Today, we feature an essay titled, So I Asked What Is Agile. A simple question that yields interesting answers. One interesting outcome was that answers fit into three categories. We explore the process and people-oriented groups this week. I will come back to the rant category later this month.   In addition to the essay, Tony Timbol brings his To Tell A Story column to the cast! In this installment, the product owner’s role is under the microscope. Check out Tony’s website at https://bit.ly/2Z1IrIg Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  The clock is ticking - loudly!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences. This year he has upped the bar again! While you can attend the Summit for free, there are a number of innovative options to learn even more from the Summit. Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021. Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Re-Read Saturday News  This week, we are taking a break from Project to Product.  Remember to buy a copy today https://amzn.to/2WzvPac (Amazon Affiliate Link) and we will be back next week.  Previous Week’s Installment: Week 1: Foreword and Introduction - https://bit.ly/39gIt0A  Week 2: Age of Software - https://bit.ly/2XYvqyI  Week 3: From Project to Product - https://bit.ly/3mhwJBb  Week 4: Introducing The Flow Framework - https://bit.ly/3lqJTwd Next SPaMCAST  Kyle Siemens returns to the podcast to talk about certifications and running a testing business. Kyle does not shy away from hard topics in a world that is certification crazy.

Software Process and Measurement Cast

SPaMCAST 673 - What Is Agile, Product Owners, Conversations and Essays

Until this week, Disciplined Agile was a topic we had not investigated on the Software Process and Measurement Cast. DA is an approach to scaling agile development.  Today, Jonathan Lee and I discuss Disciplined Agile and reinventing yourself to stay relevant in a dynamic world.  Mr. Lee’s Bio: Jonathan has over 25 years of diversified IT consulting experience working with private and public sector clients.  His latest passion is in agile coaching and delivering Disciplined Agile training to individuals and organizations that want to transform themselves to practice Business Agility.  Jonathan is a Certified Disciplined Agile Instructor (CDAI). Jonathan has volunteered at PMI Chicagoland Chapter for many years serving on the board including serving as the Chapter President for 3 years in the past.  Jonathan is a frequent speaker at PMI chapters in North America. Email: Jlee@VitalityChicago.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonathanleepmp Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  The clock is ticking!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences. This year he has upped the bar again! While you can attend the Summit for free, there are a number of innovative options to learn even more from the Summit. Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Re-Read Saturday News  One of the most influential books in my career was Peopleware by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister. One concept in the book was the concept of flow state, being fully in the zone so that a problem or piece of work can be focused on and delivered. Flow maximizes the amount of value delivered. Demarco and Lister’s introduction to flow paved the way for my interest in The Flow Framework. Chapter 3 of Project to Product introduces the Flow Framework. Buy a copy today https://amzn.to/2WzvPac This Week’s Installment: Week 1: Foreword and Introduction - https://bit.ly/39gIt0A  Week 2: Age of Software - https://bit.ly/2XYvqyI  Week 3: From Project to Product - https://bit.ly/3mhwJBb  Week 4: Introducing The Flow Framework - https://bit.ly/3lqJTwd   Next SPaMCAST  Next week we have an essay titled, What is Agile? There are a few things that just need to be said. For example, just because you are doing ceremonies doesn’t make you agile and might just make you fragile. In addition, Tony Timbol brings his To Tell A Story column to the cast! In this installment, the product owner’s role is under the microscope. 

