The end of the year is an ideal time for candidates to explore new opportunities— How many times during the holidays do we hear our friends and family members say that they “seriously need a career boost” in the next year?
This is a great time to show candidates that your firm can offer them better opportunities, more growth, better benefits, or whatever appeals to them. Now is the time to fill next year’s critical needs before they become too critical and you end up losing out on new business due to lack of staffing.
Though the holidays are a great time to meet potential recruits, convincing somebody to make a move during this season is challenging. I suggest using the following strategies to attract new employees in the new year:
1. Talk to your contacts about their careers and their jobs. Offer your business card and an invitation for them to stop by “just to chat” anytime they are in the neighborhood. You will be surprised at how many will follow through and meet with you—better the candidates come to you than you go searching for them!
2. Offer a sign-on bonus. People stand to lose a lot—their end-of-the-year bonus—should they change jobs before January 1. The amount can range from $1,000 to over $50,000. On the lower end of this scale, this worry can be alleviated with a sign-on that is comparable to their end-of-the-year bonus.
3. Set a start date after January. Let the candidate collect his or her bonus for the work they did in the last year. This also allows the candidate to not upset his or her life too much with making a move near the holidays when they probably already have scheduled time off, and are used to how holiday periods work at their current firm. Get an offer out now, and have them sign it.
4. Expand your holiday party list. Invite candidates that you have been speaking with to your company party. This is a terrific way to get them to meet your firm, get a feel for the people and your culture, and create professional friendships that will help them make the decision to join your firm.
Set the groundwork now, and you’ll be able to have key new staff members ready to help your firm grow next year.
Want to learn more HR trends and tips? Register for PSMJ’s upcoming A/E/C Industry Human Resources Summit. The HR Summit is a senior level HR event specifically designed to address the increasing needs and demands of senior leaders of HR, as well as other key executives who deal with the critical employee and firm issues on a daily basis. Through panel discussions and best practices presentations, you learn through examining successful real-life case studies, receive A/E/C survey results, while networking and asking your peers for their proven solutions to problems just like yours.
For more information, click here to download the program brochure or contact our Education Department at education@psmj.com or 617-965-0055.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Architects see growing importance in taking the LEED
There was an interesting article in the Boston Business Journal the other day regarding the increasing pursuit of LEED accreditation among design professionals, both personally and in their projects. The article, titled “Architects see growing importance in taking the LEED” by Mike Hoban, stated that LEED-certified commercial buildings just surpassed 1 billion square feet globally.
“LEED certification verifies that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency and indoor environmental quality. And although LEED has its critics, industry professionals generally recognize that being a LEED accredited professional will soon become an essential designation for those in architecture, engineering and construction.”
This milestone truly proves that this entire “green” movement is not just a fad. It’s big business, it’s the future, and it’s an opportunity to not only make a positive impact on the environment, but to make a name for yourself and your firm. If you can successfully incorporate sustainability with aesthetically pleasing design, building green can also mean success. This focus on efficiency in design is making for great competition among firms, and LEED projects are increasingly becoming the industry standard.
“I believe that smart business owners realize that sustainable design is good business,” said Bob Hoye, president and CEO of TRO Jung Brannen. “They’re increasingly interested in sustainability and can appreciate the energy savings that come with it.”
Employees with firms that focus on energy efficiency are quickly attaining LEED accreditation. The article mentions Dan Arons, co-founder and principal of Architerra. His firm consists of 15 architects, and all of them are LEED Accredited Professionals, or LEED APs. But Arons stresses that a sustainable design firm needs to be much more. “Do they have accreditation? Yes, but do they have experience doing life cycle analysis, integrating teams with diverse experience, and the expertise to help make a team be efficient at evaluating sustainability?”He said that in today’s environment, nearly all projects are fast-tracked, because “owners understand that time is money. A design team needs to be more efficient, because anything innovative takes more thinking.”
Ultimately that’s what it comes down to with almost every customer - money. Designing and constructing a building to be sustainable will most likely cost more than traditional methods. Through careful planning and design, and strategic execution, a sustainably built project will eventually save the customer money. The challenge lays in selling this notion of “green” when it costs more upfront. With knowledge, experience and proper execution, a successful firm can show the client a real return on investment in the end, and will lead them success in the future.
For further information, or to see this article in Boston Business Journal online, click the link below.
http://bizjournals.com/boston/print-edition/2010/11/26/architects-see-growing-importance-in.html
“LEED certification verifies that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency and indoor environmental quality. And although LEED has its critics, industry professionals generally recognize that being a LEED accredited professional will soon become an essential designation for those in architecture, engineering and construction.”
