It's about the Cathedral, man..

The past year or two I've really been struggling to define myself as an architect. As a developer, I defined myself by the code I wrote, and the solutions I crafted. The level of pride I brought to my work was akin to the love a master carpenter brings to their furniture making.

But more and more I feel like an outsider when socializing with my brethren technicians. Don't get me wrong, I bask in their genius and creativity and love for their work. Their passion alone fills me with memories of long forgotten times when I too was like them. And I hope one day I can regain the level of comfort and confidence that comes with knowing your purpose.

Peter Drucker wrote of a story which I've suddenly found meaning in, about three stonecutters. When the first worker was asked what he was doing, he responded "I am making a living". The second worker responded "I an doing the best job of stonecutting in the entire country". The third stonecutter replied "I am building a cathedral".

Drucker goes on to explain that the second stonecutter, the craftsman, can become a real problem in an organization.

This statement was in direct violation to everything I believed. I had defined myself as a craftsman for years, and may have thrown the book away in disgust if it wasn't written by a leading authority on leadership.

The problem, as Drucker puts it, is that a craftsman can too easily be working on tasks which subvert the organization. Polishing stones, or other fine detailed work that does not offer a benefit other than an increase in the feeling of pride of the worker. I was happy to see Drucker go out of his way to mention that craftsmanship and pride in one's work is a required trait of a successful organization. While the organization must contain craftsman, they must also realize they exist to serve a much grander purpose.

Bingo. A book written before I was born puts into words my feelings of disconnect with my organization. Here I was a craftsman, trying to be the best stonecutter in the country... And then suddenly I had been given a glimpse of the cathedral I was building. And like an addict, I've been doing whatever I can to keep the cathedral in my focus ever since.

I've realized that my once attention to craftsmanship was really just a form of purpose. I needed a reason to do what I do, and it manifested itself in the form of a code artisan. When working on larger concepts that drive business value, I am able to have an even stronger feeling of purpose then when I was a codeslinger. I just currently lack a way to put this new purpose into words and action, such that it can be sustainable... and that, is the source of my struggle to define myself.