What has your IT architect done today? Did he -mostly male- deliver artefacts? Has he added value or enabled business? Or don’t you know what to do with architects?
Control and support them
Well, just like any other employee or consultant an IT architect must be controlled and supported on deliverables: just ask different questions and persevere on getting a timely answer you understand. Because that is what matters: you as a manager, team lead or business owner should feel comfortable with their output. Your problems should be avoided, solved or put on a roadmap that makes sense and is realistic.
Reason of existence?
The rule is that every organization needs some architects. For what? Is it for
- perfecting a framework,
- completing the description of the application landscape,
- signing off designs,
- inventing a new language called Archimate, for the innercircle of architects, leaving administrators and managers in despair about meaning and relevance of the output?
Philosophy required?
As the best technical expert an architect is not bothered anymore by business as usual. He is liberated to ponder on future moves. The future may be bright and consistent but the road towards this paradise is somewhat cloudy. Does this require a kind of philosophical endeavor as a solid basis for roadmapping? Intelligent and reasonable usage of philosophical concepts requires an in-depth analysis of alternatives and implications. Preferrably in such a way that people around you understand what you are hinting at. Yet, alternatives and real choices are a rare feature in IT architectures.
Effective Communication?
Communication of the paradise and the roadmap is hard to combine with showing omniscience. Nit-wit, know-it-all without feasable and viable next steps seems the key feature of architects. Look at this discussion (see image below): a multitude of seniors jump from biology, system theory into philosophy of science and psychology. Guess what, it looks like a discussion but it is merely a self-exposure without any result. How else could there more than 800 entries and still growing?
Solution
If someone should be able to solve your IT-problems as a manager and to solve the challenges of your designers and administrators, it should be an IT architect. You require technical insight, evangelism of your business goals as translated into realized IT features, processes and projectplanning, advise, design and support for people who implement and administer IT. Any feature lacking: sack them and get an efficient version.
How to discern whether your new version of the IT architect can assist you in enabling business? Ask different questions and persevere in getting answers you understand, because it is your business. Architecture without realization is a hobby and for sure I am not in the hobby business.
Contact me if you want efficient questions.
