Your source for construction industry news in the Carolinas
“Culture” is one of those terms that is often bandied about by business advisors and management consultants, as well as anyone who is a student of management and leadership working in an AEC firm today. I like to think that a firm’s “culture” is defined by what type of behavior is rewarded and what type…
I woke up this morning thinking about all of the AEC firms I have been an owner in, served on the Board of Directors of, or worked for as an employee or consultant — and how many of them seem to have management with misplaced priorities. You might be wondering what I am talking about?…
Many folks working in firms in the A/E/C and environmental consulting industry don’t understand commonly-used financial terminology. How can you blame them? If no one ever explained it to them you can’t expect them to know it. It isn’t difficult, but not understanding it puts your people at a disadvantage and is bad for the…
It’s not going away. We are continuing to have a debate at the highest level in our industry on whether or not AEC firms should have a mandate that everyone work in the office or not. I can certainly understand and appreciate both sides of this big, big issue we are all facing. There are…
For decades, I have been accused of being overly preoccupied with business revenue growth versus the bottom line. Zweig Group even hands out awards each year for the fastest-growing firms in the AEC business. Sure – you need to make a profit to stay in business. Survival is a mandate and no one has unlimited capital. But…
Attention all of you who are AEC firm owners and managers! With the widespread inflation we are experiencing in this country, if you aren’t worried about declining profitability, you probably should be. Everything is going up. And it’s not going up by 6 percent to 7 percent like it’s being reported. Some things are going…
I consider myself incredibly fortunate for so many reasons. I have four daughters and one stepdaughter, each unique and perfect in their own ways. I have a great spouse and partner who cares for me and whom I respect. I am 64 and have no serious health problems and can still do pretty much anything….
I was talking to my brother, John, yesterday afternoon on the telephone. John – after a long career at the top of the world’s largest group of advertising and marketing companies, WPP Group – is now the chairman of a company called Neuro-Insight, a firm that measures brain activity in response to a client’s promotional…
It’s important for firms in all stages of growth to invest in marketing and continue to plan for the future. There’s a stark difference between the way AEC firms looked at marketing during the midpoint of 2020 (confusion, cessation of usual activities, budget cuts) and the way they are approaching marketing spending this year. Business…
Zweig Group just released the 2021 Policies, Procedures & Benefits Report of AEC Firms. This resource was compiled from a comprehensive survey of AEC firms as well as participants in Zweig Group’s annual Best Firms To Work For program. Considering extreme changes caused by COVID-19 over the past 12 months, Zweig Group compared pre-pandemic responses…
