Pearls of Wisdom

 
The Good Advice (original title: Le bon conseil), by Jean-Baptiste Madou.

 
I enjoyed a lengthy lunch this past Friday with my friend and fellow architect, Eric Hall. In addition to celebrating my retirement milestone, Eric asked me to reflect on my career and the lessons I learned during my four decades-plus in the architectural profession. Specifically, he challenged me to dispense five “pearls of wisdom” that architects who are at the helm of small firms today might find useful.
 
Whether I possess genuine sagacity about professional practice is questionable. Regardless, I gave it my best shot. Here’s what I came up with:
 

1. Work smarter, not harder.

Easier said than done, but finding ways to use one’s energy and time more efficiently should be a priority. Focus on tasks that yield the highest value. Distinguish between what is urgent and important and what is not. Understand the strengths of your staff and delegate tasks accordingly, thereby lightening your load while empowering your team. Likewise, know when outsourcing expertise makes the most sense. Regularly review processes and seek ways to improve. Most importantly, take regular breaks to help maintain high levels of focus and energy.

 

I tried to instill “work smarter, not harder” as a mantra for Robertson/Sherwood/ Architects, especially during the past few years as Scott Stolarczyk, Lana Sadler, and Becky Thomas increasingly assumed the mantle of firm leadership. I want to see them not only succeed, but also thrive while doing so. Key to that will be avoiding burnout and always deriving joy and fulfillment from their work.

 

2. Be decisive.

Aphorism #1: Perfection is the enemy of good. While high standards are important, aiming for perfection can lead to procrastination and missed opportunities. Excessive focus on perfection can be counterproductive. Aim for “good enough” and iterate as needed. Not every decision will be perfect, but that’s okay.

Aphorism #2: Avoid paralysis by analysis. Overthinking decisions can lead to inaction. Don’t let the fear of making the wrong decision prevent you from making any decision at all. Embrace calculated risks. If anything, identify which decisions are critical and which are less important. Focus your energy on the former and streamline the latter.

 

Being decisive is a corollary to working smarter and not harder. Over the years, I learned to trust my intuition and rely upon my gut feelings to avoid endless deliberation on a problem. I approached decision-making intuitively, leaning on my preferences, knowledge, and experience during analysis to quickly come to the best decisions possible.  

 

3. Don’t reinvent the wheel.

I wrote a piece two years back about what I regard as commonsense architecture. As I said then, there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel for every project. Using tried-and-true, proven methods of building—as opposed to always looking to exploit what is trending or new—is a pragmatic and responsible approach to design. An overabundance of creative imagination is not always a good thing if it flies in the face of commonsense, practical, and time-tested strategies for keeping water out, controlling how daylight comes in, holding the building up, or minimizing our carbon footprint.

 

The definition of common sense is the application of sound and prudent judgment in practical matters based on a simple perception of a given situation or facts. In my opinion its application should be a default condition for most design professionals. Of course, there are exceptions. We need architects devoted to groundbreaking research on the building sciences and more. Outstanding practitioners who push the conceptual boundaries will always be critical to the advancement of architecture. That said, there’s a reason why the wheel in its fundamental form has remained unchanged over millennia—it works simply and beautifully. Build upon the learned experience and wisdom of the many architects and builders who have come before you. Don’t reinvent the wheel.  

 

4. Fundamentally understand alternative project delivery methods.

When I first entered the architectural profession back in the late 1970s-early 1980s, the dominant project delivery method was the straightforward Design-Bid-Build model. Since then, the proliferation of alternative project delivery methods, such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Design-Build (D-B), has reshaped the architect's role by increasing the need for collaboration and integration across project lifecycles.

 

Young architects need to thoroughly understand the concept of alternative project delivery. They need to grasp the pros & cons and the nuances of the various methods to best know where they fit within each. Only with such knowledge will they appreciate what it is they must bring to the table for every project. They will need to embrace being a part of a team that is comprised of diverse and complementary skill sets. To drive innovative and successful project outcomes, they will need to demonstrate their value beyond traditional design roles. Above all, they will need to possess humility and a willingness to work with others toward shared goals.

 

5. Embrace Artificial Intelligence.

There’s a lot of hype these days about artificial intelligence and how it is poised to radically transform architectural practice. While today’s AI tools remain narrowly focused, I am confident we will soon see exponentially more powerful apps providing a comprehensive suite of abilities that will radically change how architects work.

 

What we’re seeing today in real time is not the reinvention of a tried-and-true way of business, but rather the invention of an altogether new and radical paradigm—AI is the new wheel. A failure to embrace the technology is not a recipe for long-term success. Organizations that aggressively leverage AI will outcompete their peers by being more efficient, innovative, and responsive to market changes. In the professional ecosystem, only the fittest and most able to adapt will survive.

None of these pearls is particularly insightful, original, or interesting. “Work smarter, not harder” and “don’t reinvent the wheel” are nothing if not well-worn clichés. Are they worthy of consideration as unique wisdom, metaphorically as precious as pearls? Maybe. At a minimum, Eric’s prompting was reason for me to begin the process of reflecting upon my life as an architect.

Eric assiduously took notes as I enumerated my five pearls. He did say I affirmed some of what he likewise believes, which I found reassuring. It may be that I have acquired some wisdom worth passing on.