One of the things that makes AYE a different kind of conference is the way we gather before and
after the conference to discuss your kinds of problems,
in your software and IT development, testing, and management communities.
We all struggle with how to create an environment in which people can best work.
The hosts, guest hosts, and attendees from this year and previous years have written numerous articles,
exploring both the technical and the human sides of software and IT development.
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Advice for Software Development Managers by Jerry Weinberg (2004)
What makes a bad manager? What can you do to become a better manager? In this interview, Jerry Weinberg answers these questions and shares his views on how to be a better manager.
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Advice on How to Hire Testers: A Plea for Hiring Managers by Johanna Rothman (2002)
What’s the best way to wade through those thousands of resumes you’ve received for the new testing position? To start, you could ruthlessly weed out those who don’t show experience with your organization’s particular toolset. Johanna Rothman warns against this type of approach to hiring. By not looking at the person beyond the tools, you might be letting a star slip through your fingers.
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Aggressive Congruence by Bob King (2000)
Behaving congruently is hard. We don’t always say those tough things that need to be said. But to reach our potential for effectiveness we must work congruently and aggressively. Bob King shares what he learned about congruence while working at a start up company.
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Always be Second by Gerald M. Weinberg (2002)
Our culture places high value on being first. But is that always the best strategy? Gerald M. Weinberg looks at the virtues of being second.
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Amplifying A Book's Effectiveness by Naomi Karten (2000)
Have you ever wondered what its like to put a book together or work with a professional editor? Naomi Karten tells the story of how the AYE Book came to be.
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Amy the Architect by Bob King (2002)
What does a software architect do? It might depend on who you ask. Join Amy as she fashions a new role for herself on an important project.
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Appreciate Differences by Richard Brenner (2001)
In group problem-solving, diversity of opinion and healthy, reasoned debate ensure that our conclusions take into account all of the difficulties we can anticipate. Lock-step thinking and limited debate expose us to the risk of unanticipated risk. Rick Brenner proposes appointing a Curmudgeon to keep teams from groupthink.
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| The Appreciation Gap by Esther Derby. (2005)
Learn how to give people what they really crave: meaningful recognition.
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Are we solving the real problems? by Nynke Fokma (2001)
Nynke Fokma tells the story of a major process improvement effort and asks the question: Are we solving the real problems?
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At What Cost? by Esther Derby (2002)
Now that many dot-coms have become dot-bombs, have we heard the last of Internet Time? Heck, no! It’s alive and well and living under a different name. Esther Derby looks at trade-offs and the questions we should be asking before embarking on a project that absolutely must be done fast, fast, fast.
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Beyond Belief by Esther Derby (2001)
We all have mental models and beliefs about the world that help us organize the information we take in. Esther Derby tells a little story, a true story, about how our beliefs influence what we see in the world and affect our ability to solve problems.
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| Beyond Blaming: Congruence in Large Systems Development Projects by Jean McClendon & Gerald M. Weinberg (2003)
Blaming cultures are too busy finding fault to solve problems... and since they aren't solving problems, there's plenty of blame to go 'round. See how blaming communication can effect projects.
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Beware of the Quick Fix by Gerald M. Weinberg (2003)
"P.T. BARNUM said there's a sucker born every minute, but Barnum was a conservative estimator - or else he didn't know any IT managers." Jerry Weinberg ruminates on technology managers' addiction to quick fixes.
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| Bi-Quinary Search by Gerald M. Weinberg (2004)
How would you find a single bug in 1,073,741,823 lines of code? Your resource is the knowledge where previous bugs have been found before. Your motivation is trying to prevent your spaceship from colliding with a sun. Would you choose the logical method, or the illogical method chosen by our hero, John?
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| The Black Hole by Naomi Karten (2003) Have you ever reported a problem to customer support and NEVER heard back? Then you know about the Black Hole. Naomi Karten writes about where the problems go...and what you can do about it.
