Percentage of work history at current firm

Using Zweig Group’s 2019 Total Compensation Tool, we looked at an engineer’s current tenure at a firm as the percentage of his or her total experience in the field. Unsurprisingly, newly-hired, entry-level engineers with fewer years under their belt showed the highest percentage of tenure-to-total experience. The percentages in the upper engineering levels hovered around 45 to 50 percent, suggesting half of engineers are promoted from within while half looks elsewhere to climb the ladder.

T R E N D L I N E S

F I R M I N D E X

W W W . T H E Z W E I G L E T T E R . C O M

T H E V O I C E O F R E A S O N F O R A E C F I R M S & M A N A G E M E N T C O N S U L T A N T S

Burns & McDonnell ...............................10Greeley and Hansen ...............................2Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. ...............4Mason & Hangar.....................................7McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture .....11Mead & Hunt ..........................................8Pennoni ................................................10R&A Architecture + Design .....................8SVA Architects ........................................4The Kiely Family of Companies ...............2Zaha Hadid Architects ..........................10

Page 6

J a n u a r y 2 8 , 2 0 1 9 , I s s u e 1 2 8 1

A clear path: Brad Smith

See MARK ZWEIG, page 2

“Right now, at the start of the new year,

is a great time to be selling.

Organizations of all types, public and

private, have new plans and

new budgets to go along with

them.”

Right now, at the start of the new year, is a great time to be selling. Organizations of

all types, public and private, have new plans and new budgets to go along with them. More decisions on service providers will be made now more than any other time during the year. So what are you waiting for?

Here are my thoughts:

1) Outbound email still works. Inbound mar-keting may be the rage, but it’s no panacea. If you have an email marketing program, now is the time to make maximum use of it. Kick up the volume!

2) Clean up your proposals pending list. Call everyone who you have sent a proposal to but haven’t heard back from. Besides it being a good idea to have good data on what is still a possibility, you may be surprised to win a job or two. Strike now while the iron is hot and show some interest!

3) Call all of your current clients. Make it part of your “business planning process” to get with all of your current clients to go over their needs for the coming year. This is a perfect time to ask.

4) Call all of your targeted new clients. Make a list of who you really want to do business with. Identify all of those in these organizations who could hire you or influence the decision to hire you. Start discussing their coming needs, con-cerns or dislikes with current service provid-ers, and share some success stories on projects done recently for other clients. You will never get these clients unless you start contacting them regularly!

5) Set up a regular time for you to make your calls. Maybe it is every Thursday afternoon

Now is a good time to sell

MORE COLUMNSxz MARKETING MATTERS: Implicit bias Page 3

xz GUEST SPEAKER: A military approach Page 6

xz GUEST SPEAKER: The new kid Page 9

Mark Zweig

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

2

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from 1 to 5, or some other time. Put it in your calendar. Stay on the phone with new clients during that time. See what comes of it.

6) Train your people. It’s a rare firm in this business that does a decent job training a wide range of staff in business development and selling. Be one of those companies. Train a large cross-section of staff and get everyone in the place concerned with selling.

7) Celebrate your victories! Announce new work sold. Bang a gong. Send out an email to all staff. Post names on a board. Make a big deal out of those who are out there and bringing the bacon home. And don’t forget that most of these projects take more than one person to land so give credit to ALL who deserve it!

Not every time is a good time to be out selling. Right now, however, is. Get it while the “gettin’” is good!

MARK ZWEIG is Zweig Group’s chairman and founder. Contact him at mzweig@zweiggroup.com.

MARK ZWEIG, from page 1

ON THE MOVEGREELEY AND HANSEN APPOINTS NEW PRINCIPAL Greeley and Hansen, a global civil and environmental engineering, architectural, and management consulting firm focused exclusively on serving the needs of the water sector, has named Val Frenkel, Ph.D., as a principal.A prominent figure in the water industry and a recognized global expert on water reuse, desalination, and membrane technologies, Frenkel is currently vice president of process engineering and managing director of the firm’s Pacific Coast Operations.“Val’s leadership has been instrumental in advancing our long-range growth strategy by expanding Greeley and Hansen’s presence and operations in San Francisco to better serve the needs of clients along the west coast,” said John Robak, president of Greeley and Hansen. “And, with his depth of expertise in process engineering, water reuse, and desalination, he’s also expanded our capabilities to provide both domestic and international clients with sustainable solutions using innovative technologies to address their challenges and meet their long-term needs.”Frenkel is a founding diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, a fellow of both the International Water Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers, and is an active member of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation. He has also been recognized as an Outstanding Professional in Water Reuse by the International Desalination Association. In addition, he has authored more than 100 articles and presentations on a wide range of treatment process topics, and has also contributed chapters to several industry-wide Manuals of Practice.Greeley and Hansen is a leader in developing innovative engineering, architecture, and management solutions for a wide array of complex water, wastewater, and related infrastructure challenges. The firm has built upon more than 100 years of proven civil

and environmental engineering experience in all phases of project development and implementation to become a premier global provider of comprehensive services in the water sector. Greeley and Hansen is dedicated to designing better urban environments world-wide.THE KIELY FAMILY OF COMPANIES PROMOTES MARK T. TAYLOR, P.E. TO SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS – GAS The Kiely Family of Companies has announced the promotion of Mark Taylor, P.E. from vice president of J.F. Kiely Service Co. to senior vice president of operations – gas.Since joining the organization, Mark has been an integral team member in growing the company’s Civil business unit, leading J.F. Kiely Service Co. through its transition from offering project management services to becoming a full-scale engineering and project management firm, and has spearheaded and developed two additional companies, expanding the Kiely Family of Companies by providing customers with a more complete service offering.“Throughout his time with the Kiely Family of Companies, Mark has consistently lived our values: empowering team members by fostering an environment of growth and career advancement, partnering with customers to enhance their stakeholder value, and advancing the vitality of the communities we serve,” says John M. Kiely, President of the Kiely Family of Companies. “He is an exemplary leader, and we look forward to his continued contributions to our organization.”The Kiely Family of Companies established in 1952 specializes in design-build. Its three business units (civil, development, and equipment) serve the engineering, construction, utility and heavy highway, real estate, and manufacturing industries. Heavily concentrated in the Northeast, the Kiely Family of Companies employs more than 1,200 team members in the United States and abroad.

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3

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

When I was in middle school, I was relentlessly bullied by a girl named “Jessica.” As a result, every time I meet someone new named “Jessica,” I feel a little bristly

toward them at first. This feeling is a result of my implicit bias. Whether we will admit this or not, most of us have similar stories about people we tend to dislike based on their name or where they are from.

Help your organization commit to framing diversity and inclusion in a positive light. Examine your own biases and try to be accountable.

O P I N I O N

Overt sexism and racism isn’t something we like to talk a lot about in the AEC industry – we’ve come a long way in the past 30-plus years, and overall it’s led by people who are caring and ethical. But these issues haven’t gone away. Whether you’re a business developer, marketer, project manager, CEO, or human resources manager, the concept of implicit bias is important to understand.

Implicit bias refers to the attitudes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions unconsciously. It’s something that is deep in our subconscious and encompasses both favorable and unfavorable associations – it causes us to have judgements about people based on their name, hometown, race, ethnicity, age, appearance, sexual orientation, gender, and a whole lot of other characteristics inherent to a person. It’s pervasive

– everyone has some form of implicit bias, and it doesn’t necessarily align with our declared beliefs or endorsements.

A simple test for implicit bias is to remove the name and any unique identifying characteristics

Implicit bias

ChristinaZweig Niehues

See CHRISTINA ZWEIG NIEHUES, page 4

“Whether you’re a business developer, a marketer, a project manager, a CEO, or human resources manager, the concept of implicit bias is important to understand.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

4

from a resume and evaluate your thoughts on the eligibility of an applicant, then repeat with the name added. Although it’s most often thought of in recruiting situations, if you’re a decision maker of any kind in your firm, implicit bias is something that may be present in almost every choice you make, from setting salaries to promotions, to negotiating project fees.

There’s a lot of debate surrounding Harvard University’s Implicit Associations Test, but it’s an interesting exercise in self-understanding. Experiments do prove that implicit bias is real. The American Sociological Review found that white applicants get about 50 percent more call backs than black applicants with the same resume. Obese children are more likely to be assumed as unintelligent than slim ones.

New York Yankees fans are less likely to receive positive feedback from clients. (Just kidding on that last one).

We all have some form of implicit bias, the challenge is what to do about it.

I read a really great article in Quartz at Work by Lily Zheng. She said, “What I’ve realized is that implicit bias training, the way many professionals offer it, has a framing problem. Bias isn’t like an upset stomach that an individual can take an antacid to fix; it’s a chronic issue that affects entire organizations, industries, and even societies. Individuals have racist, sexist, and homophobic biases because our families, schools, workplaces, and popular culture are racist, sexist, and homophobic. The outcome of any implicit bias training shouldn’t be to cure people’s bias or make them more objective – it should be to make people bias-aware.”

So what can you do? Help your organization commit to framing diversity and inclusion in a positive light. Examine your own biases and try to be accountable. If you’re ever in doubt, get a different perspective. Don’t be afraid to talk about it!

