Slumps in the construction economy are good times for firms to rethink many things, including the philosophies that underlie their design work and the way they collaborate with consultants. One strategy that potentially accomplishes all of these things, according to consultant Barbra Batshalom, executive director of the Boston-based Green Roundtable, is to “green” your practice. Many U.S. firms are already encouraging staff to earn LEED certification and research sustainable materials, but she believes this is not enough. Truly greening your firm requires a substantial restructuring of firm culture and design processes. Illustration ' Edel Rodriguez The economic slump may allow

According to Batshalom, most firms that have already begun greening themselves have still not internalized the “all-green-all-the-time” philosophy she espouses. “They’re getting their staff LEED accredited,” she says, “but they don’t understand the management ramifications or the internal commitment they need to make as company in order to do it efficiently and cost-effectively.” The 80-person Portland, Oregon, firm SERA is approaching the “all-green-all-the-time” goal. About 80 percent of its projects are now aimed at LEED certification. In addition to working with mechanical engineers early in design, the firm has hired one to work in-house. According to SERA associate principal Clark

During economic downturns, when construction slows and competition for projects intensifies, architects may work so hard at attracting new jobs that they neglect their existing client base. Instead of taking their all-important repeat clients for granted, architects should be doing all they can to prevent them from being wooed away by competing firms. One key to this lies in improving the interpersonal relationships between architects and owners, even when they’re between projects. According to Seattle-based AEC consultant Theodore Sive, design professionals are good at satisfying the technical demands of their complex jobs. However, he says, “When they get focused on

Training the doers “The core of our program,” says Sive, “is instilling in architects and engineers a sensitivity that it’s their responsibility to understand how clients perceive them and want to communicate.” This requires getting cooperation from the entire staff. Firm leaders should communicate this, not only through instruction but also by example. Sive and Strong have adopted the motto, “Be a magnet, not a stick.” If leaders show sensitivity to their staff, their “internal clients,” they will, in effect, pull people toward following their example. This works better than “bludgeoning” them into compliance. Care in internal communications also expresses

When the Hudson Bay Company began sending traders to the New World in the 17th century, it developed protocols for managing a distributed workforce that are pertinent today. The small headquarters staff in London chose independent adventurers capable of self-sufficiency, but they provided mentoring and training. Importantly, the company stayed in communication — as best they could when annual letters to and from the traders arrived by schooner. The lesson learned? “We call it the balance of trust and control,” says Cliff S. Moser, AIA, operations director of the Los Angeles firm Cadforce, which facilitates communications between U.S. architecture and

Technology caveats Even as existing technologies become more routine, there is still a lot to learn about when to use which ones. It’s not uncommon for an employee to spend 15 minutes composing an e-mail message when the question can be answered in a 15-second phone call. And the moderating cues we pick up from each others’ voices are notoriously absent from e-mail. People can misunderstand hastily written messages and take offense where none is meant. Rich Nitzsche, AIA, principal and chief information officer of Perkins+Will says, “In this firm, we encourage people to pick up the phone instead of

Pro bono clients like any other The McCall Design Group, a 35-person firm based in San Francisco, also pledged its time through The 1% program and integrated pro bono service into its business model. The firm specializes in retail interiors for corporate giants like Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma, Gap, and Victoria’s Secret. This national commercial work is balanced by local pro bono design efforts, including an ongoing relationship with Goodwill Industries to design new Goodwill retail stores. “People say how good it feels to give back, but our primary motivations for doing this work go way beyond a kind of ‘feel-good’

In the 1960s, “the generation gap” became shorthand for the differences between those born during the baby boom and their parents who had lived through the Great Depression and World War II. Then, the puzzling differences between young and old gave a new generation of Americans the label “X.” Now, “Boomers” and “Gen Xers” are scratching their heads at the newcomers, the “Millennials.” These young people were born after 1980, and are posing challenges to and suggesting opportunities for their employers now that they are entering the workforce. Photo © Getty Images The culture of the design firm IDEO does