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| Building a Requirements Foundation Through Customer Interviews, by Esther Derby (2005)
Esther has advice about how to interview a customer, what to ask, how to ask, and when to ask.
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Change is a Disease by James Bach (2000)
"That idea won't work here, because we're different." is a refrain familiar to the ears of consultants everywhere. Some people respond to this defense by using evidence and argument. I use a different tactic: I say "you're right, it might not work here, because you are different." This works pretty much every time. James Bach tells us why.
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| Change that Fits by Esther Derby (2003)
Cedric's been hired to improve quality at ShipFast. Find out what happens to Cedric when he applies a one-size-fits-all solution. And learn what you can do to avoid Cedric's fate.
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Charting a Course for Requirements by Becky Winant (2002)
Projects are like voyages; they both start with a launch. What could point us in the right direction and guide our exploration? Becky Winant explains how to create a project charter.
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| Chinese Contracts by Jim Bullock (2003)
Why do some contracts chafe and bind while others leave both
parties feeling well-served and satisfied? James Bullock examines the elements of congruent contracts in this article.
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| Choosing Facilitation by Johanna Rothman (2003)
Most of the time we don't need a facilitator to help move our meeting along; we can manage to accomplish the goals of the meeting without a formal facilitator. However, there are times when a facilitator makes sense. When could your group benefit from choosing an outside facilitator?
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Client 101 by Sherry Heinze (2001)
Testers often have to work to convince the customer of the benefits they will receive for the money they spend on testing. Most clients actually believe that testers do useful work by the end of the project. Sherry Heinze shares some ideas on selling the value of testing up front.
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Climbing out of Technical Debt by Johanna Rothman (2002)
Technical debt is defined as what a company “owes” to a product they persisted in shipping in an incomplete or unstable condition. As the technical debt increases, the load on the customer support staff becomes overwhelming, and the developers have trouble adding or changing system features. Johanna Rothman tell you how to recognize the signs, understand how you got there and begin to dig out.
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| Collaborating With Other Consultants by Johanna Rothman (2004)
A consultant can exist in one of two states; State I (idle) or State B (busy). In this article, Johanna Rothman shares ideas how consultants can deal with additional business when they are busy, what to do when they are idle, and how to successfully collaborate with other consultants.
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Communicate Early and Often by Naomi Karten (2002)
How often do you make decisions that affect your customers without considering their perspective, communicating your plans, explaining your rationale, and inviting their input? When you do, they will form their own, sometimes unfavorable, opinions. In this article, Naomi walks us through two examples to help us examine how we communicate what we do.
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| Communicating Up, by Esther Derby (2004)
We study ways to communicate better with our direct reports. What about communication problems that occur with our bosses? How do we decide how to handle these issues? Esther looks at several possible ways to improve "communicating up".
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| Communications Gaps by Don Gray (2003) Have you ever delivered software that met requirements but didn't meet expectations? Don looks back at a project that did, and then looks at several models that can help avoid communication gaps.
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Confessions of a Confused User by Naomi Karten (2000)
Asking for help is difficult – especially when we feel vulnerable. Often, when we need help the most, we do not ask. In this article, Naomi offers advice for how to break through this insidious cycle.
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Consulting Lessons from Ron, My Shiatsu Therapist by Becky Winant (2000)
Shiatsu. Wonder what it is and what application it might have for our work? Becky opens us up to Shiatsu Therapy and shows how its energy can improve our work enjoyment and performance.
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| Creativity in Accounts Receivable by Jerry Weinberg (2003)
If you're in business for yourself, you've been on the receiving end of another company's accounts payable process. Jerry tells how he's gotten creative with the process of getting paid.
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Danger: Couple at Work by Sharon Marsh Roberts (2000)
Can a married couple work together? When working together, can a married couple be viewed as equal to the sum of the parts?
