Software Process and Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 433 features our interview with Jeff Dalton discussing holacracy.  Holocracy.org defines holacracy as, “a complete, packaged system for self-management in organizations. Holacracy replaces the traditional management hierarchy with a new peer-to-peer “operating system” that increases transparency, accountability, and organizational agility.” Jeff has implemented holacracy in his own firm and others and has a lot to share about this exciting form of management and leadership. Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword, a Process Innovation firm, and Chief Evangelist at , an Agile Leadership Research and Development center that develops models for high-performing agile teams.  Jeff is principle author of “A Guide to Scrum and CMMI,” published by the CMMI Institute, and is a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser and Certified Agile Leadership Consultant that specializes in software product development, self-organizing teams, and performance modeling.  His upcoming book, the “Agile Performance Holarchy: A New Model for Outrageously High Performance” will be released in September of 2017. Jeff’s previous appearances on the Software Process and Measurement Cast include   Re-Read Saturday News We will pick up our re-read of Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success (buy your copy and read along) next week. Every week we discuss a chapter then consider the implications of what we have “read” from the point of view of someone pursuing an organizational transformation and also how to use the material when coaching teams.   Remember to buy a copy of Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast, will feature our essay on Change Implementations - To Big Bang or Not To Big Bang? We will also have great columns from Steve Tendon and Gene Hughson. Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 432 begins with an essay on the impact of leadership types on adopting and sustaining Agile.  Leadership style has a direct impact on an organization’s ability to adopt and sustain Agile.  Some leadership styles are more supportive, while others evoke more of a response that is epitomized by locking feral cats and dogs in a room (nobody wins). Next up, Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the cast to discuss surprises in QA testing.  Visit Jeremy's blog at  Next we will have a column from The Software Sensei, Kim Pries.  Kim discusses the holy trinity of forethought, execution and follow through. Reach out to Kim on . Last, but not least, Jon M Quigley brings his column, the Alpha and Omega of Product Development, to the Cast. In this segment, Jon discusses on-boarding. On-boarding new people is critical even if the person is just joining from another team down the hall.  One of the places you can find Jon is at . Re-Read Saturday News This week, we tackle Chapter 5 in Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success (buy your copy and read along).  In Chapter 5, Dweck uses examples from the business world to illustrate and elaborate on fixed and growth mindsets. Every week we discuss a chapter then consider the implications of what we have “read” from the point of view of someone pursuing an organizational transformation and also how to use the material when coaching teams.   Remember to buy a copy of Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Feedback on SPaMCAST 428 with Mark Bojeun.  Dan  Stafford  wrote to Mark and said, “ Great talk Mark, insightful as ever.  Open and honest communication is such an important tenet.”   () Do you have thoughts and comments you would like to share?  Email us at Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast, Jeff Dalton returns to discuss holacracy.  Jeff has implemented holacracy in his own firm and others  and has a lot to share about this exciting form of management and leadership. Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 431 features our interview with  Andrew Neitlich on leadership.  We discussed whether leadership can be learned and if tech leadership is different than other kinds of leadership.  Leadership is a core requirement for making all teams, Agile or not, effective! Andrew’s bio: Andrew Neitlich is the founder and director of the Center for Executive Coaching (), a leader in training and certifying executive and leadership coaches. He also leads his own executive coaching practice, with an emphasis on working technical leaders that sometimes get frustrated with engaging their teams and having more impact when they communicate. Andrew is the author of Coach!, Elegant Leadership, and Guerrilla Marketing for a Bulletproof Career. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School, and lives in Sarasota, Florida. Re-Read Saturday News This week we tackle Chapter 4 in Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success (buy your copy and read along).  In Chapter 4, Dweck hits a home run by reflecting on how mindsets translate into action in the sports arena (thus the sports allusions).  Sports stories are one the most used metaphors in a business environment.  I bet that you can’t you to go to two meetings in any corporate environment without hearing a project likened to the exploits of sports teams or athletes. This an easy metaphor theme because most everyone has been exposed to some form of sports or at least a story about sports before they take a job. In Chapter 4, Dr. Dweck, scores (I can't help myself) by using the exploits of athletes and sports teams to further illustrate the differences and impact mindsets deliver. Every week we discuss a chapter then consider the implications of what we have “read” from the point of view of someone pursuing an organizational transformation and also how to use the material when coaching teams.   