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Management Consulting
Become strategic instead of just opportunistic. Plan firm growth, consider ownership transition, get ready for the recovery. Help for start-ups, for solo practitioners, and management coaching available.
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Relevant, practical and participatory education for design professionals. Workshops and seminars on design firm practice and small firm management. All are eligible for AIA learning units.
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Retreats can be effective and engaging. Open Space Technology method is used to maximize participation and results for design firms, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations.
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Over twenty years experience in residential design and construction. Services offered include: residential design consultation; expert witness services; code consulting and compliance inspection.
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The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management
by Rena M. Klein, FAIA, published by John Wiley and Sons
The definitive guide to management success for small design firm leaders and sole practitioners
Available at Amazon.com and Wiley.com
Owning and operating a small architectural design firm can be challenging, with tight project deadlines, on-the-fly meetings, rush proposals, and fluctuating workloads as part of the day-to-day. To help small firm owners cope with the chaos and prepare for the unexpected, here is The Architect’s Guide to Small Firm Management, a no-nonsense guide to repurposing daily demands into workable, goal-directed solutions.
Crucial topics such as self-aware leadership, people management, technology, financial health, scenario planning, sustainable practice, and future trends are examined using real life case studies and business model paradigms. This definitive text explores the whole system experience of a small firm practice to deliver organizational strategies proven to keep a firm’s creative mission on a steady, productive path.
Interview in AIArchitect, March 8, 2011
Submitted by rena on Mon, 04/11/2011 - 09:06
SMALL PROJECT PRACTITIONERS
A Q&A with Rena Klein, FAIA: Small Firms Between Recession and Recovery
Strategic planning and the collaborative pooling of design resources are the keys to repositioning small firms and sole practitioners
By Sara Fernandez Cendon
Get Your Firm Ready for Recovery
By Rena M. Klein, FAIA
Many architectural firms grow and shrink along with the economic cycle, never breaking out of the up and down pattern dictated by macro conditions. Firm leaders who see the downturn as an opportunity to re-shape their firms can position themselves for growth and financial success when the economy recovers.
In order to benefit from a downturn, firm leaders must have a vision of what they want their firm to be when the inevitable recovery occurs. Along with optimism, success in a slowdown requires imaginative strategic thinking. And, as the pace of work slows, time becomes available for reflective thought, work process improvement, and overdue professional development.