This milestone truly proves that this entire “green” movement is not just a fad. It’s big business, it’s the future, and it’s an opportunity to not only make a positive impact on the environment, but to make a name for yourself and your firm. If you can successfully incorporate sustainability with aesthetically pleasing design, building green can also mean success. This focus on efficiency in design is making for great competition among firms, and LEED projects are increasingly becoming the industry standard.
“I believe that smart business owners realize that sustainable design is good business,” said Bob Hoye, president and CEO of TRO Jung Brannen. “They’re increasingly interested in sustainability and can appreciate the energy savings that come with it.”
Employees with firms that focus on energy efficiency are quickly attaining LEED accreditation. The article mentions Dan Arons, co-founder and principal of Architerra. His firm consists of 15 architects, and all of them are LEED Accredited Professionals, or LEED APs. But Arons stresses that a sustainable design firm needs to be much more. “Do they have accreditation? Yes, but do they have experience doing life cycle analysis, integrating teams with diverse experience, and the expertise to help make a team be efficient at evaluating sustainability?”He said that in today’s environment, nearly all projects are fast-tracked, because “owners understand that time is money. A design team needs to be more efficient, because anything innovative takes more thinking.”
Ultimately that’s what it comes down to with almost every customer - money. Designing and constructing a building to be sustainable will most likely cost more than traditional methods. Through careful planning and design, and strategic execution, a sustainably built project will eventually save the customer money. The challenge lays in selling this notion of “green” when it costs more upfront. With knowledge, experience and proper execution, a successful firm can show the client a real return on investment in the end, and will lead them success in the future.
For further information, or to see this article in Boston Business Journal online, click the link below.
http://bizjournals.com/boston/print-edition/2010/11/26/architects-see-growing-importance-in.html
Monday, November 29, 2010
Stop Neglecting Your Staff
Most design firms have sophisticated job cost and financial reporting capabilities, as well as manpower planning and scheduling systems. Today’s firm is fully automated. However, team members complain that project managers are simply too busy to give them the time of day.
Face-to-Face
Don’t let your high-tech management systems replace personal contact with team members. A PM in the Southeast uses the “High Tough” management system. The approach is simple:
• Every day, the PM schedules an hour, usually the first hour of the day, to have an “open door.” Any team member can see the PM without appointment, and know that the PM has a full hour blocked out for the team’s individual issues.
• There are two team meetings each week. The first is the “formal” team meeting, in which the project is discussed objectively. The second is an informal “bull-session” in which the team discusses more subjective aspects of the project and team dynamics.
• The PM takes a team member to breakfast or lunch each week. In this rotating manner, the PM gives each team member a chance for some “one-on-one” time to discuss whatever is on his or her mind.
These three techniques really work, so put them into action today! To learn more tips and techniques you can use to become a better and more successful project manager, come to one of PSMJ’s upcoming Project Management Bootcamps!
PSMJ’s Project Management Bootcamp is a revolutionary training seminar like no other--through interactive case-studies, real-world examples, and proven solutions, you will foster innovation, elevate communications, increase productivity, and improve your firm's bottom line. Click here to register or call PSMJ Education Department at (800) 537-7765.
Face-to-Face
Don’t let your high-tech management systems replace personal contact with team members. A PM in the Southeast uses the “High Tough” management system. The approach is simple:
• Every day, the PM schedules an hour, usually the first hour of the day, to have an “open door.” Any team member can see the PM without appointment, and know that the PM has a full hour blocked out for the team’s individual issues.
• There are two team meetings each week. The first is the “formal” team meeting, in which the project is discussed objectively. The second is an informal “bull-session” in which the team discusses more subjective aspects of the project and team dynamics.
• The PM takes a team member to breakfast or lunch each week. In this rotating manner, the PM gives each team member a chance for some “one-on-one” time to discuss whatever is on his or her mind.
These three techniques really work, so put them into action today! To learn more tips and techniques you can use to become a better and more successful project manager, come to one of PSMJ’s upcoming Project Management Bootcamps!
PSMJ’s Project Management Bootcamp is a revolutionary training seminar like no other--through interactive case-studies, real-world examples, and proven solutions, you will foster innovation, elevate communications, increase productivity, and improve your firm's bottom line. Click here to register or call PSMJ Education Department at (800) 537-7765.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
AIA’s Architecture Billings Index grows slightly in September, but slips in October
The American Institute of Architects’ Architecture Billings Index showed that architectural firms reported the first monthly increase in design activity in September since early 2008. While this increase showed promise of a possible turnaround in the recession, it proved to be short lived. In October, the numbers dipped back down to previous levels.
