You don’t have to be a technical person to start thinking like a Salesforce architect. In this article, I will share 5 concepts to bring a little architect-thinking magic to your everyday work.
Salesforce architect reflections from Northeast Dreamin’
In October 2023, I attended the premier Salesforce community event in the Northeast, Northeast Dreamin’. There were plenty of informative sessions about AI, non-profit success, and others. I chose to focus my time on the sessions run by Salesforce Architects.
- Architect Like a Pro: Using the Five Ws from Primary School – this session was led by Roger Mitchell from Dodge Labs. He shared a compelling approach to uncovering the real needs of clients during requirements-gathering sessions. The simple rubric of who/what/where/when/why can be an inspirational way to unlock deeper understanding. Because after all…
- A Salesforce Admin’s Guide to Data Modeling for Scalability and Performance – Here Brian Shea, a Fractional Salesforce Architect, shared principles for designing a data model utilizing the Salesforce Well-Architected framework. A big takeaway is the importance of sketching out your data model using Salesforce Data Model notation before you start building. This process makes our work more easily approachable and structured which makes it easier to understand for yourself and when shared with others.
But wait, just for Salesforce architects?
I was struck during these sessions, that the concepts are important to have in mind even if you are not a technical person or someone preparing to head down an architect career path. The reality is that everyone, in every position, can use the basic tenets of a Salesforce architect mindset to improve their everyday work and provide enormous value to our companies.
5 switches to activate your Salesforce architect mindset
When setting the stage for architectural thinking, it is important to zoom out and think about the big picture. Sure there are tactical details that need to be considered, but starting at a higher level will enable you to imagine beyond what is in front of you today.
An architect’s mindset is not reactive. It takes in various viewpoints and inputs that can help anticipate what your next move could or should be. No matter your role, the concepts below can help you elevate your thinking.
#1: Get curious
Think about your work in terms of the broader company and even industry trends. Think through a growth mindset lens and expand on what the questions are. With the growth mindset, the possibilities are limitless as we break away from a fixed mindset.
#2: Zoom out
Next time you are in a meeting, think about your mindset in terms of your camera. Your mind is like an aperture, when you open it you let more light in. How does this change your relationship with what is being discussed? When asked to make a change or perform a task, let more light in, zoom out, and ask broader questions to get to the heart of the why behind the ask.
#3: Get creative
Thinking like an architect is only sometimes a straight line. A heavy dose of thinking about the Art of the possible will open your mind and excite your stakeholders. Open a doc or a notebook and write out the wildest ideas you can think of. This is your chance to push the boundaries and turn some heads.
#4: Think longer term
Don’t be like Homer. Think about what the needs of your company might be in 1 year, in 3 years, in five years. What changes? What changes if you layer on a once-in-a-generation industry-shaking change? How would this inform how you build today with an eye toward a scalable and profitable future? You can go fast AND far.
#5: Analytics for the win!
Wherever possible, use data to support your thinking. This is especially important when pitching concepts to your stakeholders. If you and the teams you work with are using Salesforce, then lots of data is available to you. Moreso, if there has been an investment in more advanced analytics tools like Data Cloud and Einstein Analytics or B2BMA. With so much data at our fingertips, why not share?!
Bonus Tips!
- Be nimble as the needs of your company change throughout the year. Unexpected headwinds could force a change that can be faced head-on by thinking about the work differently.
- Don’t be afraid to share your work. Especially during fast-moving times, our ideas can really make a difference but we need to share them!
Whether you’re a developer, admin, or even a casual user, adopting an architect’s mindset can transform your work. So go beyond the tactical in what you do. By zooming out, getting curious, thinking longer term, and using data to guide decisions, you could lead to an architect mindset revolution in your organization.
