Enterprise Climatologist?
Some of us on Twitter (#entarch) were noodling around for alternative names for Enterprise Architects. Someone chimed in about using “meteorologist” and suggested “climatologist”. Then I thought more about the definitions of these words and how these roles operate.
These individuals work on massive amounts of historical data and seek patterns in nature to predict weather patterns and then issue forecasts. But at this point, the best we can do is react to the coming weather. If its a tornado, we head to the SW corner of the basement. If its a hurricane, we try to get out of town (at least most do). We cannot stop a tornado or steer it in a more favorable direction. And while there are proactive measures one can take to endure a storm and bolster structures, one cannot control or shape the weather.
And that is where the meteorologist/climatologist analogy breaks down for EA. EAs need to be strategic in their thinking and help clients shape their future, not solely react to enterprise events. Like the weather, there are forces (e.g., Porters Five Forces) that one cannot control and must formulate a response. But the EAs job is to provide a vision and executable plan to a desired end state. Smart EAs leverage the experiences of others in design patterns and strategy execution. The discipline of EA provides the way to proactively shape the future for an enterprise.
What are your thoughts? What lessons can EAs and the discipline of EA garner from other disciplines?