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) serves as the leading economic indicator of construction activity, and reflects the approximate 9-to-12 month lag time between architecture billings, and actual construction spending.
The index registered a score of 50.4 for September, up from 48.2 in August. Any score above 50 signifies growth at U.S. architecture firms, and the September score is the first reading above 50 since January 2008. In October, the ABI dropped back below 50 to 48.7. Until the ABI rating remains above 50 for at least three consecutive months, there is no evidence of a strong economic upswing. The October rating means that it won’t be until around summer 2011 until things improve could really start to improve significantly for the AEC industry.
While these figures may not come as a total surprise, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. Inquiries for new work remain quite high at 61.7, and architecture firms located in the Northeast and Midwest reported growth in firm billings for the third month in a row in October. Business continues to improve in these two regions of the country, with both reporting their highest scores in nearly three years; 54.5 in the Northeast and 51.8 in the Midwest. Firms with commercial/industrial specialization experienced their sixth consecutive month of growth in October, and firms with an institutional specialization reported a small expansion, the first for the sector since December 2007.
On a wider scale, recently released economic reports show slight improvement of the economy in general. The GDP grew at an annual rate of 2% in the third quarter, up from 1.7% in the second. Also, employment improved in October, with businesses adding 151,000 new jobs. Despite this, construction employment remained relatively flat, and that in the architectural services sector decreased for the second month in a row in September (latest data available). It’s important to note though, that this data is not seasonally adjusted to account for the annual slowdown of the industry as winter approaches. Finally, survey panelists reported that on average 88%of their projects (on a dollar basis) have a signed design contract.
Regionally the ABI breaks down as follows from September to October: Northeast is down 54.5 from 56.7, South up 48.6 from 47.0, West down 44.3 from 44.5, and Midwest up 51.8 from 51.0.
By market sector Mixed is down 43.2 from 44.2, Commercial/Industrial is up 56.7 from 56.3, Institutional is up 50.8 from 47.9, and Residential is up 49.1 from 47.0.
The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) serves as the leading economic indicator of construction activity, and reflects the approximate 9-to-12 month lag time between architecture billings, and actual construction spending.
The index registered a score of 50.4 for September, up from 48.2 in August. Any score above 50 signifies growth at U.S. architecture firms, and the September score is the first reading above 50 since January 2008. In October, the ABI dropped back below 50 to 48.7. Until the ABI rating remains above 50 for at least three consecutive months, there is no evidence of a strong economic upswing. The October rating means that it won’t be until around summer 2011 until things improve could really start to improve significantly for the AEC industry.
While these figures may not come as a total surprise, there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. Inquiries for new work remain quite high at 61.7, and architecture firms located in the Northeast and Midwest reported growth in firm billings for the third month in a row in October. Business continues to improve in these two regions of the country, with both reporting their highest scores in nearly three years; 54.5 in the Northeast and 51.8 in the Midwest. Firms with commercial/industrial specialization experienced their sixth consecutive month of growth in October, and firms with an institutional specialization reported a small expansion, the first for the sector since December 2007.
On a wider scale, recently released economic reports show slight improvement of the economy in general. The GDP grew at an annual rate of 2% in the third quarter, up from 1.7% in the second. Also, employment improved in October, with businesses adding 151,000 new jobs. Despite this, construction employment remained relatively flat, and that in the architectural services sector decreased for the second month in a row in September (latest data available). It’s important to note though, that this data is not seasonally adjusted to account for the annual slowdown of the industry as winter approaches. Finally, survey panelists reported that on average 88%of their projects (on a dollar basis) have a signed design contract.
Regionally the ABI breaks down as follows from September to October: Northeast is down 54.5 from 56.7, South up 48.6 from 47.0, West down 44.3 from 44.5, and Midwest up 51.8 from 51.0.
By market sector Mixed is down 43.2 from 44.2, Commercial/Industrial is up 56.7 from 56.3, Institutional is up 50.8 from 47.9, and Residential is up 49.1 from 47.0.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Four Proactive Communication Tools That Work
Here are four of the best communication tools PSMJ recommends to help foster a great experience for your clients. Each technique is geared towards minimum effort and maximum return.
