Go To: Mentoring | Blog
In the Fall of 2011 it is proposed to bring together collaboration groups of several participants to form working alliances capable of functioning at a high level and focussed on advancing their joint opportunities.
Sequentially as follows:
- Receiving expressions of interest
- Meeting over lunch, building trust
- Invitations to missing components
- Identifying and pursuing opportunities
Mentoring Background
What this is not, is the intern architect type of mentoring. It is similar but has a somewhat different purpose, and hopefully it will be as engaging and meaningful for the experienced elders in the profession as it is for those acquiring experience through their own practices, after having completed the intern/registration process.
What is envisioned for mentoring in this context, is the linking up of vast experience with inexperience (or little experience). This should encourage a full range of discussion which probably has 2 main elements:
- The experienced identifying and articulating their view what the inexperienced would most benefit from, and
- The inexperienced requesting insight from the experienced on specific areas the inexperienced feel is an area of support they need in their view.
The mentoring initiative: to facilitate such a linking dialogue, informally at first and later, if advantageous more formally. Maybe networking café discussions with both experienced and inexperienced face to face, etc., is a good starting point.
This is central to defining support; by looking at small practice from both sides to confirm what kind of support for small practice is best to address their needs. We should proceed with some early urgency to get it started as a catalyst to driving interest in the small practice group – since it will be responsive to what they are asking for.
It will be a challenge to stay focussed on advocacy because the need of an advocate to be exemplary and successful as a practitioner is a precondition of feeling good and comfortable and proud of your work/role so you can yourself be a confident advocate of what we are all doing in our communities.
Further Thoughts Contributing to Recognizing & Facilitating This Initiative
Underlying idea is collaboration – working in a collaborative environment.
Two basic types of mentorship looking at.
- Experienced mentoring the inexperienced.
- Peer mentoring – cross sector, cross pollination between different sector/specialties.
Things to consider going forward:
- Who the players should be
- What is/are the desired outcome(s)
- What would be an effective Communication Strategy for this
- What is the end goal / project / deliverable
Desired outcomes:
- Compete better with large firms?
- Compete better with small firms?
- Create better architecture?
- Make architecture more accessible?
- Create a better delivery system for architecture?
Strategies:
- Social communication – lunches, events, etc.
- Registries to help companies/people find each other.
- Working collaboratively on projects.
- Looking to other sectors/industries for different delivery models.
Social Communication
Provide an informal setting to meet mentor/mentee and share ideas.
Way to help build a collaborative community.
Way to overcome those that would be intimidated to cold call someone on the registries list.
Next steps:
- Determine times that would likely attract the largest group.
- Contact community and setup meetings.
- How do we get the word out to likely participants.
Registries
Provide an mechanism to find others willing to participate in the mentoring initiative.
Could expand existing web site to include this.
Likely a large crossover with other initiatives – could be one part of the overall small firms initiative.
Next steps:
- Identify information to publish
- Determine minimum participation level to make a pilot feasible.
- Contact community to determine uptake – find out if uptake will match minimum participation levels for pilot
Working collaboratively on Projects
Supports both types of mentorship mentioned.
Requires two prongs to approach:
- Working with the architects to vet the idea – see if there is buy in.
- Working with purchasers to try to gain acceptance with approach and find a pilot project.
Idea is that it provides a framework for cross-pollination of experience and ideas.
Potential to provide a means to get into a new sector.
Crossover with RFP/Marketing support.
Next steps:
- Determine who players should be. Architecture only? Design+engineering? All services for completed project?
- Setup meetings to try to determine approach and feasibility of idea.
Exploration of different delivery models
Idea is to look at different industries/sectors to see if there are other delivery models that could apply to architecture.
Looking for a way to provide services in a collaborative way.
Take into account a more holistic view of architecture – all the way through to completed construction.
Could help with effort to help make purchasers more comfortable with the collaborative model by showing that it has been done in different sectors.
Next steps:
- Identify potential delivery models to research.
- Find group willing to do research in models.
- Find people/companies within proposed sectors to research willing to participate.
If we can get this initiative operating, it has a significant potential to engage and support a diverse group of members. This is an area of interest for me and I am willing to participate in moving it forward.
A very worthwhile project, we are in support.
I’d love to participate in a pilot project – please let me know if I can assist.
I’m most interested in the development a prototypical service agreement for cooperative teams of small consultants to work effectively & equitably together, while maintaining a certain level of hierarchy to cover for code requirements, the role of the Coordinating Consultant, and associated risks arising.
Seems to me that this is the crux of the biscuit, as it were, for the efficient formation of consultant teams consisting of small mixed practitioners that could compete with larger, integrated consultant firms.
I’d be into joining up to work on this, and the development of cooperative consultant network(s) in general.
I’m very interested in this and the other initiatives outlined on this site, particularly the competitions one. I’ve been practicing in Vancouver for about 3 years. I note that in contrast to other cities where I lived before arriving here (NYC and Berlin), there are very few up-and-coming or emerging practices. This is not healthy for the profession in general, and of course not for the quality of the built environment either.
Hazen’s point above about cooperative consultant networks sounds interesting. I’d like to get involved on these and other initiatives.