Executive Coaching and Training | Perspectives

Focus on Leadership	| archive
Market Watch: Residential Real Estate Housing starts are projected to finish the year at their lowest level in more than a decade— and the worst is yet to come. Specialist or generalist? John Doehring examines the methodology behind A/E firms that specialize in one market sector or offer a diverse array of services. Business Development Basics This one-day seminar will teach attendees how to help their employees become business development stars. The keys to effective market research surveys I-35W collapse: What will be the aftermath? Market Watch: Health Care Staying on top of these eight trends will help design firms succeed in the booming health care market. On the Record: John Doehring The managing director of ZweigWhite's business planning and marketing consulting group explains the strategic planning process, including the role firm leaders and employees play, and debunks some myths and misconceptions. Q & A: John Doehring The managing director of ZweigWhite's business planning and marketing consulting group answers questions on when firms should consider crafting a strategic business plan. The financial essentials of strategic planning A good business planning effort should begin with a thorough financial analysis of the firm's performance. Confronting reality in the new year Prioritize what needs to get done...and do it! 2007: Focus on inventing your future Here are seven suggestions to build your strategic and operating plans around the key issues and opportunities within your firm. Above the Clouds: Leading the firm through strategic thinking Utilizing the roadmap from the strategic plan, A/E firm leaders build cohesion within their teams, leverage the clarity of the plan, and communicate continuously with staff. Above the Clouds: Leading the firm through strategic thinking Creating a compelling vision is one strategic behavior common in effective leaders. Strategic planning seminar coming soon ZweigWhite's new one-day seminar is specifically designed for current and future firm leaders. On track: Strategic planning and the mid-year assessment Six steps for ensuring the continued success of your strategic plan. Strategic planning seminars coming soon ZweigWhite's two new one-day seminars are specifically designed for current and future firm leaders who will make a difference in their and their clients' organizations, and in the AEC industry. Designing processes to drive performance A commitment to the client facilitates the development of processes that will shorten the value chain. Uniform systems drive consistent performance Building processes to guide operational activities generates substantial tactical benefits. Let's get together and feel all right This is the time of year when lots of design and environmental firm leaders get waist-deep in their annual strategic planning process. It's one of those rare occasions throughout the business cycle when principals work on the business instead of in it. It's when the big-picture issues come into focus and the long-term vision of the firm is set. And it's when the effectiveness of the leadership team is on display for all to see. Taking the big picture by the horns Establishing a destination and creating a roadmap for an A/E or environmental consulting firm takes creativity, energy, intelligence, courage, and perseverance—especially perseverance. Don't become fat and happy At last, your business is where you want it. Revenues have risen in recent years; you've streamlined operations and increased profitability; you have a solid presence within established industries; and bonus time will be highly rewarding. In short, you're happy. Dealing with things that really matter How firms decide to tackle tough issues can have a big effect on their overall strategic direction. Happy trails Like many firm leaders, Mark Goodale travels a lot, and he shares some of his experiences. Financial aspects of strategic planning Implementing action plans for managing cash flow and accelerating collections can be a challenge in A/E firms' strategic plans. How will you feed your growth? Conducting market research is critical for identifying growth opportunities in your strategic plan. Here are some resources to consult. Step-by-step strategic planning Make planning more effective by breaking it down into phases. What do you know about your fellow leaders? Recognizing personality types can do a lot for helping you better communicate with your firm's other leaders. Tips from the pros A/E firm leaders can learn valuable lessons from legendary sports coaches. Make business planning worthwhile In order for your business plan to be a road map for the future, it needs to have specific missions, visions, goals, and action items. Leadership—could you be more specific, please? The topic of leadership comes up at every strategic business planning session I facilitate. But while leadership is absolutely critical, it's also a very broad topic, and principals in our industry often have a tough time exploring its implications. What kind of leader are you? Review your own contributions, performance, and leadership style with this quick self-evaluation. Keys to better strategic business planning In the A/E/P and environmental consulting business, strategic business planning comes in many shapes and sizes, and the process is carried out in countless ways. But the sessions that work best have several things in common. The who, what, when, and