Remember to buy a copy of Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Feedback on SPaMCAST 428 with Mark Bojeun.  Dan  Stafford wrote to Mark and said, “ Great talk Mark, insightful as ever.  Open and honest communication is such an important tenet.”   () Do you have thoughts and comments you would like to share?  Email us at Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast, we will feature an essay on the impact of leadership types on adopting and sustaining Agile.  Leadership style has a direct impact on an organization’s ability to adopt and sustain Agile.  Some leadership styles are more supportive and others evoke more of a  response that is epitomized by locking feral cats and dogs in a room (nobody wins). We will also have columns from Jeremy Berriault, who brings his QA Corner to the cast.  Visit Jeremy's new blog at  Next, we will have a column from The Software Sensei, Kim Pries. Reach out to Kim on . Last, but not least, Jon M Quigley brings his column, the Alpha and Omega of Product Development, to the cast.  One of the places you can find Jon is at . Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 430  features an essay on product owners.  The product owner role is nuanced, always complicated and sometimes hard.  The essay will help you sort things out.   Steve Tendon brings another chapter in his Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban, published by J Ross () to the cast.  In this installment we talk about Chapter 15, Understanding the Impact of a Constraint.  In our discussion Steve schooled me a bit on constraints. Gene Hughson brings his   (the same Gene, that Ryan Ripley called out on last week’s cast) to the cast this week to discuss the third in his series on leadership.  This week we discussed the antipattern Gene calls .  Might sound good, but it isn’t. Have you checked out ? If not please do.  If you are an Agile for Humans listener visiting the Software Process and Measurement Cast for the first time, WELCOME. I hope you subscribe and make us part of your weekly ritual. Re-Read Saturday News This week  we tackle Chapter 3 in Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success (buy your copy and read along). In Chapter 3 Dweck provides a deep dive into how mindsets affect learning and teaching.  The impact of mindsets on how we learn or how we teach is useful knowledge for anyone involved in coaching or transformation. Every week we discuss a chapter then consider the implications of what we have “read” from the point of view of someone pursuing an organizational transformation and also how to use the material when coaching teams.   Remember to buy a copy of Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast we talk with Andrew Neitlich on leadership.  We discussed whether leadership can be learned and if tech leadership is different than other kinds of leadership.  Leadership is a core requirement for making Agile effective! Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 429 is a  special event. Ryan Ripley (who appeared on and is the host of the A Podcast) and the I recently connected virtually to discuss the role and impact of certifications on the Agile movement.  Certifications are an important gating tool in the job market and may provide evidence that people are keeping up to date with changes in the industry.  Or certifications could represent the calcifying of boundaries that make the adage ‘inspect and adapt’ a thing of the past.  We discuss!  We are going to release the audio on both our podcasts serially, the SPaMCAST today and then Agile for Humans on the 13th!   Make sure both and the Software Process and Measurement Cast are part of your weekly rituals!   Mr. Ryan Ripley has worked on agile teams for the past 10 years in development, scrum master and management roles. He’s worked at various Fortune 1000 companies in the medical device, wholesale, and financial services industries. Ryan is great at taking tests and holds the PMI-ACP, PSM I, PSM II, PSE, PSPO I, PSD I, CSM, CSPO, and CSP agile certifications. He lives in Indiana with his wife Kristin and three children. Ryan blogs at and hosts the Agile for Humans Podcast. You can also follow Ryan on Twitter: @ryanripley Re-Read Saturday News This week we tackle in Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success (buy your copy and read along). In Chapter 2 Dweck provides a deeper dive into fixed and growth mindsets.  The chapter begins with Dweck’s relating how the discovery that there were two meanings to the word ‘ability’ shaped the work.  The first definition for ability is a fixed capability that needs to be proven (continually); the second definition is that an ability is a capability that can be developed through learning. The distinction between two definitions are at the heart of the behavioral differences between the growth and fixed mindsets.  Those that believe that abilities can be developed will seek stretch goals and view failures as learning opportunities, while those with a fixed mindset will have a very different point of view.   Every week we discuss the chapter then consider the implications of what we have “read” from the point of view of someone pursuing an organizational transformation and also how to use the material when coaching teams.   Remember to buy a copy of Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 430 will shift back to the magazine format with an essay on product owners.  The product owner role  is nuanced and sometimes hard.  The essay will help you sort things out.   We will also have columns from Steve Tendon with another chapter in his Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban, published by J Ross () and an installment of Gene Hughson’s (the same Gene, that Ryan called out on this week’s cast). Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

