ADA Consulting Engineers – Engineering internal and external strategy to build future growth

Overall, the journey that we’ve been on and continue has empowered us to operate with authority and feel valued in the shared strategy of reaching goals together.

“The biggest benefit of engaging with our Grow coach is partnering with someone who has the requisite business knowledge and expertise to support the big ideas, can act as a sounding board for the trials and tribulations of operating a small to medium business, and has a vested interest in us reaching our goals.”

Starting a business when you have the necessary skills to competently sell your business proposition is one thing. But if you don’t, then it’s quite another and can lead to failure.

This is a common conflict that many technical business owners face, where the leader is equipped with industry expertise but struggles to know how to develop the business. This is the position Paul Maitre, Managing Director of ADA Consulting Engineers, found himself in until he connected with Grow and took his business to new heights.

Paul had always harboured a desire to run an office of like-minded individuals and carve out his own presence in the engineering industry, so he leapt at the opportunity to partner with Sidney Gunston, Director of ADA Consulting in Botswana.

In 2003, the two opened an ADA Consulting Engineers office in Johannesburg to expand the company’s footprint and more easily procure resources from South Africa for clients across the continent.

Paul used his experience as a civil engineer and industry knowledge to grow from a one-man show to a 10-person strong office. No small feat, however ADA wasn’t performing as positively as it could.

They reacted to work, doing what was necessary to complete each project and ignoring the other facets of the business, which hampered their ability to operate sustainably.

Mindful of the business’ shortcomings, Paul did what any business owner would. He sought out solutions to create a more sustainable future for the business.

During his search, Paul was introduced to Grow and connected with an effective business coach with experience working for a management consulting firm and assisting companies with system optimisation. The two partnered together to bring structure to the company’s strategy, create plans where previously none existed, and introduce an element of accountability to all objectives undertaken.

Says Paul, “I’d done a few courses, but still struggled to grow the business, so it was a relief to find someone who could expose me to strong systems and processes that could help me run a better business, pursue larger projects, become more sustainable, and increase turnover.”

The two decided to start by addressing challenges and opportunities from within the business – beginning with Paul. They brought Paul closer to the numbers, human resources, and day-to-day systems in order to give him tighter control over the business. This enabled him to be more strategic in his thinking and more effective as a leader, which essentially paved the way for all other efforts to improve the business.

They then worked on improving ADA’s internal competencies by developing the company’s internal systems and assets. Not only did this push the team to become more agile, responsive and proactive, but it also enhanced the business’ service fitness.

The entire office was brought into the journey through regular bi-weekly and quarterly sessions. Their time together opened up lines of communications, helped them explore mistakes, and gave Paul the freedom to expand and build closer relationships with his team. As a result, the team has grown from 10 to 18 employees, each of whom are consummate professionals able to draw on the benefits of stringent self-discipline and strong systems, and importantly, work towards the same objectives.

Change begins internally, but to be truly effective, it has to become an external manifestation. To do that, Paul took a harder look at the company’s strategy, working closely with his coach and leadership team to define what they wanted to achieve and putting in place accountability measures. Supported by the business’ improved internal competencies, the team worked closer together to achieve success and this is where the true fruits of their labour was evident.

Explains Paul, “Increasing our financial controls and managing profit and efficiencies was just the start. The improved unity in ADA, alignment between the Botswana and Johannesburg offices, and noticeable growth is where we saw the light.”

He’s not wrong. ADA now enjoys the privilege of leading structural and civil design work spanning across various African countries, including Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Angola, and the DRC, as well as Nigeria and Algeria. These projects have included state hospitals, infrastructural development master-planning, and large industrial and commercial parks, often to the tune of a billion rand.

“Overall, the journey that we’ve been on and continue on has empowered us to operate with authority and feel valued in the shared strategy of reaching goals together. The company is in the healthiest financial position and with the advice of my coach, I’m better placed to identify what needs to be changed, see where we need to push harder, and build and grow our burgeoning leadership team so that we’ll continue to grow for years to come,” says Paul.