Give Me Your Comments!

I’m still learning how to Blog, and starting to warm up to it more and more. This blog is now syndicated to my social profiles, but it doesn’t receive many visitors yet. I hope to grow and provide better blog content and grow my Tribe. I’ve also started a blog at work to add additional InterDesign content on our website, but I will probably only post articles and presentations I’m giving on behalf of InterDesign, not my personal opinions.

This brings us to the title, I Want Your Comments. If this blog rocks your boat a little or you know more than me on a topic, please post the comment. I would rather have you tell me to my face (well my face on the internet in this case) in front of everyone so everyone reading can learn from you as well. The blog doesn’t have to be a one-way tool, in-fact I’ve read two great blog posts about the detriment of one-way corporate blogs. Why Corporations Shouldn’t Moderate Their Blog Comments provides good reasons to “allow comments,” digital natives will comment elsewhere anyway, so let them comment at the source. Then going deeper, On The Other Hand, Maybe Your Company Should Not Blog is the perfect example of a blog with a thought provoking message and great content in the comments. The comments given to Twist Image (via their corporate blog) provide more content than their original blog post.

Should my corporation blog? Is it too personal? Business is personal. Clients select architects based on the relationship, not just the graphics. If InterDesign can become a source for the information our clients need to be successful before, during, and after their project with us, it’s a win-win-win. We’ll have the opportunity to provide the service, they will get a better product based on their increased knowledge, and then we’ll keep the relationship fresh providing them with long range strategies to prepare for future building projects or the continued maintenance of their facility. The challenge is in the doing. A worthwhile blog is a lot of work (I know how hard this is for me), and to be relevant there needs to be new content. As I ponder this, let me know what you think. Does your corporation have a blog? Share it here, let us all know your suggestions. Let’s get this dialog started!

(As a follow up, I read an interesting blog on the comments that matter, Ignore your critics)

First Thoughts about Tribes

I’m in Terre Haute for a fraternity “Official Visit” of the Gamma Omega chapter at Indiana State University. In my down time between meetings I’ve got started reading Tribes by Seth Godin (another book getting me motivated to create change!). I’m about a third through the book, but I wanted to put some things in writing to see what others think.

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” “A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.”

I’m a member of a lot of formal tribes: church, professional groups (AIA, CSI, DBIA), ACE Mentoring, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, InterDesign, probably others... I’m also a member of a lot of online tribes at Facebook, LinkedIn, IndyLink, Smaller Indiana, others, several blogs I follow… These fit the definition of a shared interest and a way to communicate.

“Tribes need leadership.” “You can’t have a tribe without a leader – and you can’t be a leader without a tribe.”

As I continue reading, I agree that you can’t have a tribe without some leadership. Considering my tribes, many aren’t going anywhere. They have the common interest and a leader is there to maintain a way to communicate, but it isn’t leading to a change. Tribe members are all growing together, but so are those outside of these tribes …

“Some tribes are stuck.” “Every one of those tribes, though, is a movement waiting to happen, a group of people just waiting to be energized and transformed.” “All that’s missing is leadership.”

WOW, that sums up the world I live in! Most of my tribes are stuck. No clear, clairvoyant leaders, just managers that keep a way to communicate (scheduled meeting times, topics of interest…). The tribes are just floating… They stick to traditions, not understand the origins. All want to grow members, but for the purpose of revenue or simply more people to talk to. Now is the time to be challenging the status quo and questioning why the tribe is worth the time and effort. The potential is enormous!

“…tribes are everywhere now…” “Every one of these tribes is yearning for leadership and connection. This is an opportunity for you – an opportunity to find or assemble a tribe and lead it. The question isn’t, Is it possible for me to do that? Now, the question is, Will I choose to do it?”

As the Jesus said in the bible “the fields are white for the harvest,” opportunities to teach others the gospel abound. Opportunities to lead abound as well. I recognize this, that’s why I’m a leader everywhere I go, but I’m not creating a groundswell, not yet. I’ve diluted my time with too much...