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Decisions, Decisions by Sue Peterson (2000)
My husband bought his father's business last month. It was not an easy decision. Like most modern managers, I've been taught that the best decisions are the product of logical, deductive thinking. But we didn't have time for that. Was our decision the absolutely best one we could have made?
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| Delivering Effective Feedback by Esther Derby. (2003)
Providing timely feedback is part of every manager's job. Giving feedback isn't always easy, and sometimes our efforts go a-wry. Esther provides some guidance on getting your feedback heard.
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Designing Useful Metrics: Using Observation, Modeling, and Measurement to Make Decisions by Esther Derby (2000)
As a manager, you want to increase effectiveness and improve the quality of software. Using measurement as a tool for accomplishing this, however, may be something you're skeptical about. I'd like to encourage you to take another look at metrics, and show you how you can use observation, modeling and measurement to manage more effectively within your team.
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| Destroying Communication and Control in Software Development by Gerald M. Weinberg (2003)
Why do so many projects fail? When communication systems are out of commission, project managers don't have the information they need to steer the project. Read on to understand how the lines of communication are broken, and what PMs can do to keep information flowing.
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A Different Kind of Conference by Sherry Heinze (2003)
You’ve probably attended a conference at some point in your professional career. The format is nearly always the same, although the focus may be slightly different. At the front of the room is a speaker with overheads. The speaker comes to teach and everyone else comes to sit quietly, listen politely and be filled with information. Sherry Heinze tells us about a different kind of conference.
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A Different Kind of Family: Reconstruction Lessons for the Participants and the Guide by Eileen Strider (2000)
I first experienced a family reconstruction in the 1989 Congruent Leadership Change Workshop. I was stunned by its power. It was as if a special key had been oh-so-gently inserted into this man's lock box of memories. On that day, I never imagined that one day I would be guiding a reconstruction. Or that -- as a guide -- I would still be stunned by its power.
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| Disposable Programs by Gerald M. Weinberg (2/14/05)
Not sure how to explain the cost of "throw-away" code? Jerry has suggestions...
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| Don't Just Do Something, Stand There! by Don Gray (2003) Maybe you're the kind of person who attacks a problem as soon as it crops up. Many times, it's good to act fast. But for a different point of view, read this article by Don Gray, who advises us to "take ten" and evaluate a situation before making a response.
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| Don't Tell Doreen, by Steven M. Smith (2005)
Steve discusses possibilities when people at work hide information from others--and one way to deal with people who want to hide information.
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Driving from the Back Seat by Sharon Marsh Roberts (2001)
A common confusion is between leading and managing. Leading is influencing others to do what needs to be done. Effective leaders succeed regardless of their location in the organizational chart. Sharon provides information and techniques in this article that will help you guide your team and project to a successful end, even though you may be driving from the back seat.
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Emerging by David Irvine (2001)
Life is a mirror. What we see in others is the reflection of what we see in ourselves. As we continue through life, we change, grow, and emerge. How do you plan for these experiences and opportunities? After all, though we have different journeys, our destination is the same.
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| Entomology by Laurent Bossavit (2003) What's in a word? Laurent Bossavit tells a tale of a trouble team and shows how the way we use words can effect the results of our efforts.
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| Estimates: Precision vs. Accuracy by Johanna Rothman. (2003)
When is it accurate to state an estimate precisely? When is it inaccurate to be precise? Johanna explores the notions of accuracy and precision and show us how they can get us in trouble.
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An Exercise in Ambiguity by Naomi Karten (2000)
My son wants a car that’s “bad”. I want him to have a car that’s “good”. Can this be the same car? And what about numbers? If we quantify our values, do we clarify the information shared? Find out by reading this article about being a “106-pound 27-year-old whose three-minute rating at level 6 is a perfect 44!”
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| Exception is the Rule by Gerald M. Weinberg (2005)
See how a walk through the yellow pages helped Jerry understand and articulate what was missing at a client.
