TZL 1534 (web)

April 22, 2024, Issue 1534 WWW.ZWEIGGROUP.COM

TRENDLINES

AEC firm leadership salaries

$- $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000

The employee-focused recruiting, retention, and compensation strategy. An argument for mentorship

FIRM INDEX Atwell ................................................................ 10 BEI Engineering Group, LLC ............ 10 ISG .......................................................................... 8 Peloton Land Solutions ......................... 4 Sigma Consulting Group, Inc.......... 10 Westwood Professional Services ... 4 MORE ARTICLES n WESLEY JONES: Balancing work and life Page 3 n MARK ZWEIG: Things firm leaders must do Page 5 n SAMANTHA BOECK: A performance coaching culture Page 7 n GREG SEPEDA: Managing upward Page 9 Zweig Group’s 2024 Principals, Partners & Owners Report indicates that while financial compensation is important for professionals in the AEC industry, it’s not the sole motivation for their work. However, principals expect and deserve to partake in their firms’ success, with compensation data revealing a varied range of financial rewards. Participate in a survey and save 50 percent on the final or pre- publication price of any Zweig Group research publication.

S tellar management usually consists of those who are great at making sure there are people and resources in the places where they are needed so work can be completed efficiently. Much like a conductor overseeing a world-class orchestra, they plan, direct, and oversee a cacophony of people and needs. But then there is mentorship. Compared to mentorship, even the best management can still cause people to feel like they are merely assets being placed where they are needed in order to produce an end-result (profit). You know the phrase: “Cogs in a wheel.” This environment can be emotionally draining and can easily lead to burnout. Mentorship, however, is not just developing a relationship with these cogs, it is a commitment to recognizing that they are people with career goals of their own. It is also the knowledge that nurturing their professional selves will be beneficial to both the employee and the company. A “rising tide lifts all boats” scenario. Mentorship starts with defining what “success” looks like for an employee. Then an intentional and sustained relationship is developed to encompass goal setting, training, motivation, advice, direction, coaching, and support. This is a wholistic approach to a person as a company’s resource. So why do more companies not choose the path of mentorship? Let’s unpack this a little: ■ Not everyone is great at mentoring. Many of us have not had the benefit of a great mentor, so not everyone has the knowledge of how this relationship functions. You can find a few words of advice from The Zweig Letter on what to look for in mentorship here, on how to be a mentor here, on how mentoring factors into being a good steward of your company here , and (for those of us who are remote) how to be intentional with your mentorship program as part of the greater hybrid/ remote strategy here . ■ Modern employees may jump ship to a neighboring company more often than leadership would like. Leaders, now more than ever, need every tool in their belt to both gain and retain

