How to solve Corporate Circular Dependencies?

Software architects see circular dependencies as a code smell, a sign of trouble. Corporate circular dependencies are worst.

We know that modularity is an essential part of designing software systems. But it's the relationships between the components that make or break future evolution capabilities. The same is true for organizations.

Conway's Law covers this topic. You create software architectures that mimic your organization's control structures. The poorly defined dependencies between groups involved in your development process may be slowing everything down.

When I perform technical audits, I often see teams that have to fight against corporate processes. If a group is to be held accountable for project success, the company must be at their service, not the other way around.

For instance, HR departments cannot alone come up with the headcount and professional profiles they hire, along with the compensation plans and benefits. The project leads should decide on team size and composition needed to meet their mission goals. Opting between small teams of ultra senior DevOps developers, or a mix of experience and skills is their decision to make.

It is not yours to decide if you are not doing it. You cannot dictate and serve at the same time. Empower your teams.