AR 542: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND APPLICATION FOR ARCHITECTURE 2

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Specific Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the benefits of Professional Development and Mentoring

The Mentee
A mentee should be motivated, receptive to constructive feedback, willing to make mistakes and learn from them, and appreciative of
the mentoring relationship. Regardless of experience level, a mentee should take time to determine career development goals. Write
down the answers to the following questions, and bring them to the initial mentor-mentee meeting:
• What are your strengths?
• What do you enjoy in your current position?
• What do you find challenging in your current position?
• In what areas do you require further experience and development?
• What do you want to achieve this year, next year, and the following year? What are your career goals?
• What is your plan for achieving these goals?
• What steps have you taken already to achieve these goals?
• How much time will you need to achieve these goals?
• What resources will you need to achieve these goals?
• Whom can you ask for help to achieve these goals?
• How can you overcome challenges?
• How do you hope your mentor can help you overcome your challenges?
• What do you hope to gain from a mentoring relationship?
• What specific career development guidance are you seeking?

Mentor-Mentee Matching
The best mentor-mentee relationships are those that develop because of a natural affinity between two people, but formal mentor-
mentee matching can be effectively done in various ways. The more important a firm considers the role of mentoring; the more
importance will be placed on making and maintaining the match. Office leadership and HR can be involved in the process to determine
both mentees and mentors and the match between, or mentoring can be a requirement of senior staff who then seek out a mentee - or
there is the novel approach used by the Minneapolis office of Leo A Daly, likened to “speed dating.”

MENTOR AND MENTEE MATCHMAKING

The Minneapolis office of Leo A Daly created an in-house mentorship • Strengthening corporate and office culture
program to further career development within the office. Mary • Improving job progression and succession planning
Erickson, Senior Associate, Finance Manager at Leo A Daly, • Positively affecting retention
Minneapolis, explains, “Our program goal is to gain personal • Leveraging talent throughout the office
development and professional growth through the guidance of • Increasing “workplace satisfaction” of employees involved in
others. We want both the mentor and mentee to have a renewed mentoring
interest and motivation in their work through the mentoring • Uncovering latent talent
relationship.” • Improving communication within the company and office,
particularly nonhierarchical
“Our experience shows us that every mentoring relationship is unique
because each person’s experiences, personality, and professional and The program consists of two enrollment sessions per year. Each session
personal development vary. Successful mentoring involves a dynamic involves the following components:
process where each person learns to respect and trust the other’s • Call for mentors and mentees. Before each session, individuals are
commitment, expertise, and individuality,” says Erickson. asked to volunteer as a mentor or mentee. The mentors and
With the support of the leadership of her office and the firm, Erickson mentees fill out a questionnaire to describe their interests and
formed a committee that created a mentorship program. Although preferences.
only three years old, the program has already shown many benefits, • Meet and greet. The “meet and greet” is a round-robin type of event
Including these: modeled after “speed dating” and an opportunity for the mentors

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and mentees to select a pairing. Each mentor completes a short the participants that both the mentor and the mentee are valued
biography which is distributed to the mentees beforehand. At the and that the office is committed to providing opportunities for both
event, the mentees rotate around the room meeting with each to remain and grow within the firm.
mentor for four minutes. Everyone has a chance to ask questions • Scheduled events. Throughout the session there are several
and determine the best fi t for the mentoring relationship. This scheduled group events, which foster a sense of ownership and
event has been well received and is a favorite of both the mentors belonging and provide informal support for mentors and mentees.
and mentees. The events consist of learning opportunities or social networking
• Program kickoff. The program is kicked off by the announcing of activities such as the popular “fireside chat,” which involves two to
the mentoring pairs. Each learns more about the program, their three invited speakers sharing stories from their careers and
roles and responsibilities, and the group events and activities. answering questions from the program participants.
Personality assessments, such as the Leadership Q (see the “For • Program conclusion. This event celebrates and formally wraps up
More Information” section at the end of the article) are the current mentorship session. However, the program participants
completed by both the mentor and mentee to help provide are strongly encouraged to continue their relationship after the
additional insight for relationship building. formal session concludes.
• Side-by-side mentoring. Because the emphasis is on both the “Our program supports the idea that a mentoring relationship is a
mentor and mentee experience, the program details are partnership, with both people showing respect and support for each
determined primarily by each mentoring pair based on what other. We are finding that mentoring enriches those who receive and
works best for them and what they hope to gain from their fulfills those who give,” explains Erickson.
relationship. Erickson believes that side-by-side mentoring shows