Sara Karstetter

See SARA KARSTETTER, page 2

THE VOICE OF REASON FOR THE AEC INDUSTRY

SARA KARSTETTER, from page 11

staff. Mentorship is one of the greater intangible benefits you can provide. Employees care about the full potential of a position at a company. When looking at competing offers, money isn’t always the bottom line. Opportunity and the environment they are joining may be the deciding factors (this was true for me!). Additionally, a mentorship environment may be the defining factor in choosing not to jump ship. Mentorship gives employees the opportunity to grow, to thrive, to be heard, and to become their best professional selves. It also allows them to grow their careers in the direction of their choosing. With the younger generations focusing so much on self-care, this is a version of professional self-care that they cannot provide for themselves, only the more experienced can. Mentorship is also a tangible investment in your staff. It lets them know they matter and are not just a cog in the wheel. Eighty-nine percent of those with mentors believe their colleagues value their work, which is a key component to overall happiness at work. Seventy-nine percent of millennials see mentoring as a crucial part of their career success, and seventy-seven percent, who feel they have control over their career, are more loyal. These are some huge numbers when looking to increase your odds of recruiting and retaining staff. ■ A scapegoat in delaying a mentorship program could easily be the budget. Many companies are focused on KPIs, and having a set utilization rate for each employee is typically one of them. We all know that dedicating time to training and mentoring cuts into a department’s utilization rate. If this metric is something leadership is tracking, you might have a tough time trying to convince them to relax it for the greater good of the company. After all, the bottom line is the bottom line. My argument to the converse? Be farsighted! In time, this mentorship and training will make your staff more knowledgeable, efficient, effective, and satisfied at their jobs, thereby increasing productivity, in perpetuity. Perpetuity is a pretty strong word, but much like a degree, once it is earned, it is yours. And, to your company’s benefit, you will have more knowledgeable, efficient, and effective staff. How does that benefit the company? Well, whether it is due to increased efficiency or increased competency, this more effective staff will be more valuable when it comes to billing. So, what is the bottom line? What is the end-result of mentorship? Your company will be able to be more proficient with a higher level of competency at a price you will be able to set accordingly. You will either be able to charge more for a better deliverable or decrease your timeframe for the same deliverable. You will decrease your turnover rate because you will have happy, fulfilled staff who are progressing their careers in a direction in which they have a say. And you will set your company up for future success in your own growth plans by developing your own (happy) future leaders. Sara Karstetter, MBA is a mergers and acquisitions advisor with Zweig Group. Contact her at skarstetter@zweiggroup.com.

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THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

OPINION

Balancing work and life

F inding time outside of work to enjoy your favorite hobbies, relax, recharge, and unwind can become increasingly difficult as you progress through your career and your list of responsibilities continues to grow. Strategies for successfully managing work-life balance and reclaiming your personal life while continuing to grow in your career.

High level positions often come with increased demands on your time and energy. Whether you are asked to develop a new piece of software, manage more clients, develop and train new employees, or are even tasked with opening a new office, you will quickly realize the amount of extra effort you are putting into the success of these projects can directly correlate with the lack of time you can make for yourself. Heavy workloads, tight budgets, and fast approaching deadlines can result in tunnel vision that makes it challenging to separate yourself from the work in front of you. While I am still relatively young in my career, I have had the good fortune of being surrounded by a number of incredible mentors who have spoken to me at great length about the effects of this sort of burnout and the consequences it had on not only their personal lives, but also on their careers as a whole. From my own personal experience, and the

conversations I have had with each of these mentors, here are three essential keys to success for managing work-life balance and reclaiming your personal life while you continue to grow in your career: 1. A time for work and a time for play. Being effective, efficient, and optimizing your time spent at the office is a critical step for creating a better work-life balance in your day-to-day life. A Gallup poll published in 2007 reported that U.S. workers claimed they waste nearly one-and-a-half hours a day during business hours. Now, with this being a self-reported metric, you can almost certainly guarantee that this number of “non-working hours” is slightly to seriously underrepresented. (Important to note, the world has also experienced a few slight changes since 2007. For example, Twitter launched in 2006 and was home

Wesley Jones

See WESLEY JONES, page 4

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

introspection, helping you understand your thoughts and emotions better. On the other hand, hobbies such as hiking, painting, or playing video games can provide an outlet for relaxation and rejuvenation, allowing you to disconnect from work-related stressors and focus on the present moment. By balancing these introspective and mindfulness-enhancing hobbies with leisure activities, you can cultivate a healthier mindset, improve productivity, and achieve a more fulfilling work-life balance. I have always been an avid mountain biker for most of my adult life. Gliding through the woods on a tree covered trail next to a shimmering body of water is where I truly begin to feel at peace. Mountain biking has always been an incredible outlet for me to destress, but after speaking with one of my mentors, I realized I wasn’t practicing any sort of hobby that demanded me to have expressive thought when I was not at work. After that conversation I began leisure reading for the first time since college, and last year, I read the book 10% Happier by ABC news correspondent Dan Harris. In the book, Harris chronicles his experiences (and initial skepticism) about embarking on a journey of mindfulness meditation and how it helped him manage his high- pressure career in journalism (where he was a reporter in active war zones across the Middle East), cope with anxiety/self-doubt, and find a sense of inner calm in and outside of work. While my job as a civil engineer working in land development isn’t quite that stressful, I have been able to apply many of Harris’ practices to my own life during stressful situations in and out of the office and found a wide range of benefits from them that have improved my life significantly. Coupling this newfound practice of mindful meditation (no, I am not a hippie) with my physical outlet of mountain biking has been an essential method for managing stress as my responsibilities and workload have continued to increase throughout my career. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is essential for overall well-being and success, especially as you navigate the demands of a growing career. As your responsibilities increase, it becomes progressively more challenging to find time for personal pursuits and relaxation. However, it is crucial to recognize the importance of making time for yourself amidst the hustle and bustle of work and daily commitments. Whether it’s optimizing your time at the office, understanding the distinction between time off from work and time away from work, or engaging in hobbies that promote relaxation and introspection, prioritizing your self-care is paramount. By investing in yourself and finding moments of respite, you not only enhance your productivity and effectiveness at work but also ensure long-term happiness and fulfillment in all aspects of life. Remember, striking a balance between work and personal life isn’t just a luxury – it’s an essential component of a fulfilling and successful career.

