www.thezweigletter.com HR | FINANCE SUPPLEMENTS Pages 9 - 12 March 14, 2011, Issue 902 EDITORIAL TRENDLINES Health issues working with. Save money on consolidated overhead and $500 Revitalization joint marketing eff orts. But $450 $400 even if you don’t buy, maybe $350 $300 you can repackage something $250 $200 of the fi rm you already do in a new and $150 $100 Mark innovative way that allows $50 Zweig clients to get a taste of your $0 Do something new, hire 2006 2007 service and expertise at a low 2008 2009 smart people and do some cost. Th is “taste” could lead to a 2010 much bigger project later. cleaning. These are some It’s come to be expected (and is 2) Hire some new, experienced actually required in many states) of the ideas Mark Zweig people. Th ere is nothing like getting that fi rms provide at least some presents to get things some new people in who are known in health insurance coverage for their the fi elds and markets you serve— people employees. However, with the rolling. at the top of their game, with a solid skyrocketing cost of health insurance reputation. It can shore up your ability premiums in the last decade, some o many people today in this to get work in a soft market real fast. fi rms have chosen to pass along Sbusiness are just getting tired of the Experienced people are more willing more of the cost to their employees. grind. Th e last three years haven’t been than ever to make a move. Don’t get cast Consequently, according to the 2010 off s— get those who are still working but fun— with more competition, reduced Policies, Procedures, & Benefi ts dissatisfi ed by directly recruiting from profi tability, delayed or cancelled Survey, employee-only and employee/ your competitors. If someone does decide family health insurance contributions projects, stalled ownership transition to join your fi rm, they will be doing so reached a 10-year high last year. plans, and layoff s of good people being for the right reasons— not because they The median employee-only health the norm. HAVE to— and will last longer on the job. insurance contribution climbed to We went through the same thing here 3) Hire some smart, inexperienced $102 from $86 the previous year. recently at ZweigWhite. It’s time for people. New people, fresh out of school, Meanwhile, the median employee/ revitalization. Here are some ideas for who are smart and motivated, will family contribution climbed to $424 you: put the pressure on you to give them from $324.— Margot Suydam, 1) Come out with something new. meaningful opportunities. Th at’s good! It Survey Manager I cannot over-emphasize to all of you means they will expect you to grow your how critical this is. What services are business. Young people bring energy and FIRM INDEX you subcontracting out? Can you bring enthusiasm, and represent your future them in house? Maybe you should AECOM ................................................................ 10 buy the fi rm or fi rms you are already See MARK ZWEIG, page 2 BCDM .................................................................... 6 Butler, Rosenbury & Partners ................................5 Carney Engineering Group .................................... 5 Don’t get cast offs— get those who are still working but Degenkolb Engineers ............................................ 3 England, Thims & Miller ....................................... 4 dissatisfi ed by directly recruiting from your competitors. FPM Group Ltd....................................................... 6 FRCH Design Worldwide .......................................9 If someone does decide to join your fi rm, they will be doing Gunda Corporation ................................................5 so for the right reasons— not because they HAVE to— H.T. Harvey & Associates ......................................4 JSDA ..................................................................... 5 and will last longer on the job. Manhard Consulting.............................................. 4 McCarthy Engineering........................................... 4 Rippeteau Architects............................................. 4 SH Group ...............................................................5 INSIDE Strada .................................................................... 4 Design-bid-build X-nth ...................................................................... 