I messed up on keeping track of a few things for PM today and I feel pretty lousy. I'm usually very organized and on top of things, but in this particular case, I had it in my mind that certain things weren't so important. There are many good things that I do but bad things that I do that happen once in awhile like this aren't offset by it. I feel crappy regardless.
When did you guys really step into your own in the architecture and design field? When did everything just "click" and you became super comfortable performing all your duties? Some days I feel like I will never get it right, especially with the vast amount things I have to learn and be conscious of.
G4tor
Oct 9, 17 6:21 pm
never, i've come to the realization that humans make mistakes a long time ago. i've also come to the realization to not trust anybody in regards to their work because everybody is liable to make mistakes as i am.
s=r*(theta)
Oct 11, 17 3:06 pm
my thoughts exactly
null pointer
Oct 9, 17 7:01 pm
never. architecture is 95% damage control.
Miles Jaffe
Oct 9, 17 7:59 pm
The question is not whether you fuck up, the question is what you do afterwards.
archanonymous
Oct 9, 17 8:59 pm
amen
randomised
Oct 10, 17 9:55 am
probably fuck up again
Miles Jaffe
Oct 10, 17 10:38 am
Exactly. Any idiot can get it right the first time. It takes a genius to fix it the third time.
archinine
Oct 9, 17 8:06 pm
Starting out can be tough. It gets easier but there's forever things you won't know and will mess up the first time around-it's inherently part of the design process. There are simply too many variables but that's part of the fun (later). I want to say it was the 1.5 or maybe 2 year mark when I had that moment you're thinking of, the click, and things were still a challenge, but I didn't have to second guess myself or be worried about messing up, boss trusted me etc.
You'll learn which questions to ask to avoid misunderstandings, you'll learn basic company organization, standards (in the firm and just generic detailing) you'll become familiar with more products and manufacturers, code will become more ingrained/you won't be constantly looking things up, it all gets easier after a year or two. The more organized you can be, for now and the future, the better your chances of avoiding time consuming mishaps. That moleskine or notebook or whatever paper pad you have is great for list making and notes as much as it is for sketches.
Donna Sink
Oct 9, 17 8:31 pm
What Miles said. I’m 50 years old and while I don’t remake the same mistakes twice, I do still make new ones on occasion! You’ll always screw up, because architecture is never the same thing twice. What matters is that when you do screw up, you act honorably. Acknowledge it, and go to the affected parties with options for solutions.
archanonymous
Oct 9, 17 9:05 pm
Architecture is wonderful because you are never making the same thing twice. Downside is all the experience you gained on the last projects comes to naught because there will be new, different mistakes and tribulations in this project.
I have so much respect for architects and firms that show a consistent dedication to incremental improvement. That's really the best you can do in this profession, and amid all the bullshit about innovation and the overload of flashy shit on the architecture blogs, when you see work that reflects these principles, it stands out.
geezertect
Oct 9, 17 9:35 pm
The only people who don't fuck up are the ones who don't do a damn thing. I think they are called critics.
JLC-1
Oct 10, 17 10:07 am
watch out, there's a few of those hunkering around - I got lectured for asking where they come from....
I've felt the "click" a hundred times or more. I don't think it ever stops either cause everytime I thought I knew what I was doing it was soon followed by the feeling that I don't know what I'm doing.
JLC-1
Oct 10, 17 10:08 am
sometimes a fuck up is an opportunity.
mightyaa
Oct 10, 17 1:27 pm
I don't think of them as fuck ups... they are more "alternative details"... Seriously, as you get more experienced, what you freak out about as a young architect, sort of looses value impact as you learn. Basically, you'll learn no set of drawings is perfect and that the building gets done anyway. Big fuckups are only the ones that wreck schedule or require a change order to correct.
zonker
Oct 10, 17 2:04 pm
Whenever "I make boo boo" I never make that mistake again - not at that firm - I get let go
thatsthat
Oct 10, 17 3:35 pm
I'm still pretty young in my career so anytime something goes wrong on site, I feel like my house is on fire. I've had one boss who basically believes that whatever you don't spell out, the contractor will inevitably fuck up, and one boss who typically has faith that most contractors will be able to figure out what we 'meant' even if it's not in the contract. Guess who has more headaches/change orders?! I try to prepare my documents with the assumption that whomever gets awarded this project will know very little about construction, but I'm definitely still learning!
