We have a project in our office that the owner volunteered our services for pro bono. It has to eventually get done. The rest of the (less than 50% ownership) architects hate this project because it has been in the office for 2-3 years, being passed between people who know less than enough to finish it, and so wastes money. It wastes money because no one wants to work on it, because it wastes money, because no one wants to work on it, because it wastes money, because no one wants to work on it, because it wastes money, beca... well, you get my point.
Now in my humble preprofessional degreed mind, if you wanted to get the thing out of the office, wouldn't you put a few people who knew what they were doing on the thing and scoot it out the door as quickly as possible?
If there's no immediate deadline, then wouldn't you wait until projects slow down in the office so that if you have people not really doing much, then you can put them on this pro bono project?
Yes SH you are right - they should just get the damn thing out the door quickly. Pull the Bandaid off in one quick motion.
But it reminds me: my partner just finished a really silly little job for someone. (It involves a model train running around below the ceiling of a kitchen.) He bitched the whole time about the ridiculous things he gets himslef into. But, when he showed the client, they raved about how wonderful he is and oh I need to redo my master bath suite would you be interested in helping me with that?
This pro bono client will probably be so thankful to get their job done. You - or someone - could look like a hero if you take it on, do it quickly and aggressively and well, and see if it leads to more work of the paying kind. Can you do that? Or suggest to the bosses how that could get done with you and one other person? Impressing someone with your dedication can be a road to more work. Or a train track to more work, as the case may be.
Office politics, the other architects won't help, possibly due to spite.
Office politics aside, we haven't had much free time in quite a while, and while there is no official deadline, it does have to get done.
I think I have a stance on this and am hoping to be told why this is normal or shouldn't seem like such wasteful idiotic posturiing.
lb, i think wonderk is on the train track to more work. personally i do enjoy working on this because as banal as it is, it is real (ie. not space planning) and the best learning experience i've had here.
If your firm offered to do pro bono work, you should give it exactly the same attention and skill that a paying client would receive. They deserve no less. (unless of course you said, yeah, we will do your job for free but the result will be really crummy and we won't really spend any time on it...)
Would you want your pro-bono attorney to blow you off like you are blowing off this client? Either have the guts to tell them you can't do the job, or give it your best and get it done, and move on. Free or not, if you do a lousy job on this project it will hurt your reputation, the most priceless asset an architect has.
it's kinda unfair to the client to accept a project and then do nothing on it. no matter whether they're paying or not. because whatever they're paying, they're expecting to get work back.
i worked for an office where the principal had taken a (paying) job and then basically went real slow on it for two years. i was the PM on the job and had to always explain to the client how her redlines were not being done without telling her that her redlines were not being done.
after she pulled the job i talked with her and she felt horrible. she told me that she asked herself, "what did i do to deserve this kind of treatment?" and "am i just not important enough to get my work done?" this while we were doing all kinds of other work for others.
the only difference was, this client treated my boss really well: always paid on time, never called screaming "where are my drawings?", was a creative and talented designer in her own right. the other clients all seemed to be the spouses of rich people who figured that because they voted the right way and went to all the right charity functions that they deserved instantaneous service for free.
my old office has a job somewhat like that. this one goes to whoever the newest project manager is (usually replacing the previously fired project manager) each time it gets passed on the client decideds he wants to revisit it. it has been in the office for three years, and has been studied so many times it is ridiculous. the client keeps on paying for it too. i've never understood it. i think he just likes to talk about how he has an architect working on it.
Jan 27, 06 7:08 pm ·
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bane of the office
We have a project in our office that the owner volunteered our services for pro bono. It has to eventually get done. The rest of the (less than 50% ownership) architects hate this project because it has been in the office for 2-3 years, being passed between people who know less than enough to finish it, and so wastes money. It wastes money because no one wants to work on it, because it wastes money, because no one wants to work on it, because it wastes money, because no one wants to work on it, because it wastes money, beca... well, you get my point.
Now in my humble preprofessional degreed mind, if you wanted to get the thing out of the office, wouldn't you put a few people who knew what they were doing on the thing and scoot it out the door as quickly as possible?
Is this a rhetorical post?
If there's no immediate deadline, then wouldn't you wait until projects slow down in the office so that if you have people not really doing much, then you can put them on this pro bono project?
Yes SH you are right - they should just get the damn thing out the door quickly. Pull the Bandaid off in one quick motion.
But it reminds me: my partner just finished a really silly little job for someone. (It involves a model train running around below the ceiling of a kitchen.) He bitched the whole time about the ridiculous things he gets himslef into. But, when he showed the client, they raved about how wonderful he is and oh I need to redo my master bath suite would you be interested in helping me with that?
This pro bono client will probably be so thankful to get their job done. You - or someone - could look like a hero if you take it on, do it quickly and aggressively and well, and see if it leads to more work of the paying kind. Can you do that? Or suggest to the bosses how that could get done with you and one other person? Impressing someone with your dedication can be a road to more work. Or a train track to more work, as the case may be.
some venting yes, not necessarily rhetorical.
Office politics, the other architects won't help, possibly due to spite.
Office politics aside, we haven't had much free time in quite a while, and while there is no official deadline, it does have to get done.
I think I have a stance on this and am hoping to be told why this is normal or shouldn't seem like such wasteful idiotic posturiing.
lb, i think wonderk is on the train track to more work. personally i do enjoy working on this because as banal as it is, it is real (ie. not space planning) and the best learning experience i've had here.
If your firm offered to do pro bono work, you should give it exactly the same attention and skill that a paying client would receive. They deserve no less. (unless of course you said, yeah, we will do your job for free but the result will be really crummy and we won't really spend any time on it...)
Would you want your pro-bono attorney to blow you off like you are blowing off this client? Either have the guts to tell them you can't do the job, or give it your best and get it done, and move on. Free or not, if you do a lousy job on this project it will hurt your reputation, the most priceless asset an architect has.
it's kinda unfair to the client to accept a project and then do nothing on it. no matter whether they're paying or not. because whatever they're paying, they're expecting to get work back.
i worked for an office where the principal had taken a (paying) job and then basically went real slow on it for two years. i was the PM on the job and had to always explain to the client how her redlines were not being done without telling her that her redlines were not being done.
after she pulled the job i talked with her and she felt horrible. she told me that she asked herself, "what did i do to deserve this kind of treatment?" and "am i just not important enough to get my work done?" this while we were doing all kinds of other work for others.
the only difference was, this client treated my boss really well: always paid on time, never called screaming "where are my drawings?", was a creative and talented designer in her own right. the other clients all seemed to be the spouses of rich people who figured that because they voted the right way and went to all the right charity functions that they deserved instantaneous service for free.
An unwritten but understood general rule of thumb for business -
A client realistically should expect 2 of the folowing 3; fast, cheap, good.
I work
So I can make money
So I can buy cocaine
So I can work
So I can make money
So I can buy cocaine
So I can work...
Remember that guy?
my old office has a job somewhat like that. this one goes to whoever the newest project manager is (usually replacing the previously fired project manager) each time it gets passed on the client decideds he wants to revisit it. it has been in the office for three years, and has been studied so many times it is ridiculous. the client keeps on paying for it too. i've never understood it. i think he just likes to talk about how he has an architect working on it.
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