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BUSINESS NEWS LJA ENGINEERING CELEBRATES 45TH ANNIVERSARY LJA Engineering (Hot Firm #2 for 2016) – a leader in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry – marks its 45th anniversary this year. With more than four decades of experience in the public and private sector, LJA is a highly ranked, premier provider of professional engineering and design services. “It might seem like 1972 was just yesterday, but LJA’s come a long way from working around Dutch Lichliter’s kitchen table. We’re very proud of the firm’s growth. Our 650 personnel, 21 offices, and an annual revenue

industry from land development, banking, and energy to real estate. An internal culture of dedication, commitment, and client-focused results is indicative of LJA’s approach to work at all levels and evident in the way the firm conducts business. Industry recognition is a gauge of this. The firm has received awards not only for project excellence, but more importantly for its ability to connect with employees, clients, and communities. “The main ingredient of our success that has fueled our growth stems from the employees and clients of LJA,” said Calvin Ladner, PE, president and CEO of the Houston-based firm.

in excess of $120 million is worth celebrating,” said Bill Jameson, founding partner of LJA. From the beginning, the firm stood out by recognizing the importance of comprehensive client collaboration and timely, cost-effective delivery. LJA is highly regarded for imparting invaluable insight and leadership on economic issues, business solutions, and property trends in Texas. The firm has hosted a bi- annual Economic Forecast for the past 12 years to its clients. Reaching capacity crowds, the event showcases top analysts, current data and research, and future-casting on a range of topics that appeal to all sectors of

JIM WILLIAMS , from page 11

likely to try again and succeed at something else. Just recent- ly, Microsoft committed an epic fail when they launched a Twitter bot by the name of Tay. CEO Satya Nadella responded with, “Keep pushing, and know that I am with you … The key is to keep learning and improving.” After all, oftentimes, in- novation can simply be the improvement of something that already exists. “Although there were moments during these events in which each of the winning teams was behind, it was the never-give- up attitude and the unwavering belief in achieving the impossible that allowed them to succeed.” ❚ ❚ Implement supporting programs. Several programs we’ve introduced at Little have proven that, if you give people the idea that an entrepreneurial culture is theirs to develop and the freedom to show initiative, then they do it. With LaceUp, a mini-grant program that has funded more than 60 projects, employees who have a unique idea or interest are awarded a stipend of up to $1,000 and up to 40 hours to explore it. Our Rethink program prompts proactive thinking and rethink- ing – in how we see the world, what we’re designing today and what our clients may need in the future. Companies like Google, 3M, and IDEO offer similar programs. ❚ ❚ Balance old and new. Roman God Janus had two sets of eyes for the purpose of always looking behind and ahead. A successful culture of entrepreneurship requires a balanc- ing act between old and new. While it’s important to seek, develop, and sustain innovative new business opportunities, organizations can’t ignore the existing operations that earn the bulk of their revenue. They key is to meld old and new practices while not leaning too much in one direction. But if you must lean, lean forward. Entrepreneurship comes in many shapes and sizes. Its sustenance comes from teamwork and curiosity, patience and hard work. Fully embracing a culture of entrepreneurship will nurture the belief that achieving the impossible is, well, possible. JIM WILLIAMS is a partner and Little’s national director of design. He can be reached at jwilliams@littleonline.com

Based on my own passion for creating a culture of entrepreneurship, here are five key observations: ❚ ❚ Breakdown the silos. All big ideas need a team to make them happen, but it’s constructing the right team that cre- ates the sweet spot. Professional service organizations, even design firms, are seemingly notorious offenders of carving out highly specialized experts into defined practice areas. But breaking down the silos isn’t about turning everyone into a generalist – it’s more about allowing specialized experts to see how their work fits into a bigger picture. One of the simplest of ways you can merge talent is to physically change your workspace. Rid the mentality that everyone needs an assigned desk and create an open, flexible environment that inherently breeds breakthrough ideas. ❚ ❚ Question everything. A culture of entrepreneurship finds time for questioning and critically examining assumptions and the status quo. Oftentimes it’s the answers that we re- ward, but it’s the questioning that helps us learn and explore the unknown. To encourage an environment where people are more inclined to ask questions, Google offers wide-open weekly “TGIF” sessions where all employees are invited to submit questions to the company’s top executives. Those questions that rise to the top are fielded on the spot and set the tone that anyone can ask anything of anyone else. This open communication also sends the message that every em- ployee has the ability to contribute to the success of his or her organization. ❚ ❚ Treat failure as a step toward discovery. Often after a failure, particularly one that costs your organization a sub- stantial amount of money, it’s our natural instinct to quickly try and forget what happened. But innovative risk taking can drive growth and strengthen your competitive advantage, so empower your employees to try and fail (assuming you have the full support of this mindset by your leadership team). Treat the failure as an opportunity, and people will be more “Entrepreneurship comes in many shapes and sizes. Its sustenance comes from teamwork and curiosity, patience and hard work. Fully embracing a culture of entrepreneurship will nurture the belief that achieving the impossible is, well, possible.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER April 10, 2017, ISSUE 1195

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