10. Articulate Studio Culture

Each studio has its own culture, which invariably takes the form of a family. Some families are happy; others, not so much.Each studio has its own culture, which invariably takes the form of a family. Some families are happy; others, not so much. Whatever the particular studio culture, employers need to understand what that culture is and make sure that employees either fit into or can adapt to its rhythms and behavioral expectations. The inherently collaborative nature of architecture makes this particular requirement more important. An employee who is constantly fighting against the prevailing winds will ultimately slow down or confuse the collaborative process.

9. Encourage Imagination

The intense complexity and frequent tedium of day-to-day architectural work – especially detailing, construction administration, and code-checking – can quickly burn out younger employees and grizzled job captains alike. Many people studied architecture to become designers, not because they dreamed of drawing value-engineered parking structure louvers at 11 p.m.An employer should delegate and focus on higher-level concernsIn order to retain employees and keep them effective, employers need to implement some minor form of creative relief within their offices; a common space where imagination, not grinding tedium, is encouraged. It doesn’t have to be expensive: even a cork-board of communally-sourced pin-ups in the kitchen can alleviate tension and provide much-needed mental relief.

8. Don’t Infantilize

Employers can set themselves up for failure by either infantilizing their employees or treating them as hapless mentees, when in fact they are all adults who each have a crucial role to play in the operation. Taking on a parental role – “Papa/Mama Knows Best” – may stroke the managerial ego, but it inadvertently regresses your employees to their childhood roles, a situation that invariably leads to people ducking responsibility. Make it clear that the ultimate decision rests with you, but never try to be someone’s parent unless you want to clean up everyone’s messes.

7. Don’t Micromanage

Architects can be control freaks: we know, it’s not breaking news. But for managers, this tendency can be disastrous. While regular check-ins with department heads to assess overall efficiency makes good sense, holding weekly meetings about how emails are filed or how people are editing layers in x-refs is a complete waste of time for an employer (and their employees). An employer should delegate and entrust these types of problems to job captains, office managers, and other employees, and focus on higher-level concerns. This makes employees feel both valued and responsible, and will increase their overall effectiveness when they don’t have to stop at every decision point to check in with their boss.

6. State Goals Clearly

Conflict often arises between management and employees when the goal everyone is trying to achieve is miscommunicated or obscured. An employer is responsible for the fiscal health and long-term growth of the company: employees are responsible for specific projects or tasks that support that vision. If an employer is vague or misleading about what he or she is trying to accomplish, employees will become unfocused and inefficient. According to a survey conducted by TINYPulse as quoted by Forbes Magazine, a significant percentage of employees are intrinsically motivated to do a good job; if they don’t understand what that job is, they will become frustrated and resentful. Employers need to make clear statements, such as: “The CD set needs to be finished by Tuesday,” or “we’re actively seeking mixed retail projects, not residential one-offs.” Don’t make obscure statements like: “Oh, you work so slowly” or “it’s none of your concern.”

5. Set Clear Boundaries, But Be Engaged

An employer who perpetually sequesters him or herself in an office, or stacks project binders like a vinyl fort around their open-plan desk, is far too isolated. Likewise, an employer who relates what he cried about in that morning’s therapy session is far too chummy. The least stressed employers are those with clear boundaries about what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate communication. Although the exceptionally long hours and frequent in-studio meals can give rise to a certain intimacy between architectural employers and employees, it is the responsibility of the employer to maintain distance from the employees. While friendships often develop, the employer must keep everyone focused on the goal at hand, even if that makes him or her “unpopular.” Likewise, employers shouldn’t be mythical figureheads, occasionally glimpsed through a rumpled shade-screen. Employees will ultimately respect a strong and decisive leader, which is preferable to befriending an unsuccessful but personally charming employer, or working for a ghost. An effective employee is someone who is focused on work, not on making friends.

4. Withhold Information Sparingly

Employers are often faced with difficult realities, both political and economic, that make completely open communication with employees unwise, if not impossible. However, there is a limit to secrecy, especially when it comes to effectiveness. Withholding information as a power gambit or security precaution tends to backfire, simply because employees will either make decisions that are incorrect or inefficient based on insufficient information. If an employee is designing a theater with back ofIf you hate your job, why would anyone want to work for you?house functions that appear to intersect with a subway line that an employer knows will no longer be in service when the theater is scheduled to be built, the employer needs to share that information with the employee, even if the information is politically “under wraps.” If knowing a certain piece of information will benefit both the project and the client, then the employee should be informed. If the employer doesn’t trust the employee with this type of information, the employee may not be right for the job.

3. Praise When Earned, Criticize When Earned

Employees aren’t stupid. They may be petty, they may be egocentric, but odds are if they’ve managed to pass through the hiring process, they’re not stupid. According to an Austrian study, employees see through overt manipulation far more often than they let on. Being told that their work is poor when it is good, or that they’re wonderful when they’re clearly not, is actually a detrimental strategy for an employer. It makes the employer look stupid, or at least out of touch, and erodes trust. Be upfront with your employees when something is working and when something isn’t. An employer who doles out praise when it’s earned and criticism when it’s justified will have the respect and dedication of her workforce. People work hard to receive genuine admiration and avoid authentic disapproval.

2. Provide Relevant Tools (The No-Fear Approach)

The latest technology isn’t necessarily better, but willful ignorance of changing times will definitely hinder employees, and the firm at large. While many firms understand this intuitively and strive to keep their software licenses updated and modeling tools current, some firms refuse to change a particular process because the eldest partner in the firm “doesn’t like the new way.” Never try to be someone's parent unless you want to clean up their messesIf employees are being forced to use a 15-year old FTP server exchange process to transfer files to consultants that takes hours instead of being able to use an online process that takes seconds, their effectiveness is greatly diminished. While security is always a concern, the important take-away here is to always have an open mind towards new processes, and not dismiss them out of hand until they have first been investigated.

1. Be Inspired

Although this may seem cutesy, the truth is that employees generally want to work for someone who not only appears to know what they’re doing, but also likes doing it. The most successful architectural firms tend to have charismatic, genuinely inspired people as leaders. This quality isn’t exclusively the province of starchitecture; smaller firms with employers who appear to relish their work tend to have a far more effective workforce than leaders who bemoan every waking minute of their lives. Everybody has a bad day from time to time, and no one’s advocating a blanket “everything is sunshine!” approach (see #3), but seriously: you’re the boss. If you hate your job, why would anyone want to work for you?

For up-to-the-minute job listings, please visit Archinect's job board, and keep an eye out for future installments of the "EMPLOY(ED)" series. We'll be exploring all aspects of employment, from managerial concerns to portfolio tips to the day-to-day studio culture of some of the world's largest firms. To read previous articles in this series, click here.