Software Process and Measurement Cast

Today's cast is a very short podcast. Over the past week, I spent an amazing week at Agile 2022. My goal was to be re-radicalized. I reconnected with friends, made new friends, learned a new set of personal pronouns (while not for me, they really work well), picked up a bunch of swag, learned a ton, got re-energized and re-radicalized, and got Covid19. I could have done without the latter. I will get better, but right now it is moving up on my personal least fun thing to do list. I told Jeremy Berriault (you will hear from him later) that Covid is somewhere between the sixth and seventh least fun thing I've ever been involved with. It was a solid #7 yesterday. With luck, things will be back to normal soon. All that aside, the money shot presentation (for me) was given by Bethany Andres-Beck, titled "A Radical Culture of Culture Building." Zie rocked it. The combination of small group influencing techniques combined with anarchist meeting design, community activism from the civil rights era, and the women's movent was simply brilliant. Better yet, none of it was pie in the sky theory but the relating of an experience report. I need to talk hir into appearing on the podcast. This presentation was worth the price of admission for me. I will share more in the near future. This week we return to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault to discuss who is responsible for quality. In many organizations quality is on QA's shoulders, should it be? Upcoming Event Jeremy Willets and I have been accepted as speakers for this year's Path to Agility! Our workshop is titled "Managing Work Entry: How the Mushy Middle is Killing Your Agility." I'm very excited to be part of this wonderful conference and hope to reconnect with long-time colleagues at a fabulous venue — The Ohio Union at The Ohio State University. See you soon Columbus! August 1 - 2 in Columbus, Ohio Register Today: https://bit.ly/3otqg7u Re-read Saturday News We WILL be back next week barring any catastrophes. Remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins and read along. Previous Installments Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach - https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg Week 3: Expect High Performance - https://bit.ly/3Rl4fFf Next SPaMCAST Next week we will feature our interview with Jonathan Wright. Jonathan and I will discuss shifting right. If, after decades of listening to the mantra shift left, you just experienced whiplash, I understand.

Jim Benson has a new book titled, The Collaboration Equation. Jim states that collaboration "is the base of the human condition, we need other people in order to live, but always seem to be at odds with each other." Jim also states that unless you are striving for improvement, you are unprofessional. I really like talking to Jim; Jim is a force of nature. Jim's career path has taken him through government agencies, Fortune 10 corporations, and start-ups. Through them all, his passion has remained consistent – applying new technologies to workgroups. In each case asking how they can be leveraged to collaborate and cooperate more effectively. Jim loves ideas, creation, and building opportunities. He loves working with teams who are passionate about the future, pushing boundaries, and inclusion. His goal with all technologies is to increase beneficial contact between people and reduce the bureaucratic noise which so often tends to increase costs and destroy creativity. Jim is the author of the Shingo Research Award-winning book Personal Kanban (use the link to buy a copy and support the podcast). He is a noted expert in business process, personal work management, and the application of Lean to personal work and life. Jim believes that the best process is the least process necessary to achieve goals. He has zero tolerance for process waste. All said, Jim enjoys helping people and teams work out sticky problems, an advocate of people actually seeing their work, and inventing new ways to work at the intersection of Lean thinking, brain science, and leadership. Contact Jim Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourfounder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbenson Personal Kanban: http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/#sthash.MtOA96sV.dpbs Modus Cooperandi: http://moduscooperandi.com/ Re-read Saturday News We are talking the week off on our re-read Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3 - buy a copy). I was traveling to Nashville for Agile 2022 (let me know if you are here). Next week we will be back on track but in the interim remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins and read along. Previous Installments Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach - https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg Week 3: Expect High Performance - https://bit.ly/3Rl4fFf Next SPaMCAST We will map our basic flow metrics palttet a simple organizational hierarchy. Some metrics tell us where we were and some tell us where we are going. This essay reflects work that Jeremy WIllets and I are exploring. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault who brings his QA Corner to the Software Process and Measurement Cast.

