Month: September 2019

So, Who’s Leading the People Process Today in Your Firm?

Sep 12, 2019adminUncategorized

Strategic planning session conversations often focus on people, and the people management process of the business – and well they should, especially in professionals services firms where people are the prime asset (per se) of the business. Still, it’s interesting to see and hear so much commonality in the debate. Firms of all sizes (but especially 30-300) and disciplines (architecture, civil or structural engineering, environmental science, multi-disciplinary A/E, etc.) express similar thoughts. So, what’s going on? True, most leaders don’t begin their strategic planning efforts thinking specifically about adding corporate staff. In fact, it’s much more common in the AEC space for leaders […]

Wow, That’s a Lot of Firms!

Sep 12, 2019adminUncategorized

Did you know that, according the latest US Census business data (2012 Business Census), there are more than 112, 000 professional services firms operating in the AE and related industry segments in the United States? (See the chart – this group includes organizations in architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, drafting, building inspection, surveying, testing, interior design, industrial design, and environmental consulting). Moreover, a deeper analysis of this information provides some really striking findings. Fully 61% of these firms (55K) have less than five employees, and nearly 80% (81K) have less than 10 total. Nine out of ten companies have a total staff complement of […]

Is Something Wrong in Your Firm Today?

Sep 12, 2019adminUncategorized

By all accounts, things are moving along quite well in the business of architecture, engineering, and construction. Clients are calling, backlogs are strong, and business is humming across most of the nation. AEC firms continue to see growth in revenues, and median profits remain at or near recent highs. All good, right? Well, slow down, because it’s not all so rosy – at least from what I hear and see working with organizations on strategic planning, leadership development, and operational transformation. To be fair, there are lots of wonderfully run AEC industry companies, and I’ve been blessed to have many of these […]