Management
Performance, Productivity, and Profits
Performance and productivity are closely linked words yet, in many firms, they are neither treated nor understood in the same way. In subtle ways they are very different indeed. Read full »
A Delicious Yet Dangerous Paradox
Increasingly, firms are reporting higher percentages of backlog because of increased repeat client work. It is quite natural to think of this as a financial strength. Read full »
Firms Report Fees, Profits Edging Up
This headline is not a mistake. *DesignIntelligence* is currently conducting research on the growth rates at several hundred firms in the United States and Canada. Read full »
DI's Firm of the Month: HKS
CEO Ralph Hawkins Speaks out on Growth, Recruitment, BIM Technology, and the Future Read full »
Deeper Strategic Thinking
In the 10th anniversary issue of DesignIntelligence, I wrote an article titled “Why the Future Won’t Need Today’s Architects” that some of you thought was overly sensationalist. Read full »
Why the Future Won't Need Today's Architects
What’s next for successful architecture, engineering, and design practices? This is the question we will explore more deeply in the upcoming months in DesignIntelligence. Read full »
Navigating the Most Complex Human Resource Dilemmas
It’s time to evolve the “Human Sacrifice Department” into “Human Prosperity Department” within the architectural firm. Read full »
Delivering on Great Design: Charting Your Success
Truly creative people do things that, by definition, have not been done before. At the same time, each and every job is bounded by the parameters of budget and schedule, which provide the... Read full »
ASD Harmonizes Architecture, Interiors
Here is [ASD] vice president Michael Neiswander’s comments on how to make the chemistry work and philosophies blend: Read full »
Can Your Culture Use a Redesign?
Without your leadership the organization’s culture may not develop the edge that success requires; without it expectations will falter and disappoint. Read full »
Management by Design: Exploiting the Neglected Power of Form
Designers have often been encouraged to learn about management, but equally true, managers need to learn about design. As a broad-ranging discipline with centuries of history, design adds to the... Read full »
2010: A Year of Convalescence
The 25 most significant trends transforming architecture and design can offer sustenance during a painfully slow recovery. Read full »
A Visionary Agenda: 30 Trends Will Thin the Herd
Despite the daily assault of traditional marketing tactics, we believe clients are actually persuaded most often by the power of word of mouth and by what they hear from trusted sources. Read full »
9.11: In Disaster's Wake
The sudden destruction of the nation's financial center will wreak havoc on the nation's design firms in a number of ways, many yet to be discovered. Read full »
Beware "Loss of Signal"
Most organizations comprise layers of management that operate very much like a caste system. Horizontal communication in any given layer is relatively easy and fluid, but communication either up or... Read full »
Slow Times Need Fast Thinking
While nobody can predict with certainly what course the economy will take, there are some tactics that will help you navigate the slow periods. Read full »
Coping with Change: Is Fast Fast Enough?
As the owner of an executive search firm working with service providers and owners, we’ve been able to observe a variety of organizations both at their most hectic in responding to apparently... Read full »
From Silos to Networks: Organizing for Success
Good design and good management are simply two sides of the same coin—they are mutually necessary and mutually reinforcing. Read full »
Strategic Plan Implementation: How to Make Good Things Happen and Better Things Happen Consistently
Getting the strategic plan right is hard to do, but implementing it is even harder. And everyone’s job depends on it. Read full »
Designing a Successful Ownership Transition
Ten lessons learned as a professional services firm transitions. Read full »