WESLEY JONES, from page 3

to 50,000 active users in 2007. Today, X (formerly Twitter) boasts 528.3 million active users.) Between surfing on the internet, online shopping, scrolling through social media, unproductive meetings, constantly checking emails, recurring workplace distractions, and good ole procrastination, you can lose hours of productivity a week, causing you to fall behind and forcing you to make up those hours when you should be off the clock. While I am not saying you should not make time for things such as catching up with coworkers, giving yourself mental/ physical breaks throughout the day, and the occasional personal errand, effectively utilizing your time at the office and completing your tasks in a timely fashion will allow you to leave the stresses of work at the door. 2. Time off isn’t always time off. Have you ever returned to the office after a stint of PTO and been asked by a coworker, “Did you take a vacation or did you go on a trip?” The first time I was asked this question by a coworker, I looked at them like a cow looking at a new gate. “What’s the difference? A trip is a vacation,” I ignorantly quipped back. Back then, I did not understand this, but time away from the office does not always equate to time away from work. Understanding this difference is paramount in creating a healthy work-life balance for yourself so you can make time for the things you have to do and find time for the things you want to do. As we continue to progress in our careers, our personal lives also evolve alongside them. We get married, start families, move to new cities, deal with novel challenges, engage with new groups of people, and before you know it, our personal lives can quickly become filled with so many commitments and obligations that our weekends start to feel like a part-time job. Taking the kids to soccer practice, buying groceries, cleaning the house, and, my least favorite, folding laundry, are just a few of the everyday life tasks and chores that take away free time you have set aside for yourself when not at work. Carving out time in your busy life schedule to be selfish and solely focus on your wants and needs is crucial for creating a healthy work-life balance. When you prioritize self-care, you’re better equipped to handle the demands of work and personal life. Ultimately, investing in self- care isn’t selfish; it’s essential for ensuring your long-term happiness and fulfillment in both your professional and personal endeavors. 3. The importance of clearing your mind and focusing on the now (actively and passively). Finding hobbies that not only allow you to completely clear your mind and be present in the moment, but also challenge you to think and have introspective thoughts is another important aspect in generating a symmetrical work-life balance. These two types of hobbies are essential for mental growth as they allow you to reset yourself and formulate new solutions for everyday problems you experience throughout your life and in your career. For instance, engaging in activities like meditation, journaling, or reading can foster self-awareness and

Wesley Jones is an engineer in training at Westwood Professional Services. Contact him at wesley.jones@ westwoodps.com.

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

FROM THE FOUNDER

Things firm leaders must do

T here’s a lot that has been written about the qualities of effective leaders in the AEC business. I have written plenty about it myself. We can talk about these qualities of leaders all day but ultimately, it really comes down to action – it’s what firm leaders DO that matters. At some point leadership has to take action and act like leaders versus just talk a good game.