Time commitments for the mentor and mentee should be understood and accepted by both. Ideally, a mentoring relationship should last
for the duration of a mentee’s career, but the formal program should last at least a year, and should have a series of regular (perhaps
monthly) meetings for the mentor and mentee, as well as status and evaluative meetings (perhaps quarterly) for the mentoring program
manager and office leadership to gauge progress toward the goals and objectives.

Mentorship Preparation
Once the goals, objectives, and participants are identified, it is time to start preparing the participants. The goal of this preparation is to
define what mentoring is and what it is not, to set and record the expectation for mentors and mentees at the beginning of the program,
and to establish the schedule for the first meeting of the mentor and mentee. However, the most important aspect is to confirm that
both parties are able to make the commitment necessary for a successful mentoring relationship.
Mentees’ expectations of mentors might include :
• Helping to understand the firm’s goals and how to support those goals
• Helping to understand the firm’s culture
• Identifying areas for growth and development
• Demonstrating a genuine interest in the mentee
• Encouraging exploration of new ideas
• Being an active listener
• Providing appropriate and timely counsel
• Building the mentee’s ability to more effectively manage their time
Mentors’ expectations for mentees might include:
• Appreciation of the firm’s strategic goals
• Support the firm’s culture and values
• Being hungry for new challenges
• Being open to learning and change
• Being willing to take a risk
• Gaining new skills and work habits
• Soliciting and accepting constructive feedback
• Acting on the mentor’s suggestions and advice
• Prizing the value of the mentor’s work experience
• Appreciating access to the mentor’s network

The First Mentoring Meeting

The first meeting between mentor and mentee should begin with defining the goals the mentee and mentor have for the mentoring
relationship. These goals should be seen within the context of the firm’s strategy and aligned accordingly. Goals must be:
• Written: The process of thinking about and documenting a goal requires focus and is the first step toward achievement.

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• Specific: Form a clear statement of what you want to accomplish. If your goal is unclear, it will be difficult to reach. For example, an
unclear goal is to learn about project management. A specific goal is to learn three project management strategies for handling client
conflicts regarding fee collection.
• Challenging: Provide some personal “stretch.”
• Measurable: Include a defined measure of success, a “complete by” date, and how achieving this goal will apply to your professional
growth.
Discussions should continue as mentor and mentees share resumes and background specifics such as prior work experiences, why they
choose to work for this firm, what they like and don’t like about their current work assignments, and other areas of interest. They should
also agree in the first meeting on how often and when they will get together for subsequent discussions, including some special meetings
for the entire mentoring group coming together to hear from firm leaders describing their career paths and best/worst days; or attendance
at part of the annual strategic planning session. If the firm has a culture that strongly supports mentoring, these special events will be
meaningful and plentiful. Some firms use a mentoring agreement form to document the goals and schedule.

