Software Complexity

While working as a Software Architect for a Health Insurance Company, it increasingly amazes me how complex software has become. There are literally hundreds of choices to make to deploy even the simplest enterprise package. Click this. Check that box. Configure this XML file. Jeez!

While experience in IT always matters, a "generalist" approach no longer seems to work. We need specialists. More and more specialists. Folks who are highly trained in specialized enterprise software. And that's the catch-22. If we as IT staff specialize, we run the risk of being pigeon-holed. If we remain generalists, we aren't as effective and productive as we could be.

I guess the the key is to specialize in "adaptability." As IT Staff, we must adapt to a changing world. Software vendors constantly bombard us with new TLA (three-letter acronyms) to learn and consume. Technology often changes right beneath our noses. New business requirements show up all the time (yes, even after sign-off). Spending time on your ability to adapt to these changes is the key for surviving and thriving in this rewarding industry.

What special techniques do you use to remain "adaptable?"