SPaMCAST 672 Disciplined Agile, Reinvention, A Conversation With Jonathan Lee

I deviated from the plan this week and recorded a conversation with my colleague, mentor, and friend Anthony Mersino (Anthony was last on the podcast SPaMCAST 583   http://bit.ly/3aJMw51 ). Our chat, titled, “Is Your Scrum Master The Problem?” Our conversation looks at transactive memory from the point of view of teams and Scrum Masters.  Is it a boon or a train wreck?  Anthony has also published a version of the conversation at https://bit.ly/3ux0Fge  We also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her I’m Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the cast. I have titled this conversation, “I Have A WIP Problem”. Ok so maybe both Susan and I have a lot on our plates, but we have the tools to tackle the problem. We talk about how to get your WIP under control.  Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences. This year he has upped the bar again! While you can attend the Summit for free, there are a number of innovative options to learn even more from the Summit, the early bird pricing on those options is nearly gone. Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK   Re-Read Saturday News  In Chapter 1, The Age of Software, Kersten established that we were at or just past a turning point; those that do not embrace change will face grave difficulties surviving to the next cycle. As a consultant, I work with companies wrestling with trying to transform. Not all succeed for a variety of reasons. In this chapter, the author highlights and compares the lessons derived from his visit to the BMW plant, his study of the development of the Boeing Dreamliner, and the transformation failures at Nokia and a large bank. Buy a copy today https://amzn.to/2WztOuE  This Week’s Installment: Week 1: Foreword and Introduction - https://bit.ly/39gIt0A  Week 2: Age of Software - https://bit.ly/2XYvqyI  Week 3: From Project to Product - https://bit.ly/3mhwJBb  Next SPaMCAST  Next week, Jonathan Lee and I discuss Disciplined Agile. DA is an approach to scaling agile development.  We will discuss how DA is different from other approaches and when Johnathan would recommend using DA.  

SPaMCAST 671 - Is Your Scrum Master The Problem, I Have A WIP Problem, Conversations with Anthony Mersino and Susan Parente

Luis Gonçalves and I talked about his new book introducing the ADAPT Methodology. We discussed why using a framework can help leaders stay relevant. Our conversation dovetails nicely into the Re-read Saturday focus on Project to Product. There is a lot of synergy between the ideas of Kersten and Gonçalves.  Luis’s Bio: Luis Gonçalves is an Entrepreneur, Best Seller Author, and International Keynote Speaker.   When consulting he works exclusively with Entrepreneurs, Founders, and Senior Leaders on the implementation of his game-changing "ADAPT Methodology".  By following the "ADAPT Methodology" Executive Leaders will be able to assess the 5 main pillars of their organization by identifying gaps that are required for them to succeed as a modern and digital leaders.   He has been successfully involved in the software industry since 2003 and his company blog https://www.adaptmethodology.com/ is considered a ‘must-read’ for everyone in the software development industry. Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences. This year he has upped the bar again! While you can attend the Summit for free, there are a number of innovative options to learn even more from the Summit, the early bird pricing on those options is nearly gone. Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK   Re-Read Saturday News  Chapter 1 begins Part 1 of Project to Product (there are 3 parts to the book). This part of the book introduces the Flow Framework, the core of the book. The graphic showing the whole model is the first thing you see when you open this part of the book which anchors the importance of the model for the rest of the book. Buy a copy today This Week’s Installment: Week 1: Foreword and Introduction - https://bit.ly/39gIt0A  Week 2: Age of Software - https://bit.ly/2XYvqyI  Next SPaMCAST  Next week, an essay titled, What is Agile. There are a few things that just need to be said. For example, just because you are doing ceremonies doesn’t make you agile and might just make you fragile. In addition, Susan Parente will bring her I’m Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

SPaMCAST 670 - Adapt, Transform Your Whole Organization, A Conversation With Luis Gonçalves

As a coach, I use and observe transactive memory all the time. Used wisely, transactive memory means a team can be more than the sum of its individual members. Mess it up and you might as well put your hand in a running garbage disposal. For example, my wife remembers things like special events and then clues me in…if she is around. This year I missed an important birthday.  Coaches and Scrum Masters often act as the official process memory for teams until they move on . . . you can guess what happens next. This week we explore when transactive memory works and when it does not. Also, Jeremy Berriault and I discuss helping improve Daily Scrums in his QA Corner column. Note: I have been made aware that SPaMCAST 667 is missing in action. I am trying to track the issue down. Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences.  This year he has upped the bar again!  Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Re-Read Saturday News  This week we begin our re-read of Mik Kersten’s Project to Product. I am reading from my Kindle version published by IT Revolution (buy a copy). Today we are tackling the front matter which includes the Foreword by Gene Kim (author of the DevOps Handbook) and the Introduction, which is titled the Turning Point. In past re-reads, I have argued strongly that jumping immediately to the core of a book is a mistake, I again urge you not to make that mistake. Buy a copy today https://amzn.to/3nHC5YK  This Week’s Installment: Week 1: Foreword and Introduction - https://bit.ly/39gIt0A  Next SPaMCAST  Next week we discuss the ADAPT Methodology with Luis Gonçalves. We discussed how using a framework can help leaders stay relevant. Based on the discussion of long-wave economic models in this week’s Re-read Saturday, Mr. Gonçalves’ ideas provide a useful framework for building a more robust change model as we approach a more competitive part of the long-term cycle.  It is exciting to see the explosion of new ideas synthesizing practical experience and theory coming to market. A Luis points out, perhaps the lockdowns during the pandemic have a silver lining.   

