Rich Friedman

Recently, we posed a question to the industry that unleashed a firestorm of feedback: Is the way we work still working? Judging by the response—more than any topic we’ve covered in 10 years—the answer is no. It’s not working. Why are so many leaders burned out—and so many emerging leaders rethinking which ladder they want to climb? How can AEC and environmental firms evolve and thrive as the industry’s technology, generational expectations and definitions of leadership are changing?Companies like 1,900-person architecture firm Perkins + Will, Chicago, and HDR, Omaha, which won a Nebraska Governor’s Award for its wellness program, are

I’ve seen a surge in interest for business development training in the past year or two since the economic rebound. I believe this surge results primarily from two factors. • The financial reality that while most firms are still watching their overhead dollars like a hawk, there is more discretionary money available to fund training initiatives that were put on hold during the recession.• A reluctance by some firms to hire (or rehire) full-time business developers. Many were let go during the downturn, and some firms have never filled this role. In their place, many firms have doubled down on

With a self-reported A/E/C industry repeat-work average of 80-85%, it’s tempting to assume that most firms understand client retention. However, if these past few years have taught us anything, it’s that doing good work is necessary but not sufficient for holding onto clients. The time, energy and focus required to keep a desirable client coming back can be overwhelming. Yet the economics are indisputable. Consider the wasted pursuit costs of landing a new client when that client becomes dissatisfied and goes elsewhere. Depending on the client, your opportunity, travel, proposal and labor costs, the hours you’ve lost can easily run

While it�s always been a top-of-mind issue with my clients, based on recent workshops I�ve conducted, it�s clear that understanding evolving business development (BD) models and cultures has taken on even greater importance. During the last few tumultuous years, most firms have asked, if not required, that staff become actively involved in the firm�s BD efforts. CEOs need to better understand current BD models and which ones may be most appropriate for their firm. Let’s take a look at two of the more common ones, the Rainmaker and Seller-Doer (or Doer-Seller) models, as well as what’s best described as a