I stumbled upon this interesting article about advancement in Architecture. The article is written by Brinn Miracle, Associate AIA who has several blogs and other sites of self publication which are worth checking out.
What struck me about this article is the challenge to think about advancement not as a ladder to climb, but as a net to expand. She suggests that successful advancement is not really about completing tasks in a logical or incremental way, but rather to find something more intrinsic in your own values and skills that can be leveraged within the social environment of work in which you live. You can become a trusted adviser only if you are willing to engage others, to ask for help, and to give help in return. This type of practice becomes deeper, more connected, and quite honestly less intimidating. All of your future work (and perhaps even social relationships) are not things to be conquered or achieved, they simply need to be nurtured and allowed room to grow.
What struck me about this article is the challenge to think about advancement not as a ladder to climb, but as a net to expand. She suggests that successful advancement is not really about completing tasks in a logical or incremental way, but rather to find something more intrinsic in your own values and skills that can be leveraged within the social environment of work in which you live. You can become a trusted adviser only if you are willing to engage others, to ask for help, and to give help in return. This type of practice becomes deeper, more connected, and quite honestly less intimidating. All of your future work (and perhaps even social relationships) are not things to be conquered or achieved, they simply need to be nurtured and allowed room to grow.
