Sally Grans, AIA, is the system director for planning and programming at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU), which is composed of 53 campuses and 25 million square feet and has an annual capital budget improvement of $120 million. Prior to this position, Grans was at the state architect’s office as a project manager. She has also served as president of her own community and planning business and is active in numerous community leadership issues. Lisa M. Chronister, AIA, communications adviser for the 2007 YAF Advisory Committee, interviewed Grans on behalf of the YAF. Look for Sally Grans at the AIA national convention in San Antonio, where she will be one of the panelists on the YAF program, Matri.ARCH.itect. This program will explore work/life balance and conflicting priorities as well as offer solutions that meet ever-changing professional, personal, and family needs.


YAF: As you observed, “This profession—more than many—requires a time commitment that pushes the envelope for personal wellness. But it is possible!” How did your personal philosophy toward work/life balance evolve?

SG: I knew from the start that long charrette type of hours were required. I recall roommates who thought the architecture students were perverse in their braggadocios of the late hours they spent. The offices I worked at did little to negate the romantic notion of long hours. However, I think my own personal maturity has found that the quality of the work is not always linked to the amount of hours spent. A thoughtful analysis may take one person with a broader perspective a couple of hours and take another person, with less thought but more time, a couple of days. Whenever possible, opt for the “work smarter, not longer” routine in your work.

It is important to find balance. Finding your own personal passion and developing a sense of "self examination" that augments your work life is an important factor.

Passions need to be positive. Passions don’t have to be what I did in my 20s (pre-AIDS and post pill) of drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Even if the drugs were just nicotine, caffeine ,and alcohol, all negative behavior is not really a health passion to pursue. Positive passions can be kids, books, fly fishing, therapy, biking, yoga, friends, travel, painting, theater, walking or spiritual needs; one needs to explore passions outside the office to be healthy.

Self-examination is another great way to find balance and create a stronger self. Both balance and self examination also directly benefit your professional life. It was great lesson in balance to see the recent film by Sydney Pollack, Sketches of Frank Gehry. This amazing architect gave great credit to his therapist of 35 years. I doubt that the therapist "made" Gehry a better architect; but I am quite certain that the healthy process of self-examination makes a person better, ergo allowed Gehry to be the best artist/architect possible. Gehry is a maverick in both design and in recognizing how important it is to understand oneself!

YAF: In your view, what understanding does this generation of young architects have toward work/life balance?

SG: Young architects should expect balance and flex time; but they also need to step up to the plate and be willing to put in the hours when needed. Many young architects I have met are more articulate on their needs than the older generation. This comes from a better sense of self. From being cared for as latch key kids to sought after in firms, some young architects don’t have a deep appreciation for the complexity of the profession. And there are times when hours are required to problem solve issues on a building. There are times when the balance of self must be subrogated to the good of the whole problem-solving process. At those times, it is just good to take a deep breath and know that balance will be in the offing. So while being articulate on personal needs is good for the self—one should also use those insights to enhance the entire workplace—engage everyone in a design session, critique on a movie or play, or other balancing activities.

YAF: During times when you’ve been overwhelmed, what suffered the most—work, family, or yourself? Was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew you had to change things?

SG: What suffers most is me. Exercising, eating correctly, and taking care of me are all subservient to my family and my work.

However, I can’t always blame my work. The truth is: I love my position where I am able to make a difference in improving the built environment. When planning is better, designs have more zing and clients are more satisfied because I created a process or asked the right questions—that is a huge ego builder. We all like to do well; and, sometimes, in this profession that sense of doing well is our own “psychic compensation” and that is worth a lot more than “financial compensation.” I have to be honest with myself that I actually do work (at times) for my own ego to “do good work,” and not necessarily just to bring income to my family. There are many times that my family would be happier if I made less money and had less stress and they got to spend more time with me. That balance is difficult; but if I didn’t work at the high energetic level I perform at, then it is unlikely that I would be the happy, organized, energetic and advocate for design that I am.

The biggest "a ha" moment was my diagnosis with cancer. I always thought I was too important to interrupt my day with a doctor’s appointment. So I ended up waiting four months from my initial appointment call for a 7 a.m. mammogram. In that time, the cancer spread and I was forced to endure six months of chemotherapy and three months of radiation. I often wonder what life would have been like if I had gotten the first available appointment and actually left work for the priority of a mammogram. The point is to take care of yourself. Don’t wait; make the appointments that protect yourself.

YAF: Tell me more about working through cancer diagnosis and treatment. How did you do it? How understanding was your employer?

