At Work with The Ready AUA: How Do You Balance Autonomy With Alignment In IT Teams?
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Dec 8, 2025 In this engaging discussion, the hosts tackle the challenges of balancing autonomy and alignment in IT teams. They argue that the centralized vs. decentralized debate is misleading, advocating for a hybrid approach. Key design principles for structuring federated models are explored, emphasizing the importance of defining outcomes over rigid ideologies. The conversation highlights the need for effective collaboration, accepting some redundancy for resilience, and ensuring edge teams have real decision-making authority. It's a fresh take on modern organizational dynamics!
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Centralized vs Decentralized Is A False Choice
- There is no single right structure; centralized vs decentralized is a false binary.
- Design a third way by defining precise design principles for what must be consistent and what can be customized.
Write Precise Design Principles
- Define concrete design principles that specify tiers of service and which platforms are centrally controlled.
- Use those principles to decide where teams get white-glove support and where teams self-serve.
Start With Outcomes Not Theory
- Get crystal clear on the outcomes you care about and why the model serves those outcomes.
- Avoid philosophical reasons like 'future of work' and tie structure to measurable value creation.