SPaMCAST 669 - Transactive Memory and Agile, Better Daily Scrums, Conversations and Essays

We are back from backpacking on Isle Royale. Simply awesome.  Today, we feature a discussion with Tom Henricksen.  You know Tom from the Agile Online Summit and the Dev Ops Online Summit however Tom is more than just the Summits. Today we discuss learning and then get into whether hybrid working scenarios are all they are cracked up to be. I am not sure we agreed. Tom Henricksen is a technology professional with over 20 years of technical experience. He has worked as a developer, Team Lead, Scrum Master, and Manager. Tom is the founder of the Agile Online Summit! Use this link: https://agileonlinesummit.shop/?utm_source=aftomas  Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences.  This year he has upped the bar again!  Please join the premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Re-Read Saturday News  Next week we will begin to read Mik Kersten’s Project to Product. I will be reading from the Kindle version of the book published by IT Revolution.  The book includes a foreword, introduction, nine numbered chapters, a conclusion, and resources (we will not re-read this section). This works out to be 342 numbered pages for the Kindle Version. I have read this book twice, most recently during a book club (I hang around with geeks), and actively leverage the ideas from the book in my practice. Buy a copy today Whether you are just beginning fall or spring, I look forward to reflecting on Project to Product with you starting next Saturday. Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences.  This year he has upped the bar again!  Please join the Premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Next SPaMCAST  Next week we discuss transactive memory.  My wife remembers things like special events and then clues me in…if she is around. Coaches and Scrum Masters often act as the official process memory for teams until they don’t. When they move on, the team more often than not forget and revert back to other ways of working. Transactive memory is efficient, a team is more than the accumulation of memories they all share, but has risks. I missed calling my father’s on his birthday this year - a failure in so many ways but also a failure of transactive memory. Jeremy Berriault will also bring his QA Corner to the podcast.   

SPaMCAST 668 - SPaMCAST - Learning, Hybrid Work Nirvana or Trouble, A Conversation With Tom Henricksen

The SPaMCAST is on summer holiday for the next two weeks (SPaMCAST 666 and SPaMCAST 667. Today we are featuring an interview released on December 27, 2015, with  Gerald (Jerry) M. Weinberg.  Gerald Weinberg is the author of more than 100 books, including the best-selling Secrets of Consulting, other non-fiction series, and the ever-popular Women of Power novels. He is a principal in the international consulting firm of Weinberg and Weinberg. The festschrift, The Gift of Time (Fiona Charles, ed.) honors his work for his 75th birthday. A website for Jerry’s fans may be found at http://www.geraldmweinberg.com .  A talk with Jerry was always profound, and I must admit that Jerry’s humor caused me to laugh more times than I can count during our conversation. Mr. Weinberg died on August 7, 2018, I wish I had interviewed him more times for the podcast.  Re-Read Saturday News  The poll for the next book in the series has begun! Note there are two books in the list I have not read. I am planning to read them and have been highly recommended. Therefore I would be happy to read them with you rather than re-read them with you. I will close the poll when I leave radio silence on August 28th’ish.  This week we highlight our re-read of the Goal by Ely Goldratt.  Check out the reposting of one of the most popular entities and then grab your copy and read along will all of the entries.  Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  Tom Henricksen delivers one of the most innovative online conferences.  This year he has upped the bar again!  Please join the Premier Agile Online Conference from October 25th to 27th, 2021, Register at https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Next SPaMCAST  Next week, the SPaMCAST will be the second week of our summer holiday.  We will feature another interview from the archives.  Show 37 was my first interview with Ed Yourdon. I have titled the interview, “Collaborate or Die!”  A bit over the top you say, well Denis Waitley once said, “online or in the bread line."  I think I was right. Ed died in January 2016 as he was pursuing his love of photography. 

