The communication practices of software architects

In the role of architect, communication should be an essential skill and tool that requires effectiveness. In other words, communication is the only effective means by which architects instruct others or groups to perform specific actions.

Architects usually do not have direct authority over others who work for their projects. Because their projects are often cross-sectoral, they may even cross several industry units. Since it is not possible to manage others directly, the ability of architects to instruct others or groups to perform specific actions is limited. And their only real effective means is their influence. People who rely on technology are focused on technical expertise. and becoming a technical expert, the knowledge of communication skills is a crucial skill for them to climb up. This skill usually means maintaining your position and clarifying the potential risks and current problems of a particular project. At this level of organizational hierarchy, you should be able to prevent problems, find problems, and solve problems. And your superiors are staring at your every move. So the pressure tends to be very large. And for people who eat by technology, if they want to take the first step in management (I think the architect is already doing some management work), the characteristics of the next step on the ladder have changed dramatically. And, in particular, the first skill required is the breadth of communication and the breadth of the volume.

Key software skills required by architects: communication

The architect's communication is based primarily on communication principles, followed by communication strategies, above which is effective communication with the executive.

I. Communication principles

Learning effective communication is a lifelong process-there is always room for improvement. The principles of communication to learn include: first listen, focus (people and mind in one place), positive thinking, and so on, which help build trust with others and make you a better communicator.

1. First listen and say

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation always looking for a chance to speak without actually listening to what others are saying? When you are not listening, what information do you pass to the person who is speaking to you?

At least on the surface, you seem indifferent to what others say. Most people will soon get tired of talking because they are saying things in the air without anyone listening. The speaker may think he has better things to do and end the conversation. If you just do it once in a while, it's no big deal. If this is your practice, then you are building a wall between yourself and others.

When you listen, are you looking for a chance to correct the other person? Even if the topic of conversation is moving forward, is your idea still at a certain point?

This shows that we are not listening to what other people say. The speaker is very concerned about you, take time from his busy work, to provide you with these valuable information, so you should listen carefully to what he said.

When someone speaks to you, look at him and try to understand what he wants to communicate. Give the other person enough time to express his opinion, and then ask him questions to clarify. Give him nonverbal feedback, such as nodding his head, to let him know that you are following the conversation.

I think the Romans Epictetus said: "We have two ears, a mouth, so we should listen more and speak less." ”

2. Concentrate

Wherever you are, you should devote yourself to it. There are a lot of distractions in life, such as what you're going to do this weekend, how to solve the problem at the meeting a few minutes ago, how to find a way to tell the boss some negative news, the children's soccer game tonight ... All these trivial things can easily make you fantasize.

Generally speaking, at any time, people can only handle 7 ± 2 so many things at the same time. If your head is full of trivial matters, you can't concentrate on doing things. If someone speaks to you, you will not hear what he is talking about at all. If he's asking you a question, you might want them to say it again. In this case, you are actually wasting other people's time, they will not be happy. If you have an executive in your room, you'll leave a lasting bad impression: What a waste of money!

Please read some time management books and list plans that need to be focused on every day. Prioritize tasks in the Plan (day, week, and so on) and identify when each task is ready to invest. This approach allows you to plan everything and save your energy to remember all the things that are happening around you.

If a meeting doesn't really need you, don't go, if you do need it, do it, and people and minds are spending it.

I found that sitting upright, placing my feet Under my seat, taking notes, and looking directly at the person who was speaking, was able to naturally concentrate on what was going on at the meeting, and to give a positive impression of active participation in both speech and body language.

Whatever you do, concentrate!

3. Positive Thinking

When you express information, there are always a number of ways to pass them. The information needs to be true and accurate, but the way it shows its meaning can be varied.

You can provide information in a positive or negative sense. You can choose a method based on the desired result. It is also possible to enumerate the facts in an impartial manner, without emotion, although this is often difficult.

From the point of view of communication, people tend to pay attention to negative things. Usually negative news always brings fear (when I feel the fear is near, I think of it as a "call to concentrate action" signal).

As an architect, you need to avoid unnecessary biased information and allow others to choose the information they want to focus on. You can offer a number of alternatives, but these programmes should be objective and equitable. You need to be aware of possible ways, not to leave others wondering.

4. Early apology

In a day of business, you may notice that something is wrong or wrong with someone else. Remember to lay down your self-esteem and apologize to the person affected. Apologizing to others is not fun or easy, but you can earn the respect of others and show that you are trying to grow and try to be better.

