Inside the Architecture Firm Designing a Leadership Culture

8/12/2019 Inside the Architecture Firm Designing a Leadership Culture

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Source: http://thepatronsaintofarchitecture.blogspot.mx/2011/09/inside-architecture-firm-designing.html

Inside the Architecture Firm: Designing a Leadership Culture

Intuitively, we know that our inspiration and creativity are our greatest strengths as architects. We are innovative

and able to transform a lot of diverse, even contradictory, information into a cohesive design. This talent

unfortunately leads us to believe that we have a broader skill set than we actually do. We think we are graphic

designers, marketing gurus and, one day, emperors of our own little kingdoms otherwise known as the design firm.

The reality is that leadership in our profession is largely untrained to actually run a business and motivate/promote

workers. Will your tenure at any given firm (even perhaps your own) ultimately be beneficial or soul crushing? This

blog has dealt with architects' tendency to undervaluing our work and sell out to "make a sale." In this installment, I

wanted to focus on how we sell out inside the office by accepting certain stereotypes of character and leadership.

I presented this dilemma to Lisa Petrilli, CEO of C-Level Strategies, Inc., an expert in Visionary Leadership. Visionary

leadership is something I think particularly resonates with our profession because it parallels the design process so

closely in terms of being about big ideas, clarity and communication. Lisa graciously agreed to answer some

questions specific to leadership in architecture, but I would encourage all of you to visit her site and learn more

about her consulting and strategic planning services, as well as to take part in her Leadership Chat twitter series held

each Tuesday evening.

AM: There has recently been a lot written on personality types and leadership temperament. I

appreciate that you make a case for introverts in your work, when so many push for extroverted

leaders. In particular, I am referencing a recent article in Architect magazine and other articles that

push the ideal personality as being ENTJ. I don't agree (of course, I am an INTP). While ENTP may fit a

stereotype for an architect, it is not necessarily an ideal temperament. Is our profession in danger of

rewarding some of the more aggressive and ego-centric characteristics of this personality type and even

encouraging those who don't share this personality to model its characteristics?

LP: I dont actually think there is an ideal personality type for any role, including architects. Although

31% of the architects who took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator with Robert Gaarder were ENTJs, as he

points out in the comments, The distinguishing characteristicwas that they were already in leadership

positions or aspiring to be leaders. I believe this impacted the results to a large degree.

I also think whats more important than the particular personality type is an individuals awareness of

their type, and the implications of their type in regard to strengths and weaknesses. For example,

introverts love to immerse themselves in the world of ideas, which must be a tremendous advantage to

an architect. At the same time, architects need to work with clients and become fluent in the world of

actionwhich is generally easier for extroverts. This pushes introverts outside their comfort zone, and

beyond their preferences.

I think successful professionals understand the importance of moving beyond their comfort zone, and

are willing to do so as needed and appropriate. Sometimes, depending on the person, this requires

deliberate courage. This holds not just for the introvert/extrovert scale, but for the other personality

preferences as well. Those who leverage their strengths (their personality type preferences) and have

the courage to move beyond those strengths to meet all the needs of their role, will stand out

regardless of their profession.


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AM: Big buzzwords in architecture firms are a "studio environment" meaning that there are few offices

and workstations are relatively open to one another, and the idea of being a "flat firm." What are your

thoughts on promoting true collaboration and dealing vs. an almost natural human need to form

hierarchies and award titles?

LP: I think the vision and culture of the firm determine which approach is best, and I dont think they

need to be mutually exclusive. In many industries having a particular title is important when the

executive goes to meet with partners or customers. Titles can also serve as forms of recognition as well

as prestige in specific industries. At the same time, companies that use a hierarchy and titles can also

have cultures that promote a very deep commitment to collaboration in their approach to the work.

I think companies that break down silos and encourage collaboration can be extremely successful. But it

all goes back to the vision of the company and its culture. As long as employees fully understand and

are committed to the companys vision and supporting strategies, their particular role and how it fits

into the greater vision, and how they will be evaluated and rewarded, they can succeed regardless of

the design of their workstation.