CHRISTINA ZWEIG NIEHUES is Zweig Group’s director of marketing. She can be reached at czweig@zweiggroup.com.

CHRISTINA ZWEIG NIEHUES, from page 3

“Implicit bias refers to the attitudes that affect our understanding, action, and decisions unconsciously. It’s something that is deep in our subconscious and encompasses both favorable and unfavorable associations.”

BUSINESS NEWSSVA ARCHITECTS MOVES TO LARGER SAN DIEGO OFFICE SVA Architects announced that the firm has signed a long-term lease in San Diego County, expanding its southernmost office significantly. Centrally located at 3394 Carmel Mountain Road, Suite 120, SVA’s new office will offer the firm ample space to accommodate current projects and team members while actively recruiting exceptional new talent.Robert Simons, AIA, president of SVA Architects, states, “It’s been a very exciting season of growth at SVA. This summer, the Santa Ana office also moved to a larger space. And shortly prior to that, our Oakland office moved to a larger, very modern space in the Uptown District.”SVA’s San Diego office is led by Lori Ichisaka, senior associate partner. A force in the architecture field for 35 years, Ichisaka has led a variety of projects, from commercial office buildings to high-density multi-family. Ichisaka and her team have been responsible for some of San Diego’s most impactful communities, including: z Comm 22 z San Diego State University South Campus

Plaza, winner of: z 2017 Gold Nugget Merit Award

z Celadon at 9th and Broadway, winner of: z 2016 ULI Global Award for Excellence z 2016 ULI Healthy Places Award z 2016 Gold Nugget Grand Award

z 2016 Multifamily Executive Grand Award

z 2016 Ruby Award z BUILDER Magazine’s 2014 Builder’s

Choice Grand AwardCurrently underway for SVA’s San Diego team is the new San Ysidro Public Library, a source of pride for the local community and a significant investment in that region.Ernesto Vasquez, FAIA, CEO of SVA Architects, states, “As a firm, we believe in creating sustainable and forward-thinking environments. We are putting our philosophy into practice by moving the San Diego team to a space that will better equip them to meet clients’ needs for the long-term.”Founded in 2003, SVA Architects has become one of the country’s most innovative and respected design and planning organizations. The award-winning firm specializes in urban planning, architecture, and interior design of public, private, and mixed-use projects. Among the firm’s portfolio are civic, educational, residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana with offices in Oakland, San Diego, and Honolulu. WOODSIDE SELECTS JACOBS TO DELIVER BROWNFIELDS ENGINEERING AND PROCUREMENT SERVICES Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. has been awarded a three-year outline agreement from Woodside Energy Limited to provide brownfields engineering and procurement services for the Karratha Gas

Plant in Western Australia. The KGP is one of the most advanced integrated gas production systems in the world, servicing Australia’s largest oil and gas development, the North West Shelf Project.“We are pleased to extend our relationship with Woodside. Our proven track record of delivering long-term brownfields sustaining capital programs across the world ideally positions us to support the entire program life cycle for Woodside’s Karratha Gas Plant,” said Jacobs Energy, Chemicals and Resources President Vinayak Pai. “Our experience in program management and commitment to continuous improvement and digital solutions will help ensure Woodside’s program is a success.”In addition to this sustaining capital contract, Jacobs has been delivering engineering and consulting services to Woodside across its portfolio of assets in Western Australia.Woodside, headquartered in Perth, is one of Australia’s leading LNG operators and the country’s largest independent oil and gas company.Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion in fiscal 2018 revenue and a talent force of more than 80,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional, and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government, and infrastructure sectors.

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

5

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THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

6

Following 30 years as an Army Engineer officer, I went to work as a market leader for architecture and engineering firm Mead & Hunt. My mission was to build a U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers program from scratch.

Breaking into new markets isn’t easy, but it can be done if you have a long-term, coordinated plan of attack.

O P I N I O N

While on the surface the skills I’d gained over a long military career were not immediately applicable to my new role, I found myself approaching this challenge as I would a military mission. Therefore, my first step would be a mission analysis – determining how success was defined within this context. Next, I assessed the target client opportunities, our firm’s capabilities and our competitors’ capabilities, otherwise known as intelligence preparation of the battlefield. Finally, I identified any potential teaming partners: I assessed and gathered friendly forces. In order to successfully break into a new market, we often find ourselves using our previous experience and skills in new and nuanced ways. Surviving in unfamiliar terrain requires a high level of adaptation.

z Mission analysis – what does success look like? When I joined Mead & Hunt in 2010, the federal program was primarily focused on work for the Air

National Guard and Army National Guard. Although the firm had won an architecture-engineering indefi-nite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with the Chicago District USACE in the 1990s, they’d only received five small task orders from this contract and decided not to pursue the recompete in 1998.

