Death by Governance

Welcome to Episode 4!

Hello, architects! This week, we’re diving into the suffocating world of governance—the well-meaning rules that, when unchecked, can turn your EA practice into a bureaucratic nightmare. Let’s explore what happens when governance grows too big for its own good.

The Main Story: The Over-Governance Dilemma

Imagine a thriving enterprise architecture team ready to innovate. Enter the Governance Committee, armed with a 78-page policy document, a flowchart that looks like a bowl of spaghetti, and an unrelenting appetite for approvals.

Suddenly, every change requires a three-week review process, complete with stakeholder buy-ins, escalation protocols, and mandatory committee presentations. Your roadmap slows to a crawl, and the only thing being built is frustration.

Sound familiar? While governance is critical for ensuring alignment and risk management, it can easily spiral into Death by Governance, where creativity and agility suffocate under the weight of too many rules.

TOGAF’s Take: Governance Without Gridlock

TOGAF encourages governance that’s lightweight, effective, and adaptable. The Architecture Governance Framework emphasizes striking the right balance: enough control to maintain alignment, but flexible enough to enable innovation.

Survival Tips for Governance Overload:

1. Right-Size Your Rules: Avoid one-size-fits-all governance—tailor it to the complexity and risk of the project.

2. Empower Teams: Delegate decisions where possible to avoid bottlenecks.

3. Regularly Review Governance: Periodically trim policies that no longer add value.

Humor in Diagrams

Share Your Governance Gripes

Have you faced the perils of over-governance? Or found clever ways to streamline it? Share your stories—we’re all in this together (until the committee approves it).

Wrapping Up

Governance is essential, but when it takes over, everyone loses. So let’s aim for policies that support innovation instead of smothering it.

Next Week’s Sneak Peek:

“Lost in Translation: When IT Speaks Tech and the Business Hears Gibberish”

Until next time, govern wisely and innovate boldly!