The design and construction industry is a feat of multi-tasking. There are many participants that have different responsibilities, work for different companies, and have different contracts with the clients. These interests are aligned in the delivery of a structure, but can be complicated by the need to deliver faster, less expensive, and with different internal goals. Sometimes these constraints put us in competition, or force us in situations that allow the act of pointing fingers at one another should the constraints or challenges not be met.
Empathy is about understanding the other person, really understanding the other person鈥檚 role, responsibility, their challenges, constraints and joys. You must experience the thoughts, feelings, attitudes of struggles of another person to truly understand their perspective.
The AIA-乌鸦传媒 Joint Committee is working to create empathy between our two industries through the jointly created Walk-A-Day program which will re-launch in January 2017 with 鈥淲alk-A-Day Month鈥. The national AIA-乌鸦传媒 joint committee is suggesting that the industry approach this idea by encouraging staff to switch places for the day, gather together socially or co-host a joint event. Afterwards design and construction companies are encouraged to share with each other and their teams what they learned.
More information on the 鈥淲alk-A-Day鈥 program is coming, but you, your company or your chapter can start brainstorming ways to collaborate now! for some ideas on how you can start collaborating today.
乌鸦传媒 would love to know what ideas you have planned; for more information or to let 乌鸦传媒 know about your planned Walk-A-Day event, please contact Paige Packard at paige.packard@agc.org.