Our clients looked across the table at me, their brows furrowed. We?d only been working with their mid-sized architectural firm for a few weeks, and I?d heard the same question in almost every meeting. Their firm was having trouble retaining its best design and technical staff. Most losses were at the intermediate and senior levels, and staffing projects was getting tougher. Teams were having trouble with deadlines and deliverables, and tempers were short. The partners were being drawn into project management and interpersonal conflicts.
At first, the partners thought it was all about money. Then they learned that their pay levels were more or less competitive. In fact, some talented people were jumping ship for relatively small increases. Some were even leaving for less money at relatively unknown studios. The whole situation left them puzzled. Was it about personality conflicts" Nope. The partners were well-liked and respected. In fact, employees consistently told us that they wanted much more time with the partners, valuing their design insight and mentorship. Was it about projects" Nope. The office was winning a steady stream of challenging, publishable work in which everyone took pride.
In fact, the partners believed their award-winning firm offered everything they themselves had wanted as young architects. Great projects. Fair pay. Casual studio. Yes, the hours were long, but sometimes people could take time off in lieu. The partners had the strong impressio...