Mark Zweig

Here are a few things that are absolute musts for leaders to do as far as I am concerned: 1. Get to know your people. As a leader, you need to have a personal relationship with every single person who works for you, as well as many who aren’t your direct reports. That takes time and energy. You need texting, phone calls, coffees, lunches, after work beers, and plenty of casual time together to make it happen. It also takes curiosity. When you ask people questions about themselves and their families and listen to what they tell you, it shows care and concern and builds trust. In the “old days” when I was starting out, there was a school of thought that said you shouldn’t be friends with your employees. I have always thought that was bad thinking and still do. Real friends want to help you out. They don’t want

to sabotage you. They look out for you. And they defend you. Wouldn’t you rather have employees who think this way than those who don’t care about you? I know I would. 2. Project energy and optimism – always. Leaders have to be positive. They must always have a plan – something the organization can do – to make things better. They cannot publicly despair and act as if there are no options to overcome whatever the challenge is that the organization is facing, or nothing that can be done to fix whatever the problem is. It cannot be false confidence, either. It has to come from inside the leader, and it is based on experience that the leader has had that he or she can communicate effectively to all members of their team.

See MARK ZWEIG, page 6

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

BUSINESS NEWS VIRGIN ISLANDS PORT AUTHORITY SELECTS STANTEC AS FIRST EVER SOLE CONSULTANT FOR ST. THOMAS AND ST. CROIX AIRPORTS Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has been selected by the United States Virgin Islands Port Authority as the first sole consultant for both the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas and the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix. The firm will provide comprehensive airport consulting services for ongoing development and improvement programs at both airports simultaneously. Design and construction oversight efforts will include a wide range of infrastructure projects funded by the Airport Improvement Program which is administered by the Federal Aviation Administration’s Southern Region. Stantec’s service offerings will also include technical advisory services for the oversight of VIPA’s Public- Private Partnership Airport Terminal Redevelopment Program, a five-year redevelopment program to expand and modernize both airport terminals. “Stantec has a long history of supporting

and delivering airport infrastructure and aviation terminal expansion projects in the Caribbean,” said Dave Dargie, vice president and aviation leader for airport infrastructure in the Caribbean. “We look forward to supporting the Virgin Islands Port Authority in its long-term vision for the future, and the growth and development of its aviation facilities throughout the Territory.” Traditionally, VIPA has utilized separate consultants to service their two international airport facilities. The decision to utilize a single unified consultant supporting both airports will allow for an effective and efficient transfer of information from project to project and airport to airport. This marks a major turning point in VIPA’s approach to how it manages and oversees improvements and redevelopment at its airport facilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Efficiencies are gained as the project team can work nimbly and interchangeably between VIPA’s airports. Funding and regulatory agency engagement can also be streamlined as project elements can be bundled

throughout the various processes. Collaboration and interface with VIPA’s staff members will also be streamlined as client interface is facilitated to meet the ever-changing needs of project delivery and implementation. Stantec will base a qualified team of aviation professionals in the Territory to support this expansive development program. “Selecting Stantec as the singular consultant for the Cyril E. King and Henry E. Rohlsen Airports will streamline our engineering services and capital program needs,” said Preston Beyer, director of engineering at VIPA. “We are projecting increased travel demand in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and having a unified extension of our team will help us prepare and support that growth.” Airports and aviation represent a key market for Stantec. The firm is a leader in airport infrastructure, providing integrated, in-house services for nearly all aspects of airport infrastructure planning, design, and construction. Stantec’s aviation team has extensive experience delivering projects in the Caribbean.

demonstrate that this linkage is real and not B.S. through making examples out of people who are advancing your goals. 5. Set the pace and be a positive example for any and all behaviors you want out of your people. You want people to be responsive 24 hours a day – show that you are. You want people who help the other guy or gal when they need it – jump in and help! You want people who go the extra yard to demonstrate excellence – do it yourself. Effective leaders always use “do as I do” versus “do as I say,” because they know it is the only way to be a real leader. 6. Be resourceful! Effective leaders can pull a rabbit out of their hat every once in a while. That means they find the capital when new capital is needed. They sell the project when a new project is essential. They make an unhappy client happy because they figure out what they are unhappy about and fix the problem. That takes a “can- do” attitude and willingness to confront what has to be confronted, and never giving up! Scrappiness – for lack of a better word – is the hallmark of good leadership! When leaders don’t do these things, the organization suffers. Growth can stall and morale will decline. At some point leadership has to act like leaders versus just talk a good game. Mark Zweig is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 5

