Just looking for some tips or pointers from any Architects who have transitioned from having primarily a production role to having a managing role.
For the past few years I feel that I have spent maybe 70% of my time on production (predesign through CA) and the rest on general management of the office, staff, policy, standards etc.
Having recently moved to a design division manager role I feel that the ratio should invert: 70% on management and the rest on assisting with production.
However I feel like I am doing more production work than ever (maybe 90%/10%) and the 10% is eaten up by HR type tasks that don't really move the needle of the department. I want to spend more time developing staff, improving design standards, and enhancing customer service.
Any advice? I don't think hiring more production staff is an option.
randomised
Feb 13, 19 3:26 am
Maybe manage your design division ;-)
joseffischer
Feb 13, 19 4:14 pm
Owners: you've done such a good job consistently getting jobs out the door and managing larger teams on our more complex/larger jobs. We've got a gap/opening/systematic quality issue/etc for our work as a whole in the type of projects you work in. Here's a promotion (hopefully with corresponding raise) and a bunch more responsibility. We'll let everyone know in your "department" that you're the end-of-the-line, final say-so, in how things should be done before it hits permit, bid, etc. (Hopefully that last sentence is true).
Oh by the way, we won't be hiring anyone new and you'll still need to do your old job, so the only real way you're going to pull this off is by putting in more hours and by percentage, putting in more production hours. That is until you actually realize a way to make your team more efficient.
thisisnotmyname
Feb 13, 19 4:31 pm
Being a good production person doesn't necessarily mean a person will be a good manager of other production people.
Putting a highly productive individual in change of a group of weaker, less-productive people may or may not be a net gain for the business.
That said, management seems to be the only acceptable career destination in the architecture business today. In previous decades, you had career production architects, people in the 50-60 year-old age range who knew a lot and did great CD's and spec.s. I don't see that now. People are moved into management roles or forced out in favor of younger production workers. If you are past age 45 and not somehow supervising people or owning a firm, you are perceived by many as an underachiever.
Just looking for some tips or pointers from any Architects who have transitioned from having primarily a production role to having a managing role.
For the past few years I feel that I have spent maybe 70% of my time on production (predesign through CA) and the rest on general management of the office, staff, policy, standards etc.
Having recently moved to a design division manager role I feel that the ratio should invert: 70% on management and the rest on assisting with production.
However I feel like I am doing more production work than ever (maybe 90%/10%) and the 10% is eaten up by HR type tasks that don't really move the needle of the department. I want to spend more time developing staff, improving design standards, and enhancing customer service.
Any advice? I don't think hiring more production staff is an option.
Maybe manage your design division ;-)
Owners: you've done such a good job consistently getting jobs out the door and managing larger teams on our more complex/larger jobs. We've got a gap/opening/systematic quality issue/etc for our work as a whole in the type of projects you work in. Here's a promotion (hopefully with corresponding raise) and a bunch more responsibility. We'll let everyone know in your "department" that you're the end-of-the-line, final say-so, in how things should be done before it hits permit, bid, etc. (Hopefully that last sentence is true).
Oh by the way, we won't be hiring anyone new and you'll still need to do your old job, so the only real way you're going to pull this off is by putting in more hours and by percentage, putting in more production hours. That is until you actually realize a way to make your team more efficient.
Being a good production person doesn't necessarily mean a person will be a good manager of other production people.
Putting a highly productive individual in change of a group of weaker, less-productive people may or may not be a net gain for the business.
That said, management seems to be the only acceptable career destination in the architecture business today. In previous decades, you had career production architects, people in the 50-60 year-old age range who knew a lot and did great CD's and spec.s. I don't see that now. People are moved into management roles or forced out in favor of younger production workers. If you are past age 45 and not somehow supervising people or owning a firm, you are perceived by many as an underachiever.
So much this.