Staying Small Successfully: A Guide for Architects, Engineers, and Design Professionals

342 Pages·2001·27.13 MB·English

by  Frank Stasiowski

A Guide for Architects, Engineers, and Design Professionals
ess
frank a. stasiowski, FAIA

Staying Small
Successfully

Staying Small
Successfully
A Guide for Architects, Engineers,
and Design Professionals
Second TcCition
Frank A. Stasiowski, faia
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
New York Chichester Weinheim Brisbane Singapore Toronto
This book is printed on acid-free paper. @
Copyright © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stasiowski, Frank, 1948-
Staying small successfully / Frank Stasiowski.—2nd ed.
p. cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-40773-9 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Architectural services marketing—United States. 2. Engineering
services marketing—United States. 3. Design services—United States—
Marketing. I. Title.
NA1996.S75 2001
720'.68—dcl2
2001024236
Printed in the United States of America
10 98765432
Inspiration
^Attitude is everything! Success in a smaCCbusiness
takes courage combined with rebent Cess action at
apace that outstrips your competitors’ abibity
to beat you. 'Remember: Rnergy outperforms
quabity go percent of the time. Qo for it!
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2018 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/stayingsmallsuccOOfran
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction 1
New Opportunities for Success 1
We’re in an Industry Sea Change 2
Identify Your Smarts 2
Develop Leaders in Your Firm 3
Be Proud of Who You Are 3
Reference 3
Chapter i
5
Planning and Strategy
6
The Need for Vision
7
Defining a Vision
9
The Concise Written Vision
9
Elements of a Plan
34
Conducting a Planning Meeting
37
Repeat the Process Periodically
43
Success Challenges
43
References
UMCfiayter
2
Focusing Your Practice 45
Advantages of Focusing the Practice 46
Steps to Focusing 46
Success Challenges 86
References 86
vii
VIII CONTENTS
Chapter
3
Strategic Alliances 87
The Unique Rewards of Strategic Alliances 89
Communication Is the Key 93
Framing a Strategic Alliance 93
Success Challenges 94
Reference 94
Chapter
4
Servicing the Client 95
Service versus Design 98
Little Things That Count Big 99
Responsiveness 105
Project Management 105
Quality Control 119
Quality Control for the Actual Work 126
Innovate Even Normal Activities 134
Success Challenges 136
References 136
1 Chapter
5
Personnel 137
Hiring 137
Controlling Your Ego 138
How to Attract Top People 139
Develop Top Performers from Within 141
Announce Positions Within 146
Delegate! 146
Probation Period 151
Fire Incompetents 151
Employment Contracts 152
Success Challenges 157
References 157
Chapter
6
Compensation 159
Motivating Design Professionals 159
Benefits 163
Timing Pay Raises 164
Incentive Compensation 165