TZL 1533 (web)

April 15, 2024, Issue 1533 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

Severance packages

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The hidden signs your firm’s plan is neither strategic nor growth-driven. Your plan isn’t strategic

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Median

Mean

According to Zweig Group’s 2024 Principals, Partners & Owners Report , there has been a decrease in the median and mean number of weeks specified, from 14 to 8 weeks and 21 to 15 weeks, respectively. This trend reflects a strategic response to economic pressures and changing labor market conditions, highlighting the need for firms to manage costs and remain competitive. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication. 2023 2024

D espite good intentions, one of the most common pitfalls in strategic planning is the lack or absence of growth strategies, let alone being intentional and strategic about them. Growth strategies are like part and parcel of a strategic plan in which the ultimate value and impacts are driven by a firm’s ability to both clearly articulate and robustly execute its growth strategies; however, the growth imperatives could also be hazardous to strategy if they do not result in superior profitability and/or ultimately undermine competitive advantage. Deciding on what/where/how to grow requires making choices and trade-offs in competing – to choose what not to do; strategic choices must be fitting enough to achieve growth goals (quantitative and qualitative), and growth initiatives must preserve and reinforce strategic positioning. That said, what are some hidden, yet telling, signs that your firm’s plan is neither strategic nor growth-driven? ■ You have a strategic plan, but “something” is missing. Many CEOs of AEC firms would agree that a growth-driven mindset is a non- negotiable attribute and attitude in defining who should serve on their “first team” to move their companies forward, but not too many top leaders exemplify that same growth mindset when it comes to crafting and executing their external growth strategies for their firms, resulting in a strategic plan being too internally-focused with senior leaders paying less or no attention to external strategic issues. As such, it is almost always too late – especially for growth-driven leaders and firms – to start developing commercial strategies after operational and/or financial goals are established. The lack or absence of focus on external opportunities often turns out to be a pain point for the CEO (as well as some senior leaders) and keeps them awake at night because their gut feeling is telling them “something” is missing from their current plan – and these feelings are certainly diagnostic due to various external factors including market indicators, competitive landscape, client centricity experience, and/or stakeholder expectations. Quick tip: if you’ve dabbled in strategic planning before, you may immediately think about undertaking a SWOT analysis – particularly the “opportunities” and “threats” buckets – as a potential solution to

Ying Liu, MBA, LEED AP BD+C

FIRM INDEX Brown and Caldwell...........................................8

Eclipse Engineering.............................................4

JQ Engineering ....................................................... 9

Kuo & Associates..................................................6

MORE ARTICLES n ROLF ARMSTRONG: Letting go as you grow Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: Things I’ve been wanting to say Page 5 n LAUREN MARTIN: Contractual provisions and design ownership Page 7 n Looking into the future: Akshai Ramakrishnan Page 9

See YING LIU, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

Chad Clinehens | Publisher cclinehens@zweiggroup.com Sara Parkman | Senior Editor sparkman@zweiggroup.com Tel: 800-466-6275 Email: info@zweiggroup.com Online: zweiggroup.com/blogs/ news

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that operational effectiveness cannot define the overall growth direction or drive strategic decisions. In fact, many firm leaders have been frustrated by their inability to translate operational gains into sustainable profitability or breakthrough results, without a well-defined growth strategy in the first place. ■ Your TOP talent is drifting and feels aimless. Note how the word “TOP” is capitalized to differentiate from an average performer. It is almost a cliché to say that recruiting and retention has been one of the biggest challenges in the AEC industry – allow me to take a second to introduce Zweig Group’s ElevateHER® program , a commitment to help recruit, retain, and engage the best minds in the industry. ElevateHER® brings AEC professionals together, from across the country, disciplines, and org charts, to join forces to develop and disseminate actionable plans that aim to solve the recruitment and retention crisis in the industry via the lenses of diversity, equity, and inclusion. From a strategic standpoint, securing top talent can be a huge differentiator in positively impacting a firm’s growth trajectory. Top talent is wired to be dissatisfied with a “good enough” approach as they often possess a unique set of skills and perspectives to push the boundaries of conventional ideas to drive unprecedented growth. In a strategic plan, developing a compelling people and culture strategy is a must, but if the plan does not help satiate the needs and wants of your top talent at all levels of the organization to inspire them to go that extra mile, you are running the risk of losing your star performers sooner than expected as they are often the first ones to be the ambassadors of a truly strategic growth plan (or if there is a lack thereof, they are also the first ones to notice it). Overall, strategy is the context of why you are doing what you are doing. What differentiates the best strategic growth plans from the rest really comes down to the firm’s genuine willingness to support, challenge and collaborate with each other in making choices and tradeoffs in investing, competing, and winning – the essential definition of a compelling strategy. The work required to effectively craft and execute a firm’s growth strategy is no simple task; it is no surprise that many firms try to oversimplify it, confuse it with operational efficiency, or dilute it to be reactive to market demands. Undeniably, the challenge of developing or reestablishing a clear growth strategy is often primarily an organizational one and depends on leadership. Reach out to me if you need support or would like to chat further. Ying Liu, MBA, LEED AP BD+C, is a strategy advisor with Zweig Group. Contact her at yliu@zweiggroup.com.