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Extreme Testing by Todd Berbert (2000)
Testing is change. So is moving to extreme programming. In this article, Todd reviews some of the extreme programming ideas and makes suggestions for testers, no matter what kinds of projects they work on.
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Facing Up to the Truth by Esther Derby (2002)
You can’t handle the truth? is a famous line from a movie, and can be excruciating at work. Esther has ideas about how to face up to the truth by first starting with the current state.
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First Things First by Esther Derby (2004)
What do you do when you're upset about something at home and you know you need to focus on work? Do you try to push your emotions aside and tough it out? Paradoxically, when we ignore our emotional responses they poke back up and get in the way. When emotions are acknowledged, people are better able to focus on the task at hand. Esther Derby offers some advice for dealing with the "human stuff."
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| Five Frequent Feedback Flaws by Naomi Karten (2004)
We all agree on feedback's importance. Feedback tells us what works and what needs to change. Do you sabotage your feedback efforts? Naomi's article points to five areas you may be able to improve.
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| From the Shadows of the Past by Stuart Scott (2005)
Stuart shows you an example of rules and when they don't help anymore.
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| Focus Your Project, by Johanna Rothman (2003)
Do you know the Number One Goal of your project? When you (and the organization) are clear on the Number One Goal, you can make trade-offs within context. And when you don't know the Number One Goal, shifting priorities can act like quicksand and suck the project into failure. Johanna offers advice on how to focus your project for success in context.
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| A Guide to Fine Whines by Mark Manduke. (2005)
Mark explains the most common whines he sees when discussing product development process with teams.
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| Hang Loose by Stuart Scott (2005)
Change involves letting go, accepting the unfamiliar, coping with confusion or even chaos. Letting go is actually pretty easy. It’s deciding to let go that’s so hard. Even when the changes are trivial.
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| Healing the Ailing Workplace by Jean McLendon (2003)
Is your work environment healthy? What does a healthy work environment look like anyway? And what can you do to help create a healthy place to work? AYE guest speaker Jean McLendon explores all these questions in this article.
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Hear Ye! Hear Ye! by Naomi Karten (2001)
What’s the difference between listening and hearing? Naomi Karten, author of Communication Gaps, has tips to make sure you’re hearing what’s being said.
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| Highpoints of the AYE Conference by Elizabeth Starrett (2003) Curious about what you might learn at the AYE Conference? AYE participant Elizabeth Starrett shares some of her learning highlights.
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| How2 Create A Buddy, by Johanna Rothman (2004)
You interviewed the applicants, and the new hire starts on Monday. How can you help them be productive more quickly? In this article Johanna Rothman reviews what new hires need to know, and how the buddy system helps share the knowledge.
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| How to Improve Meetings When You’re Not in Charge, by Esther Derby (2004)
Improperly conducted meetings create a drain. They drain energy, commitment and time from the participants. In this week's article, AYE Host Esther Derby suggests "How to Improve Meetings When You're Not in Charge" helping you avoid the draining meetings.
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| How Did This Happen? by Don Gray (2005)
Causal loop diagrams are wonderful tools when you want to understand the problem behind the problem behind the problem. In this article, Don Gray explains a typical use of causal loop diagrams, how to build and use them.
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How to Kill a Software Company by Don Gray (2002)
Is software just a necessary evil or can it be a positive force for good in the company? Don Gray has tips to recognize a failing software project and how to fix it.
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| Humor and Stress by Diane Gibson (2004)
It is the best of times. It is the worst of times. It is the time you spend at work. What do you do when you get stressed at work? In this article Diane Gibson shares her experience and recommendations for dealing with stress.
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Keep Your Eye on the Prize by Pat O'Toole (2000)
"Level 2 or Bust" is a slogan we’ve heard before. Instead of process for process sake, Pat O’Toole, a well-known SEI assessor has suggestions to turn your process improvement into something that helps your projects.
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| Learning What You Don't Know by Don Gray (2005)
Don provides some suggestions for understanding a project's non-obvious risks.
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Lullaby Language by Jerry Weinberg (2004)
Words occasionally give us a sense of security. When we look more closely at the words, they often mean something different. In this article, Jerry Weinberg introduces and translates some "lullaby" words.
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| Metrics: Lunches, Looks, and Loops, by Don Gray (2004)
Measurement forms the foundation for project management and process improvement. Measurements occur in a system, and events in a system affect the system. In this article AYE Host Don Gray shows how measurement affects the system, and what to do about it.
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| Managing a Struggling Employee by Esther Derby. (2003)
Sooner or later every manager faces the same dilemma: What do I do when I inherit or hire an employee who turns out to be a poor fit for the job? Let's follow a manager named Tom to see what can happen when you don't manage a struggling employee and learn from his mistakes.
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| Managing the Interview by Johanna Rothman (2004)
Part of managing the interview is making sure you hear the candidate's answers and questions. In this excerpt from Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People, Johanna Rothman explains how to listen to candidate's answers, how to evaluate a candidate's answers, and when to consider replanning the interview.
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| Managing the Group Meeting by Johanna Rothman (2003)
Does your staff start to snooze during group meetings? Here's a recipe for juicy meetings from Johanna Rothman.
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Managing in Mayberry: An examination of three distinct leadership styles by Don Gray and Dan Starr (2001)
Do you feel successful as a manager? Don Gray’s and Dan Starr’s article can help you identify your style of management: micromanager, motherly manager or masterly manager.
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| Measuring Up by Esther Derby (2003) It's 10 a.m. You're about to ship to five beta sites. You've met the date, you're within budget, and the defect counts have been steadily declining for the last four weeks. Still, you're a little nervous. How will the customers react to this new release? Esther Derby shares a simple method to gauge how your product is meeting expectations before you ship.
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Meeting Customer Requirements, First Time, Every Time by James A. Ward (2000)
A key principle of TQM is intense focus on customers and their satisfaction. What does this mean and how do we go about accomplishing it? James Ward shares three principles that underlie creating customer focus.
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Mistakes and Insights Found at a Sale by Becky Winant (2001)
Not long ago, Becky had a garage sale and didn’t sell a thing. But, her sale day wasn't a waste. She uses her experience to remind us all about project planning pitfalls.
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| Multiprojecting: The Illusion of Progress by Johanna Rothman (2005)
It's very tempting to ask people to work on more than one project at a time. But can people really do two things at once?
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My Company Won't Pay! How To Get Approval To Attend Conferences or Training by John Suzuki (2002)
Sometimes getting what you want requires a little creativity. John Suzuki discusses several creative ways to get the backing to attend conferences, seminars, workshops, and training sessions. He looks at tools and strategies for use throughout the approval process: before you attend, making the case to attend, and obtaining the actual approval, as well as alternatives to consider if your request is turned down. All of these strategies can be used to help you get to the next AYE conference.
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| My Days as a Barber, by Jim Batterson. Jim has a fable about tools and how people use them--whether those people are barbers or programmers. |
| On Second Thought by Dwayne Phillips (2003)
Have you ever had a bright idea that was rejected out of hand when you presented it to your group? Timing and presentation may be as important as the quality of the idea when it comes to convincing others to give it a try.
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Our Management Process Can't Tell Us How to Get From "Repeatable" to "Defined" by Nynke Fokma and Erwin van der Bij (2000)
You have some process improvement successes under your belt. You’re ready for the next step, and… you’re stuck. If you’ve ever been in this position, Nynke Fokma and Erwin van der Bij have suggestions for you.
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| Pennywise by Esther Derby (2004)
What can you do when you're hiring technical people on a budget? In this article Esther presents several strategies that keep your hiring decisions in line with your goals and the work moving forward.
