Committee on Design

Why do you love being an Architect?

  • 1.  Why do you love being an Architect?

    Posted 09-17-2014 07:50 AM
    This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Custom Residential Architects Network and Committee on Design .
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    Some of you may have seen my posts in the last few months relating to being an architect and why you do what you do.  
    I am a student at the University of Wyoming completing my bachelors in Business Administration; and I am off to the University of Las Vegas in December 2015 to start my Masters in Architecture.  I am posting these different things not only for my class projects, but because I am really interested in what makes an architect, tick...and how we can work to improve why people love their jobs and how they get through their 8-hr day with a smile on their face.  
    I am currently reading The Progress Principle by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer; an amazing book on the inner work life balance and how employees live on positive events/progress at work to get through their day.  This book fascinates me because I would love to be CEO of my own company one day; and I would really like my employees to feel like the employees at Google: always positive, energized, innovative, and LOVE WHAT THEY ARE DOING!
    Below you will find some questions about how your life is at work and how that makes you feel.  I would really like to see what architects have to say about their jobs!  Feel free to answer some or all of the questions, all responses are INCREDIBLY APPRECIATED!

    1. What are some of the things that you enjoy most about your job?
    2. What motivates you to stay at this job?
    3. What motivates you to perform well and give extra effort in your work?
    4. Is there anything that you wish you could change about your job?
    5. Is there anything that frustrates you about your coworkers or the organization you work for?
    6. What is one way that you would improve your job if you could?
    7. Do you know what is expected of you at work? How does that affect your motivation?
    8. Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do your work right? How does that affect your motivation at work?
    9. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? Why or why not?
    10. In the last 7 days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work? How does that make you feel?
    11. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about you as a person? How does that affect your commitment to your job?
    12. Is there someone at work who encourages your development? How does that make you feel?
    13. At work, do your opinions seem to count? Why or why not?
    14. Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important? How does that relate to your motivation at work?
    15. Are your co‐workers as committed to doing quality work? How does that affect your work?
    16. In the last 6 months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress? How did that make you feel?
    17. This last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow? How has that affected your work performance?
    18. Does time pass quickly when you are at work? Why or why not?

    Finally, if you wouldn't mind giving me a brief few sentences about your job title and what specifically you do at work:

    These questions/responses will be used in a report on how architects feel at work, they will not be reposted to AIA or any other online forum, I appreciate any and all responses!!

    Thank You!!

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    Jake Lara
    Lara Engineering and Architecture
    Laramie WY
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