INSIDE CSI
Michael Riscica, CSI, AIA
Some view mentorship as a formal process where two people are set up to connect and learn from each other. This can feel contrived and awkward, or even sound scary. My personal definition of mentorship is simply ‘learning from anyone farther along the path than I am.’
Many of my best mentors had no idea they were even fulfilling this role for me. In fact, thanks to technology, some of the most powerful mentors can be those with whom you connect online, despite never having met in real life.
Unfortunately, great mentors rarely seek you out, or get assigned by the gods of architecture and construction. (Frankly, everyone is too busy worrying about themselves.) It is your responsibility to find them. Here are four tips.
1. The right people for the right roles
In school, one of my favorite professors would dish out relationship advice. We learned a great deal about design from him, but relationships weren’t his strong point—he had a lot of tension in his personal and professional life. His gift
to the world was being a brilliant architecture professor; he shone in that arena, but I politely wrote off most advice he offered outside it.
It’s unlikely one person will ever satisfy all the roles in our lives that require mentorship—career, entrepreneurship, relationships, design, practicing architecture, marketing, parenting, finances, politics, and health have little to do with each other. Just because someone is an expert in one of these areas doesn’t mean they know anything about another. An expert contractor in road construction is not always an expert contractor in building construction.
2. Learn from mistakes
A harsh reality of architecture and construction is everyone who has found success has been burned at least once. Projects get messed up, relationships go sour, people get sued. This is simply part of the risk involved—there are
too many moving parts and variables for it not to happen.
What’s important is how people move forward after they’ve been through a bad situation. Are they able to deal with their problems and keep going? One of the most powerful attributes of successful people can be their mindset and attitude after bad times.
3. Always actively seek mentors
Seeking mentors is not just a moment in time at the beginning of your career, but a never-ending process. Sometimes, the very best mentors are the people not much farther along than you are or those who will fill your needs at a particular time in your life or career.
With TED talks, podcasts, YouTube, the blogosphere, books, and social media, it’s not hard to find great mentors or people you find incredibly inspiring. Don’t be afraid to outgrow your mentors, as well—this is perfectly normal. After all, the advice we need today is often different than the advice we needed five years ago (or the guidance we will need five years from now). Ideally, you should be constantly bringing new, fresh perspectives into your life that are applicable to what you face today.
4. Always look to mentor others
A big part of your success is your ability to support, guide, and lead others. Connecting with the idea ‘it’s not only about you’ can have a big effect on your career and relationships. When you can think this way, amazing people, situations, and opportunities become much more accessible.
Always remember, actions and behavior are much more powerful than words. Often, the smaller things you consistently do are just as powerful as spending many hours formally mentoring someone.
Mentoring can often work both ways. The old lesson says it is better to give than to receive, but being in a succesful mentoring relationship frequently means both giving and receiving for the two parties.
Michael Riscica, CSI, AIA, is a licensed architect who lives in Portland, Oregon, with his Labrador retriever. Passionate about helping emerging professionals, he blogs at YoungArchitect.com. Riscica can be reached via e-mail at michael@youngarchitect.org.