YING LIU , from page 1

brainstorm and analyze external macro trends; better yet, there is a more helpful and relevant framework called PESTLE analysis to perform such exercises. More likely than not, that “something” includes the missed growth opportunities that could have helped them accelerate/maximize top-line revenues for their firms had they been more intentional and strategic about their commercial strategies (hence, a “growth plan” with external focus that helps refine and shape a firm’s operational and financial strategies, and not the other way around). ■ Your strategic plan is not really strategic but more of an operating plan. While it is important to ensure that formal mechanisms governing how employees get work done (structure, processes, systems, and incentives) are in place, these internal factors should serve as growth enablers to help fuel external growth opportunities, not just satisfy the core or improve the status quo. Many firms fail to distinguish operational effectiveness from strategy. While both are essential to superior performance, the two agendas are different. The operational agenda entails continuous improvements where there are no tradeoffs; operational leaders must demonstrate relentless efforts to achieve best practices through constant change and flexibility. In an operational review meeting, your team should be asking questions like: “What are we working on?” “Are we on target?” “How do we ensure everyone is on the same page on the status of a project or initiative?” On the other hand, a strategic agenda is about defining a unique position and making clear trade-offs to build or enhance your firm’s sustainable competitive advantage; strategic leaders must demonstrate constant discipline, strategic continuity, and clear communication. In a strategic plan review meeting, your team should be asking questions like: “Are we working on the right stuff?” “Why are we working on what we are working on?” “Are we moving the needle in our success metrics or are we working on it because it’s the status quo?” No doubt improving operational effectiveness is a necessary part of management, but it is not strategy; firms that have been confusing the two have come to realize

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

OPINION

Letting go as your grow

L ike many small businesses, my firm, Eclipse Engineering, started as an entrepreneurial company with talented engineers who possessed the ambition and skills to provide engineering services. During those early years, we shared the tasks required to run and operate a small business while outsourcing the heavier responsibilities. This exercise empowers employees and provides clear direction, allowing leadership to let go and focus on success during periods of growth.

Rolf Armstrong, P.E., S.E.

It wasn’t long before schedules filled up with a healthy backlog of work and we felt the next natural step was to hire more engineers to share the workload. Making that first hire introduced new elements of business: recruiting, interviewing, human resources, and management. We often found ourselves with a second job when tasks included committing time for interviews, developing employee review processes, building compensation packages and benefits, and handling employee conflicts. As we gained exposure in our market and broadened our client base, workloads became busier, schedule outlooks were extended, and we faced these options: 1. Work more hours. Typically, the first action item taken by small business owners, and effective for a limited time before burnout sets in.

2. Turn away work. This one sounds easy, but it was nearly impossible to ignore our competitive entrepreneurial spirit and we routinely chased down every opportunity. 3. Hire new employees. This was the natural choice to ease immediate pain, but it required a growth plan and the ability to let go. We decided to add employees, which required us to let go of the hiring process. As we onboarded hires, we were reminded that our new employees brought a wide range of skills, backgrounds, and educational experiences thus engaging us in the business of employee management. When schedules are full, projects need to get done, clients are frustrated, teams are waiting

See ROLF ARMSTRONG, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

5. List their qualities to complete the item (skills, schedule, education, relationship, experience, etc.). 6. Organize your tasks so that those completed by the most people are at the bottom and the fewest at the top, following the pyramid shape. 7. Delegate the action items. We use this exercise in combination with an organization chart that defines roles and responsibilities. It allows us to empower employees and provide clear direction regarding expectations while at the same time allowing others to let go and focus on making the business successful during periods of growth. With this exercise, control or responsibility is not taken away from the owner or PM; it simply pushes assignments to team members who can contribute at their appropriate level or role in the company. Today, with a staff of 70, this exercise has helped our company leadership hire many non-engineering positions, including an HR director, marketing coordinator, and IT manager. By adding key quality people, time was freed for our project managers and group directors to focus on core sectors of the business and develop the next generation of engineers. We completed this concept five years ago and now are developing our strategic plan to push onward to the next plateau. Rolf Armstrong, P.E., S.E., is CFO at Eclipse Engineering. He’s based out of the company’s Bend, Oregon branch. Connect with him on LinkedIn .

