The Architect vs The Problem - “Ding-Ding!”
In the black and blue corner, weighing in at 199 viewpoints, a whopping 7 years of Technical Debt and 6 ways to Sundays, “The Problem”!
Within the other corner we have a mildly-mannered persona glaring with a confident smile and no need of a fancy introduction, “The Architect”.
The “Architect” must face the heart of the “Problem” with no fear knowing that there are essentially two available approaches in the metaphoric ring….Either give it the easy left or the hard right. Subsequently having only two hands, building or combat could be pure techniques for such technology, business, or social survival. This may not be a prescription for the real world unless one is willing to take risk by confronting the uncomfortable in the ring. The “Hard Right” is a journey started with a strong first right step.
The “Hard Right” appears agonizing to the budget minded folks as it sometimes consumes more resources, requires more thought, asking better questions, acquiring the right people who “know”, and endurance for uncomfortable situations. Making the “right” decisions come with hard-hitting against the grain of traditional viewpoints making the “Easy Left” more appealing. Justifications of “We have always done it that way” are words sounding like someone scratching nails on a whiteboard and could get the blood pressure rising for “The Architect”. That’s when the architect’s mentor teaches of calming by rubbing both ear lobes gently just like Master Po taught the Kung Fu Panda to be a dragon warrior. You know who you are Master Po!
On the other hand, “Easy Left” (pun intended), is the polar opposite in some respects. At some point along the journey, you may stroll down Quick & Easy Street for a jiffy then suddenly “The Problem(s)” forces those past ruthless easy left decisions as a gravitational pull unto perfect storms of chaos. This approach is also evitable in cases with lack of prior proper planning, budget cuts, or an incidental “fat finger” occur. Who knew!
The question will always resonate….How do we combat “The Problem” and strategically build to prevent future ones from within “The Architect”?
“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them”
― Albert Einstein
We first must address the problem with the word “Problem” in that it’s deemed a negative connotation within our language by some that prefer sugar coating by with calling it a “Challenge” or maybe an “Issue”….Let’s call it what we started with as the painful sound of saying “Problem” should make one’s hairs rise to address it at face value. Besides, any CEO would probably not mention his company’s recent data security breach just an “issue”. The moral? Approach “The Problem” responsibly.
Deep down to “The Architect”, opportunity is more of the true state-of-mind consciously predetermined. In order to combat problems effectively, seeing the value first in what’s not yet visible is where the opportunity lurks. Never know what friend you could make over solving a problem together while debating about why FTP is still in-style versus why Service-Oriented Architecture has more loosely coupled style. The same lurking goes for learning a new skill-set or new profound self-discovery.
“The Architect” starts with simply asking better questions and quality use of thinking words to properly decompose a “Problem”. Regardless of the viewpoint encountered, “The Architect” applies the preventive solutions thought process for combating any “Problem” as a guiding principal to the adventure. This means looking in reverse then start asking more fundamental viewpoint questions as a general rule of thumb. Need proof?...Spend more time thinking more about the word “Solution” contrasted to “Problem” during the next problem situation with a prerequisite of researching the word “serotonin” from your favorite engine Google/Bing. A particular favorite natural and healthy conditioning the Olé brains of the “Architect”. It seems without it properly managed in our body, we have lots of “Problems”. The point? If we become what we most think about then why not think problem already solved? Just need to first understand the "experiencer’s" viewpoint of “The Problem” then work mindfully in reverse back to the point of what started this problem conversation. Sounds crazy at first.
Are “Problems” preventable or revertible?...Just as a magician must be in the viewpoint of his/her audience in order to know what the illusion & entertainment feels like in order to fully execute the magic trick. Magic tricks may not be entertaining from blind man’s viewpoint as it is from one with vision. Nor would the disappearing thumb trick for a 4 year old have the same effects on entertaining a 40 year old person interviewing you for a job.
--Before stepping into the ring--
- Could I cause problems or become one?
- If quick to answer this as “No” then #2 is especially important to extend more thought
- The obvious question is how to prevent them
- What could I or any other viewpoint do in order to cause a problem?
- Allow the mind to wonder down deep rabbit holes…it’s safe at this stage
- Warning: A Chef’s dish could be bad tasting but appeasing to the naked eye
- What are all the dependencies and ingredients needed for this “recipe” to work and taste appropriately?
- Decomposition of all layers to a solution with same approach as cooking dinner for in-laws
- Discovery of “perishable or stale technology” within the recipe (“Technology Debt”)
- Who are the Chefs? Never tell the chef the food is bad but do question the behavior of the process
- What goes with the main dish?
- Who’s paying the bar tab?
- What can or should be automated?
- Answering this will help with knowing where humans are potential problematic subjects and knowing what helps with no work calls during vacation
- WWGS – What Would Gartner Say?
- Tell me who does it best and what can be replicated legally or has low cost to invest
- Dude, where’s my logs?
- These are a technicians best friend for fixing technology problems
- Logging calories, hours driven to work, or how many times our portal breaks are all the same in nature of how capturing data helps with continuous growth steps to solving problems or change the quality of one’s "life/user experience".
The Good News is that we are all architects in a sense with the not so good being that we all have probabilities being dealt a “Problem” in our lifetime. Chances are also good that many other people dealt with similar ones. So judge them not, stay strong, Google/Bing it first then it’s OK to ask that co-worker!
“Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them”
--Henry Ford