If you apologize, the other person will be able to re-examine things, and forgive you for any distress pain. Some embarrassing things turn out to be positive. Your relationship with that person has an opportunity to improve, not to be indifferent.

The instinctive tendency of a person is to let the offending situation get out of the way. Unfortunately, you may be burying the seeds of a scourge that will have long-lasting effects on you. The offended person may be brooding and remember this matter for a long long time. That person might tell someone about what kind of person you are. Your ability to interact with this person and others around you may be greatly compromised. Finally, you may have forgotten what you did, but the other person has not forgotten.

When apologizing, you need to be clear about what you're apologizing for and what you mean. If you are not sincere in apologizing, false rhetoric may make things worse. If you can't be sincere, don't apologize, but your goal should be to try to fix a positive relationship with the person you're dealing with. Avoid making apologies to the wrong direction and limiting your personal growth.

5. Don't get angry at flaws

When you are in a review meeting (e.g. product concept evaluation, requirements review, design review, code review, test review, Product release review), you usually check out some of the defects of the Review project. The authors of the review project are, of course, uncomfortable with these exposed flaws.

Out of common courtesy, once you've found three or four questions in a particular area, don't criticize them too much. If you need to point out more entries, write them down so that the people who are bothered can then see these points carefully. Otherwise these things will provoke the other side to be angry. Because the reviewers have become the target of criticism, the efficiency of the review will greatly affect the follow-up progress.

For the review, there are some effective ways to:

Ensure that the review project is focused on, and that the evaluation is not intended for the person or organization that produces or creates a review project. In other words, the review should be aimed at things, methods, not people.

Avoid personal evaluations of "you" or "your".

Try to express your request for change because of what you want to achieve: Determine whether the changes are related to the market strategy, based on general architectural principles, or the objectives of the company or department.

The review should focus on ways to improve the review project, not just because it doesn't follow a coding guideline, but why it works. People who review projects need to know not only how to do things better, but also why this improvement is useful.

Look for opportunities to say the positive ingredients of the work that has been done. Most people who are pointed out to be exposed have a great desire to defend themselves, and the good aspects of finding a job can soften that trend. All participants should understand that the goal is to create the results of good work and that everyone demands the same standards-a collective effort.

Make sure everyone in the meeting gets involved. Attending the meeting as an outsider is a waste of company time.

Imitate the behavior you are seeking. Take out the behavior when reviewing your work and the result is "good, go on." The goal is to create good work results and continue to improve it. In other words, it's not about you, it's about trying to be good.

Elegant manners: If the role of the exchange, as a reviewer, you want others to give you feedback?

Any questions should be documented-not just what you are interested in tracking, but also the records that others have put forward. If there is a large list of items that need attention, then another review may be required.

II. Communication Strategies

After we have studied the core principles of communication, you can now apply a series of strategies to demonstrate a constant, efficient communication style.

1. Say "yes" more, say "no" less.

Architects are often consulted about the feasibility of a project and provide multiple alternatives from strategy to tactics, with a number of cost options to enable business partners to judge the investment of a particular project. The role of the architect and project evaluation team is not to decide what to build, but to decide how to build it. The answer we're trying to say is "Yes, we can build this project, these are the relevant information". The resulting information needs to include such alternatives as are considered, project risks (and possible circumvention strategies), based on assumptions, and salient issues to be identified. We are not looking for the answer: "No, this project is not feasible, but we can build another project (by eliminating the difficulties in the original difficult project and replacing the features we want to build)." ”

Key point: As an architect, we need to find a way to say yes.

However, if a project or task is not feasible, we need to immediately and subtly point out the assessment results, explain the reasons, and provide alternative solutions. This is usually due to laws, regulations, and other reasons, so that "no" is the correct answer. Of course, there are other exceptions: the person who wants to run away from the job, the demand violates the company's policy, or you have a higher priority job, and you don't have enough time to respond to your needs satisfactorily. In these cases, you have to tell people clearly why you say "no".