ROLF ARMSTRONG , from page 3

for direction, and you are getting pulled in multiple directions trying to fill every role in your organization, it’s time to let go. We found ourselves with an opportunity to get ahead of these crisis moments and were determined to problem-solve a way to systematically let go. As engineers, we reverted to spreadsheets and charts to begin laying out a process. Rather than focusing on how to let go, we decided to develop an exercise on what to let go, which we call the “pyramid.” This exercise can be scaled to any group of people or activity involving more than one person. This is how the pyramid works: 1. First, identify the activity. For example: Bring on new talent. 2. Next, draw the pyramid with horizontal lines. 3. At each horizontal line, define a role or action item that is required to complete the activity. For example: Attend career fairs Create a new job position Post job listing Contact candidates 4. Under each action item, list the people in your organization who can complete that task.

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

FROM THE FOUNDER

Things I’ve been wanting to say

E very so often – maybe once every two or three years – I like to write about the things I have wanted to say on these pages but haven’t. Some of these thoughts our readers could disagree with. That’s OK. We welcome your feedback and contributions to the discussion. And none of these thoughts required an entire editorial devoted to it. Unspoken thoughts about business coaching, writing skills, phone disconnection, and more.

Mark Zweig

So, here you go:

then their whole marketing plan is to reach out to business owners and get THEM as clients. My experience is that most privately-held business owners see success in business as a prerequisite to giving them any input. So that’s a hard sale. No wonder so many have only been “coaching” for such a short time. ■ Where did the notion come from that as a consultant, you cannot give a client advice on what to do or how to do it, and instead have to let them come up with it on their own so they think it was their idea in the first place? This idea seems to have come over from the “coaching” people. Somewhere in their training they are being told you cannot give direct advice and that you instead have to pull it from the client so

■ Why are there so many self-described business “coaches,” and why would anyone follow business advice from someone who hasn’t been successful in business? This has been weighing on me for some time, because not a week goes by I don’t get at least a half dozen emails or LinkedIn messages from people who want to be my “coach.” Do they ever do any research on what my businesses do or what stage I am at in this point in my career? No. So I know our readers must be going through the same or worse. It seems to me that anyone who gets laid off or has a hard time finding a job at any level of management in corporate America takes some online classes or goes to a seminar and pays a fee to become a certified business coach. And

See MARK ZWEIG , page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

TRANSACTIONS HOUSTON-BASED CIVIL ENGINEERING FIRM KUO & ASSOCIATES JOINS The HFW Companies, an expanding professional services firm in the architecture and engineering industry, has entered into a new strategic growth partnership with Kuo & Associates, a civil engineering and surveying firm serving Houston and Southeast Texas since 1985. KUO represents the eighth firm to join HFW’s growing national network of HFW Partner firms since HFW’s inception in 2020. KUO is the latest to become part of HFW’s long-term vision to build a preeminent network of AEC legacy partners across a national footprint that provides a gateway to accelerated growth and leverages its partners’ collaborative expertise, according to Michael Hein, AIA, chief executive officer of HFW. “We’re excited that KUO has joined us as one of our HFW Partner firms,” Hein said. “Over the years, KUO has built a strong and reputable legacy as a go- to civil engineering and surveying firm all over Houston and the surrounding areas, positioning itself for even greater potential growth ahead. As the most populous region in Texas – and one of the 10 most populous regions in the country, Houston continues to demonstrate a

tremendous need for new infrastructure and a great opportunity for KUO. We’re looking forward to providing additional support to KUO ahead as it meets that growing need.” KUO, which employs 35 professionals, provides civil engineering services across Southeast Texas, with a focus on water resource management, transportation, site development, and land surveying. The firm’s principals said they are looking forward to leveraging HFW’s expertise, as well as the bench depth of the growing portfolio of HFW Partner firms across the country. “As we work to strengthen our infrastructure design position in the market, we’ve been looking for a growth partner, and HFW is the right partner,” said Shaheen Chowdhury, PE, president of KUO and an employee of KUO for the past 31 years. “We can see a lot of synergies with HFW and the other partner firms, and we’re looking forward to collaborating in ways that will strengthen us across our operations and allow us to take advantage of the growth opportunities ahead here in Houston.” KUO joins the ranks of a growing portfolio of AEC firms that now includes eight HFW Partner firms with locations

