Young architects are poised to be the firm leaders of the future. You depend on your firms to provide a solid bridge over the gap between architecture school and professional practice. When your immediate supervisors, principals, and firm owners take the time to mentor you and show you the ropes, you are better prepared to lead when you take the reins.
The history of this profession is based on apprenticeship. Technical detailing and mastering the latest drafting software are important. However, being mentored in the areas of client relations, contracts, negotiations, presentation skills, marketing, and public relations is equally if not more important to young architects. Recognizing that drawings are a big part of being an architect, those of us who invest the time and energy in becoming licensed ultimately do not want to be chained to the digital drafting board.
Have architecture firms computed employee value as it pertains to emerging professionals? We hope firms value their employees; without them firms would cease to exist. Are employees encouraged to come up with ideas, reorganize procedures, and troubleshoot problems? Praise and encouragement can go a long way with employees. No matter how old we get, or how accomplished, people respond to praise and encouragement. It feeds our self-esteem and ego, pushes us to achieve more, and try harder. Many managers get preoccupied with tasks and results, and they ignore the employee’s internal fundamental motivators. We recognize that not all firms are in a position to give financial rewards every time we do something good, and we really do not think employees expect that. Whether you are a manager or a co-worker, recognizing the efforts of others will not only be motivating to those around you, it will elevate you to a position of leadership.
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