Presentation/workshop for British Computer Society (BCS) Enterprise-Architecture Special-Interest Group conference, London, 17 July 2017. A simple step-by-step process to build a habit of reviewing benefits-realisation and lessons-learned from each iteration of architecture, with further actions to develop individual skills and shared-skills for teams. As shown in the workshop part of the session, the process can take as little as ten minutes, to deliver real, usable insights on a team's architecture-practice.

1. How to build continuous-learning
into architecture practice
Tom Graves, Tetradian Consulting
BCS EASG Conference, London, 2017

2. Hi.
(Yeah, nowadays
I do look a bit older...)
I’m Tom.

3. These days
I’d describe myself as
a maker of tools for change
(more on that in a moment...)

4. Sales-
pitch!
https://leanpub.com/tb-changes/
New
book!

5. Anyway, that’s enough intro
– let’s get on with the show...

6. If architecture
is a skill...
...how do we get better
at doing that skill?

7. A two-part answer:
...linked with
continuous review / learning
Practice, practice, practice!

8. Perhaps I can’t help much
on the fine-details of practice...
...but I can help
with the continuous learning

9. The architecture-cycle
(Start here)

10. The architecture-cycle
architecture is
always centred
on people
there is sequence
to the work
(though with some
back-and-forth)
each iteration begins
with its own
business-question
cycles may be nested
within other cycles,
recursively, fractally

11. …closes the loop
from Performance back to Purpose
and onward to the next iteration
Continuous learning…

12. Architecture-cycle: Performance
linking
Performance
back to Purpose
Performance

13. …is on benefits-realised
and lessons-learned.
Focus for Performance phase…
We can do this via a practice based on
US Army After Action Review…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After-action_review

14. After-Action Review: precursors
How?
(plan,
preparation)
What?
(actions,
action-
records)
Outcomes
(benefits-
realised, lessons-
learned)
Why?
(aims, criteria
for success)
Who?
(team,
stakeholders)
Performance

15. After-Action Review: sequence
1: What was
supposed to
happen?
2: What
actually
happened?
3: What was
the source of
the difference?
4: What can I
learn to do
differently?
5: What can
we learn to do
differently?
Performance

16. 2: “Pin your stripes at the door”
– everyone had their own part to play,
everyone has equal ‘response-ability’
Three rules…
1: “Aim to learn how to do it better”
– we can always do it better…
3: “No blame!”
– blame only gets in the way
- it blocks us from learning how to do it better

17. AAR 1: review initial plan
1: What
was
supposed
to happen?
Performance

18. “What was supposed to happen?”
Step 1…
Derive this from the Preparation stage
of the cycle
(should be ~10% of allotted time for review)

19. AAR 2: review real-world action
1: What
was
supposed
to happen?
2: What
actually
happened?
Performance

20. “What actually happened?”
Step 2…
Derive this from the Process stage
of the cycle
(should be ~10% of allotted review-time)

21. AAR 3: assess variances
1: What
was
supposed
to happen?
2: What
actually
happened?
3: What was
the source of
the difference?
Performance

22. “What caused the differences?”
Step 3…
Discuss the differences between plan
and actual outcomes – look for what
worked unexpectedly-well as much as
for what ‘went wrong’
(should be ~20% of allotted review-time)

23. AAR 4: personal change
1: What
was
supposed
to happen?
2: What
actually
happened?
3: What was
the source of
the difference?
4: What can I
learn to do
differently? Performance

24. “What can I do differently?”
Step 4…
Discuss options to improve individuals’
skills, knowledge, experience and
engagement in shared-purpose – and
commitments to changes that would
be needed to implement those options
(should be ~20-30% of allotted review-time)

25. AAR 5: collective change
1: What
was
supposed
to happen?
2: What
actually
happened?
3: What was
the source of
the difference?
4: What can I
learn to do
differently?
5: What can
we learn to do
differently?
Performance

26. “What can we do differently?”
Step 5…
Discuss options to improve working
together as a team or collective – and
commitments to changes that would
be needed to implement those options
(should be ~20-30% of allotted review-time)

27. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Tetradian www.tetradian.com
Project By Date
Version
5E-Outcomes (Performance)
Core question and criteria for success
what is the core-question for this iteration? how will we know when we succeed?
[from 5E-Why worksheet]
Difference
what were the sources of difference
between Intent and Action?
[from 5E-AAR worksheet}
Action
what actually happened?
[from 5E-What worksheet]
Intent
what was supposed to happen?
[from 5E-How worksheet]
Actors and stakeholders
who are the key players for this iteration in this context?
[from 5E-Who worksheet]
Learnings and action - personal
what did we each learn from this?
what could we each do differently next time?
[from 5E-AAR worksheet}
Learnings and action - group
what did we learn from this, as a group?
what could we do differently as a group?
[from 5E-AAR worksheet}

28. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Tetradian www.tetradian.com
Project By Date
Version
what caused the
difference?
(Performance)
what can I change
to do it better
next time?
(Purpose)
what can we change
to do it better
next time?
(People)
what was supposed
to happen?
(Preparation)
what actually happened?
(Process)
5E-AAR (After Action Review)
(Start
here)

29. Practice: After Action Review
Do an After Action Review on anything:
• What was supposed (expected) to happen?
• What actually happened?
• What were sources or causes of difference?
• For each of us, what can I learn from this,
to do differently next time?
• What can we learn from this, as a group,
to do differently next time?
…put those commitments into practice!

30. What have you learnt
from this?
...what will you do differently
for continuous-learning
in your architecture-work?

31. Thank you!

32. Contact: Tom Graves
Company: Tetradian Consulting
Email: tom@tetradian.com
Twitter: @tetradian ( http://twitter.com/tetradian )
Weblog: http://weblog.tetradian.com
Slidedecks: http://www.slideshare.net/tetradian
Publications: http://tetradianbooks.com and http://leanpub.com/u/tetradian
Books: • The enterprise as story: the role of narrative in enterprise-
architecture (2012)
• Mapping the enterprise: modelling the enterprise as
services with the Enterprise Canvas (2010)
• Everyday enterprise-architecture: sensemaking, strategy,
structures and solutions (2010)
• Doing enterprise-architecture: process and practice in the
real enterprise (2009)
Further information: