444: Leading Teams and Managing Projects in Architecture with Drew Deering

End chaos in your firm—300+ peers use this framework. Free video here: https://www.businessofarchitecture.co... Drew Deering is an associate principal at the architecture firm Moody Nolan, the largest African-American owned architectural firm in the US. On this podcast interview, Drew shares how he manages complex teams and projects to deliver superior client results. 00:00 Intro 01:20 How Moody Nolan Grew from 2 to 14 Staff During COVID 03:05 Why Most Architects Fail at Project Management 04:47 The Diamond in the Rough Problem Killing Firms 07:15 How to Have Hard Conversations Without Crushing Morale 10:40 From 2 People to 14: The Hiring Secret Everyone Misses 14:02 Why Being Approachable Beats Every Management Theory 16:38 The Entrepreneurial Spirit That Built a 40-Year Practice 19:01 Having to Be the Bad Guy: The Leadership Cost Nobody Talks About 20:12 How Microsoft Focus Time Saved My Sanity 23:29 Why Sheet-Based Pricing Is Dead in the Revit Era 26:32 The Brutal Truth About Taking On Too Much Work 28:15 How to Delegate When You Think Nobody Can Do It Right 30:15 Why "Just Keep Trying" Changed My Entire Career Path 31:17 From Fortune 500 Burnout Back to Architecture 32:40 The Million-Square-Foot Presentation That Fit on One Page