One my favorite serial interviewees, Dr. Mark Bojeun, returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast for a third time (we may need to get him a permanent seat at the table soon).  Mark and I discussed the role and impact of project and product visions on the ability to effectively deliver value.  The vision is an important directional statement that can’t be left to chance!    Mark has last visited the Software Process and Measurement Cast on SPaMCAST 388 to discuss PMOs as a strategic tool and before then on the   to discuss  his book, (). Mark’s Bio: Dr. Bojeun has more than 20 years of experience in providing strategic management and leadership through portfolio, project and program management. His experience includes developing and managing multi-million dollar portfolios, programs, and projects, facilitating the achievement of strategic objectives, and creating best practice processes for program and project management efforts. Dr. Bojeun has designed and implemented multiple Enterprise Program Management Offices (EPMOs) for domestic and multinational firms and has extensive experience in organizational change management through transformational leadership, strategic support and staff empowerment to management professionals in the development and implementation of organizational vision, mission, objectives, and goals. Contact Mark on Re-Read Saturday News We missed this week due to work!  I was teaching Test Driven Development.  It was an intense class with a great group.  We will get back in the swing of things next week! Remember to buy a copy of Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 429 will be something very special. Ryan Ripley (who appeared on and is the host of the Agile for Humans Podcast) recently connected virtually to discuss the role and impact of certifications on the Agile movement.  It was a pretty intense discussion!  We are going to release the audio on both our podcasts concurrently on Monday February 6th!  Make sure both and the Software Process and Measurement Cast are part of your weekly rituals!   Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 427 begins with an essay on the Post-Agile Age, titled Onward to Post-Agile Age.  The Post-Agile Age is coming and it is a bed that human nature and commercial pressures have created. Next Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the Cast to discuss how he views the role of product owner in Agile testing . Visit Jermey’s new blog at The Software Sensei, Kim Pries, discusses requirements and weird tools like the Z notation.  Reach out to Kim on . Jon M Quigley, brings his column, the Alpha and Omega of Product Development to the cast.  In this installment, Jon concludes a three part series on configuration management.  This week Jon puts all of the pieces together. One of the places you can find Jon is at . Re-Read Saturday News This week we start to get into the nitty gritty of our re-read of Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success. This week we discuss Chapter one and then explore some the applications of the mindset concepts to coaching.   Remember to buy a copy of  Carol Dweck’s and read along! Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 428 features an interview with Dr Mark Bojeun.  We discussed the concept of project visions, their use and why they make sense in the Agile or Post-Agile age! Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

SPaMCAST 426 marks a milestone!  SPaMCAST 426 is the end of Year 10.  The Cast features our second annual roundtable.  Almost all of the SPaMCAST contributors gathered virtually to discuss a number of topics, including: Is software quality really one of the most important focuses in IT in 2017? Even though people are adopting agile, is agile a principle-driven movement over? In 2017 will security trump quality and productivity? The multiway discussion was exciting and informative! This was a great way to finish year 10 and get the motor primed for year 11! Re-Read Saturday News This week we begin the re-read of Carol Dweck’s : The New Psychology of Success. We will start slowly as I read ahead and give you time to find or buy a copy of the book.   I am reading the 2008 Ballantine Books Trade paperback edition version of the book (I had to re-buy the book as my first copy seems to have a new home).   I was excited that the Software Process and Measurement Blog readers selected Mindset for Re-read Saturday.  I am looking forward to refreshing my understanding of the powerful ideas Dweck identifies as growth and fixed mindsets.  Mindsets are very useful for understanding why some people grow and others don’t and why some teams excel and other less so. Also, is easily the single most quoted book  I have seen in presentations at conferences for the past few years. Next week we start in on Chapter One of the re-read of Carol Dweck’s , buy a copy this week. Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 427 begins Year 11 with an essay on the Post-Agile Age.  It is coming and it is a bed that human nature and commercial pressures has created. (Not sure what I mean?  Tune in, stream or download )  We will also have columns from Jon M Quigley, Jeremy Berriault, and Kim Pries.  SPaMCAST 427 will celebrate the new SPaMCAST year in style! Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book herenglish and Chinese.

