The definitive guide to management success for sole practitioners and leaders of small design firmsOwning and operating a small architectural design firm can be challenging, with tight project deadlines, on-the-fly meetings, rush proposals, and fluctuating workloads as part of the firm's day-to-day activities. To help small firm owners cope with the chaos and prepare for the unexpected, here is The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management, a no-nonsense guide to repurposing daily demands into workable, goal-directed solutions.Crucial topics such as self-aware leadership, people management, technology, financial health, scenario planning, sustainable practice, and future trends are examined using real-life case studies and business model paradigms. This definitive text explores the whole system experience of a small firm practice to deliver organizational strategies proven to keep a firm's creative mission on a steady, productive path.The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management addresses how small firm owners can:Deal effectively with unexpected circumstances and shifting work requirementsMeet the demands of the marketplace while creating a satisfying workplaceSet and achieve goals in an environment of constant changeThis book is a must-have for those facing the often harsh reality of managing small design firms in a difficult and changing economy. Entrepreneurial architects and designers will discover how to define their own personal and professional meanings of success, as well as how to refocus their business approach to replace long, unrewarding hours with manageable, satisfying ones.
Author(s): Rena M. Klein
Edition: 1
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 240
The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 7
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 13
INTRODUCTION......Page 15
PART I: MANAGING IN AN UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT......Page 19
CHAPTER 1: BRINGING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS......Page 21
PROFIT AND SATISFACTION......Page 22
DESIGN FIRM BUSINESS MODELS......Page 24
ANY PROJECT THAT COMES THROUGH THE DOOR......Page 31
SMALL FIRM ARCHETYPES......Page 32
CHAPTER 2: WHOLE FIRM SYSTEM......Page 39
LINEAR THINKING AND SYSTEMS THINKING......Page 40
RECOGNIZING PATTERNS......Page 42
CORE INCOMPETENCE......Page 46
WHOLE FIRM SYSTEM DIAGRAM......Page 47
OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS......Page 53
THE TYPOLOGY OF WORK......Page 55
HOW TO ROUTINIZE......Page 59
FIRM CULTURE......Page 71
WORKING WITH CREATIVE PEOPLE......Page 79
PARTNERSHIPS......Page 83
PART II: BEST LAID PLANS......Page 91
WEALTH OR CONTROL......Page 93
GETTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL......Page 96
THE 10-YEAR ITCH......Page 101
APPROACHING RETIREMENT......Page 105
OWNERSHIP TRANSITION OPTIONS......Page 110
CHAPTER 7: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: BEYOND INTUITION......Page 117
MACROECONOMIC INFLUENCES......Page 118
FINANCIAL TERMINOLOGY......Page 125
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AND BENCHMARKS......Page 126
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TASKS......Page 127
CHAPTER 8: SCENARIO PLANNING......Page 139
INFLUENCES ON PROFITABILITY......Page 140
STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING PROFITABILITY......Page 143
SCENARIO PLANNING STORY PROBLEM......Page 149
PLANNING FIRM GROWTH......Page 152
PART III: LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE......Page 155
BUSINESS PLANNING FOR SMALL DESIGN FIRMS......Page 157
LEARNING IS JOB ONE......Page 173
SOLO PRACTICE......Page 177
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOLO PRACTITIONERS......Page 180
FIRMS OWNED BY MARRIED COUPLES......Page 182
SMALL FIRMS IN INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE......Page 184
THE VIRTUAL OFFICE OPTION......Page 187
ADOPTING BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING......Page 191
INTEGRATED PRACTICE AND INTEGRATED PROJECT DELIVERY......Page 195
ARCHITECT-LED DESIGN-BUILD......Page 196
ARCHITECT DEVELOPER......Page 199
CHAPTER 12: BIG-PICTURE TRENDS......Page 205
DIVERSITY IN PRACTICE......Page 206
GENERATION GAPS......Page 207
WOMEN IN DESIGN FIRM LEADERSHIP......Page 211
TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY WORKPLACE......Page 215
CHAPTER 13: SUSTAINABLE ECONOMICS......Page 221
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE......Page 222
GREENING THE WORKPLACE......Page 224
VALUES-BASED PRACTICE......Page 225
FINAL WORDS......Page 228
INDEX......Page 231
