PROJECT ANALYSIS

A Case Study in Strategic Action Planning

 INTRODUCTION OF THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM

Firm name :- SNB ARCHITECTS

Established in :- 1986

Total staff members :- 15 MEMBERS

Location :- A SMALL CITY ON THE WEST COAST

Types of projects :- PUBLIC PROJECTS, MIXED USE/MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS

Partners:- HN & GB
 PROBLEMS THAT LEAD TO THE ACTION PLANNING

 The partners HN & GB decided that it was time to be more intentional about the future of their firm.

 In some ways, the partners saw the firm as a victim of its own success.

 Its position in the local community, although stable, was beginning to feel limiting in terms of
opportunity.

 The partners envisioned broader possibilities and wanted to expand their ability to attract more
interesting and significant projects.

 While employee retention is generally perceived as a good thing, in this

case it has had the unintentional consequence of creating a
homogeneous staff where almost all staff members have grown to be
similar in terms of their professional experience and skill.

 This type of problems generally occur when the firm resides in the
second quadrant of the profit satisfaction matrix which includes high
profit and low satisfaction.
 PROBLEMS THAT LEAD TO THE ACTION PLANNING
 For a firm located in a small city, with two capable partners at the helm, it is understandable how this
kind of staffing imbalance might happen.

 For one thing, employment opportunities for skilled design professionals in the local area are scarce,
leaving employees with limited choices if they were to leave SNB.

 In addition, since the partners do most of the project management and design concept
development, they have needed support from employees that are capable of carrying projects
through the rest of the phases, mostly on their own. Given this operational pattern, it makes sense
that the staff would eventually be populated by project architects with similar capabilities.

 HN and GB could see that they were in danger of losing valuable staff if they could not provide
opportunity for professional advancement, including elevation to principal or associate level.

 They have resisted creating organizational tiers in an attempt to be egalitarian, but there was,
nevertheless, some evidence of declining motivation and enthusiasm among the staff.

 The most senior staff taking advantage of the situation wanted to be the partner of the firm.
 STRATEGIC PLAN

INDIVIDUAL FINANCIAL
AND SMALL ANALYSIS
SURVEY
FILLED OUT GROUP
BY ALL THE INTERVIEWS
STAFFS AND WITH STAFF
PARTNERS MEMBERS
AND
PARTNERS
 MAIN FINDINGS OF THE ASSESMENT

Administrative Partners’ time for Offer to potential new Both partners and
processes of the firm marketing is restricted partner must be seen professional staff are
need improvement and by involvement in daily in context of overall concerned about the
investment. While the project and client growth plan with current homogeneous
financial accounting, management. This is specific expectations staffing. Partners are
tracking, and likely to be the for job acquisition by concerned that they
projections were systemic limit to the new partner may lose valuable staff,
excellent, other growth while the staff is
processes, particularly concerned that no
related to project professional
tracking were less advancement is
effective. possible within the
firm.
 LESSONS LEARNED
 It documents the progress of the strategic planning process and outlines ideas to be considered as
well as actions to be taken. It is a snapshot in time representing a cautious approach to change,
taking shifts incrementally with attention given to bottom-line impacts. To complete this plan, specific
time frames should be set for implementation and completion of each short-term action.

 The challenge SNB now faces is implementation—how to make these changes happen and continue
delivering projects. The truth is that it takes discipline to execute strategy and act differently than the
well-worn patterns of behavior. Consultants can help by bringing a knowledgeable outsider’s
viewpoint into the mix and by helping to keep the momentum of change going. Assigning staff or a
workgroup of staff to spearhead and take responsibility for implementing some of these action
initiatives will empower and align staff with firm strategic goals.

 It is clear from the story of SNB that if this firm is to grow, systemic change will be required. It may be
necessary for the firm leaders to question their mental models about the “way things have to be.”

 long-held beliefs about client management may need to be challenged and updated by younger
professionals, as societal norms change. This is difficult but can be accomplished if motivation is
strong enough. This is why envisioning long-term goals is so essential to change.
Thank You