As I continue in this book and my own self exploration, I’ll share more down the road. I would like to challenge those reading to look at the need around you for change. Where is your passion? How do you contribute to your tribes to benefit those in the tribe and the leader(s)? Can you do more? Are you the leader they need?

Tips on working with a bunch of personalities

As you can probably tell, I’m interested in working with people. I attended the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Main Street Institute class How Understanding Personality Type Can Propel Business. JR Keller from the IU Kelley School of Business taught us about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The MBTI measures a persons preferences, tendencies, and characteristics. It does not measure aptitude, emotions, stress, “normalcy,” maturity, skill, intelligence, or learning. You can use the MBTI to help with relationships, careers, education, spirituality, counseling, problem-solving, and work/organizations. It should not be used for hiring or applicant selection (this isn’t illegal, but highly unethical, especially when not administered by a person qualified to interpret the MBTI results).

The few big points that I found interesting are the situational examples of how different personalities perceive and react to situations. I have extroversion tendencies. I can react quickly to someone requesting my feedback. Someone with introversion tendencies needs to work out their solution in their head before responding. While I may expect others to give me answers when I ask, I should respect that others need more time to think through it first. Conversely, my first response may not be my final decision. When working with someone with introversion tendencies, I need to be thoughtful of my response, they will take it as my final decision (I had already learned this lesson the hard way, I just didn’t know why it was this way).

To make meetings more effective, the introversion crowd is more effective when they can get the agenda several days in advance. This allows their mind time to draw conclusions prior to the meeting. In the meeting, the extroversion crowd may want to get off topic (as they are thinking out loud), but keeping to the pre-published agenda will allow the introversion crowd to contribute more feedback.

You can’t really step into the other person’s shoes. This is something I’ve been trying to do for a few years. The reality is, my tendencies that are strong one way (intuitive, thinking, and judging) make it more difficult for me to understand the other side. This doesn’t mean I can’t relate, just that I will have to work harder to understand things from their perspective. I’m not as strong in my extroversion preference, which explains why I can more easily relate to those with the introversion tendency.

Finally, what we appreciate most in ourselves is also what we appreciate in others. It’s similar to the Golden Rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I’m an ENTJ and I often have wondered why others don’t think like me. In the United States, only 3-5% of people are ENTJs; I would agree that 95-97% of people don’t see things from my point of view at times. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know myself better and learning how to work better with others, I hope to bring this new found insight to my office and those around me (a logical conclusion for an ENTJ to make). You can find a link to a free MBTI analysis in my earlier blog post discussing this topic here.

Unfortunate Series of Events

I have been keeping this blog professional, but after this crazy morning, I have to share a personal story…

Last night was hockey with the guys (Jack, Norman, Uncle Rob, Jay, Dustin and me). We got home late and I was up until 3 AM talking with others. Shannon was up and going at 6:45 AM for an all-day fraternity event. The phone rang about 9 AM waking me (soccer practice starts at 9 AM and it takes 30-minutes to drive there!). Boys still asleep, I’m running around, flight of the bumble bee to get us all loaded in the car by 9:15 AM to drive out to the northeast side, missing soccer practice. Luckily, there is a second practice of Jack’s age group at 11 AM. Coach Jeremy says “no problem,” so we top off the gas tank then head to Walmart to kill some time.

After walking around lightly shopping, Jack tells me he needs to pee. We head for the front, go through the check-out where my total is $7.77. The clerk states, “It must be your lucky day,” (she had no idea how much worse it was about to get). As I head over to the men's room, seeing it is closed for cleaning, Jack tells me “I need dry pants.” We are too late!!! We head to the back of the store for the other restroom to assess the situation. Yup, pee all in his pants, soccer shorts, underwear, and socks… I’m now debating whether to give up and head for home or try to get him cleaned up for soccer. I wring out the clothes then notice a hand dryer… You got it; I rinse the clothes and spend a few minutes drying with the hand dryer. After having 2-3 people try to enter the family toilet room we’ve got dry shorts. I swing by the children’s clothes and pick up a pack of socks and underwear for a second round of check-out (no lucky numbers this time).