If the executive asks you to do something, you have to be sure of the priority of the request. If it is a high priority requirement, you must analyze the impact of not doing other tasks and feedback to the executive. This will give the higher level managers enough information to determine the priority of the task. It also helps keep you from being stuck in a dilemma-if you have to explain why you don't let another manager know, you're delaying other important tasks. Learn to say "yes" can take a variety of alternative forms. Typically, it involves finding a way to move forward for someone or a project. There is no need for you to take on the task or demand yourself. Perhaps you can provide a reasonable alternative or lead the person who wants to find someone else who can solve the problem that the project is currently facing. For most projects that require actionable information, the most desirable approach is to provide a buffet-style option detailing costs, risks, strategic impact, and effective combinations. This strategy allows the demand person to be in the position of the decision making it possible to choose the solution that best generates business value. Providing a set of programs for customers and co-workers to choose is a natural way to build rapport with them.

2. Establish a trust relationship in the sales process

Think about the last time you bought a car, built a house, or bought a large object. The sense of achievement or frustration in this purchase depends largely on the salesperson or the person you are dealing with. Salespeople always listen carefully to what you want, and by giving you the following information, you can decide what you want to buy as a decision maker:

Available options;

The cost of each option;

The benefits of each option;

How each selection scheme can be combined;

The risks involved in each option;

Issues that are known to each selection scenario.

Salespeople are unlikely to force you into this or that direction, but will help you sort out your needs and find solutions that are worth the most at the lowest cost. To do this, his own interests can only be returned to the second. By putting your needs first, salespeople can build trust with you. This trust makes you feel like you're making a decision with enough information, and he's your partner. When someone asks about your new purchases, you're probably not just going to talk about the stuff, it's about the great salesman, and recommending him to someone around you who wants to buy something like that, and then opens up a sales cycle.

As an architect, you should be the salesman and be trusted.

3. Say "No" on special occasions.

From the perspective of the architect, you can simply say "no" in a number of situations. Most of the time, you have to provide alternatives (costs, risks, and benefits of each method) that will help you get things done. The final decision depends on the owner of the project (i.e. the person who has the right to buy).

At other times, it is appropriate to say "no" (as shown in Figure 3). Often this refusal requires a reasonable depth of support to meet all the necessary questions. The areas of contention are likely to be related to key constraints on any project, such as effectiveness, cost, time, and scope.

Cherish your "no" and use it only in ceremonial situations-don't use it lightly.

Here are some considerations for saying "No" and not saying "no":

For a project deadline, it is acceptable to say "no" when the requirement violates the "laws of physics", that is, all the steps within a given deadline for a project (for example, acquisition and provisioning of hardware, planning, development, training, testing, corrective errors, and deployment). But not because the job looks difficult, you don't like it, or there are other priorities that can't be done at the same time (perhaps the current requirement will soon be the highest priority-it's worth making this a risk). The tasks of competing priorities are stated in neutral, allowing executives to arrange them according to their relative importance.

Ask yourself these questions:

Am I acting upright? What I said in public at the meeting is the same as what I said on the porch? If you really have questions about your needs, you should put them on the table, even if it's not good for you. As is often the case, such actions should be made in an elegant and respectful manner.

Is there an alternative to eliminating the "laws of physics" problem? If this is your company, how do you solve the problem? (Of course, the answer is not to dismiss everyone around you.) If you have no expertise in a particular field, can you introduce an outsourced person with expertise in this area? Did anyone else solve a similar problem? Can you bring him into the project, or at least ask him some questions? Are there some concepts that can be implemented quickly to reduce the risk of a project in some places? Do you need more time to evaluate the project?

Is there someone else who can brainstorm with you to find the solution?

Can you define projects in phases, each with a release (major release)? This step-by-step approach allows you to seek funding for each phase, and to identify what you need to know first. As you understand the situation, you can evaluate the next stage, and you may exit the project if you find that the next phase is not feasible, or if you cannot provide enough business value to move forward.

If you do not say "no", you may be destined to be in the "Death March" (Death procures)--the project has been highly visible, endless overtime, customers are never satisfied. Requires appropriate expectations to avoid this outcome.

Certain circumstances sometimes affect the decision to say yes or No. For example, a more subtle approach may be required during the period of closure (layoff) or outsourcing (outsourcing). Everyone is very nervous in this atmosphere, project negotiation becomes very challenging.

It's hard to accept just saying "no" or just explaining the facts. Be fully prepared to explain the reasons for the decision and to prove that the decision is a good business decision. By listing the facts, explore the underlying causes behind the facts, and state how this root cause supports the desired business objectives.

As an architect, you're selling things. You need to be prepared to sell the solution even if there is a problem. When people ask questions, they may seem to be against you, and in fact people are asking to confirm the solution, or they want to understand the solution. They ask questions because they may then be able to sell these mentioned solutions to their units.

