> Want your staff to understand and respect the job you do? It's up to you to demonstrate the work ethic necessary to succeed in the A/E business world.

What employee hasn't at one point in his life thought, "I wonder what my boss does all day? I bet I do as much work as he does?". The sentiment is somewhat understandable: much of the work of an A/E firm leader takes place outside the office or is intangible compared to the billable results of a standard employee.

But, good leaders know the importance of demonstrating a good work ethic for their staff. Not only will it garner employees' respect and put an end to those pesky questions, but it will show them the value of hard work in scaling the corporate ladder and create a new cadre of hard-working future execs.

"A supervisor or firm owner cannot expect employees to work harder or longer than the boss - it just won't happen," says Daniel Chandler, principal at Olympic Associates Company (Seattle, WA), a 65-person architecture, engineering, and construction management firm. "If you expect extra effort from your employees, you must demonstrate this level of effort."

Chandler says that he was fortunate to have worked for several leaders whose work ethic set a positive example. "One boss started work at a very early hour every day and was very productive. I have long since adopted this strategy."

Leading by example probably provides the most important lesson for staff members on how to advance within the firm. Chandler says the effort involves a lot more than clocking in and out at the proper times. "Working hard sometimes means putting in extra hours, but it also means being organized, meeting deadlines, and producing high-quality work. To be most effective, leaders must demonstrate good client service, perseverance, and caring for their employees."

But a manager must be sure not to show off. "Making a big deal out of working long hours is likely to backfire and appear disingenuous to employees," Chandler says.

At Olympic Associates, employees share their productivity and utilization results via the company intranet, including chargeable and total hours worked, "so those that put in extra effort are pretty obvious," Chandler says.

Chandler also uses the principle of demonstrating a firm leader's work ethic in order to groom new leaders to take over the business. " them what it takes to be successful is far more powerful than telling them," says.

Howell Branum, president at Professional Service Industries (Oakbrook Terrace, IL), a 2,500-person consulting engineering, testing, and environmental services firm, says it is important for firm leaders to work side-by-side with employees in order to demonstrate work ethic.

"No one wants to be in a position where they feel they are carying more than their share of the load, whether it's because their peers or manager is slacking," Branum says. "I believe that the manager not working as hard as the employee has a greater negative impact than when a peer slacks. If the manager doesn’t care how well or when this project gets done, why should they care? It must not be important in the overall scheme of things."

Branum says he arrives at the office before his employees, stays later, works hard throughout the day, and is always honest with them. "In general, our employees are intelligent and perceptive and recognize BS when they see or hear it. Attempting to fake your work effort is worse from a morale standpoint than just giving a half-hearted effort."

James Bearden, CEO at Gresham, Smith and Partners (Nashville, TN), an 800-person multi-disciplinary design firm, says that the company aims to promote from within, so it is important to make clear to all employees from the start what is required of upper management.

"It's important to set an example and expectations," Bearden says. "They need to be exposed and aspire to working up the ladder of succession." Plus, "If they don’t see me working hard at this, then why should they expect to work hard?"

Bearden, too, says that he's been lucky to have responsible, hard-working bosses who were big on teamwork. "Because of the teamwork methodology, everyone has to do his or her part or be held accountable - no one gets a free pass."

His first project architect led by example, working nights and weekends with everybody else when deadlines had to be met. "He even brought his wife and dog into work," Bearden says. "It set the example that he would not expect someone else to do something he wasn't already doing or willing to do himself."

Bearden says that he understands how the work of a firm leader could be misunderstood.

"This morning, I arrived (at the office) at 9. But no one knows about the meeting I was in at 7:30 a.m., or tonight, when the only time I can get together with a prospective client is at dinner at 6:15 p.m., which means I won't get home until after 9 p.m." Firm leaders travel often on business, which takes them away from their families as well, he says.

Gresham, Smith and Partners also believes that mentoring is key to helping employees understand what their boss does all day, as well as ensuring the future vitality of the firm. Lower-level employees often shadow firm leaders in meetings and other tasks. "I think that goes a lot further toward having other people understand what goes on rather than putting yourself on a pedestal and saying 'here's what's on my timesheet,'" Bearden says. - RACHEL LEBEAUX (rlebeaux@zweigwhite.com)

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