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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.
  • Even agile teams needs an architect

Fun quote
The key characteristic of self-organizing software teams are the imminent explosion of new silos.

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.

@dagb

Even 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@baardl @jhannes @javatotto I believe "architect" is an out-of-date title, at least for actual developers.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.

@javatotto

Great discussions at last night #IASA meeting - even agile project needs an architect http://bit.ly/Uypvg presentations on-line RSN

@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 #IASA

@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 and decisions made by BADLY oganized groups 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
Posted by Bård Lind at Jun 25, 2009 15:30 Updated by Thor Henning Hetland
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