Beyond the technical: Succeed at leading a software architecture team

Description

Software architects and enterprise architects work with a variety of roles, and often the deep technical work is performed by other application architects or solutions architects. Maggie Carroll shares useful skills and actionable techniques for creating a new architecture function and leading other architects in developing a system of systems. Along the way, Maggie compares two diverse architecture challenges—starting up a new EA function on an IT team comprised of solution architects leading Agile Scrum teams and integrating large and small vendors in a highly technical real-time proprietary system while meeting a faster-than-before schedule—by storying the solutions, with an honest look at the level of success and pivoting.

Topics include:

Starting with the end in mind: What’s the goal?

• Align with corporate strategy
• Find alignments with business partners
• Identify artifacts to communicate ongoing success: A roadmap? A schedule? A transformation diagram?
• Is schedule king or is cost king? What to do if it is neither.

Gaining influence starts with ownership

• Create a framework within which others contribute
• Technical architects own their piece (The first 90 days; or, What got you here won’t get you there)
• Business partners are key stakeholders

Energizing the team: Create opportunities for success with skill development

• Effective estimation
• Framework choice
• Governance that works
• To meet or not to meet?
• Vendor selection
• Celebrate, acknowledge, reward

Lather, rinse, repeat

• Document your business rhythm
• Follow your business rhythm
• Improve your business rhythm

Communicate with the stakeholders

• On the business rhythm
• Continually update and pitch your artifacts, articulate your value, and continually sell
• Implement useful changes, even if they don’t have acceptance yet