A Golden Age or Overwhelming Overwhelm?

Recent conversations with firm executives echo a familiar refrain. What’s up, they wonder, in this disconnect between the success of business today, and how so many on staff just don’t see it??

A consensus has been building (now for a while) that these are indeed very good times for architecture, engineering, planning, and environmental firms.? Business demand is hot, the economy is strong, talent is in short supply, and backlogs are busting. If this isn’t a “golden age” for the professions – well, it’s pretty damn close.

But ask the larger team beyond these executives – general managers, project managers, and technical and administrative staff – and you’ll likely feel something different. Most do understand that business is good, but you’ll also hear from these folks that they are stressed, exasperated, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

There is a lot of complexity here to untangle: job and career perspectives, business model fundamentals, generational shifts, social and societal change … and so on. Mostly beyond our scope here. Still, we believe that much of this disconnect (between ‘golden age’ and ‘overwhelm’ thinking) is simply a lack of effective communication and understanding – about priorities and expectations.

So, try this story on as an analogy for the situation:

Imagine that you’ve had a life-long dream of being a famous, in-demand chef, cooking for others, and owning your own corner bistro. After culinary school, you apprenticed with the best, then bought and refurbished your own little (very little) place.

Now, imagine surveying your dining room today, with every table full – and a line out the door and down the block. Your business is a hit, and you’re a rising star. So, a golden age?

But, what if you’re not the chef-owner-entrepreneur, and instead a Burger King franchise manager? Sure, the line at the counter is long, and the customers keep coming – but your real problems are many:? finding workers, the cost of lettuce, poorly behaved diners.

Overwhelmed?

Growth, success – and even stress - aren’t the real problems. The issue is with expectations, perspectives, mindset. Do your people feel empowered, in control, growing - or not? Is the ride exhilarating, or are they motion sick? Can individuals shift their game, or do they feel stuck?

If you’re hearing a lot today about this “overwhelm,” here are three ideas I’d suggest for taking action right now:

• Stop Doing It:?Most organizations are much better at adding new stuff than they are at removing old crap. Prioritize and focus on things that make a real difference. Get choosier - with clients, projects, people, processes. Identify the bottom 20% of everything – and get busy jettisoning all of it.
• Raise Your Prices:?If you’re worth it, then it’s not greed. Price more of your fees based on delivered value, not on time or effort. You’ll need to have repeated discussions with the team, and maybe even do some training around specifics. Still, our experience suggests that almost every firm can move up-market on all or a part of their business portfolio. (And note this isn’t new news, so if you’re not already doing it, you’re falling behind).
• Delegate and Develop: The role of an extraordinary leader is to create more leaders, not just more followers. Find others who need the experience you have and gift them some of your responsibilities. Do this not only to improve your own life, but also to improve theirs. If you don’t develop others in the firm today, who else will? (And if no one mentors these up-and-comers, how will they later be ready to run the place)??

You might see today as a ‘golden age’ for the professions, or perhaps all you see is ‘overwhelming overwhelm.’ Or maybe (just maybe) you see and feel both, simultaneously, right now.

Either way, you – and all on the team – are not without the power to choose, and to change. You can shift your view, adjust your situation, reframe your plan. Ultimately, it’s up to you – but we can help.

Give us a call, and let’s talk about this golden age …