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Document Name: Enterprise Architecture - Fighting the good fight
Document Description: TWENTY PERCENT OF OUR SUCCESS IS THE NEW TECHNOLOGY THAT WE EMBRACE . . . BUT 80 PERCENT OF OUR SUCCESS IS IN THE CULTURE OF OUR COMPANY.
THE ARTICLE GOES ON TO DESCRIBE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULTURE WHERE EA IS ACCEPTED:
- COLLABORATIVE TEAMS VS. STOVEPIPE
- INFORMATION SHARING VS. HOARDING
- PEOPLE-ORIENTED VS. BOTTOM LINE FOCUS
- EMPHASIS ON STANDARDIZATION VS. TECHNOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION
- ADHERENCE TO GOVERNANCE VS. ACTING FIRST AND ASKING PERMISSION LATER
- BUSINESS FOCUS VS. TECHNOLOGY FOR TECHNOLOGY SAKE
- PERFORMANCE MEASURE (ACCOUNTABILITY) VS. "SEAT OF THE PANTS"
HERE IS MY TAKE. IF YOU HAVE A CULTURE THAT FITS THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE A WELL ESTABLISHED EA. FOR THE REST OF US, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY WHICH CHARACTERISTIC(S) WE ARE MISSING AND DEVISE A PLAN TO CHANGE THE MINDSET. OBVIOUSLY, THE MORE CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR CULTURE THAT ARE UNDESIRABLE FOR AN EA, THE HARDER YOUR JOB WILL BE. DAVID LINTHICUM WROTE THIS PIECE YESTERDAY CALLED FEAR OF CHANGE.
FEAR CHANGE. IF THINGS ARE BAD, THAN CHANGE IS TYPICALLY GOOD. UNFORTUNATELY, CHANGE ALSO MEANS RISK, AND RISK IS SOMETHING PEOPLE TYPICALLY DON'T LIKE. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT PEOPLE ARE REWARDED FOR MAINTAINING MORE SO THAN IMPROVING, AND THUS HOW MANY OF THE ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURES OUT THERE ARE NOW LAYERS UPON LAYERS OF TACTICAL ONE-OFF SOLUTIONS DESIGNED TO "KEEP THINGS GOING A FEW MORE YEARS." SOMEBODY NEEDS TO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO FIGURE OUT A LONG TERM SOLUTION, USING SOUND ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE APPROACHES, INCLUDING SOA.
DAVE'S POINT "SOMEBODY NEEDS TO HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL TO FIGURE OUT A LONG TERM SOLUTION" IS WHAT I AM REFERRING TO AS "FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT". AS ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTS, CHIEF ARCHITECTS, CIOS, AND CTOS, WE OWE IT TO OUR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES TO DELIVER VALUE, EFFICIENCIES, AND ENABLE OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. TOO OFTEN, IT SHOPS HAVE BECOME BOGGED DOWN IN KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS TAKE THE QUICK AND DIRTY ROUTE TO SOLVING PROBLEMS. ALWAYS REMEMBER, THE DIRTY HANGS AROUND LONG AFTER THE QUICK IS GONE. IT IS TIME TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND BUILD AN ARCHITECTURE THAT ALLOWS YOUR IT SHOP TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE BUSINESS (AGILE) WHILE BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE THAT SUPPORTS BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM NEEDS.
LAST WEEK I WROTE A POSTED CALLED "Author: Michael Kavis - Contact Author
Publisher: Michael Kavis
Licensee Name: Michael Kavis
Reference URL: http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/eai/madgreek/archives/enterprise-architecture-fighting-the-good-fight-22988
Copyright: All Rights Reserved
Registration Date: 3/10/2008 11:51:00 PM UTC
Views: 331
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