As a Software Architect working in a large organization you increasingly realize that many of your problems are organizational rather than technology related. Software Anti-Patterns help you and your managers avoid the pitfalls of superficially attractive technology solutions. Similarly, it’s my hope that Organizational Anti-Patterns will help you and your VPs avoid the pitfalls of superficially attractive organizational solutions.
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
Organizational Anti-Patterns #7: Product Managers
Obviously, I’m not suggesting that the entire role of Product Manager is an anti-pattern. Somebody has to identify customer needs, understand business objectives and articulate what success looks like. The Harvard Business Review says that great product managers need highly developed emotional intelligence to forge connections with internal and external stakeholders, and to sway them to their point of view. Not usually a core competency for more engineering focused roles.
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
Autodesk
Navisworks
Organizational Anti-Patterns #6: The 800lb Gorilla
What do you give an 800-pound gorilla? Whatever it wants.
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
Organizational Anti-Patterns #5: The Future Platform
Let’s say you work for a large organization that, for whatever reason, has a lot of duplicate development. Pick any kind of project you can think of and, if you look hard enough, you’ll find five different teams working on their own version. Almost inevitably, a VP will decide that the solution to this recurring problem is to build The Future Platform.
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
Organizational Anti-Patterns #4: Throwing it over the wall
Throwing it over the wall is a common business idiom for “passing a project or problem to another person without consulting with them or coordinating the transfer”. It’s commonly considered to be a bad thing.
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
Autodesk
Organizational Anti-Patterns #3: Exceptions
There’s a VP move under way. A company wide mandate has been issued. Big changes are coming. What’s your immediate reaction? Are you excited? Ready for the challenge? Or is your first thought to wonder how you can get an exception?
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
Organizational Anti-Patterns #2: The Old New Thing
At some point in your career all the stars will align. You’re working on an exciting, groundbreaking new project. Even better everyone else in your organization thinks the same. They’re falling over themselves to help out, remove blockers, get stuff done for you. The CEO calls out your project in the company all hands. It may just be the future of the organization.
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Organizational Anti-Patterns
AWS
Organizational Anti-Patterns #1: VP Moves
You work in a large organization. The kind that has VPs and SVPs and lots of C-level types. I’m going to use “VP” as short hand for all these leaders at the top of an organization. What do you want from the VPs? Ideally, they provide a consistent sense of direction with a clear strategy. They model the culture of the organization and provide a sense of belonging. They ensure that all the parts of the organization are aligned so that the overall organization is more than just the sum of its parts.