Your architecture or engineering firm’s Project Managers determine your profit margins, client satisfaction, new business opportunities, and so much more. Yet, as so many firms have seen robust growth in recent years, they risk stalling and stagnating as Project Managers juggle competing priorities and aggressive schedules. 

Mead & Hunt, a national architectural, engineering, planning, and construction services firm with more than 1,200 employees, has grown significantly in recent years, both organically and through acquisition. 

For years, the firm’s executive leaders put project managers through a formal training program, but they started to see signs that it was time to take it to the next level, with a more structured and focused approach to deliver more consistent performance across all client markets and disciplines. The right solution would apply one set of project management tools, resources, and best practices for success and position Mead & Hunt to thrive now and grow in the years to come.

So, the firm’s leadership team decided to get in front of the industry-wide challenge of PM growth and development by taking a closer look at their project management infrastructure and training program.

Finding a Better Way
Training and development initiatives for architecture and engineering firms can be a game-changer when done right – for the firm’s operating and financial performance all the way through to client satisfaction and employee engagement. 

The challenge lies in determining where and how to make those investments. “We quickly saw that we’d get the most significant and immediate return on our training investment in project management as opposed to other functional areas,” says Mead & Hunt COO & President Amy Squitieri, “and that meant partnering with PSMJ Resources to create a more wholistic program with specific goals and KPIs.”

The firm’s leadership team saw the direct correlation between project management and many other facets of firm success. “Our initial goal was to just develop one consistent ‘Mead & Hunt way’ when it comes to project management.”

Right from the start, the Mead & Hunt team knew they had more project management training content needs than they could produce and implement using internal resources. So, they looked for a partner known for proven industry-specific project management training that could be aligned with both strategic goals and the firm’s culture.

“Through extensive discussions with PSMJ, we developed a scalable solution where every Project Manager could draw from the same toolbox of resources, tools, and best practices to apply to their projects,” added Mead & Hunt Talent Development Director Marilen Driscoll.

“We looked at three different project management training providers. We loved that PSMJ’s project management training program was very robust and customizable with deep content on critical topics. Others didn’t seem as immediately applicable to our business and PSMJ had a proven ROI with past clients,” says Driscoll.

With a partnership with PSMJ locked in, the team quickly got to work sending both current and aspiring Project Managers through a collaboratively-designed tiered training curriculum. Over 18 months in 2022 and 2023, 246 Project Managers went through the PSMJ program.

Going from Idea to Results
The feedback from participants in the program has been overwhelmingly positive. That is one critical step towards achieving a measurable impact and positive return on investment from the training program. Another is an enterprise-wide commitment to implementation, and that’s where Mead & Hunt has been positioned for success right from the start. “We’re working with the PSMJ team to establish the right key performance indicators to keep the momentum going,” stated Mead & Hunt Project Management Office Chair Troy Pankratz.

Long-term success also means identifying great Project Managers of the future and ensuring that the firm has a sustainable talent pipeline as both a recruitment and retention vehicle. To this end, Driscoll pointed out “We have a bit of a unique approach to talent development in that we don’t restrict these sorts of training opportunities just to current Project Managers. We also find it really valuable to invite aspiring Project Managers to start exposing them to the growth opportunities at Mead & Hunt.” 

So, where does Mead & Hunt go from here? “With this program now in place, we are well-positioned for continued growth in the future,” says COO & President Amy Squitieri. “We’ve found a long-term project management improvement partner with PSMJ and this just underscores our commitment to providing meaningful career growth opportunities for our team.”

Don’t Let Your Firm’s Growth Slow You Down

“Too many firm leaders, owners, and investors miss the quick win and long-term growth opportunities in project management,” explains A/E/C Project Management expert Bill Hinsley. “This is the ‘product’ for architecture and engineering firms and where there is often too little investment in improvement as firms grow, projects get more complex, and teams become more multi-disciplinary.”

Even small investments in project management can yield results across the organization ranging from increased project profitability, fewer cost overruns, improved client satisfaction, stronger employee engagement and retention, and more.

Ready to take your firm's PM performance to the next level? PSMJ's intensive AEC Project Management Bootcamp brings proven strategies and tactics to boost project delivery, financial performance, and client satisfaction. When we bring this program directly to your firm - tailored to your specific needs - you get your entire team on the same page and an ROI that simply can't be matched! LEARN MORE.