Sunday, August 26, 2012

Five Principles in Enterprise Principles

Principles are general rules and guidelines, intended to be enduring and seldom amended.

Principles are general rules and guidelines, intended to be enduring and seldom amended, that inform and support the way in which an organization sets about fulfilling its mission. The style of the principle should be short and recognizable. Its definition describes "what" the principle means in the language understood by stakeholders. 

The motivation describes "why" the principle is important to achieving the organizational mission. The implications describe "how" the principle changes behavior.





1.    Principles in Overall Business

First, principles are statements of belief that reflect the values, culture and real-world concerns of the organization. They normally have a longer shelf life than objectives, strategies, etc. Principles are certainly there to guide the organization, not just for the professional, they are not the same as ethics; but also for decision making, governance., etc.

    • Principle - a general guideline that requires judgment and informs decisions 
    • Policy – clear governable rules. Not following these kills a project (or worse). 
    • Standard – specific requirements that projects/artifacts/roadmaps shall meet. 
    • Procedure – standardized activities and deliverables to reduce risk and minimize errors. 
    • Guideline – best practices and reference models that we collectively agree will improve delivery, quality, and reduce cost. 

2. The principle in Decision Making

 Enterprise principles provide a basis for decision-making throughout an enterprise and inform how the organization sets about fulfilling its mission. Principles are those core decisions values (not value as in benefit, but values as in beliefs) that shape behavior and define culture.

Principles allow many people to individually make their own decisions to run in the same direction to meet the same objectives in a rapid manner. Not everyone will follow. But many will.  As principles provide a guideline of harmonizing decision-making across a distributed organization. In particular, they are a key element in a successful architecture governance strategy.

3. The principle in Talent Management

Principles are used to guide professionals along with ethics and values. Normally the common bond between departments, business units, divisions, and branches are strategic goals and objectives. Principles are also used to help people identify choices and make appropriate decisions.

Cultural values shape behaviors and principles help to articulate these values. Principles power individual and group dynamics, as it defines expected behavior

4. The principle in Enterprise Architecture


Principles can be used to reduce the set of options that a solution architect may choose from, and may be used to guide teams to address key challenges that plague an organization and which are often overlooked.  

They can drive behavior or architectural decision, architecture is largely about coordinating action across heterogeneous communities. Principles help these communities agree on what they will do in concert and equally important, what they won't do.


5. The Principle in Governance

Governance: Don't step out of line, and the line is drawn sharply. :-(
Principles: Please step into line, and the line is drawn with broader strokes. :-)

The standards can change without changing the principle.  Principles underpin the governance, and governance follows principles. Principles provide a more robust foundation that makes it possible to straightforwardly derive solution-level governance from enterprise-level governance. 

There is often a difference between what organizations say and what organizations do, corporate governance has a responsibility to set and develop enterprise culture. So, it will certainly articulate the highest level of values/principles.

 The principle is philosophy, based on your business value and strategy, 3P: Principle, Purpose, and Progress are inter-related with each other, as the principle is a positive guideline, helps the business make progress and fulfill the purpose.

"Purpose and principle clearly understood and articulated, and commonly shared, are the genetic code of any healthy organization. To the degree that you hold purpose and principles in common among you, you can dispense with command and control. People will know how to behave in accordance with them, and they'll do it in thousands of unimaginable, creative ways. The organization will become a vital, living set of beliefs."
Dee Hock, Founder of VISA, quoted by Alan Hirsch in The Forgotten Ways


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