you think you should increase/decrease marketing? MC: Individuals within marketing and communications are too often our unsung heroes. Their partnership with our en- gineers, scientists, planners, and designers helps to effec- tively tell VHB’s stories and convey our value to our clients

in a way that positions us to secure increasing opportunities to help our clients succeed and VHB to grow. Their unique skills and insights, along with their dedication to advancing our organization, is highly valued. “We have no desire to just be bigger than someone else; our desire is to create a successful, healthy, growing VHB that stays true to our core values and culture, and in the end, is a company in better condition than when each of us joined. If we do this, we’ll succeed as good stewards.” It’s an exciting time to be part of VHB. We’re experiencing unprecedented growth across regions, markets, and ser- vices. Through this growth, we’re adding offices, reaching new clients, and enhancing our skills. We are in the enviable position of strengthening our amazing team by welcoming hundreds of new VHBers each year. To maintain our cul- ture and deliver the high quality on which we have built our brand, we’ll continue to invest in marketing as well as com- munications to make sure our organization meets the new demands and is scalable as we grow. We are currently fo- cused on a broader approach to our marketing processes and training to engage technical professionals as well as in- crease the strategic value and influence of our marketing, design, and communications professionals. TZL: If there was one program, course, or degree pro- gram that you could take or recommend before becoming a principal or owner, what would it be? MC: At VHB, it would be our LEADs program. It’s a two-day workshop designed for VHB leaders to build personal effec- tiveness and continue to enhance VHB’s status as a genera- tional company and an employer of choice. The program helps VHB leaders to increase their leadership impact through: ❚ ❚ Reinforcing the criticality of leadership to VHB’s future, and to individual career success. ❚ ❚ Helping individuals to review their competency-based 360 degree feedback in a frank and authentic way, and plan for behavioral changes necessary to reinforce strengths and de- velop/change areas of challenge. ❚ ❚ Learning about motivational preferences as a way to build more productive relationships. ❚ ❚ Understanding how to manage ego (self and others) for more successful interactions. See CONFERENCE CALL, page 8

mber 13, 2017, ISSUE 1224

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