Architects don’t have all the answers
and architects aren’t going to learn from new questions and their answers if they continue to just talk amongst themselves.
It’s astonishing the number of talks and conferences that are concertedly architects speaking amongst themselves.
This isn’t to critique any particular talk, symposium or conference. But it’s remarkable the number themed around promoting the profession, making change in the profession or discussing its future and don’t have any participants outside of the profession.
I have questions…
Why does the architecture profession think it has all the answers?
What’s to fear in letting in other voices to these discussions?
What might be learnt through seeking out new or alternate voices and ways of thinking and seeing the world?
Where is the interesting work to adopt new ideas and thinking in with the express idea to introduce evolutionary thinking into another profession?
Whose insights and ideas should architects introduce into their thinking?
Architects don’t need to listen, but it’s not a great look for a contemporary profession to exclude insights from outside of the profession.
It leads to inbreeding
The failure to introduce new ideas is a kind of inbreeding. Especially if the best ideas survive through a form of evolutionary pressures. It’s the survival of the fittest ideas.
The profession would be well served to seek out new ideas to prevent the inbreeding of their current thinking.
Opportunities missed
The reality is that architects aren’t alone in isolating themselves from external voices. Many professions do likewise. But introducing new ways of seeing and thinking is a form of leadership.
It’s not leadership. Introducing new people and their thinking extends the professional network. It creates goodwill. And it might allow opportunities to open up in others areas.
There’s nothing like seeing yourself through the eyes of others. It’s often confronting but there’s so much to be learnt. It’s not always bad, sometimes it’s very good, shining a light on something to leverage. When the insight is not so flattering it’s an opportunity to remedy a problem to the profession’s benefit.
It’s all upside
There’s no downside to architects including more outside voices in their talks and thinking. I’m curious to see the impact of taking such action. My challenge to architects is to actively seek out new sources of ideas to challenge their thinking and the status quo.
Michael is an Architecture Leadership Coach
Supporting architects in mastering a creative model of leadership to build a more adaptable and efficient practice.
Unleash the collective energy, passion, and capabilities of your people.
Find him at Unmeasured
