Ben SnapeIf you are running an architecture business, no matter how lean, you absolutely need to understand, internalize, and exercise a leadership mindset.
While some use “leadership” as a trendy placeholder buzzword, it actually consists of actionable techniques that will help your business strive when properly executed.
Let’s go over some of the major ways you can practice leadership with your employees, clients, and contractors.
Leadership with your employees
First and foremost, you need to adopt a leadership mindset while working with your employees and assistants. A true leader is ethical, fair, knowledgeable, proactive, and an excellent communicator.
With the right leadership strategies your employees are more effective, less susceptible to burnout, and you actually have the capacity to grow.
Not listening to your employees and their feedback is one of the common architectural firm management mistakes, and it’s also an easily avoidable one.
Effective leadership very often means the simple absence of a mess in your internal processes.
We’ve designed PlanMan specifically to help you run a smooth operation with clearly set permissions, project communications, and tools for project stages, documents and tasks. You can get a free trial of PlanMan today so check it out.
Many UK architects boost their leadership qualities simply by learning the basics of project management to structure their organizational skills. You can also promote learning project management techniques within your team. Read this guide to learn where to get started learning PM.
To recap, the practical steps for being a better leader of your company, you need to
- Have clear processes, workflows, and permissions
- Use an straightforward task and document management system
- Implement an employee feedback system
- Rethink your KPIs
- Learn project management and encourage learning
Leadership with clients
Effective leadership while working with clients
Nothing that makes your clients more insecure and discontent than being in the dark. Check out our guide to transparency in client work, and make sure you master effective client communication strategies.
To make your clients feel safer about working with you (and spending money on your services), learn to manage their expectations well, and be professional about any feedback you get, no matter how negative it is.
Again, PlanMan keeps client communications and project work together so you can provide timely updates and every stakeholder is on the same page.
There is another aspect of being perceived as an industry leader by your clients – and that lies in the messaging of your brand.
Make sure to craft an innovative but realistic mission statement, declare your vision and values, and stick to them. Here’s a guide on mastering that part of your brand messaging.
Follow and showcase awareness of all the latest architecture trends – your clients need to be sure they are working with the best version of modern architecture there is.
Producing thought leadership content helps you establish and strengthen your brand, and it also builds your trust and authority among potential clients. Consider investing in storytelling so that your projects form narratives, and not just buildings.
And of course, do not neglect networking, both within the industry and your target market. Any image of a true leader is connected with the strong network he has. This guide will help you turn networking into a system.
Here’s a recap of leadership strategies for your client relations:
- Be transparent
- Master communication and use easily accessible tools for it
- Be consistent in your branding
- Be on top of trends, produce thought leadership content
- Network systematically
Leadership with contractors
The leadership you showcase with your contractors and co-consultants is not for impressing them. You have to be a proactive, fair, and eloquent leader because your reputation and revenue depend on that.
Lack of leadership with contractors leads to unscrupulous ones demonstrating bad behaviour, project delays and scope creep, and all of that makes your whole business take a hit.
The most important part of leadership strategies with your contractors is vetting them properly. This guide will help you navigate the offers better and develop the tactics and intuition necessary for effective vetting.
Just like with your clients, you need to communicate with your contractors clearly and effectively. The co-consultants module in PlanMan lets you do exactly that with a minimal learning curve. Make sure you clearly define project terms and your expectations. Have clear benchmarks and standards you will be using to evaluate work quality.
It’s a good idea to build a library of resources using your past projects. Package your past experiences into actionable recommendations so you can support your new contractors with enough information.
Make sure you have a strategy for working with every type of contractor you use. For instance, working with quantity surveyors requires specific approaches (learn more here).
Apart from bad behavior-preventing tactics, make sure you have a system of positive reinforcement for contractors who do quality work. Referring them to other architects and clients may be extremely motivating to them, and make sure you have a clear and transparent system for that.
To recap, these tactics will help you build leadership habits with your contractors
- Vet thoroughly and make sure the paperwork is in order
- Communicate clearly and define your preferences
- Guide them using your experience
- Use management tools for all their work
- Develop approaches for different contractor competencies
Building leadership skills as an architect starts with having a clear idea of your goals, methods, timelines, and processes. Get PlanMan today and set the project management foundation for your future growth!