On Architecting: The Soft Skills

As much as some of us would rather avoid this, all architects will have to employ the soft skills from time to time. Soft skills are those abilities that are employed in interpersonal relationships such as communication, leadership, conflict resolution, et cetera. Real architects will have to demonstrate mastery in one or more soft skills in order to be effective at their jobs.

I think the most important soft skill an architect can have is the ability to communicate effectively. An architect will use this skill to gather requirements from business users, relay the technical vision to developers, and provide valuable high level information on the progress of design and implementation. Good communication will involve knowing how to speak clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences. It will also require an architect to be a great listener so that they can understand problems that need to be solved and mediate between parties during conflicts. An architect that can't communicate effectively is as useful as an owner's manual written in a foreign language.

Another necessary soft skill that a good architect must master is persuasiveness. Because architects are often responsible for driving the technical vision of the team, architects must be able to convince other people to understand and follow that vision. I believe that persuasive leadership begins with humility and servitude. A good architect will demonstrate the ability to empathize with developers who are more junior and may require mentoring. They will also know how to provide good examples for the team to follow and will take time to include individuals in major decisions so that everyone feels like valued contributors.

As an architect, not everyone will agree with your point of view (regardless of how objective your analysis may be). When arguments get heated and opinions strong, you must be able understand all points of view and build consensus amongst all parties whenever possible. Facts and research should be used to argue positions effectively, but make sure to be empathetic with your audience. The trick is to avoid compromising what's right for your users while also navigating diverse motivations and political situations. An architect might even have to negotiate in order to achieve a peaceful resolution to an issue. Whatever the case, you must be able to resolve conflicts amicably in order to move the needle forward for your client or customer.