Lessons From the Frontlines

It's time to wrap up, folks! Let's close this chapter before the year ends. First things first, though, I want to say a big thanks to all subscribers for sharing in this journey of reflection. We've talked about the imperatives for architecture, attributes of the architect, reviewed the kinds of architecture, zeroed in on solution architecture, the architecture context, and so on. But after all is said and done, what stands out? I remember a Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 12:13, that answers the question for Christians. Well, for you the SA who sits at the crossroads of the enterprise, what is this all about? Here is what I would say. Life and your career are journeys. Now, it would not be much of a journey if all you shared it with were your possessions, inanimate things, plants or animals! What makes your journey and everyone else's interesting are those we interact with. It's all about the people! Few will remember your achievements or failures in the following years and decades, but they will recall vividly the experiences/interactions and the impression that you left: good or bad. It is a tango; and in every dance, there are two sides. You give, and you get; good or bad. I was blessed, all I got, almost without exception, was fantastic. Here are some that I recall.

Receiving from Others

My first paid, full-time job was at a travel agent, owned by a gentleman named S.A. Oyewole. He demanded a high level of accountability and integrity, and he led by example. I was not the only one in the office, but I felt I got the most from working with him for a few years. After a second B.Sc., I started work in a company called Television Education Network (TEN), on a street called Jockey's Fields, a short walk from Chancery Lane station. A young man named Diarmaid Crean, a.k.a. Dim, hired me as one of his assistants in the fledgling IT unit. In so doing, he broke hiring out of the circle of friends that it had hitherto been. The lesson is that diversity comes not by chance, but because someone is intentional about it. This departure from the status quo has its benefits, and I like to believe that I added some value. Helping to build a mini ERP that powered the organisation for some time. Dim may have hired me, however, I cannot but mention Robyn Holdsworth, the head of the London office. She went out of her way to make every member of our team feel valued. It is a reminder that not everyone in a football team is a star, but the stars need others to perform in order to shine.

During a recession in the UK, I had the great opportunity to work in Scandinavia for about four and a half years. I joined Maersk at their Copenhagen headquarters with a few other consultants, among whom was a gentleman named Fabio Douek. I was impressed by his candour, preparedness and logical approach. I observed that this helped him in untangling many contentions that we had on the project. There is an adage that says, "know your enemy", in this context, Fabio demonstrated to me the value of "know your obstacle/challenge". I should also mention two other chaps, Satheesh Kiliyan Kandy and Jatin Batra. Satheesh was ever cheerful, always singing, even though our situation in those days was akin to the Titanic, just before it sank! The lesson was to choose to be happy, even in crisis. It changed me, and was one of my motivations for writing "Making the best of your 9-5". From Jatin, I learnt the value of personal organisation and the reality that, in corporates, you must ask (correctly) in order to get, whether it be perks or advancement. Last but not the least, I should mention Jens Kj?rby, who gave me the opportunity to start a new team to explore a previously intractable requirement. I hope I added some value; we matured the team and processes, and delivered an important capability. Trust is an engine, delegation is the fuel that powers it. Jens, showed great confidence in me and others that worked for him at that time. Our achievements would have been impossible otherwise.

We have all heard of the servant-leader idea. The reality of it is less talk, more action. As the CTO of Canal Digital at the time I joined, Henke Erichsen really impressed me; arriving at the office before most of us, and taking up some tasks that some in the office would not condescend to. Humility doesn't change who you are, but it is an example that speaks pages to those who look up to you, and sets the tone for the work environment. It helps that one who will be humble does not take themselves too seriously. If Lionel Messi joins me and my mates for a knock-around in the park, if he scores and dribbles, or does neither, he is no more and no less than who he was and is. I found Peter Leggett at the University of Exeter to be very smart and industrious, but unassuming. He is another of those chaps that reminds me of the key-maker in the Matrix Reloaded. We all need to be comfortable in ourselves. That is the best we can give to others, even if it is sometimes not appreciated as much.

I left the university to work with the HMRC and a fantastic team of architects, developers, DMs and others. Among many others, I should mention Emmerson Miranda for demonstrating the value of courage, determination and work, in overcoming obstacles, even when you have language or other cultural barriers to surmount. Sometimes it takes pushing through the rough to reveal the sparkle of a diamond. In an increasingly globalised world, cultural diversity comes with its benefits as well as challenges. One has to be adaptable as well as determined to ensure that your value is not obscured. Another was Wayne Holt. Similar to Satheesh from Maersk in terms of irrepressible cheer, combined with patience and diplomacy. In one of the earlier releases, I stressed the importance of the big picture. Sometimes, great patience and deft diplomacy are prerequisites to getting anywhere, while keeping the team with you.

In my home country, Nigeria, it is very common to hear people speaking of being "carried along". Two English words, but so many meanings and hard to translate! They use those words in ways that the original language cannot easily grasp. Here is my attempt at a translation: communicate in a way that makes it easy and attractive for "us" (team) to move in the same direction and pace with you. That is something that I have always aspired to do, but which I find that Marco Lenzo does so much better, especially with technical topics/concepts, making them simple and accessible. When concepts are accessible, we empower many more minds to participate in exploration, broadening the spectrum of possible discoveries. However, in the rich tapestry that such serendipity can unfurl, it is great to have folks that can engage with multiple dimensions while holding the central theme in its rightful place. In the short time I have worked with Isa Goksu, I have observed the importance of open and strategic thinking, at all levels, personal, professional and corporate. He emphasizes that I am responsible, to be aware and maintain coherence across all these dimensions. This journey can be a bit like playing Go, there are so many possibilities, but unlike Go, the goal is "we", not "I", whether bad, or as is much preferable, good. With so many pieces and intersections, I should apologise If I missed out some folks and experiences here, it's probably a reflection of my aptitude in the game (Go).

Imparting to Others

Well, so much for all that others have given me. By what, you may ask, have you benefitted others? One has to be circumspect in this respect, though, as another Bible verse comes readily to mind; to wit, Proverbs 25:27. I will therefore stick to saying that I have tried to emulate, rather than that I have actually achieved.

Thanks, dad, for that first, paid, full-time job. I have also employed people in a startup that we founded around the turn of the century. It would probably not measure up to that first job, though. We made quite a few mistakes and eventually ran out of money, but we learnt a lot, and formed relationships, some of which are still quite warm, even today.

As an employer and then an architect, I have tried my best to be respectful to fellow workers. I recognise that, opportunity had better positioned me, but some colleagues were much smarter than I was. Truth is, some of those folks could have been senior to me in another organisation, at that time. Today, some have gone on to more exalted roles than I have ever occupied.

Earlier in my career, I was focussed on success, almost to the exclusion of those who I perceived to be of a different trajectory. I have since learned that success is subjective, and I am evolving towards greater accommodation of differences. While working on a public sector project, I encountered a Scottish chap called Kenny, I forget his surname. He introduced me to meta patterns in computer programming. That knowledge had a great impact on me, and inspired me to share what I know with others. This newsletter is a continuation of that effort.

I am still developing myself in many of those same areas that I mentioned in the previous section. I follow in the example and footsteps of these folks that have inspired me along the way. Giving back as much as I can of what has been given to me. Thanks, Robyn; thanks Satheesh; thanks Dim, Jatin and Isa; thanks Jens and Fabio; thanks Peter, Marco, Henke and everyone else. I may have penned it all, but you all had a voice in this newsletter. I trust that one or more people will have found this useful, and that together, we have returned some value to the pool where we first got it.

On that note, folks, I conclude this newsletter. I pray the best for one and all.

Thank you and goodbye.

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