SPaMCAST 666 - Jerry Weinberg, Quality, Grandfather of Agile Summer Repost

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 665 features our essay on the organizational aspects that impact teams. Teams don’t live in a vacuum, so when the word organization gets used it reflects the influence of all sorts of organizations. Organizations facilitate teams to a greater or lesser extent. In the workplace, the employer’s organization will have the most significant impact on how teams form and perform but it is not the totality. Other influences can affect the structure and performance of teams.  We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who will bring his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast. In this installment, Jon and I discussed the idea of making decisions at the last responsible moment. We decided on the topic just before we began recording (just kidding).  The SPaMCAST will be on summer holiday for the next two weeks. We will be re-releasing two favorite episodes from the archives to tide you over.  Re-Read Saturday News  This week concluded our re-read of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg with the Afterword and some final thoughts. This book received my highest accolade for non-fiction books, “Very Useful.” I will have to read the book again in a year or so to see what nuances I missed. I think putting the ideas in the book to use every week drove the ideas home and exposed where I had misinterpreted the book during my first read.    In this week’s experiment, I was able to move the phone further from the bed (I need to buy an alarm clock to move it outside of the room). Did I sleep more? I am not sure, but I am sure I was able not to look at the phone until I got up for the day which is a step.  I also was able to make sure I used my standing desk more which helped my energy level near the end of the day (and made my feet sore -- shoes maybe?).     The poll for the next book in the series has begun! Note there are two books in the list I have not read yet that I am going to read and have been highly recommended. Therefore I would be happy to read them with you rather than re-read them with you. I will close the poll when I leave radio silence on August 28th’ish.  https://poll.fm/10902769  Mik Kersten - Project to Product Charles Duhigg - The Power of Habit Tony Bouzón - The Mind Map Book Chris Voss - Never Split The Difference Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick - Agile Conversations Karin Tenelius and Lisa Gill - Moose Heads on the Table This week’s Re-read entry:  Week 10 - Afterword and Afterthoughts - https://bit.ly/3gmWP3v   Previous Entries in  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Week 1 – Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface – https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 – Introduction – https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 – Monotasking In A Nutshell – https://bit.ly/3gGMb72  Week 4 – Cut Down on Things to Do – https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL  Week 5 – Focus on One Task – https://bit.ly/3hK2XDU  Week 6 – Never Procrastinate –  https://bit.ly/2UXPDDp  Week 7 – Progress Incrementally – https://bit.ly/3lk8Fi0  Week 8 – Simplify Cooperation – https://bit.ly/3yAVQne  Week 9 - Recharge Creative Thinking - https://bit.ly/3g3h0TQ    Upcoming Events The Agile Online Summit!  The Premier Agile Online Conference! October 25th to 27th, 2021, Live and recorded https://bit.ly/3mplqIK Next SPaMCAST  Next week, the SPaMCAST will be on summer holiday.  In lieu of new content, we will present an interview released on December 27, 2015, with  Gerald (Jerry) M. Weinberg. We discussed quality and how quality is related to value.  A talk with Jerry is always profound; however, I must admit that Jerry’s humor caused me to laugh more times than I can count during our conversation. Mr. Weinberg died on August 7, 2018, I wish I had interviewed him more times for the podcast. 

SPaMCAST 665 - SPaMCAST - Organizations Culture Drive Teams, Decisions at Last Responsible Moment, Essays and Conversations

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 664 features our interview with Sunny Han, CEO and Founder of Fulcrum.  Sunny and I talked about motivation, we talked agile development, and we talked about what it takes to see a vision through to reality. The ideas about engineering a communication architecture are phenomenal.   Sunny Han is the CEO and Founder of Fulcrum, a manufacturing ERP platform dedicated to helping manufacturers build a better future. He led Fulcrum to raise a $3.1M seed round of venture capital in 2020. Sunny is dedicated to delivering a connected future where frictionless manufacturing production and supply chains lead to faster and better product innovations. “There’s no future of innovation that doesn’t include innovation in manufacturing.” LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yusunnyhan Website: fulcrumpro.com  Email: sunny@fulcrumpro.com Twitter: sunnythehan Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 7 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  This chapter is titled “Recharge Creative Thinking.” This chapter really is about the self-care needed to be both effective and creative. There are a number of ideas in this chapter that if you’re not familiar with them are frankly just really good ideas. Many of the ideas in this chapter I have been using for years and some of the inferred issues I am still working on. As my experiment for this week, I would love to say that I am going to sleep more. What I will do is to move my phone away from the bed so I can’t get to it easily after I lay down.  I will also work to have an equal mix of sitting and standing. Next week we will complete our re-read of Monotasking covering the Afterword from the book and some closing notes from me. We’ll also start the poll to pick the next book in the series. The entries for the weeks of August 28th and September 5th will feature reprints. I am going backpacking and turning off all communication devices.  As we prepare for the next book, is there a book you think we should “re-read”?  If you have ideas please let me know and I will add them to the list of current possibles:   Mik Kersten - Project to Product Charles Duhigg - The Power of Habit Tony Bouzón - The Mind Map Book Chris Voss - Never Split The Difference Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick - Agile Conversations   This week’s Re-read entry:  Week 9 - Recharge Creative Thinking -  Previous Entries in  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Week 1 – Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface – https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 – Introduction – https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 – Monotasking In A Nutshell – https://bit.ly/3gGMb72  Week 4 – Cut Down on Things to Do – https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL  Week 5 – Focus on One Task – https://bit.ly/3hK2XDU  Week 6 – Never Procrastinate –  https://bit.ly/2UXPDDp  Week 7 – Progress Incrementally – https://bit.ly/3lk8Fi0  Week 8 – Simplify Cooperation – https://bit.ly/3yAVQne  Next SPaMCAST  Next week we dive into one of the aspects of the attributes of Teams. Teams don’t live in a vacuum. Every team is an intersection of boundaries of all sorts of organizations. Organizations facilitate teams to a greater or lesser extent. In the workplace, the employer’s organization will have the most significant impact on how teams form and perform but it is not the totality. Other influences can affect the structure and performance of teams. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who will bring his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast. 

SPaMCAST 664 - Vision and Leading, A Conversation With Sunny Han

This week we explore the impact of process (it really isn’t a bad word) problems in prioritization. Prioritization requires a steady hand and consistency. The process for prioritization should have more in common with a well-oiled basketball or futbol team than five-year-olds playing soccer in the schoolyard. How the moving parts work together is a process We also have a visit from Tony Timbol discussing freestyling user story formats in his To Tell A Story column. Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 6 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  This chapter is titled “Simplify Cooperation.” Cooperation requires communication. Messing communication up is a problem, a problem that is the responsibility of every person involved in trying to communicate.  Last week’s experiment focused on evaluating each task as I put it on my short list for operacy.  One of the outcomes was that I broke work into smaller chunks which were simpler and more practical. I also found parts of the work that I did not have to do in order to satisfy the goal of the task (the agile definition of simplicity).  I am contemplating how to build the idea of operacy into how I approach and talk about user stories. This week, I am going to focus on using more deliberative communication as a way to help guide conversations. This Week Week 8 - Simplify Cooperation - https://bit.ly/3yAVQne  Previous Entries in  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Week 1 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 - Introduction - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 - Monotasking In A Nutshell - https://bit.ly/3gGMb72  Week 4 - Cut Down on Things to Do - https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL  Week 5 - Focus on One Task - https://bit.ly/3hK2XDU  Week 6 - Never Procrastinate -  https://bit.ly/2UXPDDp  Week 7 - Progress Incrementally - https://bit.ly/3lk8Fi0  Next SPaMCAST  We talk with Sunny Han, CEO and Founder of Fulcrum.  Sunny and I talked about entrepreneurship and building an ERP system from scratch. That sounds way too tame -- we talked motivation, we talked agile development, and we talked about what it takes to see a vision through to reality. 

