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IN THIS SECTION, YOU WILL: Understand that architects’ work is evaluated based on their impact on the organization and get guidelines for making an impact.

KEY POINTS:

  • Architects’ work is evaluated based on their impact on the organization.
  • Architects can make an impact via three pillars: Big-Picture Thinking, Execution, and Leveling-Up.


Architects’ work is evaluated based on their impact on the organization (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Impact is one of the three main elements of being an architect (skills, impact, leadership). Leadership without impact lacks foundation and may signal that you have become an ivory tower architect with a weak relation to reality.

Architects’ contributions are typically assessed through the following key areas:

  • Identifying, Tackling, and Delivering on Strategic Problems: Architects are responsible for recognizing and addressing strategic issues at both the organizational and area-specific levels (such as domains or technical areas). They can facilitate aligning work with the organization’s broader strategic objectives, ensuring that efforts are prioritized to support global goals. By tackling these strategic problems, architects contribute to the organization’s overall direction and success, providing solutions that align with long-term visions and targets.

  • Having a Deep and Broad Influence: Architects must have a profound and extensive impact on their specific domain, product, or technology area. This influence requires them to delve deeply into particular critical issues, providing targeted solutions that address pressing challenges. Simultaneously, they need to maintain a broad perspective, creating value by leveraging their solutions across multiple teams and projects. This dual focus ensures that their influence is both concrete and widespread, enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.

  • Delivering Solutions that Few Others Can: Architects are often tasked with providing solutions that are beyond the reach of others, either through their direct efforts or by orchestrating large-scale group endeavors. Their unique combination of hard technical skills and soft skills in strategy, execution, and people management enables them to navigate complex challenges and drive significant progress. By leveraging these skills, architects can move the organization forward, ensuring that the solutions they deliver are both innovative and implementable, fostering growth and development across the board.

Architects' work is evaluated based on their impact on the organization.

Architects make a significant impact by identifying and solving strategic problems, exerting deep and broad influence across domains, and delivering unique solutions through a blend of technical expertise and strategic leadership. This multifaceted approach ensures that their work is not only aligned with organizational objectives but also drives substantial progress and innovation.


Pillars of Impact

Architects must possess strong technical, people, and business skills, which are ideally developed through extensive practice and experience. Building on this robust foundation, architects need to cultivate specific competencies that enable them to leverage their experiences and abilities to positively impact organizational performance. As architects advance in their careers, their competency development should be increasingly driven by the desired impact on the organization rather than solely on acquiring new skills.

I typically coach architects within the framework of concrete activities, focusing on real-world challenges and guiding their development through hands-on involvement in appropriate actions. This practical approach helps tailor their skill development to address specific challenges and achieve the expected impact in practice.

To develop a structured approach to teach architects how to make an impact, I draw inspiration from Staff Engineering roles. Tanya Reilly’s book The Staff Engineer’s Path and Will Larson’s book Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track provide valuable insights into defining the responsibilities and expectations of architects.

Figure 2: Key competencies of architects. Inspired by The Staff Engineer’s Path by Tanya Reilly.

Inspired by The Staff Engineer’s Path by Tanya Reilly (Figure 2), I categorize the competencies that enable architects to make an impact into three groups:

  • Big-picture Thinking: Architects need to develop the ability to see the broader context of their work. This type of impact involves understanding how their architectural decisions align with organizational goals, market trends, and technological advancements. Big-picture thinking allows architects to foresee potential challenges and opportunities, ensuring their designs are future-proof and scalable. This competency involves strategic planning, vision setting, and the ability to articulate how technical solutions contribute to overall business objectives.

  • Execution: Execution is about turning ideas into reality. Architects must help teams complete projects efficiently and effectively. This type of impact involves project management skills, the ability to coordinate with cross-functional teams, and a deep understanding of the technical intricacies of bringing a project to fruition. Architects must also be capable of troubleshooting issues, adapting to changes, and ensuring that the final deliverables meet the required standards and expectations.

