Eric Stephens

Cloud Computing is the How, not the What

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Upon reviewing my (few) blog posts and thoughts on enterprise architecture over the last few years, I realized I haven’t opined about cloud computing. At all. So to fulfill my bucket list, this will be my (one) obligatory post on cloud computing. If you are reading this I’ll bet you know what I’m talking about. […]

The Best Enterprise Architecture Tool

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So recently my buddy over at OTN Bob Rhubart asked “ What tool or tools are indispensable in your role as an architect? When faced with a new project what’s the first thing you reach for? Why?”. I instantly protested regarding the brevity of the answers. He suggested I blog about it. So here goes. So the […]

The Ninety Degree Shift

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Relating back to a previous post on the “Law of Navigation”, I was thinking and pontificating about this idea the other day. I contend most enterprise architects (EA) progressed out of some technical discipline within the IT world. Some, like myself, were grinding out code for a living and have (had?) deep expertise in .NET, […]

When Free Isn’t Better

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Free is awesome. Especially at lunch. But as they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Giving away some of our own personal value/intellectual property is essential in winning business from others. Its the free sample at the grocery store of the warm, organic bread that lures you into buying the whole […]

Thoughts on the Business Reference Model (BRM)

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Mike Walker recently posted regarding the new Business Reference Model (BRM) released by The Open Group (TOG) which inspired me to review the document and subsequently provide these remarks. I applaud TOG and the contributors for their work. I myself find it difficult to find time outside my regular work for the collaborate sharing that […]

Internal Alignment

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Have you ever tried to drive a car where the front-end is out of alignment? I’m no mechanic, but there are several components that make up the “front-end” that need to be adjusted correctly. This includes the front wheels themselves. Otherwise, one can feel the car pull from side-to-side or sometimes just drift while driving […]

Life = Dojo

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I studied (Okinawan Goju-Ryu) Karate not too long ago. It was perhaps the only athletic activity I every really enjoyed in my life. I because a karateka (student) in my mid-fourties. I studied at the local YMCA where my shihan held class for beginners. Beginners were age 5-n where n is something closer to my […]

Alignment – Mobility

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Positioning one’s own personal brand is something that may not come naturally to some folks. One may think that only applies to marketing types. But it doesn’t. Its important to demonstrate a sense of flexibility and awareness to one’s contirbutions within organizations. Personally, I think a bit of variety in one’s career is beneficial and […]

My Personal Toolbox

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I wrote about my conversion to a Mac back in November of 2010 from my sad, pathetic existence on a Windows-based machine. I’m on my second MacBook — a MacBook Air — and I couldn’t be happier. I wanted to share some of the tools I use on a regular basis with some repeated content from that original post. […]

Shoshin – The Beginner’s Mind and Exercise

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Over the last 4-6 weeks I’ve been able to establish some kind of an exercise routine in my life. Its nothing earth-shattering. I’m up early first thing in the morning at my hotel and spend 20-30 minutes either on the treadmill or the elliptical. I’m usually jamming to the rougher Rdio playlists I have on […]

Soft Skills, Leadership, and now Empathy

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A recent post by @mikejwalker on a new Soft Skills course by Architecting the Enterprise rightly points out the importance of soft skills for the EA discipline. I think this is a great addition to the profession and shows formal recognition of the importance of soft skills in the industry.
The EA positions I’ve seen in companies are generally at a 1st or 2nd line management grades. Corporations seem to recognize at some level the need for a “higher stature” for the EA professional. The leadership skills take more cultivation than just updating the HR records, however. It takes a skillful balance of things perhaps even learned outside the scope of the office such as running a youth organization or planning other non-profit events. Corporations are wise to invest in leadership training – often only slated for management – for EA professionals. 
The EA profession is both strategic and change-oriented impacting people far more than the bucket of bolts on your data center floor. Changing behaviors in humans is at the core of the discipline. 
The above was written last week. This week @nickmalik rightly opines on the importance of empathy EAs. I only scanned this article (which deserves a good read by the fire with my favorite scotch). He’s definitely onto something here…
Bottom line – soft skills are becoming increasingly important!!! So, fellow EA professional, what do you do to hone your soft skills? Who do you draw upon for leadership lessons?