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9780470466483

The Architect's Guide to Small Firm Management Making Chaos Work for Your Small Firm

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  • ISBN13:

    9780470466483

  • ISBN10:

    0470466480

  • Edition: 1st
  • Format: Hardcover
  • Copyright: 2010-05-24
  • Publisher: Wiley

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Summary

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 Biography

Rena M. Klein, Faia, is principal of RM Klein Consulting, a Seattle-based firm offering business planning services, meeting facilitation, and management education to leaders of small design firms Building on her graduate degree in management and her twenty years of experience as the owner of a small architectural firm, Rena regularly presents seminars on small firm practice. Her innovative work in this area has appeared in print and Web publications, including AIA's online Architects Knowledge Resource.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgmentsp. xi
Introductionp. xiii
Managing in an Unpredictable Environmentp. 1
Bringing Order out of Chaosp. 3
Profit and Satisfactionp. 4
Design Firm Business Modelsp. 6
Efficiency-Based Firmsp. 6
Experience-Based Firmsp. 8
Expertise-Based Firmsp. 10
Any Project that Comes through the Doorp. 13
Small Firm Archetypesp. 14
Everyone is Dissatisfiedp. 14
Administrative Breakdownp. 16
Unintentional Enmityp. 18
Whole Firm Systemp. 21
Linear Thinking and Systems Thinkingp. 22
Recognizing Patternsp. 24
Tracking Trendsp. 25
Symptomatic and Fundamental Solutionsp. 26
Summaryp. 28
Core Incompetencep. 28
Whole Firm System Diagramp. 29
Time Managementp. 31
Communication Effectivenessp. 32
Job Satisfactionp. 33
Routinize the Routinep. 35
Operational Effectivenessp. 35
The Typology of Workp. 37
Analyzability and Varietyp. 38
Situational Leadershipp. 39
Match Management Style, Staffing, and Work Typesp. 40
How to Routinizep. 41
Project Management/Accounting Softwarep. 42
Project Startup Processp. 47
Capacity Utilizationp. 50
Leadership Mattersp. 53
Firm Culturep. 53
Field Theoryp. 55
Self-Aware Leadershipp. 55
Control Versus Trustp. 56
Career Contentmentp. 58
Working with Creative Peoplep. 61
Effective Firm Retreatsp. 62
Plan Nonbillable Hoursp. 64
Partnershipsp. 65
Why Partner?p. 65
What Makes Partnerships Workp. 66
Rules of the Roadp. 67
What makes Partnerships Failp. 68
"Unintentional Enmity" Revisitedp. 69
Success in Group Workp. 70
Best Laid Plansp. 73
Lifecycle of A Small Firmp. 75
Wealth or Controlp. 75
The Principals' Dilemmap. 76
Getting to the Next Levelp. 78
Be what you want to becomep. 79
The Pyramid Problemp. 79
The Matrix Solutionp. 79
Transforming Mental Modelsp. 81
Everyone is Dissatisfied Revisitedp. 81
Transition Timesp. 83
The 10-Year Itchp. 83
When Partners Grow Apart: J/H Architectsp. 84
A Cautionary Talep. 86
Approaching Retirementp. 87
10-Year Rulep. 88
Expanded Choicesp. 89
Narrow Choicesp. 89
Ownership Transition Optionsp. 92
Internal Sale at Retirementp. 92
Taking on a Minority Partnerp. 97
Financial Management: Beyond Intuitionp. 99
Macroeconomic Influencesp. 100
Economic Indicatorsp. 100
The Construction Business Cyclep. 101
How Small Firms Survive an Economic Slowdownp. 103
Financial Terminologyp. 107
Financial Performance Indicators and Benchmarksp. 108
Financial Management Tasksp. 109
Track Firm Profitabilityp. 110
Track Chargeable Ratio and Direct Labor Expensep. 110
Track Break-Even Multiplier and Multiplier Achievedp. 111
Track Overhead Expense and Budget Variancep. 112
Track Backlog and Outstanding Proposalsp. 114
Year-End Financial Checkupp. 114
Additional Financial Checksp. 117
Scenario Planningp. 121
Influences on Profitabilityp. 122
Client Expectationsp. 123
Overhead Expensep. 125
Strategies for Increasing Profitabilityp. 125
Realizable Revenuep. 126
Increase Hours?p. 127
Increase Billing Rates (Fees)?p. 128
Increase Billable Hours?p. 128
Add Intern to Staff?p. 129
Add Skilled Staff?p. 130
Scenario Planning Story Problemp. 131
Story Problem Challengep. 132
Move to a Larger Office?p. 133
Planning Firm Growthp. 134
Looking Toward the Futurep. 137
Strategic Thinkingp. 139
Business Planning for Small Design Firmsp. 139
Marketing Plansp. 142
Value of Participatory Processp. 144
Sample Business Plan Templatep. 145
Learning is Job Onep. 155
Learning by Designp. 155
Learning as Competitive Advantagep. 157
Small Design Firm Practice Modelsp. 159
Solo Practicep. 159
Economies of Small Scalep. 160
Challenges and Opportunities for Solo Practitionersp. 162
Firms Owned by Married Couplesp. 164
Complementary Skillsp. 164
Ease of Communicationp. 165
Lessons Learnedp. 165
Small Firms in International Practicep. 166
Firm Size is no Barrierp. 167
Another Callingp. 168
The Virtual Office Optionp. 169
Twenty-First Century Opportunityp. 170
Consider the Possibilitiesp. 171
Technology and Integrated Practice in Small Firmsp. 173
Adopting Building Information Modelingp. 173
Integrated Practice and Integrated Project Deliveryp. 177
Architect-Led Design-Buildp. 178
Architect Developerp. 181
Creating Pocket Neighborhoods: Ross Chapin, Aiap. 181
Green Development: Tony Case, Aiap. 183
Big-Picture Trendsp. 187
Diversity in Practicep. 188
Generation Gapsp. 189
Boomers out, Millennials inp. 190
Technological Tetheringp. 190
A Mixed Bagp. 191
How to Manage Millennialsp. 192
Women in Design Firm Leadershipp. 193
"Brain Drain" Revealedp. 194
Labyrinth to the Topp. 195
Twenty-First-Century Workplacep. 197
The Teleworking Optionp. 197
Sustainable Economicsp. 203
Triple Bottom Linep. 204
Sustainable Design Firm Practicep. 206
Greening the Workplacep. 206
Values-Based Practicep. 207
Another Point of Viewp. 208
Sustainable Economics Appliedp. 208
Construction Industry Impactp. 209
Turn Red Business Bluep. 209
Final Wordsp. 210
Indexp. 213
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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