3 Practices That Can Help You — and Your Business — Grow
You don‘t always need a class or a coach to improve professionally. Focus on getting better at these everyday tasks
There are countless ways you can improve your skills and grow your business. You can take classes, work with a business coach, join a professional association and attend trade shows. But it’s important not to overlook the potential professional development gleaned every day on the job. These everyday practices can offer some of the most valuable — and most surprising — opportunities for improving your business and skills. We asked three pros to share their top tips for learning from day-to-day activities. Keep reading to see what they said.
2. Embrace Highly Involved Clients
Oakland, California, general contractor Cameron Habel cites the collaboration with clients, especially ones he considers to be more challenging, as a constant source of learning over his more than 20-year-long career.
It may be a homeowner who wants to incorporate new products and materials Habel may be unfamiliar with, or one who requests frequent walk-throughs and updates on the construction schedule. These clients that prompt him to refine his building knowledge and business practices help him grow in ways that benefit current and future clients, challenging or not. “When I’m doing my job properly, I become a trusted advisor,” Habel says.
Oakland, California, general contractor Cameron Habel cites the collaboration with clients, especially ones he considers to be more challenging, as a constant source of learning over his more than 20-year-long career.
It may be a homeowner who wants to incorporate new products and materials Habel may be unfamiliar with, or one who requests frequent walk-throughs and updates on the construction schedule. These clients that prompt him to refine his building knowledge and business practices help him grow in ways that benefit current and future clients, challenging or not. “When I’m doing my job properly, I become a trusted advisor,” Habel says.
3. Explain What You Do Clearly and Plainly
Good communication is key to a successful outcome in many circumstances, and it’s a skill that, for many, requires practice.
Architect Annie Mennes, principal of Garrison Foundry Architecture + Decor in New York, says she often works with clients who have never hired a design or remodeling professional before. “One thing that I’ve learned over the years is how to explain what architects do,” she says. “People don’t understand, even after they’ve hired you, what your job is.”
Mennes says she likes to talk to her clients as she would a friend. “Remind yourself it’s almost like talking to someone who doesn’t understand the subject matter,” she says. Not only does clearly explaining improve your communication skills, Mennes says, it also fosters collaboration and stronger, more trusting relationships. “You get a better design out of it,” she says. “If you’re clear from the beginning of the job, and you keep being clear, it helps everybody.”
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Good communication is key to a successful outcome in many circumstances, and it’s a skill that, for many, requires practice.
Architect Annie Mennes, principal of Garrison Foundry Architecture + Decor in New York, says she often works with clients who have never hired a design or remodeling professional before. “One thing that I’ve learned over the years is how to explain what architects do,” she says. “People don’t understand, even after they’ve hired you, what your job is.”
Mennes says she likes to talk to her clients as she would a friend. “Remind yourself it’s almost like talking to someone who doesn’t understand the subject matter,” she says. Not only does clearly explaining improve your communication skills, Mennes says, it also fosters collaboration and stronger, more trusting relationships. “You get a better design out of it,” she says. “If you’re clear from the beginning of the job, and you keep being clear, it helps everybody.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories just for pros
Join the Houzz Trade Program
In any field, taking time to talk with professional peers or people whose work impacts your job can be advantageous for business and career development. Design and building professionals are no exception.
“I have had a lot of one-on-one interactions with other landscape architects, architects, fabricators and suppliers. All of that has been a way to improve my design and business,” Houston-based landscape architect Falon Mihalic says. “It is so beneficial, because you are building relationships and you can ask questions that only they have the answers to.”
For Mihalic, establishing a strong relationship with a local stone yard not only helped with boulder sourcing, it also led to the discovery that the yard made custom soil mixes as well. With this knowledge, Mihalic could design more dry and succulent-style gardens requested by her clients. “It’s only possible because I’ve been able to spec a very well-draining soil from this supplier,” Mihalic says.
Mihalic has also built relationships with other landscape architects as a way to grow her business and design knowledge. “I have so many questions that pop up, and I am so glad I know so many landscape architects. Having someone you could email or reach out to on Houzz saves you so much time.”