  • Leveling Up: Leveling up refers to the continuous improvement of both the architect’s skills and the capabilities of their teams. Architects must be committed to personal growth and the development of those around them. This type of impact involves mentoring junior team members, fostering a culture of learning, and staying abreast of the latest technological advancements and industry best practices. Architects should also focus on enhancing the overall skill set of their teams, ensuring that knowledge and expertise are shared and that the team collectively grows stronger and more capable.

By focusing on these three competency groups—big-picture thinking, execution, and leveling up—architects can significantly enhance their impact on organizational performance. This structured approach to competency development can ensure that architects are skilled practitioners and strategic leaders capable of driving meaningful change and innovation within their organizations.


Big-Picture Thinking

Architects are often the only individuals within an organization who possess a “helicopter view,” allowing them to oversee vast domains and anticipate the broader consequences of decisions.

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This unique perspective positions them as crucial big-picture thinkers who can contribute to the organization in several significant ways:

  • Identifying High-Leverage Points for Maximum Impact: With their ability to see the big picture, architects can pinpoint areas within the organization where small changes or strategic investments can yield substantial benefits. This capability allows them to recommend and implement solutions that maximize impact, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and effectively. By focusing on high-leverage points, architects can drive significant improvements in performance and productivity across the organization.

  • Helping Others to See the Big Picture: Architects can facilitate a broader understanding of the organizational landscape among their colleagues. By helping others see the big picture, they enable more informed decision-making at all levels. They can create tools and frameworks, such as a comprehensive Lightweight Architectural Analytics, that promote big-picture thinking. These tools help team members understand how their work fits into the larger organizational context and the impact of their contributions. Through workshops, presentations, and collaborative tools, architects can disseminate their vision, fostering a culture of strategic awareness.

  • Zooming In and Out: Good architects have the rare ability to both maintain a strategic overview and delve into implementation details when necessary. This flexibility allows them to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and on-the-ground execution. They can provide strategic guidance while also engaging deeply with technical teams to ensure that the finer details align with broader organizational goals. This dual capability ensures that strategic initiatives are feasible and that practical implementations stay aligned with the overall vision.

  • Rooting Out Inefficiencies: Using their big-picture perspective, architects are adept at identifying and eliminating inefficiencies within organizational processes and systems. They can lead the adoption of new technologies and processes that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of multiple teams. By doing so, architects can help streamline operations, reduce redundancies, and improve overall performance. This proactive approach to efficiency ensures that the organization remains competitive and can adapt to changing market conditions and technological advancements.

Architects play a pivotal role in organizations by leveraging their helicopter view to identify high-leverage points, help others understand the big picture, seamlessly transition between strategic and detailed thinking, and root out inefficiencies. Their ability to see and act on the broader context makes them invaluable in driving organizational success and fostering a culture of strategic innovation.


Execution

As execution-focused practitioners, architects must not only deliver tangible results but also enhance collaboration across the organization. Their ability to combine technical expertise with pragmatic approaches and foster effective teamwork is crucial for achieving these goals.

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Here’s how architects can excel in these areas:

Delivering Results with Pragmatism

Architects must blend their technical expertise with practical approaches to ensure their solutions are impactful and feasible. By prioritizing practicality and feasibility, architects can ensure their contributions lead to tangible improvements and successful outcomes:

  • Create Meaningful Solutions: Architects should focus on developing solutions that are practical and impactful rather than getting caught up in theoretical ideals and models. These solutions must address real-world problems and be implementable within the current organizational context. By prioritizing practicality, architects ensure that their contributions lead to tangible improvements and benefits.

  • Break Down Complex Problems: To deliver impactful results, architects must be skilled at deconstructing complex issues into manageable components. This approach allows teams to tackle problems step-by-step, reducing overwhelm and increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes. By using this divide-and-conquer approach, architects help ensure that projects progress smoothly and deliver the desired impact.

  • Craft Pragmatic Plans: When planning projects, architects must consider various constraints, including technical limitations, logistical challenges, and organizational dynamics. Pragmatic planning involves balancing ideal solutions with what is feasible given these constraints. This approach ensures that plans are realistic, actionable, and more likely to succeed in the real world.

