In Rechtin's Systems Architecture book, there is a list of what makes a good system architect. The system architect he speaks of is not the IT architect – although in the 2nd edition, he includes that. It is the product architect. Products like GPS, the Space Shuttle, complex military and civilian systems.

A recent paper in the INCOSE Systems Engineering Journal, revisits this concept. “Whole Brain Thinking in System Architecting,” Tony Di Carlo, Behrokh Khoshnevis, and Firdaus Udwadia, Volume 13, Number 3.

I'd conjecture these attributes can be found in good project managers as well:

1. Communication skills 
2. High tolerance for ambiguity 
3. The ability to make good associations of ideas 
4. The ability to work consistently at an abstract level 
5. A level of technical expertise 
6. A tempered ego; the opposite of arrogance 
7. Leadership; gets the most out of others 
8. The willingness to backtrack, to seek multiple solutions 
9. The ability to build teams 
10. Charisma 
11. The ability to read people well 
12. Self-discipline, self-confidence, a locus of control 
13. A purpose orientation 
14. A sense of faith or vision 
15. Drive, a strong will to succeed 
16. Curiosity, a generalist’s perspective

So now, assuming my conjecture is applicable, where do tools fit into the discussion of increasing the probability of project success?

Post written by: Herding Cats