how of open-book management At ZweigWhite, we've been touting the benefits of open-book management in the design business for years. But in spite of all that effort, we still see leaders in firms of all types that insist on playing their financial cards close to the vest. You have the answers While some companies make progress on challenging issues, others seem doomed to revisit the same problems month after month, year after year. Firms that resolve their challenges tend look for answers by looking in the mirror. Five things to remember when you're planning There's an art to setting up and conducting a strategic business planning session. Here are some tips. Who should you take to the planning retreat? Many firms, when formulating their strategic planning session, only invite shareholders. This isn't necessarily the wisest choice. Does IT matter? It's been nearly a year since Nicholas G. Carr's short article ''IT Doesn't Matter'' appeared in the May 2003 issue of Harvard Business Review. Yet the firestorm of controversy and debate sparked by his questions about the real value of IT spending continues to burn. Trust is an interesting thing I've worked with hundreds of A/E/P and environmental consulting firms, and one thing has held true with each of them: If the management team works well together, they can accomplish just about anything they set out to do. If the team doesn't work well together, they struggle or completely fail to reach firm-wide objectives. The "vision" thing Articulating a vision for the future is one of the fundamental requirements of leadership in any field of endeavor. But in this industry, it's critical. Tools for change Internal change management is difficult at the best of times. Knowing what tools you need to get the job done is critical to the process. Success in tough times Well, we are officially, technically out of our most recent recession—at least according to the federal statisticians and economists. However, I know for many of you it still doesn't feel that way. Getting staff to contribute to planning There is nothing more frustrating during a strategic business planning meeting than a management team member who is all talk and no action. This not only places a disproportionate burden of work on the rest of your management team, it destroys team morale. Get strategic input from project managers It's always interesting and refreshing to get a project manager's perspective on strategic and leadership issues. As a group, project managers are, for the most part, imbued with a tremendous sense of loyalty to their firms and accountability to their clients. Succession planning—A handy reference guide Many attendees at the Society of American Military Engineers annual convention had heard talks on succession planning and leadership development before and were looking for some quick rules to live by. Here is some of our post-session advice on how to pick your next leader. Defining the issues One of the first, and certainly one of the most critical, steps in strategic business planning is assessing and facing up to the "issues" your firm must address before it can move forward. Managing the dip One of the most pressing market-specific and firm-specific issues that firms have to confront is how to remain profitable in a zero- or negative-growth environment. The great communicator: You Regardless of how you choose to do it, your communication with your managers and staff is critical to successful strategic business plan implementation. Seven tips for a successful strategic planning meeting Running a business planning meeting is just like managing a project for your client. If you are clear about what is expected and if you establish and communicate the steps that everyone needs to take along the way, the chances are high that it will be a success. Secrets to facilitating a successful meeting One of the hardest things that you will ever do is facilitate your own firm's strategic business planning meetings. It's just a tough, tough situation to be in. Participation vs. efficient decision-making As president or CEO of your A/E/P or environmental consulting firm, you are the quarterback for the strategic business planning process. Shared Values When the leadership of a firm does not share the same set of core values, basic business management issues become major problems that threaten the firm's very success and viability.  What makes a great firm? Where do you need to concentrate your efforts to make your firm one of the great ones? Leader for a day What's the best course of action for a CEO during a strategic planning re-treat? The CEO should participate in the discussions at least as actively as everyone else, not dominating, not shutting down the contributions of others, and most certainly not sitting silently. Making enough? There's nothing like a little economic uncertainty to stir up managers and get them thinking about money, especially their own money. Letting go As firms grow, their leaders' roles should change to reflect their highest and best use within the structure of the organization. What does it mean to be an owner? In a perfect world, all owners should be "seller-doers," who sell and put out great work. But not everyone is cut from that cloth. Choosing your firm's planning all-stars At all levels in the firm, look for people who are dedicated to the firm, willing to take the time and effort to make it better, and able to lead the charge.

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