9
O P I N I O N
Losers can still win When a client selects another firm, learn why and stay in touch. Who knows, you just might win the next round.
T hink back to your childhood. Did you play on a sports team that had a tough year? For me it was the 1985 Iowa Electric baseball team in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. We were a rag-tag team of 10-, 11-, and 12-year-old boys whose passion for baseball did not quite match our developing skill level; we lost 15 straight games that year.
Greg Kanz GUEST SPEAKER
Our baseball skills did improve and we eventually won games as the years progressed with different teams. The summer we lost every game, however, taught us all humility, determination, and that your true character shows in defeat. As in baseball, there are wins and losses in the competitive AEC market. It’s important to celebrate victories and learn from defeats. Architect Steve Davis recently shared a story that inspired this article. A client went through the request for proposal and interview process, and selected another design team that included a resident of the community. Steve got a debriefing and sent a thank you for the opportunity and feedback, and wished them the best going forward.
Steve kept tabs on the project as it progressed and made quarterly calls to the client. One day Steve received a meeting request to talk about taking over the project, which had stalled. The client hired Steve’s team and they are the trusted partner to this day. “As in baseball, there are wins and losses in the competitive AEC market. It’s important to celebrate victories and learn from defeats.”
When you lose, be gracious and consider these activities:
See GREG KANZ, page 10
THE ZWEIG LETTER June 26, 2017, ISSUE 1206
Made with FlippingBook Annual report