How can you build a top-performing solution architecture team?

The best source of truth for architecture is the code. So the primary focus of the architecture team should be the ability to consume code level artefacts so as to understand the intent of the existing code, if any. Rarely, do architects get to work on truly “Greenfield” projects with “Brownfield” projects being the norm. Subsequently, the architecture team must continually develop coding skills with a focus on “gap analysis”. In this context, that means that an architect must be able to understand how old the code and the dependent frameworks are and then first and foremost propose a plan to modernise the existing architecture to the latest versions. Even while solutioning for greenfield projects existing skills must be understood.

Define clear roles and responsibilities. Everyone on the team should know what their role is and what is expected of them. Foster collaboration and communication. The team needs to be able to work together effectively to deliver solutions that meet the needs of the business. Celebrate successes. When the team achieves a goal, be sure to celebrate their success. This will help to keep them motivated and engaged. Bonus tip: Make sure the team has a sense of humor. Working on complex projects can be stressful, so it's important to have a team that can laugh at themselves and each other. A little bit of levity can go a long way in keeping the team motivated and productive.

The primary focus should be on gaining thorough understanding on codebase, framework, design patterns, tools and workflows being used. Then build the team with the right set of people with strong problem solving and analytical skill. Ensure you set quality bars on each aspect of solution design and coding and then follow up for periodical review. In this process you should assess the strength and weakness of the team and fill the gap accordingly. Apart from technical skills we should be able to effectively communicate with team members, stakeholders, customers and relevant parties to foster collaboration and shared problem solving and learning. Solution architecture is constantly evolving so continuous learning and adoption is important.

Clear definition of roles and responsibilities help bring clarity into the function. In fact, I suggest creating a RACI, review & agree with the stakeholders and publish the same. Visibility into RACI helps the team understand their responsibilities and how would the stakeholders communicate among them.

To build a top-performing solution architecture team, hire skilled professionals with diverse expertise, ensure continuous learning, encourage collaboration, and clearly define roles and responsibilities. Promote a culture of innovation, provide the necessary tools and resources, and ensure alignment with business objectives through regular communication and feedback.

Hire smart, skilled, and solution architects with a sense of humor. Define clear roles and responsibilities so things don't get goofy. Foster collaboration and communication to avoid clusterfudge. Provide training and development so they don't get outdated. Celebrate successes to keep them jazzed.

Building a strong solution architecture team is key to success, and hiring the right talent is a crucial step. By seeking candidates with a blend of technical expertise, domain knowledge, and soft skills, you create a well-rounded team capable of tackling complex challenges. Nurturing their growth through continuous learning, mentorship, and feedback ensures their skills stay sharp and their impact continues to grow.

Establish standards and processes for your solution architecture team so that everyone knows what's expected of them. This will help to ensure that your solutions are high-quality, scalable, and sustainable. And it will save you a lot of headaches down the road. Be clear and concise, consistent, transparent, and flexible. And most importantly, have fun!

Without vision, the job function becomes too transactional and the purpose gets diluted. The vision can not be too lengthy like - I want to make earth greener and save water and by the way find a new place for human to survive. The vision has to be short, precise and clear. That's how you get the vision to stick in your mind day in and day out. Otherwise it doesn't stick. It is as important for the solution architecture team to be onboarded to the vision as it is to be communicated to the rest of the organization.

It is easy to forget this step and move to the next big thing. But right thing to do is to spend some time/energy in this step. This is an area I've been working on my team recently. While determining the KPIs is one step, getting the KPIs observable is another step. You will have to finalize a method to track, measure KPIs. You will have to explain and get the team's conviction that they see the value in this. You can explore ways to extract few KPIs from dev stories and defects. You can circulate feedback form to capture stakeholder satisfaction. You will have to bake in reporting solution to measure the success of the solution from business and customer perspective. It takes time to get this process to be executed to your expectation.

Understand the business domain and processes at high level. Understand what is the value offering in your solution for the customer. Time to market is also plays crucial role in the solution offering. Based on it, suggest build and own or buy and customize(Pre-canned solutions) Provide Pros and cons of both approach.