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Planning for Delays by Gerald M. Weinberg (2000)
Jerry's Iron Rule of Project Life says. "It Always Takes Longer." Defy this Iron Law at your peril. Plan for delays, and plan to be adaptable and forgiving when delays occur that aren't part of your plan. You'll be more successful, and you might even be happier.
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| Plan to Re-plan by Johanna Rothman (2003)
Do your projects unfold exactly the way you predicted in your initial plan? Neither do ours! What can you do? Plan to re-plan. Johanna tells you how in this week's article.
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| Playing Hooky by Mike Melendez (2005)
Mike shares some insights about testing, using a fish story.
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| Predictions by Jerry Weinberg (2003)
Predictions have a way of being wrong... Remember this one? "Timesharing, most experts agree, is the key to the computer's future, at least for general use." Jerry makes some anyway. And they may just be right.
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Project Pitfalls by James A. Ward (2000)
Despite the best efforts of the project manager and the project team, organizational forces may work against project success, especially on projects with tight time constraints. This article will make you aware of the organizational pitfalls and obstacles which a Project Team may encounter, so that you won't be caught unawares.
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| Purrfectly Obvious by Naomi Karten. (2003)
We all make assumptions and those assumptions can lead us astray. Naomi shares a real-life lesson in assumptions.
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Put Confer Back in Conference by Pat O'Toole (2001)
What’s involved in maximizing your conference experience? How can you gain from your time and your company’s money so you’re not another “Blind man coming through!”?
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Reasons by Gerald M. Weinberg (2001)
When you're supposed to be the change artist trying to introduce something new - a tool, a process, a document, a technique, anything new at all - you're going to find yourself faced with an infinitely high wall piled with reasons, mortared in place with that word, "because." [Or "so," or other forms of pseudo-logic.] What will you do then? Rather than go back and forth with a potentially infinite chain of "why- because," save yourself some time and energy by recognizing that you will always lose this game, so switch to another, as explained in this article.
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| Real-time Feedback by Esther Derby. (2003)
Some managers save up performance feedback for a quarterly or yearly performance discussion. But there's a price to pay for waiting -- lost opportunity and lost relationship. Esther looks at why it's important to provide timely feedback.
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| The ROTI Method of Gauging Meeting Effectiveness by Esther Derby (2005)
Do your meetings bore everyone including you? Want to measure how good your meetings are? Esther suggests a technique for measuring your meeting effectiveness and small changes that can make a big difference.
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| Safety Check by Steve Smith (2005)
If you've ever participated in a meeting where you didn't feel free to share your ideas, see Steve's technique to making that information visible.
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| Saying No: A Short Course for Managers by Richard Brenner (2000)
Saying "No" can be painful -- so painful that we sometimes avoid it just to avoid short-term pain, only to find later that the long-term pain is even worse. This article shows project managers some of the costs of not saying no, and how to avoid them, with lots of practical examples.
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| The Secret of Agile Development by C. Keith Ray (2003)
What makes Agile methods different from other software development lifecycles? Keith Ray describes how frequent, timely feedback allows agile teams to address problems before they become truly painful.
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| The Secret Ingredients of High Morale, by Esther Derby, 2004
Do you build morale with "recognition and rah-rah"? Does this really work? In this article, Esther Derby points out techniques to build morale so the "recognition and rah-rah" become the icing on the cake.
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Seeing the Other Person's Big Picture by Gerald M. Weinberg (2000)
You're entering a new situation, and you're ready to gather the Big Picture of the other people involved. You start by getting a Big Picture of yourself, as discussed in the companion article. Then you focus on the people you're going to work with on this assignment. To do this, you look for the answers to the three Big Picture questions:
- How do they happen to be here? (Past)
- How do they feel about being here? (Present)
- What would they like to have happen? (Future)
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Seeing Your Own Big Picture by Gerald M. Weinberg (2000)
We're often called into an assignment because we're supposed to be "experts," people who see the big picture. One method of seeing the Big Picture is first to break down the question into three parts: Self, Other, and Context, then apply three questions to each part. To obtain a big picture of yourself, the three questions are:
- How do I happen to be here? (Past)
- How do I feel about being here? (Present)
- What would I like to have happen? (Future)
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| Shifting the Burden - Whose Monkey Is It? by Don Gray (2005) Don explains unintended consequences of some problem-solving.
