Better Software Magazine Articles

Immunizing Against Predictable Project Failure

To be truly successful, a project needs more than a list of requirements and good intentions. Here's a way to use project charters to define the big-picture relationship and expectations between Developers and Management.

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Quality Meets the CEO

Management and testers may not often speak the same language. This article takes an unvarnished look at the communication gap between quality advocates and management and offers ways to open a dialogue and gain credibility.

Jeffery Payne's picture Jeffery Payne
Managing in Mayberry: An Examination of Three Distinct Leadership Styles

The assumptions you make about the people you manage can shape your management style. Here's a detailed look at three distinct styles of management and how they apply to your software projects.

Dan Starr
Modeling Organizational Change

When you approach a process problem in the way your workgroup functions, you're implementing an organizational change. Organizations are systems of complex interrelationships. Explicit models can help you make strategic changes.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
James Bach on Explaining Testing to Them

Are your co-workers in the dark when it comes to understanding how testing works? James Bach provides good responses to common questions, including nine basic principles of good hallway explanations. Learn how to give a programmer or manager a more accurate view of your job.

James Bach's picture James Bach
Revisiting Your Piece of the Pie: Money in the New Millennium

More than 1,800 industry professionals responded to the third annual STQE/StickyMinds salary poll. The results suggest that, although it has been an unsettling year, the picture doesn't look all that bad for software QA professionals.

Alyn Wambeke
Building a Project-Oriented Culture

What does it take to support excellence in your software organization? Taking advantage of basic project frameworks and status reporting systems can empower you to effect organizational change from any level. Here's how to make it happen.

Michael K. Levine's picture Michael K. Levine
Distributed Teams

The world may be getting smaller, but managing far-flung workgroups can still be a big challenge. Here are some common barriers to coordinating distributed teams, and some guidelines for making the most out of limited face time.

John Suzuki
At Your Service

A light and effective process with a service-oriented philosophy is key to meeting your organization's needs. Here are eight simple steps for creating a software engineering team that will turn customers into fans.

Robert Sabourin's picture Robert Sabourin
The Human Side of Process Improvement

Interpersonal relationships can make the difference between effective and ineffective technical initiatives. Here are ways to address this frequently neglected aspect of organizational change.

Judah Mogilensky

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