For clients looking at the long-view, I direct and sharpen that focus through visioning and strategic planning sessions and leadership retreats on firm size/type, brand, culture, firm structure, business development strategies centered around market sectors and client types with defined actions as outcomes.
Design & Practice Leadership
What does it mean to lead an A+D practice today? And what does it take to be a firm leader? Who is part of the team leading the firm? What are the leadership team roles? What processes and tools do we need? What are the strategies around leadership transitions?
I work with leadership teams to curate approaches to these questions and to acquire leadership skills. The skills an A+D practice leader needs to master span from knowing who they are with its limits and opportunities to building and leading BRAND / FINANCE / OPERATIONS / DESIGN teams to stewarding firm culture and to staying on top of best practices.
Finances
Finance, metrics and performance influence an A+D practice’s wellbeing and its success, as well as the firm culture and its bottom line.
My client’s knowledge of their firm’s financial performance is key to any of their decision making. Thru the crucial lens of financial performance, I guide clients during the transition process related to growth, leadership transition, firm restructuring, succession planning / ownership transition and strategic expansion.
As an inside expert with extensive industry exposure, I provide essential guidance for best practices in financial and project performance, defining processes and setting performance benchmarks to establish a sound financial monitoring system.
Operations & Practice Management
What and who makes a successful A+D practice? Who does the work and how? What does collaboration really mean? Who oversees the teams and how? What does collaboration mean?
As an inside expert with extensive industry exposure, I provide essential guidance for best practices in staffing and hiring, human resources, accounting, IT and negotiations and communications of all kinds. I will build the right team – defining processes and setting performance benchmarks.
I work with my clients on design culture that energizes the business of design from best practices and tools for resource and task planning, to accurate job descriptions and hiring processes, and of course project management training, mentorship and communication training.
Leadership Coaching
I understand the unique demands faced by leaders, and aspiring leaders, having experienced these myself.
Through a comprehensive approach that addresses all domains of life, I help clients find transformative paths by building their ability to generate success and to navigate challenges and conflicts, so they can create impactful change in their lives and for the companies they lead.
“My firm developed a holistic BD and practice management strategy which benefited from Elisabeth's expertise, curation and AEC industry connections”
– Dong Kim, Dialog [previously Byrens Kim Design Works]