We’ve survived. A quick change in the car and Jack is all set for practice with clean and dry garments. Practice goes well, I’m glad we didn’t go home, this is definitely one of Jack's highlights all week. The trip home is thankfully uneventful and now they are down napping. I've had an eventful morning of the joys of parenthood, I’m ever so grateful for the incredibly hard work Shannon puts in for our boys. You can read her many adventures on her blog: My Boys.

Follow-Up to title "Architect"

The topic of the title "Architect" came up at the AIA Indianapolis Board meeting this morning. The message I reference in an earlier post was brought up and our Board member who is also on the Registration Board noted that the title "Intern" alone is ideal for the "Graduate Architect," but "Architectural Intern" would also be OK, though not as clear. That was nothing new to me.

Now the interesting part, someone holding a title with "Architect" in it (i.e. Staff Architect, Graduate Architect, Software Architect...) is personally liable for their misrepresentation of qualifications. While the decision of what title unlicensed individuals have is typically dictated by the company you work for, if the Attorney General decided to start prosecuting the violators, only the individual is breaking the law, not the company.

So if you hold a variation on the title "______ Architect" without a license, you're breaking the law in Indiana. I can't wait for NCARB or the AIA to issue a recommendation on titling of unlicensed people.

Upcoming Events

I'm involved in several upcoming events and I wanted everyone to know that you are invited!

Thursday, March 19

5:30 PM - CSI Chapter Meeting with Past National President Edith Washington

Thursday, April 16

5:30 PM - Joint AIA/CSI Meeting with Bill Browne, Ratio Architects presenting on the Convention Center Expansion

Thursday, April 23

7:30 AM - DBIA-Great Lakes Region Program: Integrating Sustainable Construction and Design-Build Delivery (I'm a presenting panel member with three others from Pepper Construction)

Monday, May 4

2:15 PM - IAHSA Spring Conference: Facilities Renovation: Maximum Value at
Minimal Cost (I'm co-presenting with Dan Ware, though my name is not printed in their programs list, just Dan's)

Thursday, May 20

8:00 AM - CSI Seminar on Fire Compartmentation, presented by members of FCIA

What is your super power?

Interesting Seth Godin blog, “What’s your super power?” has got me thinking, what is my super power? Simply introducing myself as: “Hi, my name is Blake Wagner, I’m an architect with InterDesign,” doesn’t quite cut it. This has been my introduction for a couple years, and hardy anyone remembers who I am. While the title has an air of superiority around it for some people, others see me as just another service provider. Perhaps my super power should be “I get things done” or “I’m good at breaking down tasks into manageable pieces.” I would hope my super power would include my love and appreciation for music and the arts, but now let’s get real. What makes me different? Why do I find myself with so many obligations? I think my weakness is “I don’t know how to say no.” Well, here is the superpower I’ll try on for size the next time I meet someone new: “Hi, my name is Blake, I design buildings and am working towards running my own firm someday.” That just about sums up my life right now. Not very memorable, but honest. What is your super power?

I’m an ENTJ, what are you?

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, I’m an ENTJ (Extraversion, iNtuition, Thinking, Judgment). An ENTJ is classified as Field Marshal by the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, one of the four types belonging to the temperament called Rationals. This explains why I don’t find a lot of people like me, Field Marshals are “hardly more than two percent of the total population.” It is a little creepy how well it can describe you. Follow this link for a free test, I would be curious to see your results.

$1,000,000,000,000

Do you know what $1 trillion means? The government is spending about $9.7 trillion on all the loans and bailouts. According to CNN.com, 1 trillion stacked dollars would reach nearly 68,000 miles, or one-third of the way to the moon. A professor interviewed by CNN.com computes you couldn’t spend $1 trillion if you spent $1 million a day since the day of Jesus’ birth. (adapted from Professional Builder, March 2009, www.ProBuilder.com)

The title “Architect”

I am an architect. I am passed my registration exams in December, 2005 and was licensed in January, 2006. I am also NCARB (National Council of Architectural Accreditation Boards) Certified, which allows me to get licensed in other states. I am proud of the title architect, and like many architects, don’t like the title being thrown around loosely. My title in the office is “Project Architect.” We also have Staff Architects and Graduate Architects, who are not licensed. Here comes the rub, I’m now put on an equal footing as those who didn’t go through the years of schooling, 3-year internship, pass 9-exams and the required continued education through classes and seminars to maintain my licensure.