Subsequent Mentoring Meetings

In subsequent meetings, a mentee should share successes and challenges faced on projects and in the office, ask about issues affecting
the firm, share insights from their perspective, gain help on setting priorities, discuss issues facing the leadership and the profession, ask
for suggestions for additional training and education, and confirm progress toward goals. A mentor is expected to frame the conversation
in light of the firm’s strategic goals with a view toward discovering how the mentee can fi t within this context. A mentor is expected to
listen well and offer advice or suggestions to questions without solving problems directly for the mentee.
Evaluating the Mentorship Program
The mentoring program should be evaluated regularly and systematically to ensure that the firm’s strategic goals are being served, that
mentoring is strongly supported by the firm’s culture, that the mentoring matches are effective, and that individuals are able to see how
they fi t into the future development of the firm. Ideally, the firm’s culture encourages open, constructive, and candid discussions where
the program can be continually improved. A confidential online evaluation form is another effective way for participants to voice their
opinions and observations about what is working and what is not. Periodically gathering all mentees to discuss progress, reinforce the
firm’s culture, and broaden the mentoring experience can help keep mentees engaged and surface the successes and failures of the
program. Likewise, a separate session can be conducted for mentors to express their positive and negative experiences. The mentoring
program manager is responsible for capturing input, reporting what is learned to each group and to firm leaders, intervening in mentoring
relationships that are not working, and using all feedback tools to improve the program where needed. The mentoring program manager
could be someone internal to the firm or a consultant who specializes in mentoring programs within the AE community.
A final evaluation of the program should be conducted at the end of the stated program period. This evaluation should provide open-
ended questions that ask for suggestions and feedback for improving the program.
Success Formula for Mentoring
Regardless of the size of a firm, there are key elements the mentoring program must have to succeed:
• Support by office leadership

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• Clear program goals aligned with the firm’s strategy and business goals
• Mentees chosen based on high potential, interest, and commitment
• Mentors selected based on willingness and ability to mentor
• Thoughtful pairing of mentors and mentees
• Preparation to align mentee and mentor expectations of each other
• Clear and agreed-upon goals for each mentoring pair
• Regular mentoring sessions
• Evaluation of mentoring relationships, with early intervention if needed
• Follow-through on improvement suggestions, broad communication about the program successes, and continuing high standards
The quality of the architecture profession and the continuation of most firms are dependent on providing strong and effective mentoring
to new and rising professionals. Whether a formal or informal program is chosen, mentoring is critical to the long-term success of
architecture firms. This important need is growing more and more acute as many firm owners today plan for their retirement.

APPRAISALS AND EVALUATIONS

Feedback is integral to growth and improvement. A primary tool for professional feedback is a performance appraisal. Regular
performance appraisals and professional development discussions offer both the firm and the employee opportunities to take stock,
assess the relationship, and make plans for continued improvement. Properly approached and carried out, performance appraisals
provide the means to align staff activities with the firm’s goals, challenge staff, provide recognition, create a communication link between
supervisors and those they manage, and ensure that everyone has a common understanding of the requirements of the position.
The performance appraisal process begins by understanding the firm’s strategy and culture. Once a supervisor understands the overall
strategy of the firm, what the firm values and why, and what the firm requires for its long-term health, they can provide the everyday
praise and constructive criticism that forms the backbone of a formal appraisal. Providing feedback to staff members, both positive and
negative, on a regular basis increases the likelihood that staff knows and understands what is required of them to succeed. Unfortunately,
feedback of any kind is often neglected. It can be difficult to tell an employee that performance on a given task has been unsatisfactory.
Rather than using such situations as a learning experience, a supervisor may delay discussing an employee’s performance until an
accumulation of incidents results in dismissal.
Performance appraisals should be seen as an important responsibility that a supervisor has to an employee to help them gain confidence
that the professional choices made so far are serving an individual well (or not), that there is a path in the organization that holds promise
for an individual (or not), and that there are specific ways of improving and progressing in one’s career (or not). Having a frank discussion
with an employee about the pluses and minuses of their performance is a privilege that supervisors should exercise to help grow the
profession, help the firm achieve its goals, develop strong architectural skills in others, and match individuals with career paths that take
advantage of their innate strengths.
In general, the appraisal process is one part of career planning for the employee and implementation of the firm’s strategic plan. The
purpose of a formal appraisal is to improve performance by recording the strengths and weaknesses of a member of the firm; it is used
to establish a plan for improvement or a path for accelerating growth.