You have to trust the solution mentioned. If you don't really believe what you're selling, your body language and eyes will tell the truth. Your dishonesty is like the smell of blood in the water: you are likely to be asked more detailed questions, as sharks are attacking. In a sense, you are placing yourself in a problem that is not prepared. You need to know enough details to trust this solution. When you ask people some kind of solution, you also need to ask questions and answers about problems.

Avoid really saying "no" in all possible cases. In fact, explain the reasons for the decision based on the context of the person or group you are interacting with.

4. Suppress the urge to defend yourself

Often in conversations, when we hear things that are not entirely positive to ourselves, we may make excuses, and we may find ways to shift the subject and blame others to get ourselves out of it. Or we would like to explain the statements. The impulse to react should be avoided. Instead, wait and accept what others say.

In the response described in the previous paragraph, the true interest in the talks has shifted from being transferred to you. The act of listening to others is at least temporarily over, and we begin to send a warning signal to the interlocutors: "Let's take the subject in another direction, one that is not related to me." "Pay attention to the body language you're using-arms crossed in front of your chest, or head to side to tell people" I don't want to hear it.

Ask yourself this question: what can I learn from what this person says? Often, the message he gives may not be something you'd like to hear, but the motivation is good, and it's still your chance to receive information and gain personal growth.

One of the exceptions to suppressing the urge to defend yourself is when the problem at hand involves corporate policy or your integrity. If what others say makes you really involved in a conflict with a company policy or if you do something out of integrity (if you've made the right move), you need to immediately attack those statements. You might want to clarify the point by clarifying the question, such as "Do you mean I did something?" If someone says "Yes," you respond with "It's not accurate" and thank him for clarifying the matter if they answer "no".

5. Listen to suggestions to improve cooperation

First seek to understand others, and then seek to be understood. --writer, lecturer Stephen Covey

From the perspective of software development, criticizing others and being criticized often occurs. This list is ongoing because of software reviews, design reviews, architectural method reviews, unit tests, functional testing, defect tracking, or simply asking someone for help and one-on-one conversations with your boss. In all cases, there is always a chance to take what others say to you.

Once you have shifted the conversation to yourself, rather than the outcome of the work or certain events, your instinctive sense of self-defense has come. At this point, your ability to listen to anything becomes limited, and the instinctive reaction of "either desperately or fleeing" begins to prevail, and your brain directs the body to become excited to prepare for self-protection. The valuable information communicated to improve the work is dissipated. From a business point of view, it is in everyone's best interest to make a work product as good as possible, because the more we can add value to the product, the more opportunities the company has to return from the investment.

If you can avoid being personalized in conversation, your ability to listen to others is greatly improved. Try to find out what he is really saying (even if you disagree with him). To get what he wants to convey in a proper way, retell the main points. In general, other people just want to be understood, he is not seeking you agree with his point of view. When you listen and understand the points of the other person's expression, you can connect with him.

Key point: Clarify your understanding by listening and retelling what you have said.

6. Understand the needs of others and their own communication

In the world of architects, you need to communicate with many people routinely. You may have spoken to some people at the last meeting, or you may not have spoken to them. The challenge is to quickly understand what people are saying, how they say these words, to "read" this meeting.

Observing the critical moment, the moment of decision, is an important point to identify the issues and areas of concern, to strengthen the core concepts, to help you focus on the direction of the meeting, and to lead the meeting to a successful conclusion. To recognize these critical moments, we need to absorb all the information, including the language or non-verbal information provided to us.

Observing other people's behavior can tell us how to communicate best with everyone. Because everyone is different and there is a need for communication, the architect must adapt the information to these requirements to ensure effective communication.

The key point is that we have to match the communication style based on the communication needs of each audience member. Some people's reactions can be seen, and their preferences can be distinguished by words like "I know what you mean". Others need to listen and absorb language details, and their preferences can be identified by such words as "I'm listening to you". Others are more emotional in their conversations, and their preferences can be distinguished by words like "How do I Feel"?

In addition, most people's body language (such as listless, upright posture, arm crossing, talking to others, or using gestures to speak) can give you clues as to whether the person is dedicated or absent-minded at this meeting or rally. In fact, one of the main problems with conference calls is that you can't see the body language of people on the other end of the phone. The consequence is that you cannot get as much feedback as possible to help guide the talks. In general, it is easy to see the issues that need to be talked about or inspected, and the places and ideas that people care about. If you listen carefully, you'll be able to look at the voice, intonation and speed of the participants--feedback from all of these will help you understand the effects of communication.