This week we make a quick side trip. Earlier this week I was asked why I "did" the Re-read Saturday column. Today, I offer a short explanation and highlight the experiments I am running as part of our re-read of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins. We also have a visit from Jon M. Quigley. In this installment of his Alpha and Omega of Product Development, Jon and I discuss the role of the team lead in agile teams that have coaches, scrum masters, and just might be self-organizing. There is a role but it is not the classic version that is in common use. Why Do I "Do" Re-read Saturday. Re-read Saturday is a long-running column featured on my blog (tcagley.wordpress.com) and at tomcagley.com. The books selected for the column are nominated and then voted on by readers. Because most books are selected by the acclaim from readers of the blog, the re-read is sometimes actually the first read for me. During the re-read we read, discuss, and highlight concepts chapter by chapter. There are three major reasons for the column. One, the column draws eyes. A blog without readers is a diary. Over the years, many of the top 10 annual posts have been from the re-read feature. A second reason, and perhaps the original reason was that I had not read some of these books before and really needed to read them. For some of the other books we have re-read, the re-read drove home the point that memory erodes over time. For example, I am embarrassed to say I had forgotten the story of Herby (check out the re-read of The Goal). Reason two is that the re-read is a forcing function to guide behavior. The books we read and re-read help shape how we behave. The third reason is that the column generates a lot of interaction. I have heard from readers and authors with ideas and opinions. The interactions have certainly improved my understanding of how work is done and how to improve. The level of interaction suggests that the readers get similar benefits. Recently, I decided to run weekly experiments based on the chapter I am reading. The weekly experiment is another forcing function. Doing the activity drives home a point so it is harder to forget. For example from the re-read of Chapter 2 of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins titled Expect High Performance I am focusing on using metaphors to guide behaviors. As an experiment, I am establishing a metaphor for myself. The goal is to see whether having a metaphor changes my behavior. The concept of the weekly experiment might end up being the best reason for me to "do" Re-read Saturday and perhaps the best reason for you, the reader, to participate. PS -- I am not convinced that the person that asked was really looking for this much information. I actually think they we asking why read books at all when you watch videos which lead us to a different discussion which I will share another day. Finally, have you downloaded the book referenced in last week's interview? Check out Seeing Money Clearly at www.agileagonist.com Re-read Saturday News This week, Chapter 2 of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3 - buy a copy). The chapter's title is Expect High Performance. As a coach, you need to have high expectations of yourself and those you are coaching. Remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins and read along. Previous Installments Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach - https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg Week 3: Expect High Performance - https://bit.ly/3Rl4fFf Next SPaMCAST Jim Benson has a new book titled, The Collaboration Equation. The first sentence in the description of the book is: "It is the base of the human condition, we need other people in order to live, but always seem to be at odds with each other." We went from there,

Daniel Doiron's new book Seeing Money Clearly challenges Agile Centers of Excellence to view decision-making through the lens of Throughput Accounting. Throughput Accounting is a lot of things: An accounting system, A financial application, A process of ongoing improvement (POOGI), and First and foremost, the decision-making arm of the Theory of Constraints. Daniel's Bio "I am the only CPA in the world - negative assurance provided - to give a one-day Throughput Accounting class to a CPA chapter (Québec) within the scope of their mandatory Professional Development Program. A few CPA chapters in the world give diluted Throughput Accounting classes in a recorded format and ignore the Five Focusing Steps, thereby disqualifying them from the spirit of Throughput Accounting", states Doiron. "For Agile CoEs (Center of Excellence), I wrote the only Throughput Accounting book dealing exclusively with Knowledge Work. It has received rave reviews from the top minds in Throughput Accounting as I have brought numerous novelties never thought of before." In short, Seeing Money Clearly: Teaches CPAs how to make more money now and in the future. Teaches Agile CoEs how to mint money. Download Seeing Money Clearly at www.agileagonist.com and reach out at daniel_doiron@hotmail.com and on Twitter @AgileAgonist Re-read Saturday News This week, Chapter 1 of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3 - buy a copy). The chapter tackles more than just the question embedded in the title exploring why a coach is needed, the path to becoming a coach, and both the mindsets and skills a coach needs. Read all of Week 1's entry https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe and next week we will cover Part 1, Chapter 1: Will I Be A Good Coach. Remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins and read along. Previous Installments Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe Week 2: Will I Be A Good Coach - https://bit.ly/3nzDAHg Next SPaMCAST We will map the attributes of flow explored in SPaMCAST 708 to a basic palette of flow metrics. This will complete the circle defining flow, establishing basic attributes, and then identifying how to measure flow through its attributes. We will also have a visit from Jon M. Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development to the cast!