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More specifically, appraisals are an opportunity for both parties to communicate goals, expectations, opportunities for improvement, and
progress. They help the firm identify and determine ways to develop management potential. They can become part of the process of
determining promotions and, when necessary, layoffs. It is also an opportunity for employees to evaluate their managers and the firm in
general, providing healthy and innovative two-way input for the firm’s management.
Performance appraisals can achieve much, including:
• Communication of the firm’s goals and priorities
• Clarification of an employee’s roles, responsibilities, and expectations
• Encouragement and support of communication between managers and employees in both directions
• Recognition of accomplishments and needed improvements
• Identification of training and development needs along with plans to address them
• Sharing of input or feedback from others
• Setting of new annual goals and objectives
• Ability to serve as a basis for salary and promotion decisions
• Establishment of long-term professional goals and a path to achieve them
• Protection of the firm against potential employment litigation

What Is a Performance Appraisal?

Performance appraisal and professional development are two different processes. However, they are often conducted together, much to
the confusion of staff members. It is important to be clear with staff about which process is being attempted, or if both processes are
combined.
A performance appraisal or review looks backward at how an employee performed their work over the past evaluation period. The
appraisal has two parts: the evaluation or judgment of the employee’s past performance, usually measured against job descriptions or
responsibilities; and second, the feedback provided to the employee about the evaluation.
Professional development looks forward at an employee’s future goals and opportunities to grow along a career path. It can be used to
correct minor deficiencies, set new goals, define new learning programs, and show staff how they might advance and grow within the
profession.
Another area of discussion is whether the performance appraisal should contain a discussion about an employee’s salary and promotions,
or be limited to performance aspects only. One camp will argue that linking an appraisal with a salary review reduces the opportunity for
a constructive review, as it is perceived as too narrowly focused, judgmental, and punitive. The other camp will argue that there should
be a direct connection between performance and compensation so employees see that better performance results in higher pay and
consideration for a promotion. The issue is most important when an employee is unaware of or in denial about their shortcomings at
work. In this case, supervisors need to prepare for a (sometimes lengthy) constructive discussion about these shortcomings and when
relevant, connect them to the decision for denying a raise or promotion.
Whatever a firm chooses to include in their performance appraisal process should be clearly communicated in advance to all em ployees
to avoid poor alignment between expectations and reality. Likewise, it is important for the firm to spell out how the review process is
related to the salary review program.
The best appraisals are those that:
• Determine whether the efforts of the employee are aligned with the goals, strategies, and tactics of the firm through a clear dialogue
that defines what the employer wants the employee to do.
• Determine whether there are any performance gaps or areas where an employee has met or exceeded expectations through a
discussion of how well an employee has performed. This discussion covers successes and failures, good outcomes, and mistakes.
• Describe how an employee can improve areas needing attention or accelerate their development.
• Are based on job performance and behavior using facts, specific examples, and quantifiable results rather than opinions, hunches, or
generalizations.
• Are seen as constructive-where the reviewer serves also as a coach and counselor, not merely as a judge.
• Are based on information that is familiar to an employee, gleaned from the regular and consistent feedback given by their supervisor
over the entire performance period. Nothing in the review should surprise an employee or be seen as new information.
• Reflect the work of the entire review period, not simply the current assignment(s).
Timing and Frequency of Appraisals
To be effective, appraisals and professional development planning should be done at regular intervals. Many firms conduct reviews once
a year, although some management consultants recommend semiannual or even quarterly reviews. One approach is to review everyone
during the same time period. Another approach sets review dates to align with the anniversary date of employment. There are advantages
and disadvantages to both. Reviewing everyone in the firm in the same time frame allows for assessment of the full staff relative to each
other, consistent messaging about the process, and an easy application of any salary adjustments to the business plan. Reviewing staff

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on the anniversary of their employment allows for better integration of the time to review employees with other supervisory
responsibilities over the course of a year rather than all at once, and permits a ready means of marking the employee’s hiring anniversary.
Whichever approach is used, the emphasis should be on providing continuous feedback to staff on the progress of their career.

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