Professional Development and Coaching

Many of the roles within SHN offer a formal professional development path through licensing and certification programs.  Obtaining professional licenses is important in a consulting career, but equally important is experience gained through on-the-job training and an understanding of the business side of our professions.  In 2022 and 2025, SHN Principals committed and re-committed to investing in our professional development and coaching.  The broad concept is not to create a “mentoring program” but instead to elevate coaching and development in SHN’s culture so these actions are “just what we do at SHN.” 

Our efforts have been well received.  In a staff survey conducted in February 2025, in response to “My supervisor shows by his/her actions that employee training and development is important”, SHN’s average score was 5.44 out of 6, with 6 indicating “Very Strongly Agree”.  On a similar prompt, “My supervisor really cares about me as a person”, SHN’s average score was 5.51.   

Here are examples of actions that SHN has taken to strengthen and support our culture of valuing professional development and coaching:

• Created a “Buddy Program”. Newly hired staff are paired with another SHN person who is ideally in the same service area and office.  The program is formal for three months but the relationship often continues.  The mentor buddy can answer operational questions (e.g., timesheets) and cultural questions such as “should I bring my children to the holiday party?”
• Coordinated lunch-time presentations on topics varying from technical information to “soft skills” training. Staff receive additional technical training in their monthly service area meetings.
• Developed a CAD users group and collaborative structure so important standards can be transferred throughout the company.
• Completed our fifth SHN Academy, our in-house training for promising staff, to learn leadership and project management skills. The next SHN Academy is scheduled for 2027.
• Began our “Land Surveyor Career Advancement Program” to provide our survey staff with support needed to become Professional Licensed Surveyors; support includes tuition reimbursement and in-house training.
• Agendized “work transfers” in the weekly Managers Meeting, so Principals focus on helping staff who want to get involved with projects in other regions, providing them the opportunity to expand their knowledge and experience.
• Committed to considering staff development as one aspect of a supervisor’s performance appraisal. Staff development can be numerically measured by certifications and licenses obtained and also qualitatively observed by increased leadership in management or technical skills.