3. Communicate, communicate, and communicate. Effective leaders are not “one and done” communicators. They constantly repeat and restate in different ways what they feel is essential for everyone on their team to understand. A popular cliché I see overused today is that leaders are good “story tellers.” They have a way of making people understand what can be done and what has to be done through stories. Good leaders are also speedy communicators. They don’t hold back on sharing information that needs to be shared and get it out there quickly. And they are good writers. One tactic I encourage firm leaders to do is to put a weekly memo together for all employees that tells them what is happening in the company and where it is going. The discipline of doing this every single week without fail helps keep everyone’s priorities crystal clear and their heads on straight. 4. Sell the vision of the promised land. Good leaders are effective sales people. Most importantly, they can sell their own people on what the promised land looks like and how doing what it takes to get there is going to benefit them personally. I think a lot of ineffective leaders assume that everyone who works for them understands this (that if the company does well, they will do well). In my experience, many employees don’t get this. They don’t all have the perspective and they don’t all have trust in management (because of past experiences) that they will share in the rewards for the organization’s success. You need to

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

OPINION

A performance coaching culture

W inning feels good. Whether you were a high school debate champion, competed as a college athlete, or simply enjoy jumping into a backyard game of bocce ball, earning the win brings a feeling that is often slow to fade. This is what makes athletes step up to the plate every day. This type of culture drives people to compete at their best, challenges everyone on the team, and pushes boundaries to elevate the entire game.

Samantha Boeck

But, as professionals, how do we achieve the wins? How do we bring that desire to compete, and ultimately succeed, to our teams? Is it feasible to structure an AEC firm’s culture to bring forward this type of drive and desire? Let’s take a look: ■ High performance isn’t accidental. When you’re competing as an athlete, the results of your performance are extremely measurable. There are individual records that calculate every moment of every game, as well as the less quantifiable factors like your form, drive, strategy, and teamwork. When you perform well, everyone around you knows it. When you don’t perform well, everyone around you knows it.

leaders and need to make sure we are persistent in helping them. This is where a performance coaching culture comes in. Similar to athletics, a coach helps you with awareness, enabling you to see what you are good at or need to work on. Without coaching, you aren’t forced to reflect on your performance. ■ Improvement requires keeping score. Based on Zweig Group’s annual employee survey, ISG is an award-winning Best Firm To Work For . We know that professional development, growth, and career advancement are valued by our team. Even so, from 2019 to 2022, survey results in the categories of training and mentoring had 6 percent to 7 percent lower ratings than the average of all questions. It’s our responsibility to ensure we push to improve this and maintain an environment for team members to thrive, that includes leaning into a performance coaching culture to raise the bar.

As an AEC professional, you also compete. There are results from your performance, but the metrics aren’t as obvious. It is easy for some firms to hold employees to metrics like utilization rates, but that isn’t enough. ISG is a young firm with an average age of 36. We are growing our future

