The architect as coach

As every organization becomes a software organization, senior leaders with no technology background regularly have to make technology decisions. To help their teams succeed, architects must learn to coach those leaders in how to deliver and operate high-quality services. James Stewart covers a range of techniques that help develop understanding and capability among senior leadership.

Large organizations are increasingly bringing their technology in-house and integrating software development within specific business units rather than solely in IT. This allows technology decisions to be more clearly aligned with organizations’ overall goals, but often it also means that nonspecialist senior leaders are taking on a set of significant responsibilities they aren’t prepared for. Experienced architects can help manage this situation by acting as coaches and translators, working with leaders to help them understand the responsibilities that come with owning a digital service, work out how to build trust with teams and verify results, and determine what they need to prepare for. Drawing on his experience with the UK government’s digital transformation, James Stewart covers a range of techniques that help develop understanding and capability among senior leadership and explores the role architects can play. Topics include: