Even self-organizing teams must have an architect!
... and ALL teams must have a Tech-Lead
The purpose of this talk is to communicate the responsibilities of the different architectural roles and see how this affects the mandate and responsibilities of an agile, self-organizing team.
Download the talk
Even self-organizing teams need an Architect.pdf
Agenda
- Terminology chaos, our clarification
- The troublesome architect, as seen by the developer.
- Our suggestion for minimizing these challenges.
- Elaborate on responsibilities of each role and the communication channels between the roles
- Communication channels in a learning organization
- Learning circle
- Even agile teams needs an architect
- Possibly give some tips on What architects can do to help create a learning organization
Twitter resymee:

@baardl@dagb I really liked the discussions during the evening! Hot outside, and hot topics inside. #IASA @kristoffer79 @ketilv @jhannes "Architect" might be a temporary name. Tech Lead or Chief Engineer might describe the role better. #IASA Conclusion from yesterday. An architect is an leader. Leadership is about communication and creating a learning organization. Architecture is easy, thats only technology. Beeing a sw-architect is more. Analysis, communication, coaching, bringing the best in people. @jhannes Erosion of shared responsibility results in failure in delivering the right solution. Build culture, not a single authority. IMHO @kristoffer79 really wish you had come to the meeting yesterday. Hefty discussions till late. We do agree on most issues. |
@dagbEven considering the nice weather this evenings #IASA meeting at #scotsman was well spent. http://bit.ly/16F40y @javatotto @jhannes @baardl Architecture thinking needs to wired into project culture, but often there is need for a leader @baardl Yes I liked last #IASA meeting 2. Had to leave for last bus til Elverum. DId you continue for long? @jhannes I'm not saying you should ignore personnel risks, but won't that be a problem in all knowledgebased work? @jhannes cn U complete remove personnel risk? I cn believe in reducing it, in a sw prj (working lk an ant colony?) sounds a bit utopian.. |
@kristoffer79@javatotto @jhannes @baardl Self-organizing teams can organize architecture too! An "unofficial lead developer" is preferred in my world. @baardl @jhannes @javatotto I believe "architect" is an out-of-date title, at least for actual developers. @jhannes @baardl +1 on the bottleneck theory. "Architects" gone in meetings cause ad-hoc architecture decisions anyhow. Get rid of them! |
@jhannes@baardl Self-organizing team do need architecture, but probably should be wary of having "one Architect" @baardl The problem of The Architect is not the name but the bottleneck. If some one has the authority, shared responsibility is eroded. @baardl Fire the architect, hire a coach instead. @javatotto Centralized architecture responsibility doesn't scale and is very susceptible to personnel risks. @dagb The whole idea of self-org teams is to remove personnel risks. I'm living it now. @dagb We integrate 1 new member per iteration, rotate freely between tasks, only linear slowdown when someone's missing. Pair prog FTW @leifauke Self-organizing != anarchy. The group agrees on working principles and we're is hired to deliver features. That's "law" enough. |
@javatottoGreat discussions at last night #IASA meeting - even agile project needs an architect @jhannes @baardl self-organizing teams need "someone" to make balanced and consistent design decisions across teams and time.. which is... @kjetilv re #autocratecture : it is a responsibility... who/how and by what name - I do not really care @jhannes shared responsibility does not fulfill the responsibility of balance across team and time successfully in the real world.. @kjetilv plural is fine by me.... as long as the responsibility is carried out successfully @kristoffer79 the title may be outdated.. but projects/developers does not do a better job at architecture today than 10 years ago @jhannes who is talking about centralized architecture responsibility? lack of org.scope does not scale at all! http://bit.ly |
@flowchainsensei@jhannes @javatotto And the dysfunctions of siloism, with the waste of hand-offs. Seen it in practice (too) many times. |
@kjetilv@baardl any sizable code base needs architectURE for longevity. whoever champions it may call themselves architect, if they want. @javatotto you assume that balance and consistency require a single source and/or authority. new word! "autocratecture" @javatotto then I don't see the value of focusing on that special "someone" – unless you mean "someone" could also be plural? |
@leifauke@jhannes sounds nice, but no disadvantage for nobody if someone fills leading roles. Anarchy has never proven to work anywhere. False beauty @jhannes Decisions made by BAD leaders create bottlenecks @jhannes @dagb @javatotto We assume there is a defined target. Leading is setting path to target. If this is done by a cooperate lead, fine! @jhannes @dagb @javatotto Overall leadership is making sure individuals or groups perform decisions leading to target and responsibillity for results |
- jhannes @dagb We integrate 1 new member per iteration, rotate freely between tasks, only linear slowdown when someone's missing. Pair prog FTW
- dagb @jhannes cn U complete remove personnel risk? I cn believe in reducing it, in a sw prj (working lk an ant colony?) sounds a bit utopian..
- baardl @jhannes Can you write a blog, or on Cantara, tdescribeing how you organize de-centralized, consistent development? How should WE think 2?
- baardl @kristoffer79 really wish you had come to the meeting yesterday. Hefty discussions till late. We do agree on most issues.
- jhannes @dagb The whole idea of self-org teams is to remove personnel risks. I'm living it now.
- javatotto @jhannes who is talking about centralized architecture responsibility? lack of org.scope does not scale at all! http://bit.ly/vJGVE
- dagb @jhannes I'm not saying you should ignore personnel risks, but won't that be a problem in all knowledgebased work?
- jhannes @javatotto Centralized architecture responsibility doesn't scale and is very susceptible to personnel risks.
- kristoffer79 @jhannes @baardl +1 on the bottleneck theory. "Architects" gone in meetings cause ad-hoc architecture decisions anyhow. Get rid of them!
- dagb @baardl Yes I liked last #IASA meeting 2. Had to leave for last bus til Elverum. DId you continue for long?
- dagb @javatotto @jhannes @baardl Architecture thinking needs to wired into project culture, but often there is need for a leader
- baardl @jhannes Erosion of shared responsibility results in failure in delivering the right solution. Build culture, not a single authority. IMHO
- javatotto @kristoffer79 the title may be outdated.. but projects/developers does not do a better job at architecture today than 10 years ago
- baardl Architecture is easy, thats only technology. Beeing a sw-architect is more. Analysis, communication, coaching, bringing the best in people.
- javatotto @jhannes shared responsibility does not fulfill the responsibility of balance across team and time successfully in the real world..
- kristoffer79 @baardl @jhannes @javatotto I believe "architect" is an out-of-date title, at least for actual developers.
- jhannes @baardl Fire the architect, hire a coach instead.
- jhannes @baardl The problem of The Architect is not the name but the bottleneck. If some one has the authority, shared responsibility is eroded.
- baardl #IASA Conclusion from yesterday. An architect is an leader. Leadership is about communication and creating a learning organization.
- baardl @kristoffer79 @ketilv @jhannes "Architect" might be a temporary name. Tech Lead or Chief Engineer might describe the role better.
- kristoffer79 @javatotto @jhannes @baardl Self-organizing teams can organize architecture too! An "unofficial lead developer" is preferred in my world.
- kjetilv @baardl any sizable code base needs architectURE for longevity. whoever champions it may call themselves architect, if they want.
- javatotto @jhannes @baardl self-organizing teams need "someone" to make balanced and consistent design decisions across teams and time.. which is...
jhannes @baardl Self-organizing team *do need architecture, but probably should be wary of having "one Architect" - javatotto Great discussions at last night #IASA meeting - even agile project needs an architect
http://bit.ly/Uypvg presentations on-line RSN 
The key characteristic of self-organizing software teams are the imminent explosion of new silos.