SPaMCAST 663 - Prioritizing Badly, Freestyling User Stories, Essays and Conversations

In this week’s podcast, we speak with Mike Potter, CEO of Rewind.  Mike and I talk about the need to backup SaaS applications, remote and hybrid working, and entrepreneurship. This interview opened my eyes to the risks we all face by trusting SaaS application companies to back up our data. Mike also highlights in his answers how humanity in the workplace can help create special results.   Bio - A self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, Mike Potter is the co-founder of Rewind, a company that backs up and protects SaaS data. While studying Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University, Mike began his start-up career as the founder of InTheHack.com, one of the most popular sporting websites in Canada. Since founding Rewind in 2015, Mike has focused on building a company culture that values and respects employees. “I'm a big believer in building strong teams, hiring great people, and giving them the freedom to do their best work”, he adds. When Mike isn’t building companies or products, he can usually be found constructing LEGOs with his kids or walking his dogs. Email: mike@rewind.io Web: https://rewind.io  Twitter: @mikepotter   Upcoming Events Using the TMMi accelerates the value of DevOps Fri, August 6, 2021  -- This Friday! 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT This is a free TMMi America Webinar featuring Rex Black  (SPaMCAST is a proud media sponsor of the TMMi America ) Register at https://bit.ly/3AOlvdC   About this event In this webinar, we will address how DevOps testing benefits through TMMi How TMMi’s higher Process Areas drive defect prevention, Shift Left, and CI/CD build and test pipelines Address the benefits of how DevOps Organization benefits from using the TMMi. Leveraging TMMi to focus DevOps test process improvements Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 5 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  This chapter focuses on incrementalism.  How are you breaking work down? An update on my continued experiment using Monotasking. This week I have succeeded in turning off all my interruptions (Slack, Text, Teams, Twitter, email, and others) as I am doing my monotasking sessions, a type of incrementalism . . . at least in the morning. I do pop many of those apps back on briefly at the end of each panorama session to make sure no emergencies have occurred. Afternoons are tough due to meetings and other hardscape activities, therefore I moved as many of my focus activities earlier in the day (as a morning person, this suits me) when I can quietly timebox.   This Week Week 7 - Progress Incrementally - https://bit.ly/3lk8Fi0    Previous Entries in  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Week 1 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 - Introduction - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 - Monotasking In A Nutshell - https://bit.ly/3gGMb72  Week 4 - Cut Down on Things to Do - https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL  Week 5 - Focus on One Task - https://bit.ly/3hK2XDU  Week 6 - Never Procrastinate -  https://bit.ly/2UXPDDp  Next SPaMCAST  Next week we present our essay spinning deeper into the nether regions of poor prioritization. Knowing the potential issues that can occur in prioritization is the first step toward fixing them. We also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast.

SPaMCAST 662 - Backing Up SaaS Application, RIsk Mitigation, An Interview with Mike Potter

Over the past few months, I have been in traffic jams on the highway several times when traveling to our weekly hike.  In more than one instance someone has decided to pull over and drive on the berm.  In more than a few cases the outcome of this technique for getting things done ends poorly. Despite the unpredictable outcome, jumping the queue is practiced by many in traffic and even more when funneling work to teams. The consequences when working on information technology products are far more predictable than driving, and they are ALWAYS bad. Let’s fix some of the problems leading to queue jumping. We also have a visit from Susan Parente, who brings her I Am Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the cast.  We discuss risk management when using hybrid agile approaches.  Contact Susan on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/susanparente or at Parente@s3-tec.com Upcoming Events Using the TMMi accelerates the value of DevOps Fri, August 6, 2021 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT   This is a free TMMi America Webinar featuring Rex Black  (SPaMCAST is a proud media sponsor of the TMMi America ) Register at https://bit.ly/3AOlvdC About this event In this webinar, we will address how DevOps testing benefits through TMMi How TMMi’s higher Process Areas drive defect prevention, Shift Left, and CI/CD build and test pipelines Address the benefits of how DevOps Organization benefits from using the TMMi. Leveraging TMMi to focus DevOps test process improvements   Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 4 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  The chapter this week is titled, Never Procrastinate. If you have not read the entry, do it NOW :)  An update on my continued experiment using Monotasking. My intent was to carve (not crave - I caught the spelling error a little late this week, it was not procrastination) out an hour in which I could turn off Teams, Slack, email, and text to allow for focus. Frankly, I failed. I was able to achieve a quiet zone only one day during business hours.  I regularly turn off all notifications when writing before my day begins, but during the “work” day being unreachable is more difficult.  I am still looking for the right formula of schedule blocking and advanced notification to make this work.  Previous Entries in  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Week 1 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 - Introduction - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 - Monotasking In A Nutshell - https://bit.ly/3gGMb72  Week 4 - Cut Down on Things to Do - https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL  Week 5 - Focus on One Task - https://bit.ly/3hK2XDU  Next SPaMCAST  Next, we feature our interview with Mike Potter, CEO of Rewind.  We talked about the need to backup SaaS applications, remote and hybrid working, and entrepreneurship. This interview opened my eyes to the risks we all face by trusting SaaS application companies to back up our data. 