After reviewing this history and the firm’s capabili-ties, my boss and I agreed to shift the focus to de-sign-build opportunities for a few key facility types, as well as design opportunities where our airfield,

A military approach

Miro Kurka

GUEST SPEAKER

“While on the surface the skills I’d gained over a long military career were not immediately applicable to my new role, I found myself approaching this challenge as I would a military mission.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

7dam, and flood control design expertise would really be valu-able. With these new objectives in mind, any new contract with a USACE District would equal success.

Taking stock of where we’ve been and what we had to offer as a firm, and re-evaluating where we wanted to go moving forward, were vital pieces of our plan to break into the USACE market.

z Intelligence preparation of a competitive market. Intel-ligence preparation in the military involves evaluating the enemy, environment, and terrain. In a business context, it involves evaluating the opportunities and the competition. USACE is organized into a headquarters, nine divisions, 44 districts, and two centers. The geographically-organized dis-tricts are where the vast majority of architecture, engineering, and construction contracting happens.

I decided to focus on the districts where Mead & Hunt had offices, and those where I had an existing business relation-ship. This initially narrowed my focus to 12 districts. Within those 12 districts, I identified five A-E IDIQ opportunities and three design-build opportunities in five key district mar-kets. Additionally, working with my boss and other market leaders at the company, we evaluated the competition in these five markets. USACE puts a very high premium on experience working directly for them, and each district has their favorite AEC contractors.

Our analysis quickly determined that we did not have the ca-pability to go head-to-head with the competition. We needed to team with the competition to win, and either be a subcon-sultant on a design-build or small-business A-E team, or a joint venture partner on a large business A-E team. The intel-ligence preparation we completed allowed us to understand the strategies it would take to attain success.

z Gathering friendly forces. Seventy percent of my focus quickly shifted to finding the right teaming partners. This re-quired teaming partners who:

1) Had the resume needed to win one of the opportunities discussed above

2) Needed Mead & Hunt’s resumes, project portfolio, or rela-tionships to compete successfully for a USACE contract.

Once identified, I put as much effort into winning a slot as a subconsultant or JV partner as I would a major contract pursuit. I did everything in my capability to highlight Mead & Hunt’s value to the pursuit, using my personal knowledge of the USACE district and key district personnel, Mead & Hunt’s key resumes and projects, and my ability to arrange meetings with the district. Three years of effort solidified our teaming relationships with six large and two small business A-Es, and two design-builders. Friendly forces in hand, we were now poised to break into the USACE market.

z Make yourself known. In addition to wooing teaming part-ners, I aggressively marketed Mead & Hunt to our 12 USACE

target districts. These efforts included meetings and capabili-ties presentations, very active involvement in several Society of American Military Engineers posts associated with these districts, writing dozens of professional blogs and several professional articles for The Military Engineer magazine, and sending copies of these to my USACE contacts. I made sure the name “Mead & Hunt” would not be met with “Who’s that?” in the market we were vying to break into.

z Pick your targets and go for it. Based on the results of our mission analysis, intelligence preparation, and gathering friendly forces, we chose to focus on 10 key pursuits in the first three years. After two years, we’d experienced five losses, one near miss (short-listed but not selected), and no wins other than as a sub on a large business A-E contract. I was feeling very discouraged. However, our efforts focused on so-lidifying teaming relationships were about to pay off.

In year three, we won a significant design-build project with a well-liked contractor at Fort Polk. A few months later, our marketing efforts led to the Tulsa District USACE requesting Mead & Hunt by name for an airfield design and a separate hydro feasibility study. Because we had no contract with Tulsa District, Tulsa asked Mason & Hangar, one of their exist-ing A-Es, if they would team with us. Our past few years of teaming effort paid off: we already had a solid relationship with Mason & Hanger, so they were happy to work with us on these task orders. Our work with them then led to Mason & Hanger asking us to form a joint venture with them for their recompete on the Tulsa A-E IDIQ, which we subsequently won.

Throughout our joint venture with Mason & Hangar, we have executed 11 task orders for Tulsa. This experience directly helped us win our second USACE A-E IDIQ with Louisville District. Though the results could not be seen immediately, I had to trust in the process I’d started. Ultimately, these tactics were successful.

z Once you’ve won it, keep it. So now we are on a roll. We’ve won the opportunity, everything is great, and we can relax, right? Not quite – winning the contract is only half the battle. Working for USACE can be just as challenging as winning the contract in the first place. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has many requirements for its contractors and consultants, and your firm’s ability to navigate these requirements has great influence, both on the Corps’ perception of you, and on your ability to be awarded task orders and additional A-E IDIQs. Among these requirements: stringent safety programs, anti-terrorism/force protection and operations security train-ing, small business utilization and reporting, cyber security, and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs require-ments including affirmative action and equal employment opportunity reporting. Additionally, the Corps expects its consultants to carefully document requests for information

See MIRO KURKA, page 8

“Breaking into a new market can be done. Once you get there, don’t forget who you are as a firm – avoid complacency, continue performing at a high level, and maintain high standards for quality and safety.”