AM: Many architecture firms have two parallel leadership structures:

Task based: Intern, Project Architect, Job Captain, Project Manager, Project Designer, Senior Designer,

etc.

Title based: Associate, Senior Associate, Principal, Associate Principal, Vice President, President, CEO etc.

This is a bit schizophrenic as there is not necessarily a correlation between the two. It also speaks to the

diverse backgrounds and leadership experience that a person with the title Senior Associate, for

example, might have. If that person is also a Project Manager, then he or she probably knows how to

coordinate teams of people both inside and outside the office and to work with clients. If that title is

awarded to the IT person, however, the same skill set may not be present. Is this a good system andhow best should it be implemented?

LP: The way a company organizes its talent is one particular strategy that should be designed to support

the achievement of its vision. If the organizational structure helps to clarify roles and responsibilities

and to move the company toward its vision, then its working. If the organizational structure confuses

roles and responsibilities, prohibits individuals from fully executing their roles, limits their ability to

achieve success, prevents clear messages from being communicated and makes it more difficult for the

company to move forward, then it needs to be changed.

AM: Not every firm provides leadership training or mentoring, in fact, that is the exception to the rule.

As a result, there are firms led by Principals who take employees for granted, offer no professional

development opportunities, and generally create a sink or swim cutthroat work environment. Further

down the food chain, there can be Project Managers who can't lead a team or play nicely with their co-

workers. What advice can you offer to an architect to help them determine whether they are in a

healthy or toxic work environment based on a few quick leadership assessment guidelines?

LP: I dont think an architect, or any professional, needs leadership assessment guidelines to know if

theyre in a toxic work environment. If their gut tells them theyre in a toxic environment, thats


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ultimately all that matters. If someone believes theyre in a toxic environment, its difficult to convince

them they arent.

What they have control over is what they do about this situation. The first thing to do is determine why,

specifically, it feels toxic, given different people interpret this word and feeling differently. They should

ask themselves:

1.

Is my role in the organization clear and do I have support to fulfill my role to the best ofmy ability?

2.

Do I have opportunities for visibility in the organization commensurate with my

responsibilities as well as desire for growth?

3.

Am I recognized for my accomplishments?

4.

Do I get credit for my work?

5.

Do I feel valued?

6.

Am I receiving constructive feedback that enables me to grow in my role, and praise in

equal if not greater amounts?

7.

Is there a formal review process that provides clear direction for growth and

advancement?

If these essentials are not in place, then ask for them. Sometimes leaders become immersed in their

own roles and lose sight of these essentials, especially if the company does not have strong policies and

processes in place.

If you ask for these essentials and the answer is, no, or if youre told yes and there is no follow

through, then be honest with yourself about your options, whats important to you, and where you

want to give your time, talent and loyalty.

AM: Why is leadership important to creative professionals? Many would argue that it's all about talent.

How can firms better train their leadership at all levels?

LP: Leadership is so much more than titles, levels and how we define our roles. Its about how we live

our lives. True leaders recognize and reward leadership qualities in people regardless of where they sit

in the organization. True leaders also have a strong, compelling vision that fosters growth.

For companies to thrive over time there must be a continuous effort to recognize, encourage and

reward leadership attributes in their people. Doing so leads not only to financial growth, but to personal

growth, which furthers loyalty and productivity and fuels the cycle of opportunity!

Ultimately, we need to design our firm structure as carefully as we would any project. We need to implement good

integrated team strategies and value the input from staff at all levels. Just as clear vision in a project process helpsclients to get on board with an idea early on and embrace its power to transform the way they use space, so must we

cultivate a leadership process that empowers everyone to make a difference as well as to clearly see whether they

are in the right culture to advance their particular career goals. Please share your thoughts and experiences either

with leadership or as a leader.

Posted by Angela Mazzi

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Inside the Architecture Firm Designing a Leadership Culture