TZL 1288

ON THE MOVE PFLUGER ARCHITECTS PROMOTES JESSICA MOLTER, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, AND ROBYN POPA, AIA, LEED AP, TO PARTNER Jessica Molter and Robyn Popa first met at Washington University in St. Louis, each studying for master’s degrees in architecture. Molter joined Pfluger Architects in 2005 followed by Popa in 2006. They are each the current presidents of their respective chapters of the Association for Learning Environments. And now, Pfluger Architects is pleased to announce the promotion of Molter and Popa to partner. Molter works out of Pfluger’s Austin office. She has developed a passion for sustainable building and advises clients and design teams on options for locally sourced materials and efficient building systems. This passion has resulted in many of her projects receiving

multiple awards for design and sustainability. One such project was the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center which achieved LEED Gold certification, earned a five-star rating from Austin Energy Green Building, and won five TASA | TASB Design Awards. Molter is the current President of the Central Texas Chapter of A4LE. Since 2006, Popa has worked in Pfluger’s San Antonio office. Her experience includes master planning, facility assessment, programming, design, production, and construction administration. She has worked on many award-winning projects, most notably Cibolo Green Elementary School for San Antonio’s North East ISD. Cibolo Green was the first public school in Texas to achieve LEED Gold certification. It also won six TASA | TASB

awards, an Honorable Mention from the U.S. Green Building Council Balcones Chapter for Educational Design, and the Central Texas Masonry Contractors Association’s Golden Trowel Award. Popa is the current president of the South Texas Chapter of A4LE. Founded in Austin in 1973, Pfluger Architects plans and designs educational facilities that engage and inspire. With offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, Pfluger has completed more than 450 projects totaling more than $1 billion in the last five years alone. Pfluger is committed to the responsible use and management of energy and natural resources by recommending locally sourced products and efficient building systems that meet client needs and budgets.

PETER ATHERTON, from page 11

Organizations have clients to serve and each of us has a role in serving them. To be effectively engaged, we must know that role. We must also understand how our organizations generate profit so we can best align with and enhance those processes and systems that lead to successful outcomes. In addition to our day-to-day work tasks and responsibilities, we must also be aligned with the organization’s mission, vi- sion, and values. Beyond an organization’s “why”, there is a who, what, when, where, and how that drives employee engagement. As em- ployees, we need to understand what specific areas of our work are engaging, which may not be, and why. Doing so al- lows us to discuss any needs or concerns with our supervisor. ❚ ❚ Position for growth. To stay engaged we must grow – both personally and professionally. We owe it to ourselves and to our organizations to grow. As employees, are we taking advantage of all that’s being of- fered? If not, we need to. Do we have ideas on what other opportunities or training could be beneficial? If so, we need to share them. If after doing all the above we cannot find engagement, there just might not be a right “fit” at this time. In that case, a pivot away may be beneficial for all parties; however, that should be a last resort. The fact is, most AEC leaders and organizations strive to do excellent work with others committed to the same. They also seek to provide opportunities for growth and advancement in friendly, supportive, engaging, and even fun atmospheres. As employees at all levels, we need to know our roles and do our jobs to engage and connect with each other so we can continue to do great things through our work and beyond. PETER ATHERTON, P.E. is an industry insider having spent more than 20 years as a successful professional, principal, major owner, and member of the board of directors for a high-achieving AEC firm. Atherton is now the president and founder of ActionsProve, LLC, author of Reversing Burnout: How to Immediately Engage Top Talent and Grow! A Blueprint for Professionals and Business Owners , and the creator of the I.M.P.A.C.T. process. He can be reached at pete@ actionsprove.com.

If we fall short, this is an opportunity to work with our su- pervisor to develop the skills, systems, and mindset needed to consistently bring our best. It can also be an opportunity to discuss resetting expectations to best accommodate a new season or a particular situation. Evaluating how we measure up can also be a wake-up call. If we have lost ground on the “10 Things,” that could be a sign we have drifted or are feeling the effects of prolonged work- load, overwhelm, or burnout. This can be true for high-achiev- ing professionals at all levels. When this is the case, we need to find a way to get back on the most appropriate track. “Most AEC leaders and organizations strive to do excellent work with others committed to the same. They also seek to provide opportunities for growth and advancement in friendly, supportive, engaging, and even fun atmospheres.” ❚ ❚ Control what we can. If you are good at what you do and are dedicated, you will always be in demand. If you are a high- achiever, there will always be something to do. To stay engaged and succeed without overwhelm and burn- out, we need to control our time and energy. When life seems out of control or misaligned, that is a cue to make more “margin” – quiet time and space to think, concen- trate, contemplate, decompress, and plan. We need to design this time to make sure we are on-task with a better and more efficient “to-do” list with the right priorities, strategies, and sufficient boundaries to make them happen. ❚ ❚ Seek alignment. Being in alignment is essential for employee engagement. To be fully engaged, perform at our best, and sustain growth over the long-term, we must align with basic human needs and biology. Although this will adjust week-to-week, month- to-month, and season-to-season, we should generally align our 24-hour days and 168-hour weeks to be one-third work, one-third life, and one-third “margin” and restoration, includ- ing sleep.

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 18, 2019, ISSUE 1288

Made with FlippingBook Annual report