CoffeeCAST – #19 – Jim and I on The Blog

Coffeecup_18
Welcome to the 19th Episode of the CoffeeCAST with Stephen Hayward of Project X.

I had a chance this week to sit down with Jim (a regular poster and past guest on the CoffeeCAST) where we talked about some of the topics that I have been exploring on the blog.  Through the discussion we covered the gambit of my evolution of thinking that has driven me to some areas of strong passion.  In this weeks show we talk about:

So I hope you have a nice coffee, we did.  Listen we hope you enjoy and more importantly, hope you join in the conversation.  So drop a comment in the blog or send me an email and share your thoughts on the topics.

Download cc_19_what_i_am_blogging.mp3

The Podcast is available on iTunes or here for download.  Have a great day and join the conversation.

  1. Jim Reply

    I cannot resist coming in to this dialogue. As Ted said in a coffee cast a while ago, the key is communication. We need to work on communicating ideas and concepts. Often we are using new tools that have inherent risks. More shared risk is needed.
    I would guess that both sides of this equation are stretched and are reluctant to show the uncertainty. We need to work harder at mutual respect and trust. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

  2. Stephen Reply

    MIP has done a nice job on his weekly podcast describing his thought in more detail.
    Take a look at http://www.mipsscan.com

  3. Stephen Reply

    Ahhh.
    Oh you so get it MIP. Hence my evolution to reference architecture as a platform to create mutual dialogue, respect and understanding.
    My experience with all communication is that being open to understand where the other party is coming from helps everyone. So you are right, though business comes first and will often ignore the technology issues or even feasability, by having a good place of mutual understanding we are able to share the whys and hows.
    I think Jim mentioned in the conversation the use of words and how that creates distance. In technology we often do not use or understand the business terminology only our own three letter acronyms. And on the business the other way around. If you want to walk together, you need:
    – shared vocabulary
    – shared respect
    – common ground from where you start
    – an understanding that we will evolve as we go.
    Marriage is a great metaphor for this type of relationship.

  4. mip Reply

    Good CoffeeCast. Nice to hear you and Jim discussing a good set of topics. My comment relates to a theme you hit on toward the close of your discussion is that businesses don’t care (or shouldn’t care) about the technology, because they just “want it to work”. While for the most part I agree, I think it is important to not go to too much of an extremem on this concept. Yes it is true, end users don’t care about the bits and bytes of a solution, they just want to get done what needs to be done. But making decisions void of understanding and knowing the technology behind the solution can lead organizations down a path that ends up being a dead-end. That is why so many investments in IT solutions end up being throw away investments. When decisions are made solely on the abilitiy to meet business needs without consideration for the “how it is done”, you can put in a solution that has a technical foundation (or lack thereof) that becomes an obstacle in the future. While I don’t disagree that business needs comes first and technology second, we shouldn’t foster an idea that the consideration and understanding of the technology is unimportant.
    I’d apply one of my favorite quotes from Albert Camus that I often say about marriages.
    “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend.”
    Instead of setting up a confrontational relationship between business and technology, we should work to put them on equally important footing and ensure they are “friends”.

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