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Software and Society: What It Means to Be Professional by Don Gray (2002)
Why is our field struggling in its efforts to become and engineering discipline? The answers lies in our heritiage as symbol processors and the patterns of evolution from craft to science.
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Some Barriers to Team Coordination and Collaboration by John Suzuki (2000)
Executing software development activities across geographic and time zone boundaries presents unique challenges to both management and practitioners. These issues apply to any discipline in which close coordination is required between members of a group. Although tools and technology do help to improve productivity within a team, the largest gains for improving coordination are all related to the human aspects of relationships between people, teams and organizations.
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Spending As If There's No Tomorrow by Sherry Heinze (2002)
When a company spends money like there is no tomorrow and forgets to consider the future, the repercussions are widespread. But if you start your project with the integrated design, real users, real requirements and a schedule based on realistic estimates, you will save time and money, much of which was spend in rework, often caused by redefining releases.
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| Staying Sharp by Jerry Weinberg (2003)
The mind is a muscle, and if we let it become flabby, the quality of our work will decline. What can you do to stay sharp? Jerry Weinberg tells you how.
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| The Tao of Communication and the Constancy of Change by Jean McLendon (2003)
Lao Tsu and Virginia Satir seemed to have spoken a common language when it came to speaking about the art of knowing, being and doing. It is as if they sang from the same sheet of music. In this article, Jean McLendon combines their melodies, intensifying the power of each's message.
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ThankYouLess Thank You's by Naomi Karten (2001)
Appreciations are essential feedback, but when is a thank you not a thank you? Naomi shows you how to make people feel lifted by your thanks, by thanking them personally, directly, and now.
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| This Title May Change at Any Time. How Do You Feel About That? by Don Gray (2005)
Don looks at our Change Quotients and how we respond to change -- and how to select some of our choices about change.
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Trailblazer Programs: A path for successful change by Marie Benesh and Shiela Smith (2000)
Trailblazer projects provide the critical engine for change in an organization. Through trailblazers, an organization can achieve the structural and behavioral changes that it desires in its IT organizational model. It is an essential, realistic and practical way to create real culture change in an organization.
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Treaties to Deal with Communication and Conflict by Gerald M. Weinberg (2002)
What type of documentation should be created to support important project agreements? How can we prevent mistaking hope for reality? Have you seen two teams “bury the hatchet … with the handle out?” Read how Jerry likes to handle these situations, and how these treaties can avoid the hardest problems of all.
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Twenty Years Ago by Steven M. Smith (2000)
Who is worth more to an organization - the older employee with a lot of experience, wisdom, and maturity; or the fresh college grad with lots of enthusiasm, flexibility, and new ideas? In this article, Steve Smith reflects on what situations favor which type, and how each of you can make your type more valuable to potential employers or clients.
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| Two Left Feet, by Naomi Karten (2004)
Giving someone our attention provides a valuable gift to the recipient. Giving attention doesn't cost us. It pays us many times over. In this article Naomi uses her experience to teach the importance of individualized attention, and what it can do for us.
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| Two Rights Make a Wrong, by Naomi Karten (2003)
When you hear someone say "You can't miss it!" you can be sure you will. Naomi tells us how our own familiarity with a topic can lead to verbal shortcuts that will take others astray.
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| Use All Four Parts of Estimation, by Johanna Rothman (2004)
Properly used, estimation provides more information that the initial "when-we-think-we'll-finish" guess. In this article Johanna discusses how to use estimation for tracking project completion, project status, and what's currently happening for the project team.
