Education & Training of Architects
(Enterprise) Architects are all-rounders that need to be well-trained in the three major areas of professional, business and personal capabilities1.
In general, training of professional knowledge is sufficiently available and an increasing number of the training programs in this area include support for the architect to turn theoretical knowledge into active capabilities through supervised application in the field2.
Mainstream theoretical business knowledge is also widely available. However, since most architects progress their career through technical rather than managerial roles, the supervised application that can turn theoretical knowledge into capabilities in this area is usually lacking3.
This might explain the comment made by a leading researcher and Enterprise Architect that “some of the most successful Enterprise Architects I have come across, come from a business, rather than technical, background.”
There are a number of MBA programs that attempt to bridge this gap through discussion and feedback provided for business related real-time assignments required of their students.
Very little, however, seems to be available to architects in the areas of systems thinking/systems dynamics and complexity as an integral part of their education. We identify this as an educational gap.
We also believe that the business education of architects should not just consist of ‘generic’ business knowledge and modules, but should be tailored both to the specific needs of their profession and to the different circumstances under which they will apply that knowledge. This calls for a rethinking of business education for architects.
When it comes to training and developing personal capabilities, architects are left largely in the cold. Even though the field has begun to realise the crucial importance of strong personal capabilities for the successful functioning of architects, this realisation has not (yet) been translated into a structured, integrated approach to their education and training.
The prevailing attitude towards these capabilities seems to be that an aspiring Architect either makes the shift to higher levels of functioning or doesn't, and the ones that do just happen to have ‘what it takes’.
We believe that this causes a large number of potentially excellent Architects to hit an unnecessary glass ceiling, especially with the transition from a primarily technical focus to a mainly business and people oriented role.
Moreover, Enterprise Architects are expected to function on the executive level4. But where their executive colleagues are often supported by specialised training and personalised coaching in their professional and personal development, the Enterprise Architect's training is still primarily focused on professional (technical) knowledge and skills with some business skills added into the mix. This presents the Enterprise Architect with a serious disadvantage in the executive arena, where Emotional Intelligence - translated into communication, leadership and political capabilities — determines success more than anything else5.
Interestingly, supporting architectes in developing their personal capabilities effectively requires an approach customised to their specific needs, mind-set and way of thinking.
In that sense, many of the (otherwise quite ambitious) Enterprise Architects development programs are — to use an architectural analogy — building beautiful mansions but forgetting to properly secure the foundations.