Another challenge for conference calls is that you may not know all the people on the other end of the phone, and you can't figure out how and when they communicate. To overcome this lack of knowledge, the following should be done at the beginning of the meeting:

Collect the names of everyone on the other end of the phone.

Pay attention to everyone's response.

Pay attention to all participants ' ways of communication, methods of meeting (e.g. attitude, rhetoric, intonation) and roles.

Use this knowledge in future teleconferencing to guide the interaction process.

Online meetings, such as WebEx, are better than conference calls, at least you can see how others are reacting at the moment. These visualizations also help dominate the talks.

In a video conference, everyone can see themselves, which is a major improvement on the phone conference or online meeting. We can see a living person, or a person's image, make the interaction more humane, can greatly improve the communication skills with other participants.

One key aspect of this conversation is to remember that in a conversation, not only do others tell you what they think, but you also send them similar messages. In a meeting, you need to instinctively realize that your body is sending messages to others.

Your body language will speak loudly-so be careful what you say

Keep these things in mind at the meeting:

Are you smiling?

Are you sitting upright?

Do you nod when you approve?

Is your eyes on the speaker?

Does your voice or intonation speak in a cadence?

Did you dress like anyone else at the meeting?

Are you really listening and understanding what people are saying?

Do you take notes?

Do you stand for confrontation?

All of these entries are grouped together to let others know or confirm the consistency of the messages you want to send. Are you laughing and telling a sad story? If so, this inconsistency deprives you of the integrity of the message you are trying to send.

For the same message, try to develop the skills of what you say and say. This persistent performance will enhance your ability to communicate effectively.

7. Wit and Agility

Be ready to answer other people's questions at all times. When people ask questions, it is not likely to give a notice first. In other words, you won't have any time to prepare for the full answer. The problem may come from any aspect (the unit has a higher position than you, and your peers or below you).

As an architect, you need to be comfortable with fast-moving contexts, remembering every active thing in your mind, pressing it into a stack of memories, and then concentrating all your attention on the immediate context. This activity is called "quick-witted".

When this happens, try the following patterns to handle the situation:

Pay attention to who is asking the question. What is the background of this person? What information does he need to know to understand your reaction? Is it appropriate for you to react to his problems?

Think of a three-point explanation, if possible, of a business root cause that supports these explanations. In your limited time, try to plan a scene for the answers you want to communicate.

If the other person asks you to make a decision, pause and think about the impact of what you have to say on the unit. Because the decision will be implemented in the unit, how will other groups react?

If you have appeased the people who have sought the decision and are well aware that other groups will respond to the impact of the decision, you should realize that there will be a series of unpleasant talks on the agenda soon.

You may be thinking about making a decision that will cause each group involved to be unhappy. Usually, if you can do this, you are a good negotiator. When everyone has a stake in the game, all the participants will cooperate better in the future. Without the relevant benefits, they will think they are not selected and can now concentrate on solving the real problems at hand.

Interestingly, at a time when everyone is not happy, everyone becomes more understanding and comes up with more alternatives to solve the problem in simpler, faster, and cheaper ways. When the answer comes to the surface--perhaps a truly innovative solution--be ready to say yes.

If your answer has a negative impact, it is also "problematic" to show other answers. After the cliché, everyone is in the same boat-sharing unhappiness, feeling better than swallowing pills.

Of course, decisions that make each stakeholder happy are sometimes possible and always desirable.

Iii. Communicating with the executive

Executives are unique individuals in any company. They have a wide range of responsibilities. The executive's ability to communicate, lead and relate skills has been honed. It takes time and practice to learn to communicate with executives, but you have only one chance to make a first impression, so be sure to be prepared.

1. Executives need trust, loyalty and consistency

Executives have a keen desire for trust, loyalty and consistency.

When you communicate with executives (especially those who don't know much about your field of work), you need to focus on building trust and loyalty relationships. As you continue to work with it, the information you give should be consistent: you can't tell a senior manager one story one day, but the next is a completely different story. Don't be biased against the information presented, so that you are right and others are not. The facts of concern should be as concise and straightforward as possible, knowing that the executives are busy people.

