TRENDING TECHNOLOGY
BY THE NUMBERS
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The “Datafication” of the Organization Irvin’s approach to technology emphasizes enterprise interoperability. He collaborates with the enterprise and solutions architect teams to conduct market analyses and identify the best products to meet the company’s needs while preferring single solutions that can be used out-of- the-box. “We’d like 80% of what we do to be something that can be used by all the enterprise and then 20% going toward specificity that’s needed because someone has a nuance,” shares Bishop Jr. He believes this is the key to efficiently integrating new technology tools to optimize the business. Irvin is also passionate about building out Black & Veatch’s ‘zero-trust architecture,’ which assumes that any individual interacting with their systems should be authenticated. It’s been instrumental in improving the company’s security standards, both protecting against potential threats and keeping bad actors at bay. Leaders today must be intentional about building relationships, about their communication style, and about truly leading with empathy. ‘‘
Becoming the Best Place to Work The success of any transformation initiative is inextricably tied to the performance of the team. Irvin recognizes that the right team can make or break your efforts; he is passionate about supporting the employee base at large and shaping Black & Veatch’s culture. In a post-COVID, hybrid working world, he believes leaders have a huge role to play in making sure people are collaborating and connecting at work. “Leaders today must be intentional about building relationships, about their communication style, and about truly leading with empathy,” emphasizes Bishop Jr. Irvin influences the culture by prioritizing talent development as a key pillar in the company’s transformation. He is proud that the company is invested in developing its talent – providing resources and flexibility to stretch into new areas. Black & Veatch is determined to become the best place to work on the planet – that starts with building a strong connection to the organization’s core values. “As soon as you step and get a Black & Veatch credential badge, one of the first things you do is take Aspire training, which walks through our core values and principles. It immerses employees into our culture of curiosity and shares our focus on safety, accountability, integrity, respect, and entrepreneurship,” reveals Bishop Jr. This practice helps employees see the company values come to life far after onboarding ends. Focusing on the Journey Black & Veatch is making strong progress towards digital transformation goals, but the expedition is never complete. Irvin’s advice to others facing similar initiatives? Effective change management. “I believe that change management is a cornerstone to any digital transformation,” shares Bishop Jr. He recommends frequent and two-sided communication, celebrating progress and small wins, and engaging change champions to promote transformation at various levels. “You must explain to your teams that digital transformation is a journey, it’s not a destination,” urges Bishop Jr.
79 %
Percent of professionals who believe career success depends on networking.
52 million
Number of people actively looking on LinkedIn for a new role each week.
Percent of open jobs published on publicly available career sites.
8
Number of people hired on LinkedIn every minute.
Number of business cards printed daily. 27 million
– IRVIN BISHOP JR.
Data underpins all of the efforts currently on Irvin’s plate. By promoting datafication and implementing a unified data model within the organization, Irvin is able to meet his enterprise interoperability goals. “Datafication is understanding that whatever you do – whatever activities that you participate in, whatever information you gather – you need to do it in a very systematic way,” explains Bishop Jr. By cultivating a data-driven decision-making culture and training employees to utilize data effectively, Black & Veatch strengthens its capacity for improvement and innovation. “Data is the soil that digital grows in. Without it, you can’t answer your questions or do things better,” he adds.
35 %
76 %
Percent of in-person meetings resulting in new customers in B2B sales. 40 %
88 %
Percent of LinkedIn users who say a casual message led to a new opportunity.
Percent of employees who prefer face-to-face
Number of business cards thrown out one week after receiving them.
meetings over other methods.
08 | Trending Technology
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