Stepping Up shares practical approaches to improving equity in architecture and built environment practices. It offers an opportunity to build knowledge and to facilitate exchanges of experiences, ideas and expertise. Check out the resources shared and reflections offered, and watch the spirited, honest conversations about experiences gained, challenges encountered and progress made on equity – with CPD.
Stepping Up is an event & editorial collaboration between Parlour, the Association of Consulting Architects and the Champions of Change Architecture Group.
2023 sessions
Recordings from the 2023 session are available a week or two after the sessions. The associated editorial will be published in the second half of 2023.
The Last Mile
On flexibility
On flexibility
An open, honest conversation about supporting flexibility at work – with bonus footage and CPD.
Flex case studies
How are practices embedding flexible work into their work cultures and everyday habits?
How to create an effective flex policy
An open and transparent flexible work policy is critical to fostering an effective, collaborative and healthy workplace.
What is flexibility & why does it matter?
How does flexibility work in practice, what are the benefits and challenges, what is its impact on equity, what is the business case for change?
On career sponsorship
How can we best use our power and influence to enhance and accelerate the careers of others? Sponsorship provides a framework for collaborative career development that, done well, supports concrete outcomes and advancement.
For complementary material, listen in to The Last Mile podcast.
On career development
Clarity and transparency are fundamental to equitable career planning and progression within practices, and yet processes are too-often unknown, opaque or entirely absent. The Champions of Change Architecture Group has developed practical tools to support career development within practices.
On parental leave
Good parental leave policies support all parents and help create an equitable workplace that allows everyone to lead a balanced life, with time for families, and time to commit to projects, practice life and career.
On preventing & responding to harassment
Transparency, respect and trust are essential to preventing harassment in the workplace. Policies and processes must promote safety and hold perpetrators to account.
On mentoring
Mentoring helps individuals develop their careers and navigate the world of work. It helps transfer knowledge across generations, improves the skills of mentors and mentees, and builds practice and professional cultures. Learn how to create an effective program and follow up on resources available elsewhere.
On leadership
What does it mean to step up on equity? Improving equity and culture within architectural offices starts at the top, so what should leaders do? The Champions of Change Listening and Learning framework provides a useful approach, with an emphasis in on listening first to ensure that actions are meaningful.