1. Client status call. For your top clients, schedule a twenty minute call each week at the same time of the day and same day of the week. Have them put it on their calendar. And, make the call like clockwork. For example, it could be Monday at 2:00 p.m. or Friday at 10:00 a.m. - never miss it. Send out a quick e-mail reminder before the meeting with a couple of agenda items. Most of the time, your client will reply back with a couple of items they want to cover. This way, a week never passes before you have covered the hot topics of the week with your clients.
2. Client sponsor. For any substantial size project, a “client sponsor” should be assigned to the project. This is usually a person at least one level above the PM. In many cases, it will be a principal or owner. It is their responsibility to actively pursue feedback from the client throughout the course of the project. The client sponsor gathers information from the client on how well the firm and the assigned PM are meeting their needs and what improvements need to be made. The PM and client sponsor should review the feedback together after each contact.
3. Action item tracking. After every call with a client and every meeting, the PM should record in one place a compilation of all the action items resulting from the encounters. Along with each action item, the PM should indicate who is responsible for each action and when the item will be completed (a "by and by"). One indicator that a team is working effectively on a project is that action items are being closed out in a timely fashion. Measure how your team is doing.
4. Client touches. Any contact with the client is referred to as a client “touch.” PSMJ is a big believer in the “two-minute” touch. Going to a ball game with your client is a great client touch, but seldom will they carve out that amount of time for you. Instead, try a few of these quick touches: send a hand written note to your client or a PDF of a technical article that is in their area of interest. Invite them to the next “lunch-and-learn” that you hold at your office.Send a link to an on-line article that was valuable to you. Send them a checklist or template that you think might help them in their work.
These four techniques work, so put them to work for you and become a much improved communicator starting today. To learn more tips and techniques you can use to become a better and more successful project manager, check out PSMJ’s Ultimate Project Management Manual.
PSMJ’s Ultimate Project Management Manual can instantly and dramatically improve your ability to manage projects for quality, speed, and profitability. Click here to order, e-mail customerservice@psmj.com, or call PSMJ customer service at (800) 537-7765.
1. Client status call. For your top clients, schedule a twenty minute call each week at the same time of the day and same day of the week. Have them put it on their calendar. And, make the call like clockwork. For example, it could be Monday at 2:00 p.m. or Friday at 10:00 a.m. - never miss it. Send out a quick e-mail reminder before the meeting with a couple of agenda items. Most of the time, your client will reply back with a couple of items they want to cover. This way, a week never passes before you have covered the hot topics of the week with your clients.
2. Client sponsor. For any substantial size project, a “client sponsor” should be assigned to the project. This is usually a person at least one level above the PM. In many cases, it will be a principal or owner. It is their responsibility to actively pursue feedback from the client throughout the course of the project. The client sponsor gathers information from the client on how well the firm and the assigned PM are meeting their needs and what improvements need to be made. The PM and client sponsor should review the feedback together after each contact.
3. Action item tracking. After every call with a client and every meeting, the PM should record in one place a compilation of all the action items resulting from the encounters. Along with each action item, the PM should indicate who is responsible for each action and when the item will be completed (a "by and by"). One indicator that a team is working effectively on a project is that action items are being closed out in a timely fashion. Measure how your team is doing.
4. Client touches. Any contact with the client is referred to as a client “touch.” PSMJ is a big believer in the “two-minute” touch. Going to a ball game with your client is a great client touch, but seldom will they carve out that amount of time for you. Instead, try a few of these quick touches: send a hand written note to your client or a PDF of a technical article that is in their area of interest. Invite them to the next “lunch-and-learn” that you hold at your office.Send a link to an on-line article that was valuable to you. Send them a checklist or template that you think might help them in their work.
These four techniques work, so put them to work for you and become a much improved communicator starting today. To learn more tips and techniques you can use to become a better and more successful project manager, check out PSMJ’s Ultimate Project Management Manual.
PSMJ’s Ultimate Project Management Manual can instantly and dramatically improve your ability to manage projects for quality, speed, and profitability. Click here to order, e-mail customerservice@psmj.com, or call PSMJ customer service at (800) 537-7765.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Do Your Customers Taste a Rainbow?
Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is a Skittles fanatic, so when the Windy City-based candymaker found out, they hooked him up.
According to this article on CNBC.com, Wrigley, the company that makes the fruit-flavored candy, brought a custom Skittles vending machine to his house and promised to keep it stocked with Skittles for at least three years.