SPaMCAST 661 - Jumping The Queue and Remedies, Risk Management, Hybrid Agile, Essays and Conversations

In this week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast, I speak with Rob Rastovich, CTO of ThingLogix. We talked about meeting customer needs through developing solutions using the AIoT (not a typo).  This is a seachange for both businesses and developers who will need to reskill and rethink what is possible.  Rob has been actively involved in technology for nearly 30 years, from building a top 10 e-commerce site in a time when e-commerce was still in its infancy to establishing what is now known as Amazon’s AWS IoT.  As CTO of ThingLogix, Rob is the chief architect behind the company’s groundbreaking IoT platform that eliminates the need for code. ThingLogix uses AI to power digital transformation across industry, commerce, and government globally.  Web: https://www.thinglogix.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rob-rastovich-1560532  Upcoming Events Using the TMMi accelerates the value of DevOps Fri, August 6, 2021 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT This is a free TMMi America Webinar featuring Rex Black  (SPaMCAST is a proud media sponsor of the TMMi America ) Register at https://bit.ly/3AOlvdC About this event In this webinar, we will address how DevOps testing benefits through TMMi How TMMi’s higher Process Areas drive defect prevention, Shift Left, and CI/CD build and test pipelines Address the benefits of how DevOps Organization benefits from using the TMMi. Leveraging TMMi to focus DevOps test process improvements Re-Read Saturday News  This week we focus on Chapter 3 of  Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  The chapter this week is titled, Focus on One Task Now.  An update on the continued experiment using Monotasking. In Chapter 2, Staffan describes how to create a short list of five items and then to push everything else to the “grass catcher” list. I have been working on using this approach this week with a special focus on capturing the date an item was added to the list and the stakeholder for the item. In the past, I trimmed my list on a quarterly basis. I use the dramatic approach of starting a new list saving only those items on my short list. This week I tried Staffan’s weekly approach, trimming off a few older items on a weekly basis. The date added is useful but what I found more useful was asking myself the question, “am I really going to do this or is this an aspirational item?” Cue the chainsaw; even though I started a new list on July 1st I was able to remove several items from my new grass catcher list. This Week Week 5 - Focus on One Task - https://bit.ly/3hK2XDU    Previous Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Entries Week 1 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 - Introduction - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 - Monotasking In A Nutshell - https://bit.ly/3gGMb72  Week 4 - Cut Down on Things to Do - https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL  Next SPaMCAST Over the past few months, I have been in traffic jams on the highway several times when traveling to our weekly hike.  In more than one instance someone has decided to pull over and drive on the berm.  In more than a few cases the outcome of this technique for getting things done ends poorly. Despite the unpredictable outcome, jumping the queue is practiced by many in traffic and even more when funneling work to teams. The consequences when working on information technology products are far more predictable than driving, and they are ALWAYS bad. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente, who brings her I Am Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the cast.  We discuss risk management when using hybrid agile approaches.

