Facilitating Software Architecture

Part IV. Centering the “Social” in Your Practice of Architecture

The fact that Part III ended with spikes—a purely technical, focused practice but one that offers wider group-level and social benefits—was not unintentional. With the advice process, the dynamics of the collective are of utmost importance. If you’ve gone to the effort of changing your practices so that everyone can decide, you’ll want to collectively ensure that anyone could decide.

Part IV examines this social aspect from three angles, offering perspectives, strategies, and approaches to ensure that your “sociotechnical” system doesn’t become “antisocial” for some. When you get it right, and you collectively nurture an open, generative, creative culture, then the results can be powerful.

Chapter 15 tackles the social aspects of the transition of power and accountability that the architecture advice process brings about. It considers transition first from the perspective of those who are gaining power, discussing in depth how psychological safety can be nurtured and protected. It then considers transition from the perspective of those whose power has been distributed, considering how this feels and (sadly) how acts of sabotage can be countered.

Chapter 16 moves on to the importance of leadership in the transition to the new way of practicing architecture and beyond. It busts myths around leadership and considers the good and bad aspects of common hierarchical approaches to leadership. It then explains how leadership ...