Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Enterprise Architecture Matrix

In my last post I have tried to express that I have given up on balance and I like it pretty much to be out of balance. It is kind of balance for me to be out of balance. No idea why, no idea where that leads to, no idea how long it lasts, but I accept the fact that I like it and that it gives me this perfect moment of being once with the flow. The flow I try to optimize with my daily work and which I tried to describe (fairly weak description so far) in my posts about GLUE Disease and Fixing Flows:


In this post I try to describe the way I approach Enterprise Architecture with my GLUE thinking in a different way. For that I will use a sequence from the movie Matrix and translate it into a dialogue between a Real Enterprise Architect and a Wannabe Enterprise Architect. For simplicity I use Wannabe and Real to point out who is speaking.


Wannabe: I know Enterprise Architecture.
Real: Show me.
Real: This is an Enterprise Architecture Activity. It follows the same basic rules than the Enterprise, rules like governance. What you must learn is that these rules are no different that the rules of a framework. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken. Understand? Then solve it, if you can.

[Wannabe tries to solve the problem]

Senior: Good. Adaptation, improvisation. But your weakness is not your technique.Project Manager: The Junior tries to solve an Enterprise Architecture problem.

Real: How did I solve it?
Wannabe: Your knowing more than I do.
Real: Do you believe that my being more experieced or knowing more has anything to do with my Enterprise Architecture framework technique in this place? You think that's air you're breathing now? Hah. Again.
[Wannabe really tries to solve it]
Project Manager: Jesus Christ, he's fast. Take a look at his neural kinetics, they're way above normal.
[Wannabe is close to solving it]
Real: What are you waiting for? You're faster than this. Don't think you are, know you are. Come on. Stop trying to solve and start solving it.

Project Manager: I don't believe it.

Wannabe: I know what you're trying to do.
Real: I'm trying to free your mind, Wannabe, but I can only show you the door, you're the one that has to walk through it. You have to let it all go, Wannabe, fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.



I truly hope that Enterprise Architects are waking up and walking through that door. The more the better. If you ask me then there is more to solve out there than we are ever able to sort, so if possible free your mind and enter the real Enterprise Architects leaving all the rules and boundaries behind you, but use them where reasonable.


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