The Architects’ Journal Architecture News & Buildings
Imposter syndrome isn’t exclusive to women, but to mark International Women’s Day, I wanted to highlight some of the characteristics that may resonate with you and discuss how they’re exacerbated by gender inequality.
There is no doubt there’s been a positive movement towards gender balance in the workplace in the architectural sphere. Increasingly, clients and the media require architects to demonstrate diversity within their teams. But the built environment is a sector where women in senior positions are few and the demand to close the gender pay gap is growing.
If we need more representative design teams, then surely the lived experiences of women should be part of their ‘merit profile’
Faced with a shortage of diverse candidates, is there a temptation to promote based on characteristics other than merit? I constantly hear a prevailing anxiety among my peers that they’re the subject of positive discrimination. While it’s a necessary corrective to our profession’s diversity deficit in some instances, it can also lead people to questioning whether opportunities are due to their accomplishments or because they’re a woman. This layers onto the issue of imposter syndrome too easily, providing conflicting reactions to what for some would be an ordinary opportunity and adding to the complexity of self-worth.
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This is when it is essential to unpack what we think about merit. If we need more representative design teams, then surely the lived experiences of women and their empathy with women’s issues should be part of their ‘merit profile’. Our merit assessment, often based on hard sciences and academia within a male-dominated structure, needs to be more inclusive, and the hierarchy of hard and soft skills in practice should be interrogated.
Awards such as the AJ100 Mentor of the Year and the RIBA Rising Star award offer a platform to recognise the varied industry, but recognition should start at practice level and be part of its culture. Self-reflection is needed to ensure your practice understands the merits of its employees.
At Eric Parry Architects, we launched our mentoring programme last year to support professional growth across the practice at all levels. Myriad other practices are also developing in-depth mentoring systems, such as tp bennett, which runs the innovative mutual-mentoring initiative ‘Twelve’. Under the programme, 12 applicants from across the business are matched with 12 board members for 18 months. We’re also seeing focused initiatives led by organisations like Women in Architecture, who are supporting women at all stages of their careers in the architectural sphere.
Mentoring isn’t a complete solution but it is a positive step to break down barriers. While my experience is from a large practice with resources for a formal mentoring programme, practices of all sizes can tailor a programme to their needs or use existing external programmes. The long-term benefits of these activities will balance the outlay of time and resource required.
My concern then isn’t just about gaining recognition, but also sustaining it. Recognition can add pressure to meet expectations, creating an ‘imposter loop’. This is where mentoring really helps. Speaking to someone experienced who can reassure and guide is beneficial, but more importantly, it provides a space to educate and increase empathy, vital for supporting a less imposter symptom-prone industry. More women in higher positions will help, creating a greater pool of mentors and reducing the imposter loop we may feel stuck in.
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Wouldn’t it be great if it became unremarkable when a woman is selected for a position of responsibility? The questions of why would no longer be at the forefront, and self-doubt would diminish.
We still have a way to go, but having seen the impact of a mentoring culture at practice level at Eric Parry Architects as well as the sector-wide shift towards gender balance, I remain optimistic.
Emily Posey is an associate architect at Eric Parry Architects
This article raises such an important point about the tension many women feel between recognition and imposter syndrome, especially in sectors like architecture where the gender imbalance is still so pronounced. I completely agree that we need to expand our understanding of merit to include the lived experiences and empathy women bring to their roles. This shift is crucial if we’re going to make real progress in dismantling the structures that fuel imposter syndrome.
EQN works with businesses that create the built environment, to deliver enhanced diversity and inclusion, with an emphasis on women. Like Emily, we believe that mentoring is one of the key tools to address the issue of imposter syndrome. Our Mentoring Toolkit is designed to support practices of all sizes in creating tailored mentoring programmes, like the one that Eric Parry has, to help break down barriers and foster more inclusive leadership. It emphasises the importance of empathy and guidance, creating environments where women feel recognised for their achievements rather than questioning them.
If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out our Mentoring Toolkit on EQN’s website. It could be a valuable resource for your practice to foster a more gender-balanced and confident workforce.