The Business of Architecture*

Career planning within practices helps them plan for the future, identify opportunities for training, development and mentoring, and develop areas of collective knowledge and expertise. It helps individuals to understand their role within a team and to better articulate their skills, value and ambitions. All together this helps create a stable workplace that people can feel confident within.

Workplaces that support best-practice career sponsorship are collaborative, collegial and inclusive. They have cultures that share knowledge and work to enhance the careers of all as a collective endeavour. So, what are the characteristics of such a workplace, and how can they be achieved?

How can we best use our power and influence to enhance and accelerate the careers of others? Sponsorship provides a framework for collaborative career development that, when done well, supports concrete outcomes and direct advancement, and improves workplace culture.

How can we best support the careers of others? What are the specific roles and responsibilities of leaders? This Stepping Up session looks at sponsorship and strategies for advocating for others. Watch this discussion with Jess Murphy, convenor of the Champions of Change Architecture Group, Ramin Jahromi of Cox and Karen Le Provost of Scott Carver.

The Champions of Change Architecture Group has developed the Role Descriptions Tool and Competency Map to support architectural practices in developing a transparent system of career development within their practice. This creates a clear visual guide of many skills required in our industry and the expected competencies for various career stages.

Emerging from a survey of graduates in 2021, the mentoring program running in the Hassell Brisbane studio has encouraged new relationships and collaborations within the practice, building different knowledge, experiences and networks. The People Coach program is another new initiative, which is available to all staff globally.

SJB has implemented two mentoring programs to cater for different preferences and needs – a less formal program called SJBuddies and the more formal SJB Mentoring.

The Stepping Up session on Career Development looks at planning and progression, with a focus on tools to support transparent manageable, inclusive processes within architectural practices. Watch this considered discussion with David Randerson of DKO, Thihoa Gill of Grimshaw and Brian Clohessy of BVN, and hosts Angelina Pillai and Justine Clark.

Bates Smart outlines their reasons for setting up their mentoring program, which is part of a broader Career Planning Framework and includes approximately 280 participants.

The recent Stepping Up on Mentoring session was extremely popular and there was a flood of questions in the chat, too many to answer on the day. Our speakers have generously answered these questions as a follow-up.

COX Architecture outlines how their mentoring program works, the benefits and challenges of implementation, and some advice for others keen on setting up a program for their own practice.

There is substantial and compelling evidence that current legalistic responses to sexual harassment in the workplace are not effective in combating the problem and, in some cases, may exacerbate it. A new approach is required, one based in transparency, respect and cultural change. The Disrupting the System report provides the framework for this change.

Sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace is unacceptable and can be unlawful under anti-discrimination, equal employment opportunity, workplace relations and human rights laws. The first steps in ensuring our workplaces are safe places is to understand what bullying and harassment looks like, to recognise the cultures that enable it, and to understand the costs to individuals and practices.

‘Disrupting the System: Preventing and responding to workplace sexual harassment’, a report from the Champions of Change Coalition, aims to shift the way we understand and respond to sexual harassment. The document provides a comprehensive practical guide for organisations and workplaces.

The Stepping Up on Harassment session focuses on sexual harassment, bullying and family and domestic violence. These are challenging topics, but ones we must engage with in meaningful, sensitive and robust ways. Watch this considered discussion with Adam Haddow of SJB, Tara Keast of DesignInc and Gosha Haley of Grimshaw.

Our resource roundup points to various mentoring platforms and programs, as well as information and advice on how to implement effective mentoring programs, alongside the suite of Stepping Up resources.

Mentoring offers opportunities and pathways for both mentors and mentees to expand their knowledge base, build relationships and develop invaluable skills. Incorporating a mentoring program into your practice can have a substantial impact on individuals and practice culture, regardless of your size or scale.

An effective mentoring program helps individuals develop their careers and navigate the world of work. It helps transfer knowledge across generations, improves the skills of mentors and mentees, and build practice and professional cultures.

Improving culture within architectural offices starts at the top, but everyone has a role to play. This article offers ten tips to become a better leader, and features a downloadable poster and toolkit for your practice.

The Champions of Change Leadership Toolkit proposes 10 Tips for all to consider about good leadership, with the ultimate goal of improving culture within architectural offices. Hamish Ginn from SJB takes us through the background, motivations and use of the toolkit.

A good Parental Leave Policy is essential to creating a workplace culture and policy environment that supports parents at all stages. This helps ensure that raising a family doesn’t derail or devalue the career of a talented and valued individual, while also enabling the practice to accrue long-term benefits from investing in staff training and development. This article offers an approach to developing and implementing a parental leave policy. 

Parental leave is much more than a short-term leave entitlement for working mothers. Good parental leave policies are applicable to all, helping everyone to lead a balanced life, with time for families, and time to commit to projects, practice life and career. The following article outlines the benefits and challenges of good parental leave policies, and some recommended strategies to implement before, during and after leave.

Watch Stepping Up on Parental Leave, a frank and useful conversation with Philip Vivian of Bates Smart, Zoë King of Cox and Richard Sucksmith of John Wardle Architects – includes bonus footage from the conversation after the event.

There are plenty of great resources out there with advice and information on transitioning to flexible work. Here are a few of our favourite informative and thought-provoking articles, podcasts and websites, as well as the suite of Stepping Up resources.

An open and transparent flexible work policy is critical to fostering an effective, collaborative and healthy workplace, where people feel supported if they choose to work flexibly and where meaningful and rewarding career opportunities are available. The following article includes practical advice on developing and implementing a flex policy in practice.

Modern workplace culture expectations have been strong drivers for flexible working for some time, but the arrival of the pandemic in early 2020 has accelerated the transition for many. So, how does flexibility work in practice, what are the benefits and challenges, what is its impact on equity, what is the business case for change and what are some of the types of flexible working?

Monica Edwards summarises the process, objectives and outcomes of the Listening and Learning sessions, developed by the Champions of Change Coalition.

Listening and Learning is fundamental to the Champions of Change Coalition approach. Monica Edwards outlines the four-step process, describing it in relation to design processes.

Monica Edwards and Shaun Carter were instrumental in getting the Champions of Change Architecture Group going and remain highly involved. They discuss the Champions’ origins, achievements and challenges, and plans for the future.

The ACA is delighted to continue the Stepping Up series for 2023, a collaborative event and editorial series with Parlour and the Architecture Group of the Champions of Change. See CPD offerings from 2022 and the full event calendar for 2023.