in Las Vegas; Kansas City; Chicago; Des Moines and Waterloo, Iowa; Charleston, Hilton Head, and the Midlands of South Carolina; Augusta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; and multiple locations in Florida. All are part of what Hein describes as HFW’s “House of Brands” concept. That is, a network of growth-oriented AEC firms sharing best practices, economies of scale, unique areas of expertise, and business development opportunities, while continuing to build their own legacy brands in their own regions and beyond. Chowdhury said he is looking forward to the collaboration with HFW and other partner firms. “We always have delivered quality work, with strong resumes, and good client relationships,” Chowdhury said. “I can’t wait, though, to see what we can do in this fast-growing region with additional resources and other strategic support from HFW and our new HFW Partners.” Based in St. Louis, HFW is a professional services company investing in architecture and engineering firms that serve metropolitan and infrastructure markets and are open to aligning with partners for growth.

break are. Clients won’t get called back. Things won’t get done. Your people will be waiting on you. You will be less responsive and therefore make yourself more vulnerable to competitors. Disconnect if you must but do so at your own risk! ■ Why would any firm owner worry about selling down below 50 percent ownership unless they thought they weren’t carrying their own weight? I frequently hear small firm founders make proclamations about how they will never own less than 50 percent of the ownership in their firms. What are they so afraid of? All I can think of is that either they fear other owners will think their rewards are excessive based on their contributions to the business, or that they don’t understand that a smaller piece of a bigger pie could not only be more valuable but easier to cash in on than what they have now. It has to be one of those two things. OK, my mind is cleared out now! If you have any thoughts for me on these or other topics of interest to owners and managers of AEC firms, contact me at mzweig@zweiggroup. com. I always enjoy hearing from our readers! Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

they think it was their own. That’s crap. When I go to the doctor I want to hear their diagnosis and treatment plan. They don’t need to pull that from me so I see it as my own. Let’s get from point A to point B with the least amount of unnecessary steps and the least missteps. That is what people pay experts for! ■ While pretty much everyone in our industry agrees that the ability to communicate effectively has a huge impact on one’s success, why don’t companies spend more time and money teaching their people how to write? I just don’t understand this – an essential quality for individual and firm success in the AEC business, and we do not do any training on how to do it better. It makes no sense. It should be a real priority. The opportunity is there for significant improvement. ■ Does anyone who is at the top of an AEC firm REALLY believe that disconnecting from your phone for extended periods of time will make you more successful versus less so in this business? I read a lot of this advice. Sure, we all want (and need) a break sometimes from the electronic tether. But don’t kid yourself about WHY you are giving yourself one and what the likely consequences of that

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

OPINION

T he Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act, passed in 1990, provided copyright protection to original designs. Not only did it prevent designs from being copied by others, the act also provided architects with an avenue for ensuring payment was made for design services rendered, as they had the ability to withdraw their copyright. The Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act of 1990 granted architects copyright protection for their designs, but recent trends see ownership shifting. Contractual provisions and design ownership

Lauren Martin

Subsequently, the AIA standard agreements were adapted granting owners a limited license to use the documents, but the designer maintained the ownership and copyright. Even if another contract was used and not specifically recorded in writing, a license to the building owner and the contractors that gives them the right to use and copy drawings for the purpose of the construction project was granted; however, that license ended upon completion of the job. Now, more than 30 years later, prospective contracts for design professional insureds more frequently contain provisions inserted that shift the design ownership and copyright from the architect to the owner.