3tk
Oct 10, 17 4:30 pm
Experience definitely helps reduce the mistakes and anticipation of issues ahead of them occurring (and hopefully avoiding them). That being said, it takes a few times on a task to get comfortable (which, depending on project schedules/lengths, may mean it takes a few years). There are steep slopes and plateaus on learning curve - if you plateau, it most likely means you need to take on more responsibility, and if the slope is too steep, you might be overextending yourself. What most people are alluding to above is that with new responsibilities, new mistakes will arise. Basic work ethic can help reduce mistakes: taking notes, asking for clarifications and not making too many assumptions, reviewing notes, taking time to learn in outside learning opportunities and getting a proper mentor. Once you gain enough experience, 'basic' mistakes should be greatly reduced, and ones you make should seem less of a big deal. Mistakes happen all the time, most have relatively easy fixes, just as long as its not a huge cost in time and/or money and doesn't harm anyone, it's ok. Of course, having a boss/supervisor that helps you understand that is pretty crucial.
zonker
Oct 10, 17 6:34 pm
unless you got a micromanaging PA, that blames his/her mistakes on you -
randomised
Oct 11, 17 2:17 am
Stand up for yourself, if you let your PA micromanage you AND throw you under the bus for their mistakes...unless of course you were aware there were mistakes and kept quiet nonetheless.
Wilma Buttfit
Oct 10, 17 7:56 pm
^ would be true except when you don't do anything you won't have any errors.
archiwutm8
Oct 11, 17 6:46 am
I fuck up on a daily basis.
tduds
Oct 11, 17 1:04 pm
Hopefully never.
When I stop fucking up it means I'm done learning. Might as well die then.
x-jla
Oct 11, 17 2:03 pm
they call it fucking UP, not fucking down for a reason...progress progress
randomised
Oct 11, 17 2:59 pm
Yes!
whistler
Oct 11, 17 6:52 pm
You stop fucking up when you retire. Until them it's just damage control and minimizing liability.
halfcold
Oct 16, 17 10:45 pm
Although I am a little late, thank you all for responding this post. Being as frustrated as I was, I unconsciously used swear words in this post which may have been inappropriate.
All of you seniors have given me a bit of encouragement in how I should approach and what I should expect in my design career. Thinking of it as a continual learning process as well as getting well versed in damage control as I get better along the way does keep me positive. All I can do is meet all this head on and see where it takes me haha
Truthfully, I was rather afraid to post here because I thought my ignorance might annoy some of you but ya'll are really nice for taking the time out!
I messed up on keeping track of a few things for PM today and I feel pretty lousy. I'm usually very organized and on top of things, but in this particular case, I had it in my mind that certain things weren't so important. There are many good things that I do but bad things that I do that happen once in awhile like this aren't offset by it. I feel crappy regardless.
When did you guys really step into your own in the architecture and design field? When did everything just "click" and you became super comfortable performing all your duties? Some days I feel like I will never get it right, especially with the vast amount things I have to learn and be conscious of.
never, i've come to the realization that humans make mistakes a long time ago. i've also come to the realization to not trust anybody in regards to their work because everybody is liable to make mistakes as i am.
my thoughts exactly
never. architecture is 95% damage control.
The question is not whether you fuck up, the question is what you do afterwards.
amen
probably fuck up again
Exactly. Any idiot can get it right the first time. It takes a genius to fix it the third time.
Starting out can be tough. It gets easier but there's forever things you won't know and will mess up the first time around-it's inherently part of the design process. There are simply too many variables but that's part of the fun (later). I want to say it was the 1.5 or maybe 2 year mark when I had that moment you're thinking of, the click, and things were still a challenge, but I didn't have to second guess myself or be worried about messing up, boss trusted me etc.