■

See SAMANTHA BOECK, page 8

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

strategy, we look forward to the lasting impact of this and future employee engagement. Sam B., ISG structural engineer and former collegiate football player, said, “As a college athlete, I had four years to improve. As a professional, I have my entire career. If I’m not intentional, I won’t improve. Performance coaching feedback has helped me realize I need to be more decisive and use data to make quicker decisions.” As individuals find success, they become coaches themselves. They share what they’ve learned, help others become more self aware, and perform at a higher level. The program builds upon itself and allows our teams to achieve more by diligently focusing on continuous performance improvement, ultimately increasing ISG’s success. Tiara M., ISG project management group leader, said, “There has been a noticeable acceleration in my team’s performance since we’ve increased the focus on performance coaching. I’ve seen numerous individuals who more confidently give and provide feedback as they work on projects. My direct reports are also initiating more frequent discussions about their performance, looking for opportunities to improve and grow.” THE FINAL SPRINT. When done well, leaning into a performance coaching culture drives people to compete at their best every day. It challenges everyone on the team and pushes boundaries to elevate the entire game. Samantha Boeck is the director of talent engagement at ISG, a nationally recognized architecture, engineering, environmental, and planning firm. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

SAMANTHA BOECK, from page 7

■ Coaching maximizes elite potential. Driving high performance has been an important part of ISG’s culture from the beginning. In the early days, our founders served as the coaching staff. They helped less experienced engineers and architects reflect and improve on their performance. As we’ve grown, an increased emphasis on coaching helps new ISGers understand and embrace our high-performance culture, while seasoned employees mentor and hold each other accountable. We believe in doing the hard things to produce greater results and avoid a punch in, punch out mentality. ■ Versatility fuels high performance. Competing is important to us. We look for professionals with a competitive drive. Former athletes often find success at ISG due to our team mentality, hunger to win, and focus on progress. This important piece of our culture is elevated by a robust, in-house performance coaching program led by a seasoned professional with a background in sports psychology. Our more than 500 employee owners have varying levels of experience, motivation, and expertise. We recognize that one-size-fits-all professional development does not work for us. Success requires a dynamic and flexible coaching strategy that can quickly and effectively elevate our employees. SUCCESS STORIES. Like athletes, professionals want to know how they are performing and what they can do better. In 2023, 95 percent of ISG employee owners attended at least one coaching presentation and used at least one performance coaching resource. As a key component of our firm’s long-term

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OPINION

Managing upward

Mastering the art of managing upward is crucial for career growth, involving understanding, aligning with, and proactively supporting superiors.

I can credit some of my success over the years to learning the practice of managing upward. This is not a concept we usually think about. Instead, most of us have taken numerous courses and lectures on management tactics telling us how to manage our direct reports. Some even discuss lateral management. But what about the leaders above us? Understanding this can be crucial to your career development and, ultimately, your success.

Greg Sepeda

Think back to the interactions you have with your staff. Are there people you feel in sync with? Does some of your team always seem to bring you the right information at the right time? You probably have a subconscious list of idealistic things you wish your staff did in working with you. Now, think about how you interact with your immediate boss. How many of those idealistic things do you do with them? Here are three tips I will share with you: 1. You cannot get your boss the information they need if you don’t know what that is. Obvious, right? But it may be more challenging than it appears. I frequently repeat something my dad told me when I graduated many years ago. He told me my job was to make my boss look

good. While that sounds very self-centered of our bosses, what my dad meant was that my job was to understand my boss’s goals and to work to help them achieve those goals, keeping in mind that my boss’s needs represented the needs of the company and the clients. So, we need to take time to really listen to what they are telling or asking us. You may need to ask some additional prying questions to dig further into why they are requesting particular information or to understand their goal. You want to be aligned with that objective. Be aware of their priorities and adjust yours accordingly. Delivering a quality product is not limited to our projects. Try thinking of our bosses as internal clients.

See GREG SEPEDA, page 10

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

TRANSACTIONS ATWELL CONTINUES GROWTH IN FLORIDA WITH ACQUISITION OF BANKS ENGINEERING, EXPANDING ENGINEERING, PLANNING, AND SURVEYING SERVICES Atwell has acquired BEI Engineering Group, LLC, doing business as Banks Engineering, a 90-person firm providing civil engineering, planning, and land surveying services. The acquisition of Banks Engineering continues to strengthen Atwell’s resources and capabilities in Florida, specifically in Fort Myers and Port Charlotte. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Banks Engineering has provided Florida with civil engineering, planning, and land surveying for more than 30 years. Founded in 1992, Banks Engineering has supported private sector work for a diverse range of clients throughout the state of Florida. The firm provides professional expertise at every stage, from initial concept to project completion and beyond. “Banks is excited to join the Atwell family,” said Tom Lehnert, President of Banks Engineering. “Banks Engineering