While this new trend is perplexing, it may illustrate that those clients, or their lawyers, pushing for these contractual changes are moving farther away from understanding exactly what design professionals do and the value of their services. It muddies the distinction between providing services and providing work. These actions may also be a result of different project delivery methods taking hold, including contractual relationships among the parties, the use of Building Information Modeling, and questions that have been posed regarding who owns the model. Irrespective of the reasons driving their insertion, these provisions should not be ignored. Start by having your lawyer review and edit them to make

See LAUREN MARTIN, page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

BUSINESS NEWS BROWN AND CALDWELL PARTNERS WITH THE WATER RESEARCH FOUNDATION AND UTILITIES TO ADVANCE DE&I IN THE WATER SECTOR The Water Research Foundation is providing $125,000 in funding to Brown and Caldwell to develop scalable diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices for water sector organizations. DE&I is a critical and growing need in the water sector as utilities measure the health and well-being of their organizations and workforce while rethinking how they engage with their communities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 8.2 percent of existing water operators will need to be replaced annually between 2016 and 2026. Additionally, the water sector tends to be older and lacking diversity. In 2018, the median age of water employees was 48, with 30-50 percent of workers eligible to retire in

the next 5-10 years. The data shows the water sector needs to take immediate action to fill the labor gap while ensuring equitable access to opportunities and training. Presently, there is little guidance to assist water sector organizations with the completion of DE&I assessments and integration of DE&I considerations into many facets of their organization – including recruiting, career progression, project prioritization, community outreach, and training. Led by Brown and Caldwell in partnership with several utilities, WRF Project 5186 will provide best practices for the water industry leaders in completing DE&I assessments, increasing awareness of career opportunities across diverse communities, and implementing DE&I objectives in workforce development to attract, train, and retain water workforce talent.

Principal Investigator and Brown and Caldwell Drinking Water Area Practice Lead Katie Porter commented on the importance of advancing DE&I efforts in the water sector: “Water utilities are pivotal to community well-being, yet they face the dual challenge of addressing historical inequities and preparing for a retiring workforce. Statistics indicate an urgent need for action to address current workforce shortages and increase diversity in the sector. This study recognizes the imperative of filling this labor gap while creating equitable opportunities and training for all.” Following an 18-month research process, the study will culminate in a comprehensive report that will serve as a valuable resource for water sector organizations seeking to enhance their DE&I efforts and create a more inclusive and equitable workforce.

Typically, it is expected that the design documents will be used only on the project related to the contract; yet, unless the language specifically makes that point, it ultimately may not be the case. To protect your firm in the event the owner chooses to use the designs on another project, make sure there is appropriate language that your firm will be indemnified, including defense of any claims made in relation to projects that go forward without your involvement. There should also be a discussion upfront about the owner’s ability to finance the indemnity you are seeking. If possible, architects should retain their copyright at the very least to dispel the perception that architects and engineers might be considered as merely another “contractor” on a construction project. However, in practice unless owners are willing to change their position, you may have no option. Remember to make certain that your consultants are aware of any ownership/copyright transfer and that they have signed on to it. In summary, if you opt to transfer the copyright, then you should make sure you retain the ability to be paid; you want to be sure your standard details are retained, and that the owner is going to use the documents specifically and only on the specified project. The language in the ownership provisions is usually drafted very broadly and it should be narrowed. Does it include your BIM model? All the digital data used in the design? Conceivably, an owner could use earlier versions and try to rely on them. Before you sign a contract with one of these provisions, make sure you understand all the potential ramifications. Lauren Martin is a risk manager and claims specialist at Ames & Gough. She can be reached at lmartin@amesgough.com.

LAUREN MARTIN , from page 7

sure you are protecting your practice. By default, if the contract is silent as to ownership, the architect owns the copyright for their work, and the client’s fee, when paid, provides the client with permission to use the work to build the project as previously outlined. If you see a provision that requires you to transfer your copyright to the owner or to the contractor in a design-build contract, it should be done thoughtfully – and with an eye to being sure you are giving yourself an avenue to be paid; that you are not giving away more than you intended to; and that you are not going to be responsible for the use or reuse of your design without your involvement. Admittedly, many owners prefer to take ownership of various aspects related to their projects; however, one of the key issues associated with the transfer of design ownership is forfeiting your leverage to be paid in full. Retaining the copyright gives the design professional the right to terminate the license to use the documents if they are not being paid. This is a hammer you don’t want to put down. At minimum, if the owner requires you to give up ownership of your documents, then that should occur only after you have been fully paid for your services. Additionally, if you give up the copyright to your documents, you are giving up the copyright to everything in those documents, including the standard details. You’ll want to retain ownership of those details so you can use them in future projects. Thus, there should be an exception in the contract related to standard details. Further, there should likely be language related to use of the design documents for which you have transferred ownership.

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

PROFILE

Looking to the future: Akshai Ramakrishnan JQ, now IMEG, a team of professionals providing structural and civil engineering, geospatial and facility performance services within a diverse group of markets.

