ELP March 2012 Class: Panel Discussion Topic: Mentors & Protégés

Panelists:

Mr. Clyde Porter, FAIA; Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management and Planning/ District Architect for the Dallas County Community College District

Ms. Marcel Quimby, FAIA; Principal and Founding Partner of Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture
Mr. Robert Richardson: President and Founder of Regent Communities

The topic du jour for our March gathering revolved around mentors – how to find one, how to be a good one and perhaps most importantly, how to get the most out of the experience. As one would likely imply by the class name ‘Emerging Leaders,’ most of us find ourselves more on the protégé side, although a few of us have had opportunities to advise interns in our respective firms. Representing the opposite side of the coin – the mentors – was a panel of guests bringing different perspectives in regards to mentorship. I had a few “a-ha moments” (to quote Oprah) in listening to their thoughts and opinions. The first one came from Mr. Porter, who encouraged us to first spend some time setting a life plan for ourselves – asking ourselves where we want to go and how we want to get there. This plan can be career-centric or more holistic depending on what is best for you. Once this plan takes form, it becomes easier to seek out people who can help you realize your goals, in whole or in part. Moreover, it may not be one person that can help you fulfill all of your aspirations – it is possible and maybe even preferable to establish these kinds of relationships with several people regardless of their profession. As Mr. Richardson added, “a wise person can help you whether they are in the field of architecture or not.”

It was apparent from the questions my fellow classmates posed to the panel that many were unsure of how to go about finding a mentor. A lucky few of us (me included) are in the fortunate position of having a boss that takes the time to be a mentor and truly cares about our professional development. Others that do not consider their bosses to be willing and able mentors are forced to look beyond their studio or even beyond their firm for that support. It can be a daunting task to approach someone and ask them to make an emotional as well as a time commitment to your growth as an architect or as a person. My second light bulb moment came when Mr. Richardson explained that many professionals who truly have a lot to offer in the way of mentorship often don’t realize this. They don’t think of themselves as being in a position to help navigate someone else’s career path. This can be especially true when there is a substantial generation gap and technology becomes a factor. It can be hard for the architects who are part of the pencil and mayline generation to relate to the younger computer whizzes rising through the ranks today. This perspective would have never occurred to me, but now that I think about it, it seems so obvious. They are just as scared of us as we are of them….who knew?

My final takeaway from this discussion was that communication is key. Effective communication was cited by all three panelists across the board as the single most important skill to develop, no matter where your career path takes you. It transcends technology and bridges the generation gap between the student and the teacher. You may not be able to find a single person that embodies everything you are looking for in a mentor, but if you can find someone who can communicate well, you stand to learn a great deal.

Ellen Mitchell, HKS