You'll learn which questions to ask to avoid misunderstandings, you'll learn basic company organization, standards (in the firm and just generic detailing) you'll become familiar with more products and manufacturers, code will become more ingrained/you won't be constantly looking things up, it all gets easier after a year or two. The more organized you can be, for now and the future, the better your chances of avoiding time consuming mishaps. That moleskine or notebook or whatever paper pad you have is great for list making and notes as much as it is for sketches.
What Miles said. I’m 50 years old and while I don’t remake the same mistakes twice, I do still make new ones on occasion! You’ll always screw up, because architecture is never the same thing twice. What matters is that when you do screw up, you act honorably. Acknowledge it, and go to the affected parties with options for solutions.
Architecture is wonderful because you are never making the same thing twice. Downside is all the experience you gained on the last projects comes to naught because there will be new, different mistakes and tribulations in this project.
I have so much respect for architects and firms that show a consistent dedication to incremental improvement. That's really the best you can do in this profession, and amid all the bullshit about innovation and the overload of flashy shit on the architecture blogs, when you see work that reflects these principles, it stands out.
The only people who don't fuck up are the ones who don't do a damn thing. I think they are called critics.
watch out, there's a few of those hunkering around - I got lectured for asking where they come from....
Hopefully never.
Neil fucking Young for the win
I've felt the "click" a hundred times or more. I don't think it ever stops either cause everytime I thought I knew what I was doing it was soon followed by the feeling that I don't know what I'm doing.
sometimes a fuck up is an opportunity.
I don't think of them as fuck ups... they are more "alternative details"... Seriously, as you get more experienced, what you freak out about as a young architect, sort of looses value impact as you learn. Basically, you'll learn no set of drawings is perfect and that the building gets done anyway. Big fuckups are only the ones that wreck schedule or require a change order to correct.
Whenever "I make boo boo" I never make that mistake again - not at that firm - I get let go
I'm still pretty young in my career so anytime something goes wrong on site, I feel like my house is on fire. I've had one boss who basically believes that whatever you don't spell out, the contractor will inevitably fuck up, and one boss who typically has faith that most contractors will be able to figure out what we 'meant' even if it's not in the contract. Guess who has more headaches/change orders?! I try to prepare my documents with the assumption that whomever gets awarded this project will know very little about construction, but I'm definitely still learning!
Experience definitely helps reduce the mistakes and anticipation of issues ahead of them occurring (and hopefully avoiding them). That being said, it takes a few times on a task to get comfortable (which, depending on project schedules/lengths, may mean it takes a few years). There are steep slopes and plateaus on learning curve - if you plateau, it most likely means you need to take on more responsibility, and if the slope is too steep, you might be overextending yourself. What most people are alluding to above is that with new responsibilities, new mistakes will arise. Basic work ethic can help reduce mistakes: taking notes, asking for clarifications and not making too many assumptions, reviewing notes, taking time to learn in outside learning opportunities and getting a proper mentor. Once you gain enough experience, 'basic' mistakes should be greatly reduced, and ones you make should seem less of a big deal. Mistakes happen all the time, most have relatively easy fixes, just as long as its not a huge cost in time and/or money and doesn't harm anyone, it's ok. Of course, having a boss/supervisor that helps you understand that is pretty crucial.
unless you got a micromanaging PA, that blames his/her mistakes on you -
Stand up for yourself, if you let your PA micromanage you AND throw you under the bus for their mistakes...unless of course you were aware there were mistakes and kept quiet nonetheless.
^ would be true except when you don't do anything you won't have any errors.
I fuck up on a daily basis.
Hopefully never.
When I stop fucking up it means I'm done learning. Might as well die then.
they call it fucking UP, not fucking down for a reason...progress progress
Yes!
You stop fucking up when you retire. Until them it's just damage control and minimizing liability.
Although I am a little late, thank you all for responding this post. Being as frustrated as I was, I unconsciously used swear words in this post which may have been inappropriate.
All of you seniors have given me a bit of encouragement in how I should approach and what I should expect in my design career. Thinking of it as a continual learning process as well as getting well versed in damage control as I get better along the way does keep me positive. All I can do is meet all this head on and see where it takes me haha
Truthfully, I was rather afraid to post here because I thought my ignorance might annoy some of you but ya'll are really nice for taking the time out!