In sports, perhaps the most important person for success is the coach (or manager if baseball). Sure, you need talented team players, but a great coach can get great results out of all the team players. Front office? Like a project manager, they are focused on the budget and planning. I rarely see a project manager that is also a sound coach. Team Capitan? That matches up with the team lead, most likely the lead technical architect.
But the lead technical architect is not the coach.
So where is the coach?
What I never see for a technology project is the equivalent of a coach. The coach leads, inspires, directs and strategizes. A coach understands the details, and most likely was even a player at an earlier time. But a coach’s strength is not as a player, but as a strategist.
Perhaps the right title is “Business Solution Architect.” This person is the true lead for a great project. Their focus, first and foremost, is understanding and aligning the business problem with a sound business solution. Defining the problem and calling the plays that lead to delivery of a successful strategic solution.
So where is the coach?
