The initial assessment showed me that my technical knowledge was sufficient, but my presentation skills still needed work. Those are important because as an architect, you must interact with all stakeholders, both internally and externally, and that means you have to be persuasive. I got to work on that from the start, assuming a presenter's role during project exercises, for example. Moreover, I've included this as one of the goals for my PDP (Personal Development Plan) and I'm practicing these skills with other architects out-side the track as well."
"The track consists of technical training on the one hand and strengthening soft skills on the other. The latter isn't easy for everyone, but as a software architect you have to be able to take ownership and confidently defend your decisions to other architects, deve-lopers and executives. You also have to learn to go beyond your own technical specialization and make decisions at a higher level, independent of the technology used. That, too, is often a new approach and can take some getting used to. "
Frederic: "My partnership with my coach Alexander adds a lot of value for me. He's always there for me when I have questions. He's also helping me further develop my soft skills, such as presenting and being persuasive. The track has proved more time-intensive than expected. While still working full-time for a customer, I also need to find time to study the material and be a father to my first son. Dealing with a fragmented schedule is a learning process in its own right, and I may add a time management course to help me with that. "
Alexander: "Frederic's got the technical stuff under control, but can still be a bit more self-confident. I coach him actively and offer him chances to practice and gain experience during project exercises. He's very motivated and wants to learn a lot in a short space of time. My own challenge is to help him set the right priorities for the track he's on. After completing the track he'll need to prove what he's learned to our customers, but I have great confidence in him. "