I don't get no respect...

So I walk into a conference room full of design engineers and project managers the other day and get a bunch of dirty looks from them. These looks probably meant:

Who is this guy?
What is he doing here?
Who invited him?
Here we go again (sigh)
Ah, here comes the trouble maker (extended sigh)

You enterprise architects out there probably know what I am talking about. I am sure you have encountered situations where you had to repeatedly explain your role in the project. Most design engineers probably never heard of you and developers, even less. The other senior managers/directors (usually your peers, really) probably think of you as another highly paid architect and so expect you to attend to the technical minutiae of every aspect of the project.

Levity aside, the role of an enterprise architect is rarely perceived clearly. To adapt an oft-quoted idiom, “He/she is all things to some people and some things to all people”. Your immediate boss and probably the boss’s boss (the guys who hold your purse strings) probably know what your role is and where you fit into the organization. If they do not, then “Gawd help you”.

So how do you fix this problem? Here are five suggestions:

First, with the help of your boss (and your boss’s boss), put on a road show. Create a reasonably slick PowerPoint (Flash is even better) presentation. Take every opportunity within (and outside) the organization to showcase your abilities, your role and how you are here to help them. Tell them what you can and cannot do, what you will and will not do.

Second, establish your credibility. Always be prepared for your meetings. It is okay to ask basic questions but ensure that the intent of your questions is well understood. Other folks attending the meeting who were hesitant to ask the basic questions may now “cotton on” on to your intentions.

Third, lead “brown bag” lunch discussions on important technical and business topics relevant to your organization. To ensure participation (at least initially) provide free lunch. Believe me; a free lunch would get them in droves. Slowly, but surely, you will see your investments in time and effort paying off.

Fourth, insert yourself into as many meaningful projects or discussions. The earlier in the project cycle, the better it is for your cause. This requires some diligence on your part to get into discussions that may end up nowhere. But then, it at least adds to your visibility.

Finally, produce as many artifacts as you can to help the cause of your fellow architects or engineers. No one likes to be sermonized from a pulpit. If you can supplement your ideas with artifacts from your previous job experiences (obviously scrubbed and sanitized for your own protection), it will help to establish you as a person with substance.

These five suggestions have been used by me in the past and I continue to use them even today. Remember, having the best wares does not guarantee that it will be sold. It is marketing these wares that make the difference.