Leadership

The Architecture Manager – the Forgotten Enterprise Architecture Role

by

I’ve met many Architecture Managers over the years.  Sometimes they go by the title of “Chief Enterprise Architect” or “Chief IT Architect” and other times, the title is “Vice President of Architecture and Strategy” or some variant.  The men and women called to serve in this unique role have a distinct, and uniquely important role…

On Women in Computing

by

Its 2014. Why are we still debating about equal pay for women in the workplace? And specifically in IT-related fields? It is downright ironic if you ask me given the contributions of the following two women in the profession: Ada Lovelace from the 19th century who worked on Babbage’s early “computer”. Eventually, a programming language, […]

So Long for Now

by

This is a bitter-sweet post for me.  It is sweet because I will be returning my family and friends in the country that I love, Canada.  Bitter as I will be leaving behind very good friends and an amazing team of people at the American University of Sharjah. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity […]

The post So Long for Now appeared first on Enterprise Architecture in Higher Education.

Where or When We Learn Core Business Values

by

There is a common thread that transcends all of us when working. Whether a pimple-faced kid at a Silicon Valley/Alley startup, a factory worker slinging out products in the middle of the night, or a C-level executive running a multi-billion dollar corporation, there are common value which are, or should be present in us all. […]

My Personal Productivity Approach

by

To be a self-sufficient contributor to an organization and/or to provide leadership to others, I feel its important to manage oneself first. I think using a formal/information system aides us in attaining clarity in our minds. That state of shoshin – a beginner’s mind ready for anything. This assertion, coupled with my own OCD around […]

Does the EA’s Wardrobe Matter?

by

A slightly humorous post on fashion and enterprise architecture. On two separate occasions I’ve been privy to conversations among enterprise architects discussing fashion. That’s right; grizzled veterans (guys) of the business world musing over what to wear. It was like an episode of “Say Yes to the Dress” gone bad. It started with Mike Walker mentioning this […]

Personal Learning Plans Support Employee Retention

by

I have been a strong advocate of implementing Personal Learning Plans (PLP) for employees for years.  This concept was introduced to me during my years working at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.  I used the Personal Learning Plan process to help my teams improve their abilities in the jobs they have and to advance their […]

The post Personal Learning Plans Support Employee Retention appeared first on Enterprise Architecture in Higher Education.

Where should IT be in the reporting structure?

by

Where do we place IT in the reporting structure of an organization? The topic of reporting structures and IT’s placement has nagged me for years.  The typical answer is “it depends” and that is not wrong.  Based on my experiences, I am firmly convinced that IT needs to report to the Chancellor/President/CEO, essentially the top level in […]

The post Where should IT be in the reporting structure? appeared first on Enterprise Architecture in Higher Education.

When Free Isn’t Better

by

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 […]

Internal Alignment

by

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 […]