By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent

J Q, now IMEG (Dallas, TX) – an award-winning Texas-based structural and civil engineering services firm – is a founding sponsor of Zweig Group’s ElevateHER® program because leadership is passionate about creating a culture where everyone feels represented and aims to support groups that focus on those efforts. “It’s important to maintain engagement of upcoming generations and the ElevateHER® program helps us learn how to improve our recruitment and retention efforts,” Akshai Ramakrishnan, principal of the firm’s buildings structural group, says. “We’re honored and privileged to be a part of this journey with a group of individuals who are passionate about the AEC industry and who recognize the need to recruit, retain, and elevate women within our industry.” LEARNING FROM THE PAST; LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. Ramakrishnan spent four years in the forensic and evaluation field prior to developing his skill set in design and construction services for various public and private projects. He says he’s “progressed through the ‘farm system’” so to speak.

At JQ, now IMEG, he most values the one-on-one client and employee experience. The company focuses on complete building design rather than singularly limiting its view to the structure or site only. “I believe this is where we filter down to a handful of consultants who excel in that mindset,” he says. Since being in a leadership position, he says the greatest lesson he’s had to learn the hard way is figuring out how to perform as a manager while transitioning his thought process on how to engage with others. He says that many early struggles which took place when transitioning from a project engineer, to a project manager and then to a resource manager and office lead resulted in some personnel turnover. He attributes this to his limitations in adapting or setting expectations differently from how he traditionally performed prior duties. “This caused me to evaluate how I engage with my team

See LOOKING TO THE FUTURE , page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

HEADQUARTERS: Dallas, TX NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 112

YEAR FOUNDED: 1984 OFFICE LOCATIONS: 5 MARKETS:

Aviation

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JQ Engineering staff in Houston participated in the firm’s annual Day of Service initiative, which creates opportunities for employees to help local non-profits while bringing the firm’s teams together within their respective communities.

Commercial

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Cultural

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“I had to wear my ‘lawyer’ hat and successfully challenged how we provided documentation over the course of the project and handled our responsibilities to address each of the items they claimed,” Ramakrishnan says. “At project closeout, it was determined that we were not responsible for any of the claims. It was stressful at the time, but I was relieved the project turned out a success, and we didn’t get branded with a scarlet letter at completion.” Moving forward, Ramakrishnan is focused on developing more collaborative, contractor and owner-aligned projects, so that there are fewer bureaucratic pitfalls and less contention regarding where responsibility lies. CULTURAL TENETS. Overall, the culture at JQ, now IMEG aligns with their mission statement: “Achieving excellence in pursuit of a better community.” Its cultural tenets are:

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, from page 9

Distribution and manufacturing Evaluation and forensics

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members in group settings and one-on-one, as well as how to maintain balanced expectations among staff to increase their reliability on each other. Each of us has built-in strengths and weaknesses, so it took a while for me to acknowledge my own limitations in order to change how I interacted with team members,” he says. As a result of lessons learned, he’s heavily dedicated to mentoring upcoming people managers to reset their philosophy from “follow how I do things” to instead leaning toward accommodating independent thinkers and developing trust on how a differing approach can still be beneficial. “This is a passion of mine because my focus in the workplace has always been toward enjoying the company you keep and not considering the people around you as cogs to increase company profitability or a manager’s own self-promotion,” he says. “As everyone knows, you don’t have much of a culture if you’re surrounded by a group of ‘mini-me’s.’” To date, one of his greatest project challenges had to do with a higher education client. JQ, now IMEG, was tasked with supplying early structural packages for a large building that had several various complexities to accommodate building isolation joints, large volume spaces, and sequencing for maintaining project schedule. Despite going through some coordination challenges, the construction manager at-risk claimed that JQ, now IMEG, was responsible for close to $1 million in change orders and/or increased requirements.

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Government

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Healthcare

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Higher education

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Hospitality

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Energy and power

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Infrastructure

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K-12

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Living

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Parking structures

Chart your own course.

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The challenge should be fun.

Science and technology Sports and recreation

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Our work is our reward.

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Quickness is a virtue.

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Progress is our passion.

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SERVICES:

■ All are welcome and all contribute. Ramakrishnan is happy to be part of a culture and company that places high priority on supporting social causes and its employees. Whether it’s working against the clock to meet a deadline, giving back, or kicking back, making time to lead meaningful lives is at the core of everything it does.

Structural engineering

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Civil engineering

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Geospatial

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Facilities performance

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THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 15, 2024, ISSUE 1533

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