Every autumn, team members from all TSP, Inc. office locations gather in Sioux Falls for the Midpoint Meeting, a two-day event dedicated to continuous learning and sharing knowledge.
While TSP’s Annual Meeting, held in the spring, celebrates successes and the relationships that contribute to them, the Midpoint Meeting takes a closer look at how the firm operates.
Through shared discussions, attendees explore ways to improve their work and support one another.
This year’s sessions focused on strengthening the team, embracing change, and finding new ways to work more effectively, with topics ranging from project lessons learned to new technology and improved internal processes.
A shared approach
For Kelli Osterloo, TSP’s director of practice, the Midpoint Meeting offers an important complement to the annual meeting.
“I feel like the Midpoint Meeting gives us a chance to dig in a little bit more on the technical side of our work,” she said.
When planning this year’s event, the practice team considered feedback from previous meetings and looked for ways to make the sessions more relevant across the firm.
Past meetings have included guest speakers, industry panels, and discipline-specific discussions. While each offered value, the team saw an opportunity to focus more intentionally on topics that apply across different areas of expertise.
Kelli Osterloo
“We navigated away from that discipline-specific focus and decided, ‘We need to talk about things that everybody on our team needs to hear,’” Osterloo said. “Some topics were more specific than others, but they all covered things TSP is working on or that team members need to revisit from time to time.”
That approach was reflected in the project showcase, where representatives from each office shared significant projects and discussed their successes and challenges.
This gave team members a chance to learn what worked well, consider how others addressed obstacles, and identify ideas to carry into future projects.
The value of learning together
Bringing the entire team together creates a common foundation for learning. The Midpoint Meeting is an opportunity to ensure everyone has access to the same information and understands the same expectations.
“Our team has changed a lot over the last year, so we’ve got a lot of newer people that it’s good to just get some of this information in front of them,” Osterloo said.
This year’s sessions covered several areas that shape how the firm works, from project communication to design, technology, and internal processes.
One breakout session explored the evolution of the firm’s interior design practice toward a more integrated approach to interior architecture, with the goal of creating greater value for clients.
Technology was another focus, with team members exploring best practices for documenting site observations in real time and capturing digital representations of spaces to help keep project information organized and accessible.
The meeting also included a review of processes, along with updated tools and templates designed to improve consistency and efficiency in project delivery.
And team members also learned how the Marketing department supports business development and proposal preparation while helping communicate TSP’s identity and tell the firm’s story.
Together, these topics reinforced the value of clear processes and a common understanding of how work gets done.
Strengthening the team from the inside out
Working effectively together also means understanding how people approach their work and what helps them thrive.
An interactive session for the entire team drew on CliftonStrengths® and wellbeing research to explore how individual talents shape the workplace.
The discussion considered how strengths, when overused or not adequately supported, can contribute to stress and burnout—and how recognizing individual needs can help people recharge and remain resilient.
The session encouraged team members to think not only about what they do well, but also about how they can support one another in putting those strengths to use in sustainable ways.
Ownership and commitment
As a 100% employee-owned firm, TSP celebrates Employee Ownership Month each October, and the timing of the Midpoint Meeting is no accident.
While the meeting provides opportunities for learning, it also gives colleagues from across the firm a chance to gather in person.
“Connecting in person helps you put some of those personality traits together so you can better relate and better work together,” Osterloo said. “We just talk better with each other in person. I don’t think anything can quite replace being together in person.”
Those connections strengthen collaboration across offices and reinforce the shared responsibility that comes with employee ownership: everyone plays a part in the firm’s continued success.
By bringing people together, the Midpoint Meeting helps TSP turn individual knowledge into a stronger practice.
