This magazine’s readership includes both custom builders and architects. For the most part, the two disciplines get along without bloodshed. But buy a member of either group one too many sips from the tap, and the stories about demon architects or builders come out. Although the details are often different, the central theme is usually the same: one badmouthed the other to the client, souring the trust and relationship for the rest of the job. In short, someone got thrown under the bus.
Why would one team member do this to another? Usually to cover a mistake or to distract a volatile client on the warpath. It’s really not surprising. In fact, it’s human nature to blame others when things go wrong. The snafu may in fact be the fault of the other pro on the job. Still, it’s bad form and ultimately bad business practice to try to turn the client against a key member of the team. From a short-term survival standpoint, you may even find the tactic backfires and the client sides with the other guy, making you look bad. Now you have to hold your tongue for the rest of the project or sound like a whiner. Very unpleasant.
The long-term ramifications are even more toxic when you discover at the end of the job that you’ve lost everyone’s recommendation—the client’s, the other pro’s, and anyone else’s who got looped into the dispute. Even if you were the party in the right, you may find a bad taste to everyone’s word of mouth. Sure, your client’s goodwill is important, but the other pro’s may prove even more critical to your stream of future work.
Of course, you have to consult the client if you discover dangerously incompetent work, but lesser offenses should be addressed directly with the other pro and a compromise worked out. It’s called professional courtesy and it makes everyone look good. You don’t want your clients to have to referee squabbles or choose sides. They decided on both of you and you’ve got to find a way to work well together.
Sometimes this means dumping heavy baggage you’ve picked up along the way. If your bad experiences have you painting a whole profession in a dark light, then the fault, to paraphrase Shakespeare, may lie in yourself. You have to find the faith again. Yes, there are honest, dedicated builders out there. And yes, there are architects who can design a buildable plan. Really.
S. Claire Conroy
cconroy@hanleywood.com
