From sustained M&A activity and private equity investment to the challenges of retaining top talent and operationalizing new technologies, the pace of change in the AEC industry is brisk. Managing change in this environment requires more than strict adherence to standard frameworks. It requires new ways of thinking about how we lead change in the AEC industry. The standard framework problem. Most change management frameworks were developed decades ago for traditional corporat

A well-executed reorganization is more than a structural change, it’s a strategic enabler. By anticipating challenges, leading with action, and maintaining open communication, AEC leadership teams can turn change into opportunity and deliver on a reorganization's true value. According to the Stambaugh Ness 2025 AEC Industry Outlook, survey respondents from engineering/environmental firms cited improving operational efficiency (71%) and managing company growth (68%) as key cha

When leaders announce the latest strategic pivot, digital transformation, or cultural shift, employees aren't hearing it with fresh ears. They're filtering every word through the lens of past experience. That's because organizational change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. People’s perceptions of change are informed by what has come before. This historical context influences how employees perceive new changes and can fundamentally shape perceptions of initiatives going forward. In

Overly crafted messages full of corporate jargon that say nothing while trying to say everything are trust killers. "As we continue to optimize our organizational structure to leverage synergistic opportunities and enhance our value proposition in an increasingly dynamic marketplace, we will be implementing a strategic realignment initiative designed to right-size our human capital resources while maintaining our commitment to operational excellence..." Wait, what? Employee

More so than in generations past, employees and leaders today are asking consequential questions about our work, beyond what the next step on the career ladder looks like. The questions we’re asking ourselves now are more expansive: What kind of an impact do I want to have? What is the “why” in my work? What legacy do I want to leave behind? We’re looking for purpose. Companies that know and understand – beyond the pursuit of profit – what their purpose is, their raison d'êt

Adopting new technology, introducing new programs, and revising processes that impact workflows all require behavioral change and, therefore, early collaboration and tailored training for those affected. For initiatives like these, starting small and building capacity slowly and intentionally is the path to realizing sustainable results.    The case at hand. A mid-sized environmental consulting firm was moving forward with implementing a Client Relationship Management (CRM) p

We’ve all heard the phrase: that meeting should have been an email.   It's often painfully true that time is wasted on meetings with no...

As companies scale and grow and teams expand, the complexities of managing the business grow as well. One way to manage that complexity...