Enhancing Collaboration

Architects can play a crucial role in fostering effective collaboration and creating alignment within their teams and across the broader organization. By engaging meaningfully with various teams and departments, architects build trust and enhance execution speed, leading to better overall productivity and execution.

  • Creating Alignment: Architects can be key in creating alignment within their teams and the broader organization. This role involves ensuring all stakeholders understand the strategic objectives and how their work contributes to these goals. Clear communication and shared understanding help align efforts and focus resources on common objectives.

  • Improving Collaboration: Architects can be critical catalysts for improving collaboration within their teams and across different groups in the organization. This role facilitates communication, coordinates efforts, and resolves conflicts to ensure smooth cooperation. By fostering a collaborative environment, architects can help teams work more effectively together, leading to better execution and faster results.

  • Collaborating Meaningfully Across Groups: Architects should actively engage with various teams and departments to build trust and improve execution speed. Meaningful collaboration involves understanding the needs and perspectives of different groups and finding ways to integrate their efforts. Building trust through consistent and open communication can help to break down silos and enhances overall productivity.

As execution-focused practitioners, architects must blend their technical skills with a pragmatic approach to deliver meaningful solutions and break down complex problems. They must also play a vital role in creating alignment and improving collaboration within and across teams. By doing so, they not only achieve impactful results but also enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.


Leveling Up

Architects are often seen as leaders and role models who can help organizations raise the bar on both technical and cultural fronts.

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This role I categorize into three key areas: citizenship, design and architecture, and software engineering.

Citizenship

Architects should look beyond their immediate responsibilities and work to elevate practices and behaviors across their organizations:

  • Contribute to the broader technical community through tech talks, education, publications, and open-source projects. This involvement helps spread knowledge and innovation.
  • Extend their influence beyond their organization to make an impact on the industry at large, sharing insights and best practices that benefit a wider audience.
  • Lead efforts to solve significant problems in their areas, demonstrating leadership and commitment to continuous improvement.
  • Elevate the engineering culture within the company, fostering an environment of excellence and continuous learning.

Design and Architecture

As leading authorities on systematic and strategic design, architects play a critical role in shaping the architecture of their organizations:

  • Leverage their deep domain knowledge to improve the definition of best practices in design and architecture, ensuring that standards are maintained and enhanced over time.
  • Identify and solve systemic architectural problems by quickly recognizing issues and articulating possible solutions. Their ability to address these challenges ensures system stability and scalability, ensuring high-quality overall architecture.

Software Engineering

Architects also need to stay deeply connected to software engineering practices, leveraging their experience to enhance technical execution:

  • Promote and demonstrate best-in-class practices in coding, documentation, testing, and monitoring. By setting high standards, they can ensure that quality and efficiency are prioritized.
  • Solve challenging technical and execution problems that few others can, using their expertise to tackle issues that require advanced skills and innovative thinking. Architects’ influence can motivate others to develop new advanced skills.

By excelling in these areas, architects can significantly contribute to raising their organizations’ technical and cultural standards, leading by example, and driving continuous improvement across all levels.


Questions to Consider

  • Can you identify instances where you had to go deep into a specific issue and others where you needed a broad perspective across multiple teams? How did you manage both scenarios?
  • How have you used your technical, strategic, execution, and people skills to deliver solutions? Can you share an example?
  • How can you build on your technical, people, and business skills to positively impact your organization’s performance? How do you measure this impact?
  • As an architect, how can you develop your big-picture thinking ability? Can you give an example of how your big-picture thinking helped to identify a high leverage point for maximum impact?
  • Reflect on your role in execution. How can you help in delivering results and improving collaboration? Can you share an example where your pragmatism resulted in a meaningful solution?
  • What initiatives could you have taken to improve collaboration and build trust within your organization?
  • Have you contributed to the broader technical community through tech talks, education, publications, open-source projects, etc.?
  • How could you help solve significant problems in your area and raise the bar of the engineering culture across the company?
  • Can you provide an example of a systemic architectural problem you identified and the solution you proposed?
  • How would you promote and demonstrate best-in-class practices in coding, documentation, testing, and monitoring?
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