When you meet the executive, don't laugh at people who are not there. Such behavior can only prove that you are not trustworthy, and not loyal.

When you submit information, provide facts, not opinions about people. Facts are things that can be rationally handled, and even those who are not present can rationally handle the facts. Make sure you deliver the information properly so that when the executive asks the person for the facts, even the person who was not there will not be caught unawares.

I've had some of these meetings, and the executives called the others into the room to verify all the information I had given. Make sure you tell stories that you want to repeat in front of others, because you may have the opportunity to do so immediately.

2. Clarity over completeness

As a general empirical approach, the amount of detail information provided to the person should be inversely proportional to the person's level in the unit. In other words, a developer may need a lot of information to build something, and the executive will need only a high level of information about the project when the project is regularly updated. But information needs to be clear and concise. You need to provide the executive with the right information, with the appropriate background, more business information, less technical information.

Executives are unlikely to take all technical information into account. They want to know that you are proficient in technology, but they have no time to care about all the details of the project. One of the main reasons for this filtering is that executives are limited by time and must work on the basis of trust. They seek to delegate responsibility for ownership, execution, and care projects to you. They want you to deal with problems, plan, and take care of other aspects of the project.

What the executive wants to know is the following:

What risks can lead to projects not being completed on schedule or completed on budget?

What strategic assets can be created to support the needs of current or future projects?

Who is the "rising Star" in the unit?

The executive asks you to provide accurate information. They want you to be consistent. Once you give an answer, you should stick to it, so choose your answer carefully. Some executives may delve into specific aspects of the project. You should at least be prepared to explore this. The executive may use this to find out where your knowledge borders and omissions are. When you are in a meeting, if you are in a situation where you don't know or are unsure of certain information, make a clear statement that you don't know, but declare that you will then focus on the information you are asked. Always remember: If you don't, you may be able to turn your hard-earned trust into a drain.

Your best interaction with the executive is to put your cards on the table. In other words, let them see all of your things (good, bad, ugly). You may feel uncomfortable because you are completely exposed and can be easily nit-picking. But this behavior can give you a boost in trust and loyalty-which is what executives value most.

When you really need an executive to get involved in the process, you have established a key relationship that allows you to work with senior managers to deal with these things. What executives don't want to know is a dispute over a project. Division A and division B's disagreement is completely "your" problem, you should go to solve it. If you ask the executive to intervene in a dispute, neither you nor the team involved will be happy with the consequences. The executive seems to have a sixth sense that he will choose the most painful solution in the dispute. That being the case, it's recommended that you be concise and stick to explaining the facts at a level that meets the executive rather than the IT staff.

3. Don't let the executive be surprised.

When it comes to accumulating problems, executives don't like surprises, especially the surprise: they have to take action in a short time and have fewer options left, and the result is that they have to notify the rest of the unit of bad news.

Executives don't like surprises. If you have bad news, tell them earlier.

The risk of most projects is gradually accumulating. Participants in or near the project know these risks. If you listen carefully, you will know that the information is reflected everywhere. Unfortunately, the rumble of risk does not always make people who need to hear hear. When people talk to top executives and executives, they instinctively gliding. As a result, they don't really want to bring up something that looks bad.

Middle-level managers will not be willing to risk exposure to their superiors or their bosses ' bosses when they are too late to deal with the risks-that is, the marketing of risk. If the risk expands over time, it should be exposed as early as possible. There is usually a judgment process to determine when to tell someone about the growing problem. There is no short cut to know the exact time. As a rule of thumb, early exposure is far better than a problem that is too late, because the latter forces senior managers and executives to deal with the aftermath.

If you find that your supervisor or manager does not communicate the required information to the executive, you may need to present the information yourself (if you decide to take action, you must be extremely careful, and perhaps some of the factors you are unaware of cause others to do that). When you actually submit the message, be sure that all middle managers are aware of the risks. They need an opportunity to develop a behavioral plan to deal with these risks. This is still a question of trust and loyalty.

The sooner executives know the risks, the more they will be able to deal with them successfully and minimize their negative impact. If the executives are surprised, they won't be happy. If you haven't broken their trust in you (the trust you've worked so hard to get), you're probably already doing it in that direction. When the promotion comes, you may not get much support from the executive because you have caused him unhappiness.

This article is excerpted from the book "12 Disciplines of software Architects", Dave Hendricksen, Zhang Fei, published by the machinery Industry press.