“Breaking into a new market like USACE consulting required extensive time and effort. Through applying skills and experiences gained in different roles and different markets, I was able to successfully build Mead & Hunt’s USACE program from the ground up.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

8

and project decisions, and to use DrChecks for the design and study submittal and review process.

Keeping track of each of these requirements, and navigating them successfully, is no small feat. The period after winning a contract is not a time to get complacent. Our work as sub-consultants on USACE task orders, as well as our work on other non-Corps federal projects, prepared us for many of these requirements. However, actually working for USACE as a prime consultant still required a very steep learning curve. Of all the factors for success, safety and execution are by far the most important. Serious safety issues will get a consul-tant fired, and the quality of the consultant’s work outweighs everything else.

Breaking into a new market like USACE consulting required extensive time and effort. Through applying skills and experiences gained in different roles and different markets, I was able to successfully build Mead & Hunt’s USACE program from the ground up. Breaking into a new

market can be done. Once you get there, don’t forget who you are as a firm – avoid complacency, continue performing at a high level, and maintain high standards for quality and safety. The success of obtaining a new market is not just a matter of breaking in but staying there, and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships for years to come.

MIRO KURKA, P.E., PMP, F. SAME is vice president and group leader for Mead & Hunt’s Water Resources Group. As a group leader his goal is to achieve a sustainable, growing and profitable business offering a quality product and aligning his group’s goals and objectives to support the corporate mission and vision. A retired U.S. Army officer, he managed the Corps of Engineers’ program in Tulsa, Portland, and Afghanistan for 30 years, bridging gaps, overcoming obstacles, and tackling large challenges. He loves traveling and meeting people. He can be reached at miro.kurka@meadhunt.com.

MIRO KURKA, from page 7 “The success of obtaining a new market is not just a matter of breaking in but staying there, and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships for years to come.”

BUSINESS NEWSSHAREWELL ANNOUNCES FUNDING AND DEBUTS RENDERINGS FOR THE NEW CAYTON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM AT 18TH ANNUAL DISCOVERY AWARD DINNER In November 2018, ShareWell, the non-profit organization that oversees the Zimmer Children’s Museum and the youTHink youth development program, hosted its 18th Annual Discovery Award Dinner at the Skirball Cultural Center. Each year, the gala raises invaluable funds to continue the organization’s mission of providing programs and experiences that instill social responsibility and community values in today’s youth.The dinner recognized honorees Barry & Andrea Cayton, Craig Erwich, and Sandra Stern for their continuous support of ShareWell initiatives. Barry L. Cayton is founder and president of Audio Command Systems. His wife, Andrea, serves as vice president of the board of the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust and is an active supporter of Jewish philanthropy. Craig Erwich is the senior vice president of Originals at Hulu, the premium streaming service. Sandra Stern is the president of Lionsgate Television Group, a leading global entertainment company.The evening honored the significant contributions of these key supporters as ShareWell prepares to embark on a new chapter through the opening of the Cayton Children’s Museum in early 2019, relocating to a 21,000-square-foot space at Santa Monica Place. “Thanks to the visionary and truly generous support of families and foundations – especially Andrea and Barry Cayton and The Goldrich Family Foundation – who believe in the need and impact of our work, we are making tremendous progress towards our goal. As board chair, it is an honor to lead ShareWell during this transformational

moment in our history,” said ShareWell’s Board of Directors Chair Andy Kaplan.Kaplan announced that of their 15 million dollar goal, ShareWell has already raised 10.8 million dollars. “When the Board learned that there was an opportunity to grow, to act on our mission in bigger and bolder ways, Courtney and I knew we had to join as Campaign Co-Chairs to make this dream a reality. We are well on our way to success, but we still have a gap to close and many innovative, engaging, and cutting-edge exhibits that need support to bring them to life,” said ShareWell Board of Directors Vice Chair, Jamie Mandelbaum.Designed by R&A Architecture + Design as an inclusive space for free and safe discovery, the new Cayton Children Museum’s design was unveiled to event guests who were shown an exclusive first look at the interior renderings and design direction for the new museum, currently under construction.Envisioned as a series of unexpected spaces, the museum’s non-linear layout relies on a network of freestanding, tactile objects purposefully sited to frame portions of the five exhibit neighborhoods while not revealing the entirety of the museum’s offerings all at once. The free plan approach affords each visitor the opportunity to chart his or her own “Path of Awesome” through more than 30 exhibits focused on helping kids play their way to a better world. The exterior of each architectural object was designed to have a unique interactive or tactile experience associated with it to further the museum’s mandate for storytelling. Together, the objects and exhibits encourage activity throughout the open playscape and blur the line between exhibit and architecture. By prioritizing the power of play, The Cayton Children’s Museum will inspire a sense of curiosity in a contemporary