6 ❘❚ TOP PLAYER: Lifetime dedication to one fi rm’s meets success. Page 3 ARE YOU CONNECTED TO ZWEIGWHITE? ❘❚ PM PERSPECTIVES: Communication games http://blog.zweigwhite.com with the engineers. Page 7 the opposition www.twitter.com/ZweigWhite Page 5 www.facebook.com/ZweigWhite THE VOICE OF REASON FOR A/E/P & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRMS THE ZWEIG LETTER | MARCH 14, 2011, ISSUE 902 MARK ZWEIG, from page 1 A/E BUSINESS CALENDAR stars. Plus they have no bad habits NEWS BEST PRACTICES SEMINAR: Your fi rm that you will have to undo, unlike lives and dies by projects. Strategically some experienced staff ers. Get them ABI FALLS: After showing positive and intelligently executing projects from young and mold them in your hands. momentum during the fourth quarter proposal to solution fuels growth, creates of 2010, the Architecture Billings Index 4) Move. New surroundings can be opportunities, and sustains a strong slipped almost four points in January. motivational to all. Get into a space commitment to your team and your that has more stuff close by. Everyone The American Institute of Architects clients. will appreciate it. Find a space with reported the January ABI score was 50, Effective project management is a more windows and better gathering down from a reading of 53.9 the previous business necessity— the alternative is an areas. I never understood design month. expensive way to wreak havoc on your fi rms— they should know better— This score refl ects stable demand for fi rm’s relationships and profi tability. not providing space with natural light design services (any score above 50 Project managers are the caretakers of to their employees. Gathering areas indicates an increase in billings). The new your professional service. Through training are also critical. Is there a space other projects inquiry index was 56.5, down based on best practices, they can lead than the conference room where sharply from a mark of 61.6 in December. their team to superior outcomes. employees can meet for lunch or coff ee? Th ere should be. As a leading economic indicator of That’s why you need to attend the Best construction activity, the ABI refl ects Practices in A/E/P Project Management 5) Discard archaic systems and the approximate nine- to 12-month lag seminar April 7 in Orlando, Florida. processes. Whether it is the non time between architecture billings and user-friendly accounting system, construction spending. The seminar will present strategies to the marketing database that only facilitate excellence at all levels using one person in the fi rm knows how “This slowdown is indicative of what is practical, real-world examples and best to use, or the ridiculous expense likely to be a very gradual improvement in practices used by the top fi rms in the report submission process. Dump it. business conditions at architecture fi rms industry. From principals and seasoned Ditto for meetings you have always for the better part of this year,” AIA Chief project managers to assistant PMs and had but no one wants to participate Economist Kermit Baker said in a release. technical staff— every participant will in because they have outlived their “We’ve been taking a cautiously know the role they play within a project, usefulness. Dump ‘em. Bureaucracy optimistic approach for the last several within the fi rm, and toward the vision. is a huge demotivator to busy people months and there is no reason at this Can’t make it to Orlando? Future dates who have deadlines set by external point to change that outlook. There are include May 19 in Dallas, Sept. 8 in New clients. Eliminate it everywhere you still too many fi rms that continue to York and Nov. 8 in San Diego. can. see weak market conditions to expect a dramatic increase in the demand for For more information or to register, 6) Share successes and celebrate call 800-466-6275 or log on to all victories. Whether it is a bell you services in the design and construction industry,” he said. www.zweigwhite.com/seminars/pmo/ ring when you get a new project or index.asp. a thanks that comes in from a client GREEN CITIES: The U.S. Green Building that you send on to all employees, Council has released its 2010 list of top 10 don’t underestimate the importance states for LEED-certifi ed commercial and of reinforcing successes. Share institutional green buildings per capita, company performance numbers based on 2010 Census information. also. People need to know every day The District of Columbia leads the nation, The voice of reason for A/E/P, that what they are doing makes a with 25 square feet of LEED-certifi ed and environmental consulting fi rms. diff erence AND that they are part of a space per person in 2010, with Nevada 320 Rollston Avenue, Suite 102 successful organization that bolsters being the leading state, with 10.92 square Fayetteville, AR 72701 them. feet per person in 2010. Mark Zweig | Publisher [email protected] MARK ZWEIG is the founder and CEO of Other top states include New Mexico, ZweigWhite. Contact him with questions or New Hampshire, and Oregon, with more João Ferreira | Managing Editor [email protected] comments at [email protected]. than 6 and 4 square feet of LEED-certifi ed space per person, respectively. Julie Kyle | Editor [email protected] ZWIEGWHITE DISTANCE LEARNING “Using per capita, versus the more Tel: 800-466-6275 ZweigWhite’s Distance Learning traditional numbers of projects, or pure Fax: 508-653-6522 program makes relevant knowledge square footage, is a reminder to all of E-mail: [email protected] Online: www.thezweigletter.com readily accessible for A/E/C/P industry us that the people who live and work, learn and play in buildings should be Twitter: twitter.com/zweigwhite professionals— knowledge that directly Blog: zweigwhite.blogspot.com or indirectly affects their functional what we care about most,” said Scot Horst, USGBC SVP of LEED.