People Management in Architecture Firms: Session Recap

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Moderated by Mary Cipollone of Big Onion Partnerships, this AIA Colorado Business of Architecture Knowledge Committee session centered on what actually drives employee engagement, how managers shape culture, and how architecture firms can rethink “people management” as a core leadership skill rather than an administrative function.

The session blended participant discussion, research data, and practical frameworks for leading teams. A consistent thread ran through the conversation: engagement is not abstract or cultural wallpaper, but something directly shaped by everyday managerial behavior, especially communication, trust, and feedback.

Employee Engagement Is Lived, Not Defined

The discussion opened with participants sharing their own definitions of employee engagement. The responses were immediate and human-centered: conversations, participation, creativity, ownership, and simply wanting to be in the office.

A shared definition was then introduced:

“Enthusiasm for involvement in work.”

This led into research showing clear organizational outcomes: higher engagement correlates with productivity, profitability, lower absenteeism, and reduced turnover.

Participants also reacted strongly to workforce wellbeing data, including:

• “41% of employees are stressed.”
• “One in 5 employees are lonely.”
• “Half of all employees are watching for or actively seeking a new job.”

The tone in the room shifted toward recognition that these are not abstract statistics, but reflections of everyday workplace conditions.

What Great Managers Actually Do

A key reflective exercise asked participants to think about the best boss they’ve ever had. Two themes emerged repeatedly: trust and agency.

One participant noted:

“The best idea wins… providing an environment where you’re supporting design but allowing folks to have input.”

Another shared:

“It trusted me to handle it… and grow into that role.”

The facilitator emphasized that this is not incidental, it is structural:

“Holding people to high expectations is a critical piece of trusting relationships.”

The takeaway: strong managers do not reduce expectations to avoid discomfort; they expand capability through trust, feedback, and stretch opportunities.

Manager Impact on Engagement Is Disproportionately High

One of the most significant data points discussed was:

“The effectiveness of an employee’s manager accounts for 70% of the variance in employee engagement.”

And similarly:

“57% of employees have left a job because they weren’t getting what they needed from their manager.”

The implication was direct: engagement is less about perks or policy and more about the immediate relationship between managers and their teams.

This reframed “people management” as a core business lever rather than a soft skill.

Rethinking One-on-Ones and Management Rhythm

A large portion of the discussion focused on the structure and frequency of one-on-one meetings.

The facilitator advocated for weekly check-ins:

“A big fan of the weekly check-in.”

But participants challenged feasibility in architecture firms with large teams and project-based structures. Alternatives emerged, including:

• Monthly check-ins
• Quarterly formal reviews
• 5–10 minute “scrum-style” weekly touchpoints
• Informal coffee or walk-and-talk conversations

A key insight that emerged:

“The best check-ins are the check-ins that you will actually do.”

Rather than a universal cadence, the group converged on flexibility tied to team size, role complexity, and workflow reality.

Psychological Safety vs Shared Responsibility

A central tension emerged around responsibility for engagement and wellbeing.

One framing question:

“Where’s the line between what our responsibilities are to ensure engagement and where it is a shared responsibility?”

The facilitator response emphasized balance:

• Leaders are responsible for creating conditions for engagement
• Employees are responsible for communicating their needs and self-regulation
• Managers are not responsible for managing all emotional outcomes

A key statement captured this boundary:

“We are not responsible for other people’s feelings… but we are responsible for creating conditions where people can thrive.”

Another important nuance:

“The workplace is not your therapist, your psychiatrist… it cannot be all those things.”

The discussion acknowledged a cultural shift: expectations for leadership support have increased significantly, particularly post-pandemic.

Communication, Feedback, and Cultural Health

The session closed with a focus on communication layering and feedback habits. Managers were encouraged to reinforce messages multiple ways—verbal, written, and repeated touchpoints.

A guiding principle:

“You have to tell somebody something like six times… it is our job to keep communicating it.”

Participants also emphasized the importance of humility and listening:

“Listen as if you’re wrong.”

This tied back to a broader cultural theme: organizations improve not through one-time interventions, but through consistent, small behavioral practices that build trust over time.

Closing Reflection

Participants were asked to share one-word takeaways, with responses including: “empowered,” “hopeful,” “reassured,” and “balance of expectations.”

The overall sentiment of the session was not that people management is easy—but that it is learnable, improvable, and central to firm performance. The strongest managers are those who combine structure with humanity, clarity with flexibility, and expectations with trust.

Members of this committee help to organize events and learning opportunities around the business side of architecture. Topics might include marketing, HR and legal, when to hire, practice structure and organization, contracts/contract negotiation, remote work, and more.

For 2026, the committee is hosting a series of roundtables and all members are invited to attend and participate either in person or virtually.

RSVP for events at AIA Colorado’s event page.