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 | Aug 7, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 131: Starting Architecture School, Part 1
So you are thinking about starting architecture school or looking to study architecture. What are your options for schools? Are you just weeks away from starting your first semester of college architecture school? What’s it going to be like? How hard is it? What am I going to do? What’s with all these acronyms? Well, no matter your situation we’ve got you covered today with all the introductory info in Episode 131: Starting Architecture School Part 1.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jul 27, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 130: Employee Evaluations
Performance appraisal, performance review – call them what you will, but we all know what they are. Most likely you have received them. Chances are that you might even have given one before. What sort of role do employee evaluations play? Are they helpful? Do you dread receiving yours?
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jul 10, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 129: Built to last - Improving the lifespan of buildings by mitigating impact
The Pantheon, 125 A.D. The Tower of Hercules, 117 A.D. Nanchan Temple, 782 A.D. The Hagia Sofia, 537 A.D. All of these structures were built centuries ago but still stand in use today. Do modern-era buildings get created in such a way that allows for them to last for this long? Of course not. But why is that? What can we do to improve the longevity of our buildings?
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jun 26, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 128: Staying focused in a world of distractions
When you hear the word “focus” what comes to mind? Is it the ability to see clearly? Maybe you think of the ability to pay particular attention to the task at hand. Possibly the Ariana Grande song from 2015. Well, it’s definitely not that. What are we talking about again? Oh yeah, Welcome to EP 128: Focus.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Jun 12, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 127: Context and Design
The architectural theory of contextual architecture—often referred to as “contextualism”—asserts that built items should be in response to the literal and abstract components in the environment in which it is built. In 1988, Architect Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley denounced this philosophy, stating “contextualism has been used as an excuse for mediocrity, for a dumb servility to the familiar”, whereas Rem Koolhaas was more to the point and simply said, “F*!k context”. Sound exciting? Welcome to episode 127: Context and Design.
Life of an Architect Podcast | May 29, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 126: Architectural Bucket List
It has been a long time since a bucket list was brought up on this show, but today’s the day. Almost four years to the day and 100 episodes later, Andrew and I are going to go through an architectural bucket list of people, places, and things. I don’t know what Andrew has in mind, but I’m feeling that my list will inspire you and change your life--or at the very least, get you to go look something up on the Internet. Welcome to episode 126: Architectural Bucket List Take 2.
Life of an Architect Podcast | May 2, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 124: Show Me the Money
I get asked a lot about how much money an architect makes. Without understanding a few parameters, that’s like trying to buy a car by the pound. I spend a fair amount of my time discussing the architectural marketplace, where we can find value, what’s the going salary rate based on skill set and experience, and how badly we need this spot or that spot filled.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Apr 17, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 123: Interviews Just Aren’t that Hard
You’re about to graduate from architecture school, or maybe you already have a job, and you’re just simply looking for a change. Going through the interviews in an architecture firm is just part of a sequence of activities toward getting a new job. There are some things that are worth knowing before you step into the room. Welcome to Life of an Architect Episode 123: Interviews Just Aren’t that Hard.
Life of an Architect Podcast | Apr 3, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 122: Architecture and Artificial Intelligence
Even though artificial intelligence can conceptually trace its roots back to the 1950s, the reality is AI and machine learning went mainstream not too long ago. As recently as November 2022, anyone with a computer and Internet access can dip their toes in the AI waters for not much more than the time needed to understand how to make it work. Unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you probably know this is a big deal. But what does this mean to the profession of architecture? Are we all going to be replaced? Are there any ethical considerations that we should start thinking about? Welcome to Life of an Architect episode 122: Architecture and Artificial Intelligence
Life of an Architect Podcast | Mar 20, 2023
Life of an Architect Podcast Ep. 121: Material Selection
When you think of a building – whatever scale or project type – the items that go into creating that building are most frequently associated with the materials that are selected that define the appearance of the building. Brick, glass, wood, and metal are all great choices. But the decision on what to clad your project in goes a long way toward deciding things beyond the appearance.
