Welcome to My Blog
Fixing a Sore Thumb
Interview Tip #598: It’s not a great idea to tell your interviewer all that’s bad about their company’s mobile app, web site, customer experience, or customer service (though you think it’ll make you look smart and on it). Nine times out of ten, your interviewer will be well aware of the problem and more embarrassed […]
Consultants Bore Quickly
t’s not that hard to figure out when you are working with a consultant who already has a preconceived model he or she thinks will solve your problems. Today in the software delivery world, it’s bound to involve agile, kanban, or design thinking. Not that any well researched and tested methodology or framework is bad, […]
Like Gnats Against a Screen Door
Among other businesses, I own a retail store in Los Angeles. Though I’m thrilled to have lines of customers at our checkout counter ever day, it amazes me when our front desk people, who are supposed to greet people and help them purchase our services and products, continue to have personal conversations with each other […]
The End of a Manager
In early 1999, my wife Beckie, our newborn son Hank, and I lived in a pre-fab log cabin in the shadow of Mount Tamalpias in San Rafael, California. On Tuesday nights Beckie and I took massage classes at Mill Valley High School and on weekends hiked up the Dipsea Trail with Hank in a baby […]
We Built This Annuity. Now Admit It.
Nobody wants to imagine the fruits of their labor dying on the vine or being savaged by the connoisseurs, even if financially successful.
Status Reporting
Boy, I wish we could get rid of status reports all together--especially the awful 'red/yellow/green' reports, which are pure fiction. Here's a few recommendations on how to deliver useful status reports to your executives (even if you have to include a color).
Scrum of Scrums Facilitator
Sometimes, having a facilitator, especially for young teams, makes sense. This video provides a few recommendations for the attributes of a good Scrum of Scrums facilitator.
Agile Status Reports: Do We Need Them?
I wish we could do away with status reports all together, but we need to make sure our clients and executives know what's going on quickly. Kill the red/yellow/green and go with the facts.
Why All The PowerPoint?
After a big software project goes haywire, the CEO often gets involved. Usually somewhere around the 18-month mark.
Most good CEOs start their involvement with an apology: “I’m so sorry I haven’t been more involved up until now. I haven’t supported you.”
Less introspective CEOs start by firing people.
If you’re lucky enough to work for a good CEO, there will be a mixed reaction to the mea culpa nonetheless. There’s a new sheriff in town, but painful change is surely nigh. The appeal of finally having the CEO’s ear wears off in about a day–right after he or she asks for a PowerPoint deck that recaps the goals and leadership structure of the project.
That deck should be somewhere on the wiki, but isn’t. If it’s out there at all, it’s out of date.
Catch Someone