Definitions provide several benefits. The first is that once a definition for an object or concept is agreed upon, it is far easier to have a discussion without getting confused. A second and equally important benefit is that definitions provide a platform for establishing attributes that can be used to describe the object or idea. Attributes are critical because even with a definition we need to communicate and measure nuances. Just think if you only had one word to describe rain or hot; a lot would be lost. Today we identify four basic attributes of flow. We will also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his "To Tell A Story" column to the podcast. In this installment, Tony and I talk about agile requirements. They really exist…really! Re-read Saturday News This week we began our re-read of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins (SPaMCAST Amazon affiliate line https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3 buy a copy). I am re-reading my Kindle version of the book. The front matter includes Forwards by Mike Cohn, Jim Highsmith, Acknowledgments, Introduction, and a section titled, About the Author. The main body of the book is in three parts comprised of 13 chapters. It is indexed -- useful for reference books! I estimate 16 or 17 weeks to complete the re-read depending on my travel. Note: The Kindle edition of the book has not been updated and will not run on the Paperwhite Version 10 models, so we will re-read it on the iPhone and Laptop -- I did not have a happy chat with Kindle support on this issue. Wake up, Addison Wesley! Read all of Week 1's Entry https://bit.ly/3A1aNTe and next week we will cover Part 1, Chapter 1: Will I Be A Good Coach. Remember to buy a copy of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins and read along. If you are still catching up on the re-read of Why Limit WIP are are all of the links": Week 1: Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Logistics – https://bit.ly/3iDezbp Week 2: Processing and Memory – https://bit.ly/3qYR4yg Week 3: Completion - https://bit.ly/3usMiLm Week 4: Multitasking - https://bit.ly/37hUh5z Week 5: Context Switching - https://bit.ly/3K8KADF Week 6: Creating An Economy - https://bit.ly/3F1XKkZ Week 7: Healthy Constraints - https://bit.ly/3kM8xqh Week 8: Focus - https://bit.ly/3PkE0hg Week 9: Awareness - https://bit.ly/3LBZfIl Week 10: Communication - https://bit.ly/39Tji7Q Week 11: Learning - https://bit.ly/38HQNtJ Week 12: Epilogue and Final Notes - https://bit.ly/3y3LH4M Next SPaMCAST Daniel Dorion returns to the podcast next week to talk about his new book, Throughput Accounting - Seeing Money Clearly. Daniel begins the Prologue of his new book with the statement "My aim is to have you think differently and lose your reflexes and cognitive biases that are the fabric of society." You will have a lot to think about after you listen!

107 podcasts ago (just a little over two years ago) on SPAMCAST 601 I interviewed Brian Weaver of Torch.AI about leadership. Lots of things have happened since then, a pandemic, Europe in flames again and Torch.AI thriving. It was great to touch base with Brian to talk about how his perspective as a leader has changed. While not needed for this interview, I highly recommend listening to SPaMCAST 601 either before or after. Brian serves as CEO of Torch.AI and has more than 20 years of experience leading mission-driven, high-growth, technology-focused companies. Torch.AI helps leading organizations leverage artificial intelligence in a unique way via a proprietary enterprise data management software solution. Today, Torch.AI supports clients like H&R Block with fraud detection and mitigation and the U.S. Department of Defense with machine learning-enabled background investigations for all federal employees, supporting the determination of an individual's trustworthiness and security credentialing. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briangweaver/ Torch.AI – https://torch.ai/ Re-read Saturday News Completing a re-read is always bittersweet. Today we say goodbye to a friend, Why Limit WIP: We Are Drowning In Work. The final chapter is the Epilogue and interwoven are our final notes. Next week we lay out the logistics for our re-read of Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Arkins https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3. Remember to buy a copy and read along. Amazon Affiliate LInk: https://amzn.to/36Rq3p5 Previous Entries Week 1: Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Logistics – https://bit.ly/3iDezbp Week 2: Processing and Memory – https://bit.ly/3qYR4yg Week 3: Completion - https://bit.ly/3usMiLm Week 4: Multitasking - https://bit.ly/37hUh5z Week 5: Context Switching - https://bit.ly/3K8KADF Week 6: Creating An Economy - https://bit.ly/3F1XKkZ Week 7: Healthy Constraints - https://bit.ly/3kM8xqh Week 8: Focus - https://bit.ly/3PkE0hg Week 9: Awareness - https://bit.ly/3LBZfIl Week 10: Communication - https://bit.ly/39Tji7Q Week 11: Learning - https://bit.ly/38HQNtJ Week 12: Epilogue and Final Notes - https://bit.ly/3y3LH4M Next SPaMCAST Everyone has a set of attributes they use to describe and measure flow. Let's narrow the field to the most important few and start from there. We will also have a visit from Tony TImbol and his To Tell A Story Column.

