Software Process and Measurement Cast

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 767, we continue our summer dive into critical thinking. In this installment, we consider research and evidence. The discussion of research and evidence ties into this week's installment of Re-Read Saturday (Chapter 4 of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die which is about credibility). Research and evidence provide credibility and that i...

This week the Software Process and Measurement Cast 766 features our interview with Ben Johnson, Founder of Particle41. Ben and I discuss the importance of teams, communication, and dependability. Ben Johnson, founder of Particle41, is a serial Entrepreneur with a track record of success and is an active investor. He is a results-driven leader, skilled in managing high-functioning teams for except...

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 765, we will continue with our summer theme on critical thinking by discussing authority. When deciding what to believe, the authority we place on the source has a significant impact. Authority bias is the name for this cognitive bias. We will also have a visit from the one and only Susan Parente, who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podc...

In Software Process and Measurement Cast 764 we feature my conversation with Johanna Rothman. We discussed her new book Successful Independent Consulting. Well, we started there and then hit topics like personal value and the impact of success. This might be the eleventy-first conversation I have had with Johanna, and each time I look forward to our time together with anticipation. They are always...

We open the Software Process and Measurement Cast 763 with an application of critical thinking. Can you see the Great Wall of China from space? Urban legends say yes, Chip and Dan Heath (check out our re-read of Made to Stick) say no. Let's think about this. We also have a visit from Jon M Quigley. Jon and I discuss the implication of the saying "time is money." In the information economy using th...

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 762, we host a panel discussion on the impact of AI on project management prospects. The panel of Paul Clapis, Susan Parente, Michael Milutis, and Mark Tolbert state categorically that project administration will be overtaken, but the high-value human side of project management will not be displaced. I am not sure what that means for most people working...

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 761 we continue our exploration of critical thinking. In this installment, we examine logical fallacies. The logic in logical fallacies is incorrect whether by design or misinterpretation. You need to be prepared. This week, Jeremy Berriault brings a discussion of QA Audit in agile to the QA Corner. Are QA Audits a logical fallacy? Re-Read Saturday News...

SPaMCAST 760 will feature an interview with Jonathan Hensley, Founder & CEO at EMERGE. Jonathan and I talked about digital transformations and engagement. The core boils down to people and alignment. This was an extremely refreshing interview! Let me know what you think. Jonathon Hensley is co-founder and CEO of Emerge, a digital product consulting firm that works with companies to improve operati...

The SPaMCAST 759 continues our exploration of critical thinking. This week we search for a consumable definition. If you can't hold a definition in your mind it is hard to contemplate the impact and necessity of rigorous thinking. Keis Kostaqi, brings the first installment of her Scrum Master, Facilitation and Transformation column to the podcast. In this installment, Keis discusses the impact of...

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 Man...

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...

SPaMCAST 756 welcomes back Paul Gibbons. In this visit, we discuss his new book Change Myths: The Professional's Guide to Separating Sense from Nonsense 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: P...

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...

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 expe...

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 podcas...

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...

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 d...

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 a...

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...

SPaMCAST 748 features our interview with Bob Galen. Bob and I discuss Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond. With the interview, we wrap up the re-read and then moved on to talk about improving coaching and the agile industrial complex. Bob Galen is an Agile Practitioner, Trainer & Coach based in Cary, NC. In this role, he helps guide companies and te...

This week we continue our exploration of fatalism's impact on change in organizations (listen to Part 1 in SPaMCAST 745). Fatalism does not have to be permanent. How that transition away from fatalism can be made varies depending on context. In this installment of the series, we will look at a few approaches to tackling this problem. We also have a visit from Jon M Quigley. Jon and I discussed suc...

This week we discuss the Manifesto for Organizational Agility with Jeff Bubolz and Chad Beier. Jeff and Chad developed the manifesto to help organizations get agile and stay agile. Many organizations rush into agile finding early success that turns sour a few months or years down the road. This pattern is indisputable. The Manifesto seeks to highlight the core issues that lead to this pattern (you...

Fatalism stops process improvement and agile transformations in their tracks. One of the definitions of fatalism is the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable. Just accepting the status quo because it is the status quo isn't pragmatism it is stagnation. We also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast. Sign up for his free newsle...

This week Nikhil Nandagopal and I talked about building teams. Teams are the heart and soul of software development in all of its many aspects. Nikhil provides pragmatic advice for organizing people into teams. We also discussed the democratization of coding that low-code platforms deliver. Nikhil Nandagopal, a co-founder of Appsmith, leads the development of the company's product – the first open...

This 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' journe...