THE POWER OF FOCUS

摘要

In lean times, you take what you can get. For architecture firms still climbing out of a recession-sized hole, that can translate into bidding for just about any viable project that comes along, even if it's outside their zone of expertise. That can be seen as a sign of desperation or as an instinctual survival tactic. Ray Kogan, AIA, sees it as a mistake. The president of Kogan & Company, an Arlington, Va.-based strategy and management consultancy, Kogan has been advising architecture and engineering firms for 20 years. He argues that during times of reduced demand, firms should be identifying what they're good at and focusing on becoming experts in specific niches. Don't diversify, he says: Specialize. "It's really just plain market forces," Kogan says. "When people want something, a service of any sort, they typically want the comfort level that goes with hiring an individual who's experienced with that service."