We caught up with David to hear more about the journey that led him to a successful career at Waldeck and an additional role as our in-house Mentor Trainer:
Hi David! Why did you choose to become a mentor?
During my time in the industry becoming a Chartered Architect, I have come across several people who have been key to my development, and acknowledge the time and effort that they put in beyond their day-to-day job to help support me. In response to this I feel compelled to share my knowledge and experience to help others avoid pitfalls and succeed both in practice and at university during their own architectural journey.
Please can you tell us a bit about your mentoring experiences so far…
I have been a mentor for a couple of years now; firstly in a more ad hoc role providing advice to friends and colleagues during their respective Part 2 and 3 courses, and more recently with Waldeck through the Early Careers Development programme supporting the younger crop of graduates joining the practice.
What motivates you in your work?
Post pandemic we have created a great culture within the architecture and digital captures team since the merger. This enhances job satisfaction but also boosts personal growth, creativity, and long-term career success.
What do you enjoy most about being a mentor?
What I enjoy most about being a mentor is the opportunity to help people grow and provide ideas to allow them to discover their potential. I hope that this comes on the back of building meaningful mutual relationships and creating connections that goes beyond every day-to-day knowledge sharing.
What kind of growth or changes have you seen in your past mentees?
Confidence is probably one of the key areas that is visible with many of my mentees. Most of them are coming from university and are experiencing working in practice for the first time. Many mentees show significant improvement in their ability to communicate more effectively. They learn to listen better, articulate their thoughts more clearly and take on board constructive feedback.
What challenges do you often face in mentoring, and how do you suggest dealing with them?
My approach to mentoring differs slightly from other mentors at Morsons because my mentees work directly under me, so I interact with them almost daily. This has both advantages and challenges – I’m able to offer consistent support and advice, but it’s also crucial to set aside time each month for dedicated one-on-one meetings. Fortunately, the office has plenty of rooms available for private meetings, which makes it easier to maintain this routine.
What advice would you give someone considering becoming a mentor?
The chance to enjoy a rewarding challenge and help inspire younger members of the team.
What do you think makes a good mentor? How have you developed these traits over time?
I suppose there are several skills and attributes that make good mentors; these are not limited to communication, trust, and authenticity. In my experience these are intertwined with one another so that no one skill is more important than another. Through reassurance and support it ensures that the relationship becomes more than one-directional.
How do you typically structure your mentoring relationships?
I suppose the mentoring relationships that I have had so far have been varied as a result of both the individual and what stage of their career the mentees are at. The ECD programme has useful meeting minute agendas which we have used to allow for reflection and review with it down to the mentee to schedule in the sessions as and when they are required.
What books, resources, or people have influenced your career the most?
I would say that my grandfather and Lego had the greatest influence on me when I was younger, before I decided to become an architect. My grandfather, a former Quantity Surveyor, would share stories about the industry, sparking my interest. Lego also played a big role, as I loved the endless possibilities of creating and rebuilding things.
While studying, I was particularly inspired by Geoff Manaugh’s Bldgblog Book. It’s a humorous and thought-provoking read that works well both for a quick browse and a deeper, longer read.
David is one of many mentors, follow the link to hear more from our mentoring team>