The Zweig Letter

“Why do people lose interest in their own businesses and, perhaps more importantly, what can you do to keep this from happening?”

President and CEO of RLG Consulting Engineers (Best Firm Structural #13 for 2018), a Dallas-based firm in business for 65 years.

“It’s a debate that’s been ongoing for years in our industry, thanks in no small part to the popularity of Good to Great, an academic study of huge, publicly-traded corporations and other organizations.”

The most successful business developers spend time with their clients, so show up and give them your full attention.

By Will Swearingen | If you develop a reputation for being less than forthcoming, you could derail a critical ownership transition – and even destroy your firm.

If your firm uses a doer-seller business development model, empowering your team is necessary for their success and your bottom line.

In today’s competitive market conditions, being able to spot red flags may prove helpful in knowing when to pull out of a discussion or for negotiating a more equitable transaction.

“You had better conquer those fears! Because the power of the information to inform, educate, and motivate your people is more powerful than any negative that could come from it.”

Even if you’re at the lower rungs of the org chart, there are plenty of opportunities for meaningful acts of leadership.

President and CEO of Kleinschmidt (Best Firm #34 Multi-Discipline for 2018), a 140-person environmental consulting firm.

Add value, share work, respond quickly, and be open about your process to get more business and increase revenue without spending more.

“Always be recruiting! That has to be the mantra for anyone who’s an owner or manager in an AEC firm today because finding people is crucial to your growth.”

Implementing a tailor-made set of processes for your tailor-made firm will increase your chances of success, regardless of the space in which you compete.

President of Bernardon (Hot Firm #39 for 2018), an 80-person architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture firm based in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

As firms suffer from a shortage of experienced design and construction professionals, the industry finds itself in the middle of a talent war.

When it comes to delegation, you have to pick the right person for the right job, and set them up to succeed.

Successful people will overcommit where their passion meets a purpose, where service is not a burden but a privilege.

A good attitude and honest effort are central to California engineer’s mission to build a meaningful career.

On the surface everything might appear to be fine, but back at their office, the consulting engineers might be telling the (painful) truth.

“Even if you don’t apply it to your business, knowing probabilities of success will at least keep you from buying scratch tickets or blowing your cash in a slot machine at a casino somewhere!”

While management plays an obvious role in this process, employees must also do their part by knowing their roles and doing their jobs.

It might seem far fetched, but it’s true. AEC firms can learn a thing or two from the fast-food industry.

In business development, many missteps can be traced back to a lack of understanding and acceptance of who we are.

Founder and CEO of Wright Engineers (Best Firm #1 Structural for 2018), a Vegas-headquartered firm where perfection is the goal but excellence is tolerated.