In SPaMCAST 707 Susan Parente and I discuss the difference between leadership and management in her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. These two concepts are related but not the same. The votes are in! The next three books for Re-read Saturday are: Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Arkins https://amzn.to/38G0ZD3 Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching by Bob Galen https://amzn.to/3wJsbtS Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton, Manuel Pais, and Ruth Malan https://amzn.to/3yXINzo Re-read Saturday News This week, we are revisiting (and re-editing) the conclusion of the first re-read to tide you over to the completion of Why Limit WIP. I have been backpacking, glamping, and visiting my father for the past eight days. That in its own right would not have precluded completing our re-read, but I also forgot the power cord for my laptop. Next week we will conclude our re-read of Why Limit WIP: We Are Drowning In Work. Remember to buy a copy and read along. Amazon Affiliate LInk: https://amzn.to/36Rq3p5 Previous Entries Week 1: Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Logistics – https://bit.ly/3iDezbp Week 2: Processing and Memory – https://bit.ly/3qYR4yg Week 3: Completion - https://bit.ly/3usMiLm Week 4: Multitasking - https://bit.ly/37hUh5z Week 5: Context Switching - https://bit.ly/3K8KADF Week 6: Creating An Economy - https://bit.ly/3F1XKkZ Week 7: Healthy Constraints - https://bit.ly/3kM8xqh Week 8: Focus - https://bit.ly/3PkE0hg Week 9: Awareness - https://bit.ly/3LBZfIl Week 10: Communication - https://bit.ly/39Tji7Q Week 11: Learning - https://bit.ly/38HQNtJ Next SPaMCAST Brian Weaver returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss the impact of AI on business, leadership, and development.

SPaMCAST 706 features a conversation with Tom Henricksen. Tom makes a strong case that ignoring soft skills will limit your ability to deliver real value. Tom says, "Humans Are Hard, Code Is Easy." Tom's Bio: Tom Henricksen is a problem-solving technology professional. He has worked in various roles in technology for over twenty years. Tom has learned how to solve challenging issues in technology and lead technical teams. He can help you develop those skills too! URL: codeiseasy.co LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tomhenricksen Twitter: @tomhenricksen Re-read Saturday News The bottom line to Chapter 10 of Why Limit WIP: We Are Drowning In Work is simple (assuming you have been re-reading along): too much WIP interferes with learning. Without the time or inclination to experiment, the best scenario is learning by accident. In Chapter 10, the author discusses how knowledge workers learn. Remember to buy a copy and read along. Amazon Affiliate LInk: https://amzn.to/36Rq3p5 Previous Entries Week 1: Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Logistics – https://bit.ly/3iDezbp Week 2: Processing and Memory – https://bit.ly/3qYR4yg Week 3: Completion - https://bit.ly/3usMiLm Week 4: Multitasking - https://bit.ly/37hUh5z Week 5: Context Switching - https://bit.ly/3K8KADF Week 6: Creating An Economy - https://bit.ly/3F1XKkZ Week 7: Healthy Constraints - https://bit.ly/3kM8xqh Week 8: Focus - https://bit.ly/3PkE0hg Week 9: Awareness - https://bit.ly/3LBZfIl Week 10: Communication - https://bit.ly/39Tji7Q Week 11: Learning - https://bit.ly/38HQNtJ Next SPaMCAST In SPaMCAST 707 it is back to flow basics with a discussion of the attributes of flow. Scott Ambler described two attributes of flow as smoothness and scent. We will discuss. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who will bring her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

