IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 36

Deconstructed vs structured A similar formal-yet-flexible approach is manifested in the Interior Design Experience Program, developed by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. One might think that the supervisor-mentor-mentee protocol would be filled with stringent rules and checklists, but the program is actually quite customizable to different designers and firms, explains ncidq executive director Jeff Kenney. “idep is kind of like curriculum for on-the-job training,” he says. “And we want it to be more of a tool for the employer and participant.” The idep guidebook has a comprehensive framework of tasks and responsibilities for both parties. Mentees are supposed to track hours spent within different design phases and schedule meetings with their mentor at least three times per year. The mentor,in turn, must provide advice about work-related challenges and encourage the protégé to set specific goals. But the guidebook is just a starting point, suggests Kenney. “We’ve found that a lot of people start idep, but many never finish it.” Those using the program often adapt it to fit their needs, abilities, and office culture. “We think it’s a great resource for the profession. Young designers should have mentors.” Gary Lee Partners used to have a very structured mentorship program. But it seemed to inhibit informal conversations and teaching moments, notes principal David Grout. “The most important part of mentoring is the relationship, and good relationships form organically—not through formal pairings.”

The Chicago-based firm, with a staff around 40, still runs a mentorship program, but employees aren’t as active about documenting everything as they used to be. Mentors are often aligned with mentees with whom they work closely, but that doesn’t prohibit a mentor from coaching other staffers as well.“The best opportunity I have to mentor an employee is in a cab to or from a meeting,” says Grout. He goes on to differentiate between training—a scheduled focus on specific skill development—and mentoring, which he sees as an opportunity to provide myriad professional and life lessons “in the moment.” Leaders of other firms expressed a similar sentiment, choosing to structure their practice according to small departments that nurture relationships between staffers of all levels. “Mentoring is somewhat informal here,” says Joan MacKeith, senior associate at Rockwell Group’s New York office. “We find that it mostly happens within our studio system, structured according to smaller, consistent teams that make it easier to have a one-on-one mentorship experience.”

36



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012

IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012
Contents
Contributors
From IIDA
Behind the Issue
Design Dialogue
Getting It, Together
What Clients Want: Product Manufacturers
Paths for the Protégé
Design Decoded
Resources
Behind the Design
Viewpoints
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Cover2
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 1
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 2
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Contents
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 4
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 5
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Contributors
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 7
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - From IIDA
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 9
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Behind the Issue
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 11
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Design Dialogue
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 13
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 14
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 15
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 16
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 17
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Getting It, Together
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 19
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 20
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 21
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 22
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 23
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 24
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 25
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - What Clients Want: Product Manufacturers
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 27
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 28
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 29
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 30
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 31
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 32
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 33
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Paths for the Protégé
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 35
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 36
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 37
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 38
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 39
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Design Decoded
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 41
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 42
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 43
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 44
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 45
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 46
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 47
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 48
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 49
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Resources
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 51
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 52
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 53
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Behind the Design
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - 55
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Viewpoints
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Cover3
IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2012 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2019spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2018spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2017fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2017springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2016fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2016springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2015fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2015springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2014fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2014springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2013fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2013springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2012fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2012springsummer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2011fallwinter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nielsen/perspective_2011springsummer
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com