How do you define a great employee? The answer is most likely dependent on who is attempting to respond: the employee or the employer. I will concede that I have told previous employers that I would be the best employee they have ever had. And I actually meant it when I said it. Did it happen? I like to think so (at least once or twice), but it’s not for me to say. Andrew and I have been both employee and employer. We believe this topic deserves a little time in the spotlight. Welcome to Ep. 125: A Great Employee.
Special thanks to our sponsor Construction Specialties, maker of architectural building products designed to master the movement of buildings, people, and natural elements. Construction Specialties is so focused on the importance of mastering movement, that they have created a CEU specifically on mastering movement on the job site with modular stairs. Each course is worth 1 AIA LU/HSW and is part of the Mastering Movement Academy by CS. Visit masteringmovement.net to take this and other courses.
Related Stories
Life of an Architect Podcast | Feb 13, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 144: 6 Design Objects With Amazing Backstories
From a design standpoint, some things are just cooler than other things. And these things don’t need to be justified to anyone, because people either understand it or they don’t. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an amazing story behind these objects that might contribute to their coolness in a meaningful way.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jan 29, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 143: Architectural Drawings - Excessive or Essential?
In this episode of Life of an Architect, we are focusing on drawings. The question that first comes to mind is to talk about what we draw, why we draw it, who we draw it for, and why that impacts all other considerations. With all of that on the table for consideration, the real conversation is centered around how much we draw, and why the answer to that question is complicated. Welcome to episode 143: Architectural Drawings: Excessive or Essential.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jan 15, 2024
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 142: When I Grow Up
Astronaut, fireman, ballerina, pilot, builder, dump truck driver – these are all things that children consider as a profession, even before they know the word “profession.” For a lot of architects (but not all), they decide they want to be an architect pretty early in their childhood development. How does that work out? What does it look like? And does it change as you move through the process? Andrew and I are going to make it personal in this episode. Welcome to EP 142: When I Grow Up.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Dec 18, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 141: Yearapalooza
It's December 2023, and Andrew and I find ourselves in front of the microphone for the final time until 2024. It is the annual state of the state address where we look back at all the interesting bits and pieces covered over the last 12 months while providing a sneak peak at the adventures to come in 2024. Welcome to EP 141: 2023 Yearapalooza!
Life of an Architect Podcast | Dec 11, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 140: Communicating Through Drawings
Architecture is a visual craft. From the end product where people move through, in and about, to the beginning as students when we spend years in school learning to use different forms of medium to help explain our ideas. Drawings have always played a role in the process of study and discussion of what we do and why we do it. Today we are going to look at the different forms of drawing and talk about when they are used and how we align these different drawing types and the messages they convey.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Nov 27, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 139: 2023 Holiday Gift Guide for Architects
It’s almost that gift-giving time of the year, and if you have an architect in your life, you know that getting them a gift is potentially the most agonizing experience possible. That’s why we’re here. Now in its 14th consecutive year, welcome to Episode 139 Holiday Gift Guide for Architects 2023!
Life of an Architect Podcast | Nov 13, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 138: Is Architecture School Broken? (Part 2)
Are students graduating from architecture school prepared for the profession? Is the educational system aligned with the workplace? What is the best software to teach students? Can we all just get along? We started this exploration of the idea that architecture school may need some modifications in Episode 137. The system needs to change to provide the skills, knowledge, and pathways for the future of the profession, but what else may need to be addressed? What does all of this mean to students, architects, and the public at large? Welcome to Episode 138: Is Architecture School Broken?
Life of an Architect Podcast | Nov 1, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 137: Is Architecture School Broken?
Life in college for architecture students is remarkably predictable. For those of us who have been through it, as unique or different as you think your experience was, you eventually come to realize that, at their core, architecture school programs are almost fundamentally the same in their format. Is this a bad thing? Are there changes that we should be discussing? Welcome to Episode 137: Is Architecture School Broken?
Life of an Architect Podcast | Oct 17, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 136: Leadership vs. Management
What is the difference between leadership and management? There is definitely some overlap, but the key distinction lies in… wait, you thought I was going to tell you in the opening? It’s going to take some time to talk through those distinctions before we get there. Welcome to life of an Architect episode 136: Leadership vs. Management.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Oct 2, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 135: Employee Takeover
Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, discuss the potential benefits of creating an upward evaluation process for employees, where staff members can share their thoughts and opinions on what mattered to them from their managers, from their team leads, even their employers.