Dear COTE Colleagues,
For me, Autumn symbolizes changes and an awareness of the future (to get prepared for the coming winter!) A perfect time to embrace changes our profession must make to become more diverse. As the Greek Heraclitus once said, "The only constant ."
Our lack of diversity is one problem our problem-solving profession has not solved and it is intrinsically linked to sustainable communities and firms. As of last year, within the AIA, diversity in leadership remained low, a gender pay gap persists. Only 28.6 percent of architects are women and 2.1 percent are black. These are dismal metrics. A bright spot: Studies show there is a link between greater company diversity and greater financial performance. In her article for magazine, Kira Gould discusses why it makes business sense to improve your firm culture by embracing diversity in a real way. Data supports this idea, and the benefits are not only financial: Women-owned firms are just 7 percent of the profession at large, but 20 percent of repeat COTE Top Ten award winners studied in the AIA COTE report, The Habits of Firms and these firms have significantly higher staff retention rates.
How will you or your firm prioritize this issue? In April, this Forbes article suggested 12 ways; and I will highlight what I see as the top five: 1) start from the top; 2) set the example, listen, and observe; 3) re-evaluate your hiring requirements; 4) stay open-minded and understand gender biases; and 5) establish a culture of diversity by prioritizing it from the outset.
The first step toward change is awareness, and many of us have made that step. Let’s decide to take the next step towards an acceptance of diversity and make our firms stronger and better because of it.
Angela Brooks, FAIA
2018 Advisory Group Chair
AIA Committee on the Environment