New Year’s Resolutions for principal of a firm (in this case, size does not matter).
1. Be honest with my employees.
2. Be respectful to my employees and open to their suggestions.
3. If absolutely necessary for economic reasons, I resolve not to lay off any employees but instead to furlough them—as well as to furlough or reduce my own salary. And I resolve not to exploit them by demanding that they work on their furlough days.
More after the break.
5. Do not exploit employees by requiring constant, unpaid overtime; if it is absolutely necessary, I resolve to work right beside them until they go home.
6. Encourage mentoring between senior and junior employees.
7. Do not mistake yelling, threats, or condescension for effective managerial skills.
8. Do not waste money on large, office-wide events or business-class travel at the expense of my employees’ wages.
9. Do not expect more of my employees than I expect of myself, including how quickly (or not) design and computer tasks can be done.
10. Do not treat my employees in any way I do not treat myself. (Note: If you are a masochist, this does not apply to you and since you are in architecture you could be a masochist.)
New Year’s Resolutions for employee / jr. designer
1. Do not drink coffee as if I am on an IV drip. One, or at the maximum, two cups of the brown elixir per day. And for that matter abstain from toxic canned energy drinks.
2. I will no longer consider the walk from my car to the office as “exercise”—only half an hour or more of concerted effort will count.
3. Do not regularly fantasize about hurting, maiming, or otherwise inflicting injury upon members of management.
4. I resolve to never again eat at my workstation. Ever.
5. Lead a balanced life—see family, friends, take holidays, and have fun.
6. Be more active in holding the leadership responsible for running the office well.
7. Be willing to offer suggestions and opinions to leadership and to hold them accountable for responding.
8. Leave work worries at work; home is home.
9. Explore different, non-architecture-related intellectual and physical interests. Whoo hoo!
10. Stop playing with my iphone under my desk and talking about “apps.” Well, not totally.