space designed for exploration and adventure.ShareWell’s Board of Directors Vice Chair Courtney Mizel adds in closing, “Building on our teachings at the Zimmer, the Cayton Children’s Museum exhibits will have the power to shape a child’s social consciousness and to help them understand the many roles they can play in our communities and in the world. The new exhibits speak to all of us and serve as a reminder of what is possible when we join together to make amazing things happen.”The Cayton Children’s Museum is set to open in early 2019 at its new home at Santa Monica Place, located steps away from the Santa Monica Pier. R&A Architecture + Design is a young, energetic architecture and design firm focused on creative solutions in multiple scales and typologies, including commercial, hospitality, residential, and mixed-use. Founded in 2013 by Principals Christian Robert and Benjamin Anderson and joined by Principal Shawn Gehle in 2017, R&A globally leverages the award-winning design leadership of its three Principals and a broad portfolio of experience in transformative architecture and interiors projects.Focusing on more local, community-scaled projects, R&A believes that every project is an opportunity for transformation and impact. R&A believes in collaboration from all parties involved in a project, and the trust they have in the firm’s work.R&A values how curiosity feeds creativity, and how creative approaches yield innovative answers. R&A is intensely active in, and embrace related research. It is, after all, what benefits the firm’s core focus – to deliver fresh, new thinking at every point of our process.

9

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

Starting a new job is intimidating. But starting a job – when you’re the first one to ever be hired for it at your firm – adds another level of stress.

When your firm hires a young person to fill a newly created position, make sure you give them the support they need to grow into their role.

O P I N I O N

Last year, I was hired as Pennoni’s first GIS analyst within our technology solutions group. Our team specializes in several GIS-specific areas, including asset management, transportation, spatial analysis, and municipal GIS. This position was a huge step for me, coming from the world of academia as many younger employees do. Fortunately, I figured out how to forge my own path at Pennoni and have some tips for how your firm’s younger hires can do the same.

z Get involved. Starting as the first hire in a new division can be daunting. Your employee won’t have other direct co-workers, at least for a while, to bounce ideas off of at that Thursday happy hour. Step one is to encourage them to get involved with other employees, to get to know people around their age, those who do something adjacent to their work, or other new hires. By creating this network of in-dividuals, your employees will not only be creating friendships, but will start marketing their skills in a different way. This association will help your younger hires grow within the firm.

z Becoming a source of knowledge for others. Because your employee is the first hire within your division/group, they will ultimately become a go-to person. It’s incredibly important for them to be a knowledgeable source on as much as they can. It’s not as important to be an expert, but they should be able to listen, troubleshoot, research, and develop a plan. From my experience, I’ve been able to make many connections because I knew what I was talking about off the bat, or was able to follow through with my suggestions. It’s not always about having all the answers all at once, but encouraging your employee

The new kid

Julia Wolanski

GUEST SPEAKER

See JULIA WOLANSKI, page10

“Step one is to encourage them to get involved with other employees, to get to know people around their age, those who do something adjacent to their work, or other new hires.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

10BUSINESS NEWSBURNS & MCDONNELL BROADENS EAST COAST PRESENCE WITH OPENING OF GREENVILLE OFFICE Having supported hundreds of facility and infrastructure projects along the East Coast, Burns & McDonnell is expanding operations with a new office in Greenville, South Carolina. The 100 percent employee-owned engineering, architecture, construction, environmental, and consulting firm plans to hire 50 local employees for the office within the next three years. The growth in the region is part of firm’s nationwide effort to hire more than 1,000 professionals annually.Having supported hundreds of facility and infrastructure projects along the East Coast, Burns & McDonnell is expanding operations with a new office in Greenville, South Carolina. The firm’s new 2,300-square-foot office space is located at 124 Verdae Boulevard.With a focus on facilities and infrastructure needs in the region, the Greenville office will support government, manufacturing and process, healthcare, higher education, energy and utility clients. Backed by a nationwide network of more than 6,000 professionals, the team will offer a full range of planning, design, construction, and commissioning services.“We’re committed to providing great service, solutions and leadership for our clients and the communities in which we live and work,” says Trevor Jones, Burns & McDonnell engineering manager in Greenville. “Opening an office in Greenville will allow us to expand our support of the region and hire diverse, local talent to plan, design, and construct projects important to the success of our clients.”Burns & McDonnell ranks among the top 10 design firms and the top 20 manufacturing firms in the U.S., according to Engineering News-Record. The firm is also recognized as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies

to Work For in 2018 and as a best place to work by more than 20 publications across the country.“Our employee ownership model provides a framework for career growth and success for employees,” says Jones. “It’s created a team-oriented, entrepreneurial culture, that attracts and retains the best and brightest professionals in the industry.”Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 6,000 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants, and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. Burns & McDonnell strives to create amazing success for its clients and amazing careers for its employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be on Fortune’s 2018 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.ONE THOUSAND MUSEUM RESIDENCES ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE One Thousand Museum Residences by Zaha Hadid Architects is continuing to raise the bar in South Florida’s condominium market as the first residential development in the world to partner with Forbes Travel Guide. Known for creating the Five-Star rating system, Forbes Travel Guide has long been the global authority on luxury service. With this partnership, One Thousand Museum Residences creates a hospitality-focused residential experience for residents and their guests on par with that of the finest hotels in the world.Forbes Travel Guide is a highly regarded rating platform that evaluates the world’s most coveted hospitality projects. The guide is a high-ranking authority because of its stringent service standards and input from the Standards Advisory Committee, a body comprised of experts across multiple luxury and hospitality verticals.

While Forbes Travel Guide traditionally assesses the world’s finest hotels and spas, this first-of-its-kind partnership with One Thousand Museum Residences will develop customized brand standards and a comprehensive training program to onsite staff. Forbes Travel Guide executive trainers will collaborate with One Thousand Museum Residences’ management team to ensure world-class training is delivered to each staff member. The intensive training program will enhance service skills and inspire staff to elevate the lifestyle experience for residents and their guests.“The first residential condominium in the world to partner with Forbes Travel Guide, One Thousand Museum Residences is taking a hospitality approach to the residential experience,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “We commend the company for investing in service for the betterment of its residents.”“We are raising the bar for what owners can expect from a residential experience,” says Louis Birdman, co-developer of One Thousand Museum Residences. “We want a true five-star experience for our buyers, something that not only meets but also goes beyond what they experience in their most elevated travel experiences. Forging the alignment with Forbes Travel Guide – the world’s most well-respected rating system – presented the solution to make that a reality.” Miami’s One Thousand Museum Residences by Zaha Hadid Architects marks the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s first and final residential skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. With her name on the project and iconic aesthetic in the center of downtown Miami’s skyline, the tower will be the catalyst that shifts the center of gravity for high design and luxury residences to downtown Miami.

to be willing to always find the answers. This makes a power-ful statement.

z An open line of communication with upper-level manage-ment. Again, as the first hire, they’re the go-to person. By cre-ating an open line of communication with upper-level man-agement, they’ll be able to voice their opinions as this new group begins to grow. This employee will be in a great place for future management as they’ll have a unique view of their team and its placement in the firm. You want your group to thrive as much as possible. If you create an open-door policy, this new hire will be comfortable having conversations, easy or tough, and will ultimately make it farther in their role.

z Listen and absorb everything. They are new to this field and to this position. The best thing you can do is to encour-age them to listen to everything around them and absorb as much as they can. This goes for any position in any field, but especially in our industry with so many disciplines. They will

be 100 percent more aware and knowledgeable by learning from those within your firm. Allow them to attend all the in-formation sessions possible, take detailed notes, and connect with anyone that interests them. By learning, they will make themselves a better employee over time. You will help them grow so they can eventually take on higher management roles within your firm.

JULIA WOLANSKI, PSM, GIS specialist, Pennoni. She can be reached at jwolanski@pennoni.com.

JULIA WOLANSKI, from page 9 “The best thing you can do is to encourage them to listen to everything around them and absorb as much as they can. This goes for any position in any field, but especially in our industry with so many disciplines.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

11

P R O F I L E

A clear path: Brad SmithManaging partner of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture (Best Firm Architecture #12 for 2018), a 260-person architecture and interior design firm based in Greenville, SC.

“I want to help others be successful – that’s a lot of fun,” Smith says. “Building the firm culture is also enjoyable.

Our culture is to practice good design – design that leads to a happy client and staff. I’m excited to be part of all this.”

A CONVERSATION WITH BRAD SMITH.

The Zweig Letter: How many years of experience – or large enough book of business – is enough to become a principal in your firm? Are you naming principals in their 20s or 30s?

