Organizational Dynamics for Technical Leaders Masterclass

This masterclass builds on our work with software, system and enterprise architects and product, program and executive managers including CTOs and CIOs.

There is a combination of async work coordinated over Slack beginning in mid April and in-class work, co-ordinated over Zoom, on:

• April 26 and May 3, 2022, 10 am - 1 pm ET (2 x 3 hr sessions)

Overview

This masterclass addresses the organizational and social aspects of leading teams. It completes the triad of classes that have replaced our Software Architecture Workshop for remote delivery. It also pairs well with our Technical Leadership Masterclass (there is some overlap in context setting, but otherwise the focus is different).

Organizational Dynamics We explore leadership demands and challenges in technology-intensive system design and evolution. And we practice some tools that help discern, shape and attain more the organizational outcomes and impact, that our various teams are striving for. These include making cultural features and organizational forces (and impedances) more visible and understood, with guidance and collaborative modeling-informed practices to help respond and adapt.

Organizational Effectiveness We explore a range of topics and practices that fall under soft skills, and have to do with being more effective as we lead, collaborate and partner with others. Topics and practice areas include:

• Self-awareness, self-management
• Empathy and other-awareness
• Relationships, trust and teams; cultivating teams, diversity and cohesion
• Persuasion and Influence;
• Negotiation, Disagreement and conflict
• Sociology of organizations and culture
• Nudges, enabling constraints
• Coaching and facilitating, feedback
• Coping with uncertainty and organizational stressors
• Ethical considerations

Instructors: Ruth Malan

More information: www.ruthmalan.com