SG: My employer understood. But in situations like this, it is only to ‘thine own self that one needs to be true to.” One has to dig deep and find out what will make you healthy and feel good. That self-examination is even more critical when under a major disease (for you or a loved one) to understand your limitations and strengths. I worked about 32 hours a week during the six months of chemo because I needed to for myself. (My family would have preferred that I just stay home the entire time but that would have made me a nervous wreck!) My need to work and feel "normal" and "valued" pushed me to work. Unbelievable tiredness engulfed me physically; but I could still work six to seven hours a day. By working, I felt alive and enjoyed producing good results. If I had stayed home, the results would have been a major depression for me. Another woman I know really needed to take the chemo time off to reflect and heal. She ended up actually switching jobs to improve her lifestyle.

To be valued and create beauty or positive results is an important part of my work ethic; and it is a much stronger motivator than money or fame for me. People shouldn’t have to get cancer before they figure out what makes them tick. While I want to be a good mom, wife, and friend, I value the work that I do and feel very celebratory about the results. If you are in this profession and don’t enjoy the privilege of seeing the fruits of our processes, then possibly go seek another profession.

I had good health benefits and am still frightened for those who must endure the pain of treatment and suffer financial loss. A woman I was on the same chemo schedule had limited insurance and had to pay $800 a session for four times and then $300 for 12  weeks. Her life was worth it so they went into debt by refinancing their home. It was a real life lesson that we need to have the best insurance possible. This is another example where young architects need to “take care of themselves with good insurance.”

YAF: During this time, what did you do on a daily basis to maintain a healthy balance?

SG: I tried to let the inconsequential things slide. Time can be a friend or an enemy. We have the choice but sometimes forget it is a choice. If the dishes aren’t done for three straight nights, there is not significant backlash (unless you allow it to go too long and bugs or critters invade your kitchen!). Instead, if you take your kids for a walk each night to look for frogs or count the windows in the buildings on your block or snuggle to a television PBS type program, those are the events that will be retained for both of you. I recall one time coming in late for work because we just had to stop and see a crane lift a pedestrian bridge into place. They remembered the time, the discussion, the event  and I am certain the hour away from the job caused no peril.

Children and connection to family are a great excuse for balance. If that is not a part of your lifestyle now, then it is really important to pursue others passions and self-examination. The same analogy holds forth for the person who loves to walk, go to films, hunt or fly fish. There are just times when the inconsequential must slide and those other passions take over your life for enjoyment.

The important thing is to recognize and be aware of your own internal schedule and create times for that balance. A wise person once told me “to not make a decision is to make a decision”. That means that if you choose not to walk or go to the gym because of work schedule, you are making the decision to be unhealthy. To be mindful of your own schedule and passions is important. A happy, balanced person in lifestyle will produce better results at his or her workplace—besides being fun to be around!

YAF: Given your various workplaces—small firms, large firms, your own business, public sector—which has been the most accommodating to work/life balance? Was this accommodation part of your decision to go to work there, stay there, or leave?

SG: The decision to start my own business came directly from a philosophical desire to combine more of my passion and interests in community service, civic architecture, and design for affordable housing. However, deep down in my heart, I knew that if I was my own boss I could control the hours. Unfortunately that led to hours that were out of control, i.e., working 14 hour days a day with early mornings until late night community meetings three and four nights a week.

Ironically the reason I started my business was for more control and then, due to the business, the schedule got “out of control.” One of the few things that brought a better sense of control was the freedom to exercise in the middle of the day. I used to go running or biking in the early afternoon and take a couple of hours off. As I had many night meetings to attend, this was a very healthy break in my daily schedule.

It was during this time of self-employment that our first child was born and I struggled to find that balance. As my own boss, I was merciless on setting my own schedule and seemed to always put clients first before my own family. I looked for employment that would give a regular set of hours. That resulted in a government position that had traditional hours but I still struggle with balance and taking work home at night. The difference is that I am home at night and reading next to our teens who are doing their homework.

Frankly the profession can be so rewarding that it is easy to get sucked into devotion to it! Yet, if a person only has a single dimension to his or her self, their work will not be as productive.

YAF:  As the head of your own company, how did you try to promote an atmosphere of “healthy working”?

SG:  Healthy working is an attitude! Look for firms and people that encourage great results—in their designs, buildings, and their own internal office culture! I tried to do fun things that showed other people they were valued—buy lunch, encourage them to go to yoga class, participate in a field trip, engage in a philosophical discussion. There is a wide range of appreciation that can be done and encouraging healthy outcomes can be fun! At one office we had a group that had a contest in losing weight; it was fun and created a great culture to see who could exercise the most or lose the most weight. The culture of the office changed from “who could bake the best cookies” to “who had the best recipes for a heart healthy, good tasting, salad”!

YAF:  What do you do now on a daily basis to maintain a healthy work/life balance?

SG:  We got a dog! This requires daily walks which I gratefully use as an anchor to my day. A walk at 5:30 a.m. is a very quiet, respectful way to start the day. The night is ending and the day is starting, and the whole universe awaits us with excitement! In my middle age there is something quite magical about going to sleep at night and looking forward to the dawn, the dog, and a good cup of coffee (don’t tell my dear husband, kids, or boss that is what makes the world go around for me!).