Does culture impact software design? @ DDD Europe 2022

DDD is about understanding and communicating complexity. We have long recognized that the most effective way to communicate complexity is via human language. But language poses a challenge when working in a team comprised of members of different (sub)cultures and nationalities, each with a native language that might not be the same as the language we are communicating in. Each of these cultures has a different perception about how to communicate effectively. By way of example, in some cultures, it is considered appropriate and respectable to use the tentative voice “perhaps we should consider trying X”. Whereas in other cultures it is the assertive voice that is valued “This is how we should do it”.

Assuming that everybody in the room wants to communicate effectively, what aspects can we define that impact our design? What organizational culture fits better with what type of architecture (microservices, monolith)? And what cultural needs must these architectures and boundaries address to succeed? Join us in this hands-on where we together explore these challenges!

Transcript

1. Workshop Agenda What is culture? Organizational cultures How culture impacts design Meet your facilitators Conversational constraints theory
2. Impromptu networking In two rounds 4 min each you will interview each other on the following questions: What is your definition of culture Tell something that is known about your culture What cultures are you a member of? Each round you will do this with someone else. 1. 2. 3. What is your definition of culture Tell something that is known about your culture What cultures are you a member of? it happens in the implicit interaction Common set of believe and rituals and values collective unconsciousness something to do with behaviour Communication, collaboration toolbox default you can fall back on measure in the level of emotional safety Invisible to people expectation Going dutch (split the bill) jewish geography drinks witht he collegues Domain driven design culture what do you mean? collaboration, create community
3. Many definitions simply settle for the notion that culture is a set of shared meanings that make it possible for members of a group to interpret and act upon their environment. - Edgar Schein So a great heuristic to observe culture is when someone says: "This is how we do it here" sloanreview.mit.… Coming to a New Awareness of Organizational Culture 1. See J. Martin and C. Siehl, "Organizational Culture and Counterculture: An Uneasy Symbiosis," Organizational Dynamics, Autumn 1983, pp. 52-64. 2. See C. Argyris, "The Executive Mind and Double-Loop Learning," Organizational Dynamics, Autumn 1982, pp.…
4. Group dialogue Provide examples of how you make sure communication during collaborative modeling or refinements or design sessions are effective. Conversational constraints theory Clarity: Do people understand what I am saying Feelings of others: Am I hurting people, or being rude? Own image: Do people see me the way I like them to see me. Space: Don’t I take to many or too little verbale and non-​ verbale space. Effectiveness: How do I get what I want. How can I not get rejected. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Group dialogue Considering conversation constraints theory, which of the answer you provided are culturally dependent, and thus artifacts. valuable results minimalist agenda and take aways minimal resources for effective outcome clear goal know to everyone right people having a facilitator having a smallish group, splitting up the group people first, then the problem honesty people feel safe active listening diverge converge clothes and feedback Balance understanding and understood gossip researching other cultures small talks before meeting start Getting straight to the point
5. Organizational culture is the pattern of basic assumptions that a given group has invented, discovered, or developed in learning to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, and that have worked well enough to be considered valid, and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. - Edgar Schein Business stakeholder Domain Experts Architects managers analyst ...... Code Engineering Team DDD implies bi-​directional flow. Can we do DDD in every culture?
6. What are some examples “organizational Culture behaviour” from Westrum you have witnessed? Group dialogue How does the culture impact the architecture you use What patterns,principles or practices won’t work in certain cultures. 1. 2. Group dialogue Monolith, microservices, event-​driven, SOA, CQRS, Eventsourcing, layered, MVC, microkernel, ports and adapters Aggregate, conformist, shared kernel, partnership, API publish language, customer/supplier, Eventstorming, Example mapping, domain storytelling, Business model canvas, DRY, YAGNI, Game of thrones bold and the beautifull friends if you do not reach your goal, you are loosing your out started generative, and then bureaucratic came in We tend to be more rule oriented, and no more performance-​ oriented It takes a week to get an answer from another team local manager has a lot of influence Managed by metric micro management delegate to the team
7. Artifacts: These are the “visible” symbols of the culture. It can include anything from clothing styles to posters on the wall to the volume of speech. Even if not understood, the artifacts that last are typically deeply tied to the underlying culture. Values: These are the “espoused” values – often found on company websites and also the area which has the greatest chance of being disconnected from reality. Basic Assumptions: These are the beliefs that people use to make day-​ to-​ day decisions within an organization. For example, an assumption may be that “it is best to speak up when I have a good idea.” Judging the assumptions and trade-​ offs people make on a day-​ to-​ day basis is often the quickest way to understand the “real” culture. think-boundless.com Edgar Schein - Organizational Culture: Artifacts, Values & Assumptions Exploring Edgar Schein's ideas on culture including the artifacts, values & assumptions framework and his model of anxiety for "learning organizations" https://think-​ boundless.com/edgar-​ scheins-​ anxiety-​ assumptions-​ powerful-​ ideas-​ on-​ culture/