In the SPaMCAST 705 we stay with the basics and define the term flow. I recently listened to a conversation where the term flow was used 30ish times in 30 minutes. Each use of the term meant something different. Today we draw a line in the sand to improve communication. We also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault from the QA Corner. Jeremy and I discussed the mistaken belief that Scrum Master and Coach can be translated to administrative assistant. Re-read Saturday News In Chapter 9 of Why Limit WIP: We Are Drowning In Work, the author extols the virtues of transparency. The Kanban board provides a platform for everyone (I am not being hyperbolic) to understand how much work is in process. Remember to buy a copy and read along. Amazon Affiliate LInk: https://amzn.to/36Rq3p5 Previous Entries Week 1: Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Logistics – https://bit.ly/3iDezbp Week 2: Processing and Memory – https://bit.ly/3qYR4yg Week 3: Completion - https://bit.ly/3usMiLm Week 4: Multitasking - https://bit.ly/37hUh5z Week 5: Context Switching - https://bit.ly/3K8KADF Week 6: Creating An Economy - https://bit.ly/3F1XKkZ Week 7: Healthy Constraints - https://bit.ly/3kM8xqh Week 8: Focus - https://bit.ly/3PkE0hg Week 9: Awareness - https://bit.ly/3LBZfIl Week 10: Communication - https://bit.ly/39Tji7Q Next SPaMCAST In SPaMCAST 706 we have a visit from Tom Henricksen. We walked about programmers and soft skills… like communication. As Tom says, "Humans Are Hard, Code Is Easy."

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 704, we talk leadership with Stuart Leo Founder & CEO of Waymaker.io. One of the reasons I enjoy interviews is that I often stumble across great stories. Stuart's entrepreneurial origin story includes golf balls, icy Tasmanian lakes, and scuba divers -- I will remember this story until I die. Stuart is a global thinker in strategy, systems, and leadership development. As the founder of Waymaker.io he has led the creation of Waymaker's Leadership Curve - a revolutionary way of building clarity, alignment, and remarkable results for any organization. LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/stuartleo Company Website waymaker.io Blog waymaker.io/blog-feed/ Twitter @stuartleo Re-read Saturday News This week's chapter of Why Limit WIP: We Are Drowning In Work opens with a quote from The Dalai Lama linking effective self-discipline with awareness of consequences. The chapter, titled Awareness, speaks to me of redemption. Awareness is a precursor to shedding helplessness and ignites the desire to act. I have spent a large part of my career participating, influencing, and/or leading change. Struggle is a common thread in nearly all of these efforts when entrenched leaders push back against ideas that bubble up from teams or other levels of the organization. Whether from fear or myriad other reasons, there are consequences for everyone involved. Learned helplessness, as noted in Chapter 7, or a dawning awareness that there are other possibilities creates an impetus for change. Whether change creates better processes, products, relationships, or changes in the workforce (that means people leaving) boils down to agency. Remember to buy a copy and read along. Amazon Affiliate LInk: https://amzn.to/36Rq3p5 Previous Entries Week 1: Preface, Foreword, Introduction, and Logistics – https://bit.ly/3iDezbp Week 2: Processing and Memory – https://bit.ly/3qYR4yg Week 3: Completion - https://bit.ly/3usMiLm Week 4: Multitasking - https://bit.ly/37hUh5z Week 5: Context Switching - https://bit.ly/3K8KADF Week 6: Creating An Economy - https://bit.ly/3F1XKkZ Week 7: Healthy Constraints - https://bit.ly/3kM8xqh Week 8: Focus - https://bit.ly/3PkE0hg Next SPaMCAST In the SPaMCAST 705 we define the term flow. I listened to a conversation last week. The term flow was used 30ish times in 30 minutes. Each use of the term meant something different. Let's draw a line in the sand to improve communication. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings another fabulous installment of Not A Scrumdamentalist to the podcast.