SPaMCAST 660 - AIoT, Doing Business Differently, An Interview with Rob Rastovich

In this episode, we feature our interview with Christiano Gherardini. Chris and I talk about the impact of using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages on businesses and as importantly, the impact of packages and consultants as a tool to influence the direction of software development in a firm.  Christiano Gherardini is the President/Owner at Turnkey Technologies Inc. Turnkey offers end-to-end professional services including design, project management, implementation, application maintenance, integration services, development, analytics, training, and support services for Microsoft Dynamics solutions. https://www.turnkeytec.com/ linkedin.com/in/christiano-gherardini-73513019    Upcoming Events Making Shift Happen July 13 at 12 CDT (1 PM EDT) I will be facilitating a panel for the GIC HIMSS (Greater IL Chapter of HIMSS) discussing Agile Transformation. Our panelists will discuss their personal experiences going through agile transitions and offer some tips for moving your organization towards Agile.   Panelists include  Susan Feeley  Eric Shelley  Sandeep Koorse  Tony Timbol  Lisa Hallberg M.S.  Using the TMMi accelerates the value of DevOps Fri, August 6, 2021 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT This is a free TMMi America Webinar featuring Rex Black  (SPaMCAST is a proud media sponsor of the TMMi America ) Register at https://bit.ly/3AOlvdC About this event In this webinar, we will address how DevOps testing benefits through TMMi How TMMi’s higher Process Areas drive defect prevention, Shift Left, and CI/CD build and test pipelines Address the benefits of how DevOps Organization benefits from using the TMMi. Leveraging TMMi to focus DevOps test process improvements Re-Read Saturday News  Finally, we have reached Chapter 2 of Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg, titled, Cut Down On Tasks To Do.  I think it is ironic that a failure in my ability to control WIP in my personal life led to a two-week delay in delivering the re-read of this chapter. All the hand wringing aside, the delay has allowed me to reflect more on the chapter and to hone my use of the short list and panorama cues and sessions. Long swaths of meetings still give me trouble but getting the short list down to tasks that I missed in my first read of Chapter 2 has made a ton (imperial or metric) of difference.   This Week Week 4 - Cut Down on Things to Do - https://bit.ly/3wt1ENL    Previous Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Entries Week 1 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 - Introduction - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 3 - Monotasking In A Nutshell - https://bit.ly/3gGMb72    Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast, I speak with Rob Rastovich, CTO of ThingLogix. We will talk about AIoT (not a typo), and how applications and developers must evolve. Skynet or Deep Thought?

SPaMCAST 659 - The Impact of Adopting ERP Packages, An Interview with Christiano Gherardini

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features an essay on prioritization. We prioritize in order to establish what to work on and when to do it. There is often a difference between assigned priority and the real priority based on when teams start and complete a piece of work. This essay is part of the overall conversation on controlling work entry and answering the question: Are we working on the most important thing? We also have a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Mr. Berriault and I discussed how testing is integrated into the Agile Performance Holarchy. Re-Read Saturday News  June and early July are a busy period, this year more so (several birthdays, an anniversary, and family visits). That is a long way around to rationalizing why I am not delivering chapter 2 of Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg.  I am still working with shortlists (chapter 2 has helped my implementation approach.  Meetings (part of the busyness fallacy discussed in Chapter 2) are making using the techniques of panorama cues and panorama sessions difficult once back-to-back meetings begin. We will be back with new content next week with two articles on prioritization and Chapter 2 of Monotasking on Saturday.   This week we revisit another favorite from the Re-read archive, the Conclusion of Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.    This Week The Conclusion of Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - https://bit.ly/3xkWi8O     Previous Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg Entries Week 1 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap  Week 2 - Introduction - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt  Week 2 - Monotasking In A Nutshell - https://bit.ly/3gGMb72    Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature my interview with Christiano Gherardini: President, Owner & CEO at Turnkey Technologies. Christiano and I talked about the impact of using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages on businesses and software development organizations. 

SPaMCAST 658 - Prioritization, Testing, Agile Performance Holarchy, Essays and Conversations

SPaMCAST explores the varied world of software process improvement and measurement. The cast covers topics that deal with the challenges found in information technology organizations as they grow and evolve.

hubhopper

Software Process and Measurement Cast

hubhopper