I’m in no way saying these individuals are not talented. Many of them are, but they don’t assume the liability of carrying a government certification that states they are qualified to know what they are doing and can be held responsible for not upholding their professional responsibilities. Take for instance a politician in Colorado, Jack Johnson. This man is not licensed to practice architecture, and doesn’t practice architecture, but carries the title “architect” for his own glory. The Colorado licensing board issued a cease and desist order requiring him to discontinue his use of the title. He counter-sued and won against an underfunded State agency. Why did he sue, he felt the Board was impeding his First Amendment rights. From now on, I’ll be known as architect, Colorado City County Council Member (don’t you come after me Jack Johnson, this is my First Amendment Right!).

Thankfully, Indiana has attempted to give a little direction, because we do have professionals who are not licensed, but are in the field of architectural design, or are interns working towards being an architect. At their November 2008 Board meeting, the Indiana Board of Registration for Architects & Landscape Architects discussed the topic of “Architect Intern” issued the following statement:

“C. “Architect Intern”
Re: Defined

Can a person use the word “architect” on their card if they are not a registered architect, especially with regard to interns’ use of the term? One should not use the term architect in their title, cards, etc. unless they are licensed. See IC 25-4-1-26, where it is clearly defined and is a class C infraction.

IC 25-4-1-26 states in pertinent part:

Each of the following acts is a Class C infraction and each day's violation constitutes a separate offense:

(1) The practice of architecture by any person or the advertising or putting out of any sign or card or other device which might indicate to the public that he is entitled to practice as an architect, without a certificate of registration as a registered architect issued by the board.

Upon further discussion with staff counsel, "Architectural Intern" might be acceptable, as it does not indicate that the person is entitled to practice as an architect. Most people realize that an "intern" is not a full-fledged professional. The other titles seem to imply that the person is able to practice architecture, and is therefore licensed. In closing, please note that we are not authorized to offer legal advice or interpret the law. Please consider this email in that light.”

Thankfully we have some direction in Indiana, but it is just the start. When you see someone presenting themselves as an architect, rest assured they are licensed. Otherwise, they are breaking the law. Now as for software architects and using the word “architect” as a verb, that will be a future blog posting…

October 2009 UPDATE:

Architect Magazine ran the article "Trust Me, I'm an (Unlicensed) Architect" reinforcing the problem of people who have not been trained to design with the health, safety, and welfare of the people presenting themselves as licensed architects. It's nice to know some states are finally beginning to crack down, it's unfortunate that Indiana isn't one of them.

Manage Energy: A Process

Below is an article I submitted to IAHSA for their newsletter to be published Monday, March 9:

This article is the first in a series reviewing the points presented in the February 26, 2009, SavingSense Telephone Series: Improve Bottom Line through Better Energy Efficiency. InterDesign architects Dan Ware and D. Blake Wagner presented the phone conference. This initial article outlines a process for managing energy use.

It is not difficult to understand the benefits of saving energy. It reduces operating expenses, potentially increases productivity, and is the right thing to do for the environment. In an effort to increase the success rate, we offer below a six-step process to manage and reduce energy use. By empowering the right individuals, setting realistic goals, understanding current usage, finding opportunities, then implementing and tracking successes, one can create a real change, equating to real dollars and cents.

The first step is to form a team committed to continuous improvement. Choose individuals who will contribute to the effectiveness and odds of possible success. Be sure an individual from management is on the team—not just aware of the team—to provide a communication link and assist with possible operational changes. Include technical expertise, either in-house, or through a consultant, to assist with conveying how energy is consumed and how to implement changes. Try to get individuals from accounting or finance on-board early who understand the potential cost impacts—both spending and savings. Include someone involved in operations and maintenance; they can directly implement many early changes. Finally, get the passionate end users involved. They will keep up the team’s energy enthusiasm and relay the message to everyone they meet including staff and residents.

