SPaMCAST 743 - Diversity, Communication, Essays and Conversations
Software Process and Measurement Cast
Release Date: 02/19/2023
SPaMCAST 758 - Tribal Knowledge, Team Playbooks, A Conversation With Jeffrey Miller
Software Process and Measurement Cast
Jeffrey Miller and I have been trying to coordinate a time for an interview on the topics of tribal knowledge and team playbooks since August 2022. We finally solved that problem. Teams generate knowledge, understanding how to hold on to that knowledge and to push boundaries forward is why teams are powerful. Jeffrey Miller Technologist, Speaker, Author Jeffrey Miller is a Senior Consultant at Manifest Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. Jeffrey has over two decades of experience helping organizations bring value to their mission through software. He has presented a variety of...
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SPaMCAST 757 - Intermittent Collaboration, Kanban For One, Essays and Conversations
Software Process and Measurement Cast
A funny thing happened on the way to SPaMCAST 757. I was considering critical thinking when I ran into data that challenged a common agile belief - enter critical thinking. The idea is that constant collaboration, the goal of team rooms, and always-on communication software, is to create good ideas and decisions; good but not great. This week we also have a visit from Susan Parente who talks about her approach to personal kanban, something she calls kanban for one. Susan also takes us under the hood for a view into her busy, innovative world and how she keeps it under control. Re-Rread...
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SPaMCAST 756 - Change Myths, A Conversation With Paul Gibbons
Software Process and Measurement Cast
SPaMCAST 756 welcomes back Paul Gibbons. In this visit, we discuss his new book which he co-authored with Tricia Kennedy. I have described Paul’s new book as a Trojan horse. While it dispels myths it more importantly provides the tools for critical thinking which will allow you to tackle new myths as they appear. Pau’s bio: Paul Gibbons is an author, academic, speaker, and business consultant He has authored numerous books, including and The Science of Successful Organizational Change, He lives in the Denver area with his two sons and enjoys playing poker, chess, and other mind...
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SPaMCAST 755 - Engagement, Hierarchy, and Fatalism, Making Mistakes, Essays and Conversations
Software Process and Measurement Cast
SPaMCAST 755 features an essay on the relationship between engagement, hierarchy, and fatalism based on a discussion of the topic between the SPaMCAST Columnists. The ideas of hierarchy, engagement, and fatalism struck a nerve within the SPaMCAST family. To a person, the prevailing attitude is that hierarchy has value, but only to a point. Jon M Quigley joins the cast in the second slot this week with a discussion about making mistakes. Learning from mistakes is important but making the same mistake over and over is not a sign that you are learning. Re-read Saturday News! This week...
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SPaMCAST 754 - Facilitation and Transformation, A Conversation With Keis Kostaqi
Software Process and Measurement Cast
Today I would like to introduce you to the Software Process and Measurement Cast’s newest columnist, Keis Kostaqi. Keis is a scrum master and coach. She will bring a Scrumban flavor to the podcast. Keis has experience with teams with complicated work input patterns. Today we get to know Keis - and get some interesting ideas along the way. Keis Kostaqi is a passionate Agile Coach with years of experience in healthcare, information services, and technology. Currently serving as a Program Manager for the Agile Transformation Team at Northwestern Medicine, she enables individuals...
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SPaMCAST 753 - Hierarchies and Fatalism, Wall of Confusion, Essays and Conversations
Software Process and Measurement Cast
SPaMCAST 753 features our essay on the impact of hierarchies on engagement and fatalism. Like most things in life, the relationship is not straightforward. Hierarchies giveth and taketh away. If you don’t get the balance right you can say goodbye to engagement, innovation, and fun at work. We also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his insights on the life cycle of user stories to the podcast in his To Tell A Story column. In this installment, we talk about the “Wall of Confusion.” When stories are created and then tossed over the wall to another team even high-performing teams...
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SPaMCAST 752 - Fast-Growing Companies And Security, A Conversation with Laura Bell Main
Software Process and Measurement Cast
SPaMCAST 752 features our interview with Laura Bell Main. We discuss the confluence of fast-growing companies and security. Maybe I should say collision instead of confluence. Note: Laura provides an incredible amount of wisdom in the interview; however, due to a user error (mine) I lost the first minute of the interview. The abrupt start of the interview means we hit the ground running with very little preamble. Laura Bell Main specializes in securing some of Australia and New Zealand’s fastest-growing organizations. She has over twenty years of experience in software development and...
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SPaMCAST 751 - Privilege and Fatalism, Continuous Improvement, Conversations and Essays
Software Process and Measurement Cast
I have been considering the relationship between privilege and fatalism. Boiling down the impact of privilege to a single word, we find power. Whether it is the ability to make decisions about the work you will do, the power to direct others to do work, or even just to be heard, privilege is power. That power can generate fatalism in those without the power privilege delivers. In SPaMCAST 751 we discuss! Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the podcast. Mr. Berriault and I discuss why continuous improvement is important. Our discussion ties neatly into the essay on privilege and fatalism....
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SPaMCAST 750 - Domains Of Business Agility, A Conversation With Evan Leybourn
Software Process and Measurement Cast
SPaMCAST 750 marks the return of Evan Leybourn to the podcast. Evan and I discuss the different domains of business agility, the relationship between behavior and culture, and whether Taylorism still has a place in the world. Evan is the co-founder of the Business Agility Institute; an international membership body to both champion and support the next generation of organizations. Companies that are agile, innovative, and dynamic - perfectly designed to thrive in today’s unpredictable markets. Evan is also the author of Directing the Agile Organisation (2012) and #noprojects; a culture...
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SPaMCAST 749 - Good Work Entry, Combining Scrum Master and Product Owner Roles, Essays, and Conversations
Software Process and Measurement Cast
In SPaMCAST 749, we discuss the attributes of good work input/entry. There is no perfect approach to bringing work into an organization or team. Arguably since people are involved, perfect may not be something that can exist in the real world but instead, there are good approaches. There are nine key concepts for good work entry. Good work entry requires that these nine have to be present in some form regardless of whether you are using Scrum, Kanban waterfall, or some mix of frameworks. We want to be crystal clear, deciding to forego any of these characteristics other than for the briefest...
info_outlineThis week, we take a detour thanks to Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching. Over the past two chapters, the book has drilled us on recognizing and adapting to situational nuances as a crucial skill for effective coaching. I will admit that my first few years of coaching were formulaic. I did not spend the needed time to understand and address nuances of context or differences in individuals' journeys through life. I do not remember when I learned that roles and situations change the trajectory of coaching, as does the starting point of the person or persons you are coaching. At some point, I got the point. In this chapter, diversity is an omnibus term used to describe inclusiveness across a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, life experiences, and more. Galen-Personick focuses on four specific areas. Rather than recounting the four, what struck me during this read was the impact privilege has on both delivering and being coached. That’s what I discuss in today’s podcast.
Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the podcast. This week we communicated on the topic of communication.
Re-read Saturday News!
Chapter 16 of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond is titled Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach. This chapter is written by Rhiannon Galen-Personick and focuses on diversity awareness. The author uses four areas of diversity to help coaches think through their biases, the biases of the people they are coaching, and the biases of the teams around them. This is in an effort to teach all of us to be better coaches and, dare I say, people.
Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv
A quick advertisement:
Controlling work entry requires preparation, knowledge, and building to establish a path to control work entry (magic wands are normally not available), which is why Jeremy Willets and I have developed a work entry workshop. Interested? Please email us at [email protected] or [email protected]
Next SPaMCAST
In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, Nikhil Nandagopal and I talked about building teams. Teams are the heart and soul of software development in all of its many aspects.