people management

Conference Presentations

Becoming a Trusted Advisor to Senior Management

How can Test Managers present information about test results so that the correct message is received by decision-makers? Testing generates a huge amount of raw data, which must be analyzed, processed, summarized, and presented to management so the best decisions can be made quickly. Lloyd Roden shares his experiences as a test manager and as a consultant about communicating with and disseminating information to various levels of senior management. Develop your skills to become a "trusted advisor" to senior management rather than the "bearer of bad news". Find out innovative ways to keep the information flowing to and from management and avoid losing control of the test process, particularly near the delivery date. Learn the seven monitoring techniques Lloyd recommends for reporting on different aspects of the system under test.

Lloyd Roden, Grove Consultants
Reducing Organization Stress and Strain: Tools for Aligning Technology and Business

This article will help your team understand the difference between internal and external quality criteria. Also detailed are tool descriptions you can use in your alignment toolbox.

Elisabeth Hendrickson, Quality Tree Software, Inc.
The Soft Side of Software - People Factors in Software Development

Developing software is all about communicating effectively. It's important to understand requirements and document project information appropriately. These tips and more are provided in this article to help your team work together more effectively.

Gary Pollice, Rational Software
Managing Customer Expectations

The starting point for Expectations Management is recognizing that we all have hopes, dreams, and fears. We all want to succeed and be appreciated. In this way, we are all the same. We all see the world differently, and those differences influence our actions, attitudes, and behavior. In this way, we are all different. This article teaches your team how to understand the client's perspective to help you successfully deliver the product they requested from your team.

Naomi Karten, Karten Associates
Negotiation Bootcamp: Effective Techniques for Software Managers

Conference Presentation Effective Techniques for Software Managers

Michael Mah, QSM Associates, Inc.
Team Size and Its Effect on Peer Reviews

This article discusses the prerequisites to quantitative management. How to create effective teams by determining recommended team size for inspections is also discussed.

Mark Paulk, Carnegie Mellon University
Creating a Great Team: Ready, Aim, Hire!

Create a great test team by: assessing your team to see where you need which kinds of strengths, defining the job you need filled, asking great interview questions to weed out unsuitable candidates, and by matching their answers to your needs. Every culture requires different personal preferences, qualities, and non-technical skills. Find out if your staff is properly skilled for the functions they are performing and learn how to place the right team members in the right positions.

Johanna Rothman, Rothman Consulting Group, Inc.
Making the Transition to Software Management

This paper explains how to successfully make the transition into software management from other roles within your organization. Also, learn tips and techniques on implementing management strategies whether you're a first time manager, or whether you have been in your position for years.

Esther Derby, Esther Derby Associates Inc
How to Make Friends with Upper Management and Influence Process Change

This paper discusses how to make friends with upper
management so you can influence process change. It also discusses reasons for change and how to communicating them effectively can benefit your test team.

Don Oxley, Advanced Fibre Communications
Questions That You Should Ask Your Test Manager (And How They Should Answer)

This article gives tips on the right way to approach your test manager when an issue arises involving the test team. Taking the time to plot out the right agenda before you begin communication is the key to a successful outcome.

Brian Warren, Dell Computer Corporation

Pages

AgileConnection is a TechWell community.

Through conferences, training, consulting, and online resources, TechWell helps you develop and deliver great software every day.