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 3, 2020
Mentorship
Finding the right sort of person who can help guide you through the various stages of your career can be incredibly valuable and beneficial. Today, Andrew and I are talking about mentorship and what that means, what can make it great, why it doesn’t necessarily work, what you can do so that you might actually benefit from the experience, and what sort of relationship can make a mentor a great fit for you. Episode sponsor: PAC-CLAD by Petersen
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jan 20, 2020
Talking Shop With Omar Gandhi
Today is a special episode because we are sitting down with my very close and personal friend, even though we have never actually met, Canadian architectural rock star Omar Gandhi.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jan 6, 2020
5 most popular Life of an Architect podcast episodes of 2019
Architects Bob Borson, FAIA, and Andrew Hawkins, AIA, LEED AP, produced 25 episodes of the Life of an Architect podcast in 2019. Here are the five most popular episodes of Life of an Architect based on the number of downloads.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jan 6, 2020
Changing Jobs
Changing jobs is exciting and terrifying at the same time, particularly if you are making a drastic change either in the type of work or the size of the firm–something I am experiencing at the moment. Today, we are talking about changing jobs, a topic that seems somewhat fitting given that it is the first podcast episode of 2020 and both Andrew and I have changed jobs.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Dec 9, 2019
The Hypothetical Show
Consider this the “Director’s Cut” of hypothetical questions. We decided to dig back through all of 2019 and pull out our three most favorite questions and present them here in all their full-length unedited glory.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Nov 25, 2019
What to Get an Architect for Christmas [2019]
It’s that holiday time of the year. If you are lucky enough to have an architect in your life, and you are wondering what to get this special someone for Christmas, you’ve come to the right place.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Nov 11, 2019
Ask the Show
What music do you listen to? What’s your design process? What is your favorite building and why? What do you eat for breakfast? All this and more as Andrew and I answer your burning questions where almost nothing is off-limits. Episode sponsor: The Forge Prize 2020
Life of an Architect Podcast | Oct 28, 2019
Labor is Cheap, Skill is Not
Architecture and skilled craft go hand in hand, but you may not be aware that the number of skilled individuals that are required to bring an architect’s ideas to reality. In today’s episode, Andrew and I are talking about the state of skilled labor in the construction industry. This is not a subject that receives a ton of attention, but one that can have a big impact on the work of an architect. Episode sponsor: CONSTRUCT
Life of an Architect Podcast | Oct 14, 2019
Architecture and Math
If you ever thought about being an architect but thought you couldn’t handle the math, you aren’t alone. At parties across the land, as soon as someone finds out there is an architect in the crowd, there is a story being told about how they wanted to be an architect but since they couldn’t draw or weren’t very good at math they decided to do something else. Episode sponsor: CENTRIA
Life of an Architect Podcast | Sep 30, 2019
Let’s Get Physical
Architectural models are clearly within the architect’s domain, but are you within the “physical models are better” or “digital models are better” camp? That’s the subject matter today as we discuss architectural models and their role in the creative process in a modern architectural office. Episode sponsor: Petersen Aluminum