Ryan Wood

Every morning, I think how I can positively impact another person today. It’s a simple but crucial question, and it helps me be more productive—to prioritize and stay efficient. I want to ensure people feel valued and heard; that they are learning something new; and that they feel supported to grow in their role. That kind of presence and positivity has lasting effects, and it’s contagious. I truly believe it makes people’s days better, helps them perform better, and strengthens our team.

Truebeck is about opportunity. We foster culture that supports immediate opportunities for learning and career growth. We also empower everyone (regardless of tenure or role) to add value to project teams—to start making a difference right away. 

Getting what you “want” isn’t important, but getting desired results is. We work with a lot of intelligent and talented people, both internally and externally, and that provides opportunity to develop effective solutions. These solutions make all of us successful and guarantee successful outcomes on a project, not matter who gets what they “want.”

I want to make an impact in the lives of those around me. I hope my legacy is that people know I cared, and can smile when they think about that. If that is the case, I think that made me a positive contributor to the community I lived and worked in. I try to keep things simple!

My happy place is outside, regardless of weather or activity. I have two young children and I love showing them new things in all types of conditions—whether it is fishing, skiing, hiking, backpacking, camping, playing soccer—whatever keeps us moving in the outdoors.

Working alone is boring and leads to stagnation! Collaborative work is more gratifying, informative, formative, and ultimately results in better ideas. I try to look at project teams like sports teams—everyone fills a role and we are all seeking a win. Finding small wins each day leads to big picture wins, and it makes the experience enjoyable for everyone.

Dependability and honesty are the foundation for all successful relationships, business or otherwise. Above all else, people need to be able to depend on you. They need to trust you to be truthful, to provide guidance when they need it, to listen when they need to say something, and to know that you will ask for help if and when you need it. 

Focus on the big picture and stay flexible. Sometimes our industry can get too fixated on  process and forget about the desired outcome. It’s important not to get too spun up in the tasks and think instead about our why—the reason we are doing something. If we give ourselves more leeway to be flexible, work is often easier and more productive.

Levity and perspective often go hand-in-hand and make for a more successful workplace. It’s almost impossible to do your best work in an environment where there is a constant state of urgency—where every task or issue is viewed as a “life or death” situation. Same goes for a workplace where people take themselves too seriously. It’s possible to be a hard worker and have a sense of humor and I believe it makes for better colleagues!

My favorite thing about my job is that I have the ability to help my team grow. There is nothing better than watching someone absorb a lesson you’ve taught them, and see them put it into action in real time. It is so gratifying to know my impact leads to other people’s successes—it’s a win-win for both of us!

I value my team’s dedication and willingness to sacrifice for larger success. I also highly value the  ideas and unique perspective that our young people bring to our industry. I am lucky enough to work with such smart and hardworking people, it inspires me to be better every day.

There is power in silence and patience. I value waiting to share an opinion until others share theirs. Everyone has their own assumptions, biases, and emotions but also have their own unique solutions, outlook, and experience—it’s what makes us who we are. Allowing space for others to share their thoughts usually leads me to a place I wouldn’t have gotten to on my own.