Brad Smith: We’ve made some strategic hires that we call associate principals. It’s a position that someone from the inside or outside can apply for. It’s a stepping stone for a smooth internal transition and makes the process for in-vesting in the firm easier. We also look at gifting stock so there is not so much of an initial investment. We’ve elevat-ed several people over the years and helped them with buy-in by providing resources and assistance at local banks. We have a few in their late 30s. Currently, we have 24 share-holders, three major ones, and for the most part they are interested in the ideas of ownership.

TZL: Do you tie compensation to performance for your top leaders?

BS: It’s mixed within the firm. Most compensation is not tied to performance. Some bonuses are given to top staff but most people have salaries that are commensurate with their experience and role.

TZL: Have you ever closed an underperforming office? If so, tell us about it.

BS: We have not had to close an office (studio) for lack of performance. We have looked at re-tooling studios so they have a laser focus on the needs of their specific

By LIISA ANDREASSENCorrespondent

See A CLEAR PATH, page 12

“Benefits have evolved over the last 25 years. Today, we provide more flexibility than ever before – in how and where people work.”

© Copyright 2019. Zweig Group.

All rights reserved. THE ZWEIG LETTER January 28, 2019, ISSUE 1281

12

community. For instance, one studio may be focused on hospitality while another is focused on K-12.

TZL: When did you have the most fun running your firm, and what were the hallmarks of that time in your profes-sional life?

BS: I started Pazdan Smith in 1993. We just had our 25th anniversary. As it grew, we merged with McMillan in 2009. We were coming out of the recession and the merger made us a lot stronger. I’m really enjoying running things now. I can focus on things like business development and client rela-tionships and help to facilitate projects. I want to help others be successful – that’s a lot of fun. Building the firm culture is also enjoyable. Our culture is to practice good design – design that leads to a hap-py client and staff. I’m excited to be part of all this. I’m enjoying putting old build-ings back to work. It instills and builds our culture.

TZL: Describe the challenges you en-countered in building your management team over the lifetime of your leadership. Have you ever terminated or demoted long-time leaders as the firm grew? How did you handle it?

BS: It’s never easy, but I’ve had to do it. In some cases principals went back to be-ing project managers and were no longer shareholders. In one case, I had to termi-nate a principal.

TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job respon-sibility as CEO?

BS: Business development and firm cul-ture.

TZL: The seller-doer model is very suc-cessful, but with growth you need to adapt to new models. What is your pro-gram?

BS: We have a hybrid model. We have a di-rector of business development who helps

to organize things. She’s not an archi-tect, but she helps to open doors and then brings in skilled experts. We also have a robust marketing team that helps with things like proposal writing and presenta-tions.

TZL: A firm’s longevity is valuable. What are you doing to encourage your staff to stick around?

BS: We create opportunities to succeed. There are no ladder rungs to climb. We work with staff to create clear paths, based on their desires and interests. We offer competitive salaries and benefits and pro-vide opportunities to work in several dif-ferent markets. Staff members can also move between our different studios.

TZL: Benefits are evolving. Are you offer-ing any new ones due to the changing de-mographic?

BS: Benefits have evolved over the last 25 years. Today, we provide more flexibility than ever before – in how and where peo-ple work.

TZL: How are the tariffs impacting your business and that of your clients?

BS: We’re starting to see construction costs rise and clients are hesitant about moving forward with projects. However, I think the long-term effect will be positive. It will get worse before it gets better.

TZL: How are the tax cuts impacting your business? Have salaries and bonuses in-creased?

BS: We do a valuation every year. I don’t think the tax cuts will have too much of an impact. We have not increased salaries as a result of the tax cuts.

TZL: Are you currently pursuing the R&D tax credit?

BS: Yes.

A CLEAR PATH, from page 11

YEAR FOUNDED: 1955

HEADQUARTERS: Greenville, SC

OFFICES: 6 offices in 3 states

NO. OF EMPLOYEES: 260

BRAD SMITH: As managing principal, Brad Smith focuses on staff development, integration of firm culture, and internal communications.

EXPERTISE:

z K-12 campus security

z Master planning

z Construction administration

z Interior design

z BIM

z Sustainability

z Historic preservation

CLIENTS:

z K-12 education (public and private)

z Higher education

z Retail/mixed use/

z Corporate/office

z Hospitality

z Higher ed sports facilities

z Senior living

z Civic and cultural

z Industrial

z Healthcare

z Recreation facilities

z Religion

CULTURE: Collaborative, creative, and enthusiastic

MISSION: To help clients create environments that embody their personalities, enrich their lives, and enhance the quality of their community.

“Our culture is to practice good design – design that leads to a happy client and staff. I’m excited to be part of all this. I’m enjoying putting old buildings back to work. It instills and builds our culture.”

“I’m really enjoying running things now. I can focus on things like business development and client relationships and help to facilitate projects.”