159: A Dedicated Approach to R&D and Office Management

Ellen Bensky and Steve Nonis, CEO, CFO and Principals at Turner Fleischer Architects, and Matt McMullen, Associate Principal at Abel Design Group, join us on this episode 159 of Art of Construction.  Research and Development is much talked about, however rarely applied in firms in the AEC industry. Understanding its benefits, but challenged by the problem of integrating this best practice into a profitable workflow, Turner Fleischer, an architectural firm of 150 people, made a strategic decision to give staff the opportunity to dedicate hours to R&D as a core part of their day. The results have led to enhanced service offerings, implementing technology, developing website content, empowering staff and increasing client engagement. Ellen and Steve stopped by studio AOC to share how, as a mid-sized firm, they leveraged their workforce to focus on research, despite the human resource and financial concerns that accompany this choice. Throughout this process, Turner Fleischer has developed a list of their top ten lessons learned for a dedicated approach to R&D. Among them are: #10: Top-down support. Leadership must be invested. #9: It’s a fallacy to believe that you can work on projects and implement innovation concurrently. #8: Your R&D strategy must be aligned with the goals of your firm. To learn the rest of these amazing insights you’ll need to listen to the episode. Join Devon and co-host Matt as they go on a journey with Ellen and Steve to understand the story of Turner Fleischer, how they came to develop their dedicated research and development strategies, and how looking beyond short-term ROI to the quality of your employees' job performance can be key to unlocking your company’s potential.