Engineering Inc. - March/April 2005 - 30

BUSINESS I N S I G H T S F R O M ACEC'S INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT SEMINARS: INSPECTIONS, PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS, GREEN
BUILDINGS Special Inspections Present New itive in this market over the
next six years. He offered the following Opportunity for Structural
Engineers projections for this market segment in the seminar, Marketing
Green Buildings The Insider's Guide. Special inspections are now required
in most building code jurisdic- tions in the U.S., and as a result present
a unique business opportu- The green building market is the fastest-growing
segment of the nity for structural engineering firms, according to Jim
DeStefano, a building industry, with new Leadership in Energy and
Environmen- senior partner in the structural engineering firm DeStefano
Associ- tal Design LEED registrations increasing by 50 percent per year.
ates in Fairfield, Conn. The rapid growth of this industry presents a
unique opportunity for Special inspections are inspections and tests of
critical building engineering firms, as society becomes more and more
demanding of components mandated by the building code. With few
exceptions, healthy living and working environments. all buildings
requiring the seal of a professional engineer or architect Organizational
Structure require special inspections. Is More Than a Chart The structural
engineer of record SER often will serve as the spe- cial inspection
coordinator and perform many of the structural A sound and effective
organizational structure is as important to inspections. Special
inspection services are not a part of the SER's your firm as the technical
designs your company creates for its basic construction phase services,
such as shop drawing review and clients, says engineering firm consultant
Paul Bryant. structural observation. They should be performed under a
separate In his seminar, Design Firm Organizational Structure, Bryant
contract directly with the building owner. discusses how a well-designed
organizational structure provides a sys- The Council of American
Structural Engineers CASE has a stan- tem for continuous improvement. dard
contract for special inspections and some jurisdictions require Dealing
with different personalities, abilities, cultures and even lan- that CASE
forms on inspection results be used. guages can make having a sound and
effective organizational structure challenging. However, a failed
organizational structure can be disas- Effective Performance Appraisals
trous for the future and profitability of a firm. An Ongoing Mission
Bryant urged recognition of the following points as a step toward improved
organizational structure: Effective leaders realize that performance
appraisals are not a once-a- year event, but an ongoing process, according
to Peggy Pound of the Organizations exist because people want their efforts
to be more Picus Group. than the sum of the parts. In her seminar,
Performance Appraisals How to Make Them a Organizational structures cannot
be viewed in isolation; they must `Win-Win,' Pound outlines several
elements of effective perfor- be an integral part of the strategy,
culture, work and maturity of the firm. mance appraising, including the
importance of looking forward, rather than to the past. Other tips
include: Allow an employee to take the evaluation form home for at least
two The ACEC Institute for Business Management provides compre- days to
fill it out. Employees need to be fully involved in the process. hensive
and accessible business management education for engi- Tie the evaluation
to the employee's goals, which should be devel- neering company principals
and their staffs. oped within the first 60 days of an employee's hire date.
If these are tied together, it's easier for both the employee and
supervisor to fol- More than 100 courses covering critical core content
are avail- low the employee's progression in the company. able in the 2005
curriculum. Courses are taught by practitioners Encourage employees in
their areas of strength, while helping noted for their engineering
business expertise. them grow in areas where they might be weak. Be firm,
but fair. Green Building Market Called Institute courses are offered in
traditional face-to-face programs Fastest-Growing in Building Industry
scheduled at various locations, educational sessions at ACEC national
conventions and conferences, and archived self-paced What are the best
practices for marketing green or eco-friendly prod- courses over the
Internet, as well as in CD format. ucts, design and construction services?
The Environmental Protec- tion Agency EPA defines green building as the
practice of creating Visit ACEC's online educational events calendar at
healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, reno-
www.acec.org/events/index.cfm, or call 202-347-7474 for fur- vation,
operation, maintenance and demolition. ther information. Jerry Yudelson, a
leading expert on this topic, said engineering firms need to move
aggressively to position themselves to be compet- 3 0 E N G I N E E R I N
G INC. M a r c h l April 2005
http://www.acec.org/events/index.cfm,
Engineering Inc. - March/April 2005

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