This just in...2027 is quickly approaching! A new year brings new business plans and a new chance to think differently about the future of your firm. Now more than ever, the opportunity is before you to re-think virtually everything about your business model. From an intentional and scalable move towards outcome-based pricing to a new source of capitalization to fund continued growth, new ways forward require new ways of thinking. This is exactly why I'm sharing these tips with you.
Do you have any questions on any of these tips? Perhaps you wish to share some feedback? Maybe you need some guidance or support on a challenge that your firm is facing? Comment below!
Make 2027 the year that you empower your team to move fast and fix stuff.
It isn’t enough to just “move fast and break stuff”. Too many AEC firm leaders tolerate inefficient processes, outdated practices, underperforming employees, and recurring problems because changing them feels disruptive or time-consuming. Stop accepting mediocrity. Take (sort of) a page out of the tech industry’s playbook. Make a list of what's slowing your firm down, make fast decisions, and empower people to solve problems. Small improvements, implemented quickly and consistently, can add up to a significant competitive advantage.
Great leaders aren’t afraid to break the rules sometimes.
SOPs are important for a growing firm, but they won’t contemplate every scenario. SOPs should provide guardrails, not handcuffs. Unique situations will arise in the firm, and how you respond will dictate how effective you are as a leader. Whether it is an urgent request from a high-value client, an employee dealing with a serious illness, or some other unforeseen situation. Don't let a policy designed for the typical situation dictate how you handle an atypical one. Employees are watching you.
The firm with the best data will win the AI race.
AI is only as good as the information it has to work with. AEC firms that have clean, organized, accessible, and consistently captured data will be in a much better position to take advantage of AI than firms relying on disconnected systems, inconsistent project records, and information buried in people's inboxes. Start treating data as a valuable strategic asset, not just an administrative byproduct. Invest in data governance, standardize how information is collected, and break down silos between departments.
Project management improvement comes from thinking backwards.
When you see a problem with inconsistency or poor profitability or subpar client satisfaction that ties back to a project management problem, it is easy to jump right into designing and deploying a learning and development program to make things better. Stop right there. First, you must define success. What are the KPIs that will determine success? From there, work back to what are the best practices that will achieve those KPIs and where are the skill gaps? From there, work back again to the best way to deploy the learning and development to get those best practices to stick.
If you can’t change the people, change the people.
AEC firms sometimes spend an extraordinary amount of time and money trying to fix performance problems through coaching, mentoring, and professional development. Those investments make sense when people are willing to learn, adapt, and improve. But not every performance problem is a skills problem. Sometimes it's an attitude problem, a lack of accountability, or simply the wrong person in the wrong role. Don't let your commitment to developing employees become an excuse for tolerating persistent underperformance or toxic behavior.
.png?width=1200&height=628&name=M%26A%20SUMMIT%202027%20AD%20(2).png)