Pushing Hard for the Extraordinary – Right Now

What does it take to be a truly extraordinary professional firm?  What does performance and success look like for those who push beyond the current baseline to 2X?  And what about further still – the transformative success of 5X or 10X.  Who are the extraordinary leaders of these professional firms right now, and what are their secrets? I can certainly report on what is not extraordinary today.  It’s not about being busy – even busier than you’ve ever been before.  While still a blessing, virtually all firms (most average, and even below average businesses) are busy today.  And it’s not about winning more work than you […]

A New, 21st Century Golden Age

Running a professional firm (even a really good one) is exhausting.  There’s a constant expectation to perform, grow, and improve.  Each day is a journey – and often a battle.  Encouragement is necessary, as is courage.  So, here’s a little different thought for today – on what may very well lie ahead:   “I believe we’re now in a golden age for the professional design and construction industry.” Although I’d like to own this take, credit must first go to my friend and colleague Gerry Salontai – who served it up a while back at a GeoProfessional Business Association Crystal Ball (Futures) Workshop we were involved […]

A Prescription – for Trouble?

Everywhere you listen in today, there are conversations about work from home.  New virus cases are waning, vaccine progress is accelerating, and pandemic restrictions are rapidly loosening.  Business leaders are wrestling with the path forward – what work should look like in three months, or six – or next year.  From what I see, most of these efforts are off track. Here’s what I think:  If your work from home discussions today include the word policy  – you’re probably doing it wrong. Let’s unpack this a bit. Before the pandemic, I’d noticed for a while a shift in how some viewed the firm and work.  In assessment-related discussions […]

“I’ll Call You in Ten … “

Many years ago, I worked with the leaders of a mountain west engineering firm on strategic planning – crafting a new vision, brand image, and business plan for the organization.  On that day, the subject matter at hand was responsiveness, and specifically the client service level performance level the gang would pursue. Their debate centered around the promise of “returning all calls within one business day.”  Some thought this performance was doable; others were convinced it wasn’t. My thought was that actually achieving that standard would be excellent – but that the message itself wasn’t much different from other competitors. Lots of professionals have trouble envisioning real-time […]