Episode 28: Architecture School As A Life Skill

Although we may not realize until years after architecture school, the problem solving skills and the ability to endure criticism is a valuable life skill that few other educational programs are able to offer.

Eric and I discuss how the skills we learned in architecture school can help us succeed in life, both professionally and personally. We discuss problem solving and the ability to accept criticism as two key components that can be applied to the real world.

Listen to the Audio

1. Listen (record or take notes):  the crit is designed to help you.  Use it!
2. Focus:  it’s not about YOU.  Don’t take it personally.
3. Repeat it back (active listening): so they know you were listening, and you confirm you heard it right
4. Engage:  ask questions (i.e.:  So, I was thinking of this other approach… would that have worked better.”)
5. Trust:  assume they had good intentions.  An occasional sadist in the jury would be offset by the other jurors.
6. Body Language:  open arms, open face, open mind.
7. Don’t get defensive:  that includes not making excuses.  Take control of the conversation by admitting the mistakes you just realized, or ways you could have approached it better.
8. You can disagree:  you don’t have to agree with everything said, but you do have to consider it (don’t reject it outright)
9. Gratitude:  be grateful for their time and feedback.  If you followed the steps above, you’ll benefit from it.

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