Do Good Work…

Abstract

I don't usually write about industry mergers, but this one is different—it has a personal impact. At the end of last year, on Dec. 15, 2017, CH2M merged with Jacobs. Both are outstanding firms that now have the goal of being stronger together. But one of them, CH2M, is where my water utility career began. And for reasons I cannot fully explain, I have a sense of personal remorse about this merger. Perhaps it is because I believe what I do today began when I started working at CH2M Hill (as it was called in those days). I was 25 when I started in CH2M Hill's Portland, Ore., office. On my first day there was no office for me—only a desk in the hallway across from my boss's office. In those days a computer on your desk was uncommon and my desk was no exception; most work got done by phone, fax, and FedEx. I remember that first day like it was yesterday. I had no idea what I was doing. My boss—Dr. Kees Corssmit—came out to my desk and handed me a blue-covered paperback book, a manual actually, with simple instructions: “Read this.” As he tried to return to his office, I asked him why I should read it. He said, “You should read it because it will explain how we do the work we do,” and then he left me—problem solved—if I read this manual, I would know what I was doing. I looked down at the manual and read the title: Water Rates, by the American Water Works Association. That was the first time I encountered AWWA, and all I knew at that moment was that the American Water Works Association held the key and provided the guidance for my new employer's work. So, I read it, then I read it again, and then a third time. At the end of my first day, I leaned back in my chair and realized that I did not understand a single word—it reminded me of when I was in college and I had to read The Iliad by Homer. I read all the words but had no idea about the meaning of the ancient Greek poem, just like this AWWA manual. Eventually, thank goodness, Kees and others helped me understand the manual's guidance and importance. Working at CH2M Hill was special. In those days the firm was teetering between its origins as a small practice started by an Oregon State University professor (Merryfield) and three of his students (C, H, and H) and the mega-international firm that many of us know today. The logo was a simple design of four horizontal blue bars, stacked on top of each other with the words Engineers, Planners, Economists, and Scientists lined up next to each bar. I was working with the economists. One day Jim Howland, the past president of the firm and the first “H” in the firm's name, came to the office. Jim was known to all for his kind demeanor and leadership wisdom. His catch phrase, “Do good work. Make a profit. Enjoy life.” was central to the culture at that time. On that day, Jim was taking the time to provide us with his pearls of wisdom. He read from his Little Yellow Book, so named because, well, it was little and yellow. The book captured Howland's thoughts on myriad timeless business issues, including ethics, organizational culture, bonuses, and how to treat people. We all received a copy of the book and, if asked, he personally signed each one. I still have my autographed copy and it continues to provide me with wisdom in times of need. It also has remained a cornerstone of CH2M's corporate culture. Later in my career, I became very involved in AWWA and, ironically, I eventually became the chair of the Rates and Charges Committee—the committee that writes Water Rates—the manual I read three times on my first day at CH2M Hill.