May 3, 2016 (Newton, Mass.)— PSMJ Resources, Inc. (PSMJ), the worldwide leader for business information and consulting for the A/E industry, finds that faster-growing and more profitable firms are most likely to have a formal leadership training program, according to its recently released study, A/E Firm Leadership and Ownership Transition Study: How Today’s Most Successful A/E Firms Plan for Transition and Develop Emerging Leaders.
In this study, we were particularly interested in how (or if) firms conduct leadership development training. As such, we asked a number of questions related to the format and delivery of training programs.
Interestingly, we found that study participants—in their leadership/ownership transition activities—spend the most effort in identifying emerging leaders for accelerated development and formal mentoring of emerging leaders.
However, the study also found that a majority (66%) of participating firms have no formal leadership training. Meanwhile, among the 34% that do have formal leadership training, 17% of firms said that most or all of their emerging leaders go through a formal leadership training program, while another 17% said some of their emerging leaders go through a formal leadership training program.
When we asked firms if they think that formal leadership training has resulted in firm-wide performance improvement, the biggest response was: “We believe we have achieved firm-wide improvement, but haven’t tried to measure it.” The second biggest response was “We have seen improvement in the performance of some PM’s but not firm-wide.”
Then, we took a look at the effectiveness of leadership training, and found a distinct relationship between formal leadership training and firms’ financial performance. Specifically, we found that firms with a 2015 net profit rate of 20% of more, with a projected 2016 net profit rate of 20% or more, or a three-year growth rate in organic revenue of 20% or more, were the most likely to have some, if not most or all, of their emerging leaders go through such a program.
To put it another way, firms that said that some, if not most or all, of their emerging leaders go through a formal leadership training program reported higher profit rates for 2015 and 2016 than firms that have no formal training program. Moreover, firms that said “some of firm of their emerging leaders go through a formal leadership training program” achieved the highest growth rate in organic revenue over the past three years.
With 100 participants and in-depth analysis on firm demographics and how a variety of factors impact leadership and ownership transition effectiveness and firm performance, this is the most comprehensive research of its kind that has ever been conducted in the A/E industry certainly that has been conducted recently.
The report, A/E Firm Leadership and Ownership Transition Study: How Today’s Most Successful A/E Firms Plan for Transition and Develop Emerging Leaders, is available for $147 or as a free download to PSMJ newsletter subscribers, just another of the many perks of PSMJ membership.
About PSMJ: For more than 40 years, PSMJ Resources, Inc. has been recognized as the world’s leading authority, publisher, and consultant on the effective management of architecture, engineering, and construction firms. With offices in the United States as well as the United Kingdom and Australia, PSMJ offers over 150 titles in book, audio, and video format. In addition, the company publishes a monthly periodical and delivers dozens of seminars, roundtables, conferences, webinars, and in-house training sessions every year for A/E professionals around the world. PSMJ’s sought-after consulting expertise covers a range of critical business areas such as strategic planning, project management, valuation, succession planning, and mergers & acquisitions.
For additional information please contact:
Gregory Hart
PSMJ Resources, Inc.
10 Midland Avenue
Newton, MA 02458
617-965-0055