That's not even the coolest part: Rose gets the machine and the Skittles for free. The machine holds every variety of Skittles and it tempts him, in his own voice, whenever he walks by the machine.
As the article author mentions, this is a great lesson in public relations. But it's really a great lesson in client service. Doing something special for a client who says they love you will only make them love you more.
Maybe you're not bringing a vending machine to your client's office, but there are plenty of ways you can show a client you care about them. Handwritten thank-you notes, forwarding an article you find interesting, asking about their personal life, knowing things about them that even their co-workers don't know, are just some of the ways.
What are you doing today to show your clients you love them?
Ed
According to this article on CNBC.com, Wrigley, the company that makes the fruit-flavored candy, brought a custom Skittles vending machine to his house and promised to keep it stocked with Skittles for at least three years.
That's not even the coolest part: Rose gets the machine and the Skittles for free. The machine holds every variety of Skittles and it tempts him, in his own voice, whenever he walks by the machine.
As the article author mentions, this is a great lesson in public relations. But it's really a great lesson in client service. Doing something special for a client who says they love you will only make them love you more.
Maybe you're not bringing a vending machine to your client's office, but there are plenty of ways you can show a client you care about them. Handwritten thank-you notes, forwarding an article you find interesting, asking about their personal life, knowing things about them that even their co-workers don't know, are just some of the ways.
What are you doing today to show your clients you love them?
Ed
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
ABI Improves, But Still Shows Decline
The American Institute of Architects' Architecture Billings Index rose almost two full points in July, but still shows a decline in demand for design services.
The July ABI rating was 47.9, up from 46.0 in June. The ABI continues its up and down rollercoaster ride as it has gone from 48.4 in April to 45.8 in May to 46.0 in June and 47.9 in July. Yet, the score reflects a continued decline in demand for design services as any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. What the July ABI rating means, therefore, is that it's going to be at least spring 2011 before we even begin to see things get better in the AEC industry.
"Business conditions at design firms remain quite volatile," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "While this recent uptick is encouraging, this state of the industry is likely to persist for a while as we continue to receive a mixed bag of feedback on the condition of the design market from improving to flat to being paralyzed by uncertainty."
As we said last month, until the ABI shows AT LEAST three consecutive months ABOVE 50, don't believe any projections that things will get better anytime soon. There's just no quantifiable data that anyone can point to with certainty that shows WHEN things will get better.
The new projects inquiry index dropped substantially from 57.7 to 53.1.
Regionally, the ABI breaks down as follows: Northeast (47.2, down from 47.7), South (47.9, up from 46.7), Midwest (46.7, up from 46.3), and West (45.2, up from 43.6). The South and West have improved for two consecutive months while the Northeast has dropped for two straight months.
By market sector, the ABI is as follows: commercial/industrial (50.4, down from 50.6), institutional (47.9, up from 45.0), multi-family residential (47.5, up from 46.5), and mixed practice (42.9, down from 44.7). Institutional is up for two straight months while commercial/industrial and mixed practice have dropped for two straight months.
Ed
The July ABI rating was 47.9, up from 46.0 in June. The ABI continues its up and down rollercoaster ride as it has gone from 48.4 in April to 45.8 in May to 46.0 in June and 47.9 in July. Yet, the score reflects a continued decline in demand for design services as any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings.
As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. What the July ABI rating means, therefore, is that it's going to be at least spring 2011 before we even begin to see things get better in the AEC industry.
"Business conditions at design firms remain quite volatile," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker. "While this recent uptick is encouraging, this state of the industry is likely to persist for a while as we continue to receive a mixed bag of feedback on the condition of the design market from improving to flat to being paralyzed by uncertainty."
As we said last month, until the ABI shows AT LEAST three consecutive months ABOVE 50, don't believe any projections that things will get better anytime soon. There's just no quantifiable data that anyone can point to with certainty that shows WHEN things will get better.
The new projects inquiry index dropped substantially from 57.7 to 53.1.
Regionally, the ABI breaks down as follows: Northeast (47.2, down from 47.7), South (47.9, up from 46.7), Midwest (46.7, up from 46.3), and West (45.2, up from 43.6). The South and West have improved for two consecutive months while the Northeast has dropped for two straight months.
By market sector, the ABI is as follows: commercial/industrial (50.4, down from 50.6), institutional (47.9, up from 45.0), multi-family residential (47.5, up from 46.5), and mixed practice (42.9, down from 44.7). Institutional is up for two straight months while commercial/industrial and mixed practice have dropped for two straight months.
Ed
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