Step two involves setting goals. Once a team has been established concrete goals need to be outlined. Do you want to reduce cost? If so, keep in mind that electric and gas pricing may fluctuate and additional operations may make tracking actual cost savings difficult. Do you want to reduce energy? Or perhaps, your goal is to create a positive impact on operations and/or morale. Whatever the goals may be, they must be realistic. Reasonable ranges of improvement can be broken into three tiers. Initial efforts typically afford a 10-25% improvement by implementing many no-cost and low-cost changes. Secondary efforts could afford an additional 5-10% improvement, and generally require greater time and capital investment. Finally, implementing capital improvement projects of which costs and returns can be quite significant must be justified and adequately planned.

Step three involves analyzing utility history and understanding how energy is used at one’s facilities. Evaluate the past few years of utility bills. Calculate how much energy was used and identify peak usage times. Note yearly trends and seasonal variations. Use benchmark information from a similar building, located in the same geographic area, to compare the data. This is ideal for facilities with multiple buildings on one site. If benchmark data is not available, another option is to use the Energy Star Portfolio Manager at www.energystar.gov to find similar buildings for reference. Once a benchmark is established, look for abnormalities. Is your facility using as much gas during summer cooling months as it does during winter heating months? Are your facilities using more energy than the benchmark? If so, your team might be on the track to identifying savings opportunities.

Now that your team has evaluated usage, it’s time to find energy savings opportunities. Step four begins with increasing your team’s knowledge base. Attend phone conferences and read articles to increase awareness of what the senior living industry is doing. Use web-based tools like Energy Star for Small Businesses, www.energystar.gov. This tool provides how-to manuals, technical resources, case studies, savings calculators and more. One could also “go to school.” A suitable source is the Purdue University Technical Assistance Program: Energy Efficiency Services-Sustainable Business (Green) Services, PU TAP:EES. In this program Purdue offers workforce training, technical assistance, awareness presentations and workshops. More information is available at www.tap.purdue.edu.

Next, find opportunities. Survey your facility and list everything that uses energy: lights, HVAC, food service equipment, office equipment, medical equipment, etc. Map out where equipment is located. Then start implementing low-cost and no-cost opportunities such as changing energy intensive habits and operations, conducting proper routine maintenance, implementing better control, and utilizing improved technology. Develop solutions, quantify potential savings, and detail justifications for each improvement opportunity. Finally, prioritize projects and opportunities; keep in mind the goals developed in step two.

Step five is to implement the projects and opportunities. Once your team has received approval from management, get started. Assign responsibilities for implementing and tracking projects from commencement through completion. Set timelines and deadlines. If your facility needs assistance, use reputable vendors and contractors; don’t select vendors simply because they have advertised that they are “green.” Throughout implementation, keep communication lines open, raise awareness, and motivate all involved and affected.

Step six is to measure and verify. If a project is completed and no measurement data is collected, how does one track improvement? Upon completion, compare the results to the benchmark; then compare again at six, twelve, and twenty-four months. Complete this cycle and report results. Be sure to recognize all successful projects. Lastly, don’t stop! Continuously review activities, make adjustments, address ways to save energy and create a culture of continuous improvement.

The next article in this series identifies no-cost and low-cost opportunities afforded/available through operational changes and assistance programs.

About InterDesign
Established in 1975, InterDesign provides comprehensive professional services for senior living/long-term care, elementary and secondary education, higher education, libraries and churches/faith-based ministries.

Our firm’s highly qualified and experienced professional staff emphasizes collaboration and teamwork in their relationships with clients, consultants and contractors. An experienced project manager who offers specialized experience and ensures a high degree of communication, coordination, and continuity for your project leads each design team. The architectural team draws upon the in-house expertise of our staff of 24 professionals including, landscape architects, interior designers and construction administrators.

For more information contact InterDesign at:

InterDesign
141 E. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: 317.263.9655
fax: 317.263.9644
www.InterDesign.com

Reality Check

I've been remiss posting to my Blog, but I'm returning with this short post. We are a truly blessed nation and we're surrounded by spoiled people who can't see this. Dan Pink posted a great video clip of Louis CK, check it out: