Disjointed Management, High-Stress Environment, and Zero Client Boundaries
Pros
Opportunity to work on dynamic projects, and the baseline design concepts have potential. Great projects
Cons
- Lack of Leadership and Communication: Upper management and directors fail to communicate effectively with Project Managers. For example, staffing decisions are discussed in silos without looping in the PMs, leading to massive confusion, micromanagement, and a disjointed workflow. - Inexperienced Management: The leadership team lacks the necessary management capability to run an office smoothly, resulting in a culture that feels reactive rather than strategic, with unnecessary drama spreading across regional teams (including NY). - No Boundaries with Clients: Leadership allows clients to constantly shift goalposts and run circles around the design team without stepping in to protect scope, timeline, or staff sanity. Workspace Environment: The physical office setup lacks privacy, creating an overcrowded, high-stress environment where it feels like everyone is working on top of each other. - Accountability: There is a widespread lack of project ownership among team members, leaving those who care to shoulder the weight.
