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About
Helping AEC firms meet the moment and build their future is what motivates us every day.
Organizational change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Perceptions of change are informed by what has come before: what’s past really is prologue. In some cases, successful initiatives can serve as a roadmap for future change adoption. In other instances, past changes have been problematic, leaving employees skeptical and leaders wary. In all cases the enemy of progress is assumption, and the remedy is engagement.
Our approach is built around genuine engagement and dialogue, led with curiosity and empathy, to better understand perceptions and motivations.
The result: Heightened trust, actionable insights, and a solid foundation for sustainable change.Our clients undertake change initiatives of varying scope, scale, and impact to advance different objectives. Each type of change requires a thoughtful approach, rather than a one-size-fits-all framework. What’s most important in determining the path forward is what’s required of the impacted group. Adopting new technology, revising processes, and introducing new programs all require behavioral change and, therefore, early collaboration and targeted training for those affected. Read our CRM adoption case study. Other types of change like new leadership, strategy rollouts, and reorganizations tend to be leader-led and require a more communications-focused approach to build understanding and consensus.
Our approach is informed by our deep experience in change in the AEC industry and focused on bringing together the right people, processes, tools, and resources to maximize results and minimize disruption.
The result: Built-for-purpose processes, actions aligned with strategy, and lower employee fatigue and resistance.
CEOs, leadership teams, and people managers all play pivotal roles in driving successful change initiatives and creating resilient organizations. Equally important are informal influencers: those individuals outside of leadership whom others rely on for information, context, insight, and advice. In times of change, these influencers can be critical partners in building awareness, understanding, and acceptance. Empowering these individuals by involving them in the change process early, soliciting their input and ideas, and engaging them in decision-making and problem-solving to co-create change can lead to clearer, faster, and more sustainable outcomes.
Our approach begins with understanding the ecosystem of informal influence within your teams, strengthening relationships with key influencers, and bringing them into the planning process early to build trust and help advance change.
The result: Visibility into how information and influence flow within your firm, identification of potential next generation leaders, enhanced credibility, engaged teams with a more open approach to change.
For our clients, one of the most challenging parts of change is saying the unknown part out loud – that is, communicating change before you have all the answers. It’s necessary to own the narrative, but often uncomfortable in practice. It’s also a foundational part of leading change with transparency and building trust right from the start.
Equally important is communicating in clear, plain language. Corporate-speak and nuanced messages erode trust and lead to confusion and skepticism. Clarity and brevity reinforce trust and result in understanding and openness.
Our approach involves communicating early and often, ongoing listening and engagement, setting clear expectations, delivering concise and consistent information, and building trust at all levels.
The result: Greater confidence to lead change, strengthened trust and credibility, and clear expectations.
Our approach to change
Sara Herrmann
FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL
Sara is a hands-on communications professional, advisor, strategist, and collaborator who helps AEC firms create meaningful, sustainable change. She moves seamlessly between big picture thinking and tactical execution, drawing on two decades of experience creating and implementing change communication programs for M&A integrations, strategy rollouts, leadership transitions, enterprise-wide and divisional reorganizations, new process and program launches, and technology transformations.
She has advised CEOs and leadership teams on communication strategy, change management, strategic planning, employee engagement, reputational risk, and other organizational priorities at top-ranked ENR global environmental consulting firms, small and mid-size engineering companies, and early-stage startups.
Sara Herrmann
FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL
Sara is a hands-on advisor, strategist, and communications professional who helps AEC firms create meaningful, sustainable change. She moves seamlessly between big picture thinking and tactical execution, drawing on two decades of experience creating and implementing change and communication programs for M&A integrations, strategy rollouts, leadership transitions, enterprise-wide reorganizations, new process and program launches, and technology transformations.
She has advised CEOs and leadership teams on communication strategy, change management, strategic planning, employee engagement, reputational risk, and other organizational priorities at top-ranked ENR global environmental consulting firms, small and mid-size engineering companies, and early-stage startups.
