process improvement

Articles

Seven Strategies for Handling Distributed Agile

Global markets, global talent, and a constant pressure to reduce costs through outsourcing are all major forces that contribute to distributed teams, but distribution can inhibit communication within the team. Here are seven strategies for staying agile in the face of distributed-team challenges.

Making Agile Work for Government: Addressing the Challenges of Agile Adoption
Erich Knausenberger and Raj Shah examine the challenges of implementing earned value management and program management to implementing agile for government IT. Then, the authors propose a “blended-approach” by which government and other large entities can address these and other challenges.
Management Myth #10: I Can Measure the Work by the Time People Spend at Work
Increasing the amount of time someone spends on work does not directly result in better work. In fact, depending on the person, the opposite may be the case—spending less time at the office may improve the results. Johanna tackles myths of measuring work by time.
Making Agile Work for Government: Challenges to Agile Adoption
Erich Knausenberger and Raj Shah examine three perceived challenges to agile adoption in the government space and explore how the "blended approach" to agile adoption offers an effective response to each.

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Better Software Magazine

Why Agile Works: Focus on the Details of Software Development
It's easy to overlook details when your focus is on the big picture. But, if you adjust your perspective, you may find new value in understanding why things work the way they do. Learn why agile works and how it can apply to both complex and simple projects.
I’ve Got a Feeling: Emotions in Testing
There are people who believe that emotions have no place in software testing when, in fact, the opposite is true. Decisions about quality are always emotional. If you want to be a better tester, get in touch with your feelings.
Surprise! Making the Most Out of Your Most Surprising Moments
Lee Copeland explains that surprise is often an indicator that discovery, learning, or even delight may be just around the corner. The surprise itself can be amusing, enlightening, befuddling, disconcerting, or frightening, but surprise should not be the end of the experience; it should be the beginning. Analyze the surprise to learn why you didn't see it coming and what you gain from that.
Measure the Measurable
Observing customers in a usability lab can be invaluable for improving product design. But, once your software leaves the lab, do you know what your customers are actually doing and whether or not your software meets their expectations? Learn how engineers on the Microsoft Office team apply a variety of software telemetry techniques to understand real-world usage, how the results drive product improvements, and how you can apply similar techniques.
Which Obstacle Should You Tackle Today?
As a lead and manager, your job to remove obstacles that impede work is most important. But of all the obstacles you find, whether they be people's perceptions, bottlenecks in the work flow, or an ill-fitted chair or desk, which do you tackle first? Johanna Rothman explains how to remove the obstacles that slow, impede, or halt project work.
Selling To Your Buyer

No matter how well you've built it, no users will benefit from your product unless you can convince the buyers to purchase it. Selling to buyers is different than satisfying users—and you have to do both well to succeed. Consider the needs of the buyer as stakeholder. When you have no buyers, you have no users.

Working Together—Not Just Working Together
People collaborate—and don't—in a variety of ways. Johanna Rothman examines what happens when collaboration isn't working, and how to make it work. Watch for several barriers to collaboration including those imposed on people by the organization itself.

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