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Summer 2023 | Issue 28

In every other facet of a business, we extol the virtues of processes that promise to save time or effort. Better leadership, on the other hand, requires more of both. None of it is easy. All of it is worth trying. No matter the size of your team, it’s never too late to create a work environment that feels good, provides pathways to growth, and trains the next generation of design leadership. Here’s a guide to being a better boss.

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Features
Are you making these 5 common management mistakes? Here’s how to fix them fast
Want to make sure your instructions aren’t lost in translation? Five designers share their top strategies for effective communication.
BY Lizzy Reisinger
The counterintuitive truth about dealing with conflict on your team
Think a team that never fights is the healthiest outcome? Think again. Cultivating a foundation of trust—and then welcoming conflict when it comes—will boost team morale, collaboration and productivity.
BY Hannah Hickok
The tech industry management strategy design firms should consider adopting
Rethinking old assumptions about career advancement can help retain top talent and keep design firms nimble.
BY Fred Nicolaus
The management hack that every small design firm leader needs to know about
How one designer turned to her payroll service to solve her HR struggles.
BY Hannah Hickok
Got a tough team member? This designer’s advice could save you time and drama
After more than a decade at the helm of her firm, Huma Sulaiman found herself saddled with a talented but challenging employee who left her stressed and distracted. Learning to deal with the situation allowed her to step into the next phase of her business with a renewed sense of her key values.
BY Kaitlin Petersen
6 simple mindset shifts that will help you be a better manager
Struggle to delegate? Join the club. Here’s how to build a workflow that honors your strengths—and your time—without losing creative control.
BY Kaitlin Petersen
How to know if your firm is growing too fast—and what to do about it
As her team swelled to 30 employees, Juliana Oliveira knew something wasn’t right. In pursuit of working smarter, not just more, she streamlined her Dallas firm’s workflow, downsized  her team and pushed herself to get picky about the work they took on—what she calls a “strategic realignment” in an effort to reframe her vision for growth.
BY Kaitlin Petersen
This two-part approach will make your performance reviews more productive
An HR pro turned designer explains how making minor tweaks to how you approach performance reviews can have a major impact.
BY Hannah Hickok
It’s time to reinvent the bonus: One designer’s clever system rewards efficiency
After more than two decades in business, architect Jeff Dungan hated the notion of encouraging employees to work more rather than more efficiently. After a breakthrough moment while crunching numbers, he overhauled his firm’s bonus structure to an incentive-based tier system. 
BY Kaitlin Petersen
Do you dream of growing your team? These 5 steps will get you closer
By limiting her own role to creative visionary, one designer freed up space for her firm to grow. This is her road-tested strategy.
BY Fred Nicolaus
What does your firm stand for? Why everyone on your team should know
Pinpointing your firm’s values can help align your work, creative vision and team members. 
BY Fred Nicolaus
This hiring strategy could transform your team—and your work
Building an international staff brings dynamism to your team and depth to your work.
BY Hannah Hickok
Is it time to rethink your firm’s name? Why one designer took her name off the door
Though she never craved the spotlight, Lynn Kloythanomsup’s name was on the door of her San Francisco design firm. But after rebranding to Landed Interiors in 2019 and making a key hire in studio director Heather Menegat, she started to want something different. Here, the pair open up about the legacy they’re working to build together.
BY Kaitlin Petersen
Talent is invaluable. Keep your team happy on the job with these 8 tips
Keep morale high and attrition low with these simple strategies for a satisfied staff.
BY Fred Nicolaus
7 things great bosses do to support their staff
Savvy businesspeople are always seeking ways to save time or effort. Yet becoming a better boss requires more of both—no shortcuts. Here are 7 strategies to step up your leadership game.
BY Kaitlin Petersen
Design Dispatch
magazine
The minimalist brand that should be on the top of your green sourcing list
Fyrn is pushing the boundaries of sustainable design, one super-sleek exposed bracket at a time.
big ideas
Sick of shipping snafus? This designer took matters into her own hands
South Carolina designer Cortney Bishop’s clients were frustrated by the inconsistent performance of her receivers. Erratic billing didn’t help. She decided to turn a pain point into a business opportunity.
open book
6 kitchen design rules that are made to be broken
It’s easy to step into a well-designed space and know it works. It’s often harder to describe why, exactly. In a new column, BOH puts design pros to task dissecting the successes of a specific space—this time, design journalist Sophie Donelson spotlights an innovative kitchen brimming with good ideas.
magazine
What’s your favorite design decade? We’re making a case for the 70s
The trippy, eco-driven designs of the 1970s are back—and more sophisticated than ever.
designers debate
To paint or not to paint wooden floors? Designers have strong feelings
Two designers face off on the question of painted floors—a charming choice or a maintenance nightmare?
The Handbook
A step-by-step guide to a stress-free install day
You’ve spent eons tracking a project’s every detail. Then, all at once, those decisions come together just so. What separates a good installation from a bad one? We asked seven designers to share their secrets.
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