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| Using Appreciations, Personalized Thank-You's by Johanna Rothman (2003)
Johanna gives us a short course in how to say "thank you" so it really hits home...
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Watch for Falling Rocks: Unpredictable Risks by Johanna Rothman (2000)
Unpredictable risks can turn a project into disaster, just as falling rocks can do to you when you're driving on back roads. This article explores seven different tactics you can use to do something to lessen the impact of unpredictable risks.
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Welcoming New Hires by Johanna Rothman (2000)
Being a new hire is a little bit like installing a piece of software. The first thing you see when you buy software is the installation. The first thing a new hire sees is how your organization takes in people. This article contains a dozen tested suggestions for creating a smooth first day for both your new hire and yourself.
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What Could Possibly Go Wrong? by Esther Derby (2002)
A software project is a complex thing. It involves many players, many tasks, and lots of things that could go wrong (and often do). If not for dogged optimism, some projects might not be tackled at all. But optimism doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to potential pitfalls. In this column, Esther Derby applies a lesson about asking, "What if..."
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What Is It You Want from Management? by Eileen Strider (2001)
It's easy to be frustrated by lack of executive management support for QA. Executive management support for QA is absolutely necessary, yet people think it's difficult, if not impossible, to get. This article shows how a step-by-step process can bring you support you never before imagined possible.
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| What is Agile Software Development? by Jim Highsmith (2003) In the past two years, the ideas of "agile software development" are being increasingly applied and causing considerable debate. Read on to learn the answer to the fundamental question "What is agile software development?" Right now, we don't have the capability to send this article to a friend.
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What To Do When Your Project Slips by Johanna Rothman (2001)
Schedule slips are a useful indication that something is not-quite-right on your project. This article shows you many strategies for using that information to make the best decision for your project, depending on whether the slip is early, middle, or late in the project's life.
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| What's so Special About Software? by Dan Starr. (2005)
Dan examines a variety of projects to see how software might -- or might not be different.
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| What's on Your Not-To-Do List? by Johanna Rothman. (2005)
Johanna has some suggestions for how you recognize when you're overwhelmed at work and what to do about all that work.
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| What's Wrong With Wednesday? by Johanna Rothman (2005)
If you've ever wondered how the schedule could look right but be way off, Johanna explains how -- and suggests an alternative.
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| What's Your IQ? by Esther Derby (2003)
People who work in software are smart people. We take pride in our ability to understand complex information and solve difficult problems. What about that other IQ, our Influence Quotient? Much of the work we do requires the help and cooperation of other people and that means using influence. In this weeks column, Esther Derby helps us listen in on two conversations to see what we can learn about improving our every day influencing skills.
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When is Change for a Dollar only $.82? by Richard Brenner (2000)
The costs of splitting one person's time over several tasks can be significantly higher than most of us ever imagined. Hidden costs include time to switch contexts, time lost to interruptions, increased complexity of calendar management, unresolved conflicts and the resulting emotional issues, damage to relationships, stress, and many others detailed in this article.
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| Where Does Your Time Go? by Esther Derby (2003)
There's a saying that busy people get the most done... but do they really?
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| Yes. I Mean No by Stuart Scott (2005)
Ever say yes, but you'd really like to say no? Not sure how to make your No's stick? Stuart shares some experiential learning from AYE 2004 and life.
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| Yielding to Pressure by Gerald M. Weinberg. (2005)
Jerry shows you how to create a successful negotiation without yielding to pressure.
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You Can't Test the Wings Back on an Airplane by Elisabeth Hendrickson (2001)
Quality problems originate long before the testers get their hands on a product. Even in an environment where testers are involved early, testers without training in quality techniques are unlikely to lend much to a quality effort. In short, naming a group QA seems to make some people in other groups think they are officially absolved of the responsibility to promote quality practices. Everybody has part of the quality job. Testing's part of the job is to tell when something isn't right, but it can't fix what's wrong.
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