Happy New Year!   SPaMCAST 425 features our annual tune-up ideas. We need to strive to be more effective and efficient every day or the world will pass us by!  These are suggestions that have worked for me and might be useful for you. We will also have columns from Steve Tendon with another chapter in his Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban, published by J Ross ().  Steve and I talked about Chapter 14 which covers kanban, flow, and throughput.   Anchoring the cast is Gene Hughson’s with an entry in his theme of leadership patterns and anti-patterns.  This week we talk about . Remember that Penny Pullan in SPaMCAST 424 offered listeners a great offer!  Penny provided a coupon for her new book   for 20% off.  Use the code  VLF20 at , which includes post and packing in the UK and the USA. Re-Read Saturday News In this week’s re-read of  by Patrick Lencioni (Jossey-Bass, Copyright 2002, 33rd printing), we deliver final thoughts with three final takeaways.   Next week we begin the re-read of Carol Dweck’s , buy a copy this week. Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 426 features our second annual roundtable.  Almost all of the SPaMCAST contributors discussed a number of topics, including: Is software quality really one of the most important focuses in IT in 2017? Even though people are adopting agile, is agile as principle-driven movement over? In 2017, will security trump quality and productivity? The multiway discussion was exciting and informative! Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.

Happy New Year!   SPaMCAST 424 features our interview with Penny Pullin.  Penny returns to the SPaMCAST to discuss her new book Virtual Leadership: Practical Strategies for Getting the Best Out of Virtual Work and Virtual Teams.  Virtual teams and therefore the need for virtual leadership is a critical success factor for delivering value in the 21st Century. Penny’s Bio: Dr. Penny Pullan's latest book is Virtual Leadership: Practical strategies for getting the most out of virtual teams and virtual work. Writing it involved immersing herself in the virtual world and listening to countless stories of success and, all too often, disaster! Penny works with people in multinational organizations who are grappling with tricky projects: uncertain, with ambiguous requirements, stakeholders who need to be engaged and teams dispersed around the world. When they work with Penny, clients notice that communication, collaboration, and confidence grow and projects don’t seem quite as tricky as before! Penny is a Director of . in the UK and tweets at @pennypullan. Penny has offered SPaMCAST listeners a great offer!     coupon for 20% off VLF20 at which includes post and packing in the UK and the USA.   Re-Read Saturday News In this week’s re-read of  by Patrick Lencioni (Jossey-Bass, Copyright 2002, 33rd printing), we review the chapter titled Understanding and Overcoming The Five Dysfunctions. This chapter is the most hands-on portion of the book, and I suggest spending time with the wide range of ideas Lencioni peppers throughout this section. Next week we will conclude this Re-Read with final thoughts. If you are new to the re-read series buy and go back to week one and read along! I am running a poll to decide between Carol Dweck’s , (Daniel Kahneman) and (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi).  I have also had suggestions (in the other category) for (Adam Grant) and Man by Takehiko Harada.  I would like your opinion! (last day 1/1/2017) [polldaddy poll=9605629] Takeaways from this week include:   Exercises are a great way to teach theory, but practical application makes it stick.   Build trust or nothing else will work for long.   Experiment with ideas to overcome dysfunctions and measure their impact on RESULTS. Visit the to participate in this and previous re-reads. Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 425 will feature the ideas from our annual tune-up blog entries. We need to strive to be more effective and efficient every day or the world will pass us by!  Next week I have some suggestions that have worked for me.  We will also have columns from Gene Hughson with more on leadership.  Gene’s ideas dovetail nicely with the concepts Penny talked about this week.  We will also talk with Steve Tendon about Chapter 14 from his book Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance.  Chapter 14 is all about Kanban, flow, and throughput.   Shameless Ad for my book! co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book nglish and Chinese.