and Atwell share similar values, and the merger will allow us to expand our services to better meet the needs of our clients and provide new opportunities for all of our team members. We look forward to supporting Atwell’s growth in Florida and the Southeast Region.” “We’ve worked with the team members at Banks Engineering for years and have firsthand experience of their excellent work and commitment to clients,” said Ron Waldrop, Senior Vice President at Atwell. “We have added the outstanding professionals at Banks Engineering to our company because we want to continue investing in this market for the benefit of our clients and the success of their projects.” Atwell has significantly expanded its geographic footprint, service offerings, and capabilities through organic growth and strategic acquisitions over the past few years. The acquisition of Banks Engineering follows Atwell’s most recent acquisitions of Summit Engineering, a civil engineering and land surveying firm in Heber City, Utah, and Mead Gilman &

Associates, a land surveying firm located in Woodinville, Washington. Atwell, LLC is a national consulting, engineering, and construction services firm with more than 1,800 professionals located across the country. Creating innovative solutions for clients in industries such as real estate and land development, power and energy, hydrocarbons, and infrastructure, Atwell provides comprehensive turnkey services including land and right-of- way support, planning, landscape architecture, engineering, land surveying, environmental compliance and permitting, natural resources consulting and project and program management. BEI prides itself in providing quality and cost-effective multi-discipline engineering, procurement and construction management services. The firm’s select group of professionals provide industry leading services and solutions for its clients’ upstream, midstream, petrochemical, chemical and refining needs.

do not do this to your boss. Take initiative and recommend a solution (or two) to the problem. An extrapolation of this is to anticipate a request or problem. Then, you are ready to respond even if they do not know what they need. A final thought on this, though – do not give your boss a sanitized version of a problem. When the reality comes out (and it will), they will be surprised and won’t look very good to their peers. “Whether we want to admit it or not, bosses control our professional success. So, having a good working relationship with them is crucial if you want to grow inside your firm.” There are other suggestions, but these are a good start. Whether we want to admit it or not, bosses control our professional success. So, having a good working relationship with them is crucial if you want to grow inside your firm. For one reason, bosses and clients remember who makes them look good. And they will want to continue to work with those people. For another, if our boss succeeds and moves up in the organization, that promotion you’ve been eyeing may have just opened up. Greg Sepeda, retired, was formerly chief engineer and vice president of operations at Sigma Consulting Group, Inc. (a Waggoner Company). Contact him at gpsepeda@gmail.com.

GREG SEPEDA, from page 9

2. Sometimes, arranging a time to meet with our boss can be a difficult first step. If you think you are busy, know that your bosses (usually) are working just as hard, if not harder. So, try to make it convenient for them. I might schedule a meeting on those Fridays when I know their day is less booked. Learn their preferred communication style. What form of communication do they prefer? Do they prefer email, chat messages, and texts, or do they actually like to talk? Do they only check messages at certain times of the day? Do they prefer to read information or be told the information? I remember one of the things I would do with my former boss was to appreciate his time constraints and try to combine my questions or responses. It worked better for him to talk to me in a slightly longer block of time than in random interruptions. Last, make yourself accessible to them. When they have questions, they will feel just as frustrated if they cannot find you or if you are slow to respond to an email. 3. You’ve heard this before, but I will say it again – be part of the solution, not the problem. I would always ask my team to bring me two or three alternatives to any problem they had. Then, we could talk through them together and settle on a direction. Well, don’t our bosses deserve the same? Think about your workload. How many things on your desk were “delegated” back to you because a team member dropped a problem on your desk, and you told him, “You’d look into it.” These “upward leaping monkeys” keep you from spending time on primary assignments. So

THE ZWEIG LETTER APRIL 22, 2024, ISSUE 1534

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