As we move into 2022, we all understand that things have changed for everyone, everywhere. And just as our personal and professional lives have changed, so must our approach to hiring and retention.

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January typically prompts business planning for a new year. However, since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has made business planning and operations much more volatile. While we all have learned to be more resilient to thrive, it is difficult to gauge when companies will experience more stable economic conditions. This article offers some insight into economic conditions and how to position your company to continue to be successful in the coming months.

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As an executive coach, I am often brought into organizations to help leaders develop critical leadership and management skills – notably “soft skills” that may have been lacking in the past but were not necessarily a derailer. Often, these leaders have strong technical expertise (i.e., engineering, finance, sales, law, etc.) and are promoted based on their technical capability and performance, not their leadership ability or potential. A recent study showed that the costs of such inefficient promotion decisions are often high (https://bit.ly/3iAKnOZ).

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Structural engineering firms should embrace Lean thinking, tools, and techniques to reduce excess waste in processes and produce a higher quality product for clients. The Lean Construction Institute (LCI) recognizes the 6 Tenets of Lean Construction: Respect for People, Process & Flow, Eliminate Waste, Generation of Value, Continuous Improvement, and Optimize the Whole.

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Avoid These 7 Mistakes To Best Propel Employees Post-Pandemic Growth

The Covid-19 Pandemic has been life-changing and life-altering since its stronghold took reign early in 2020. A work-from-home approach became the norm, and many professional industries wrestled with keeping employees in or away from the office. As a result, career evolutions (or stagnation) have run rampant over the past 12-18 months. Without taking intentional time to pause and record the impacts on one’s life, employees have ridden the COVID-19 wave and need introspection on what the necessary steps forward look like. 

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Editor’s Note: Today, many firms have tackled remote work in response to COVID, and learned several lessons along the way. Although this article is about issues that arose well before the current pandemic, it is interesting to realize that today’s firms may very well be better positioned to create solutions like those presented here. …

There is a skillset that makes your engineering career “recession-resistant.” That skillset is basic business development and has proven value to ALL structural engineering firms. Yet, many engineers actively avoid learning it for a variety of reasons. …

The economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has affected design and construction firms around the United States, whether by stopping or slowing projects, triggering overnight switches from normal business operations to working from home, or its tolls on personal, physical, and emotional health. As the pandemic wears on, businesses are finding ways to overcome these setbacks. Yet, most experts expect that real recovery may not take place until 2022. This article points out strategies that can help your firm be resilient over the near term and positioned for continued financial success. …

As an extrovert, I have a secret to share – I am jealous of introverts! That is because I am surrounded by them daily, and I know their superpowers: an ability to listen well and to engage in thoughtful conversations. …

Transformation of the Practice of Design

When the author entered the industry 41 years ago, there were no desktop computers. Everything was done by hand calculation, punch cards, and hand drafting. There were “job checkers,” a person in the architect’s office who continuously checked the project team’s drawings for coordination, completeness, and constructability. Projects followed a set schedule. …