People & Teams

Articles

Tester, Know Your Product

Should you diligently produce multiple big documents before testing begins? Consultant Fiona Charles argues that you should do that only if you believe that documentation is your product as a tester. If your product is information, you should instead minimize test documentation and engage with the software to build the product your stakeholders are paying for.

Fiona Charles's picture Fiona Charles
Make an Attitude Investment

Whether you’re concerned about your day-to-day work or the long-term goals you’ve set, a good attitude can make all the difference. In this article, Laura Brandenburg expands on some tips gathered from Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude.

Laura Brandenburg's picture Laura Brandenburg
Project Pyramid Estimating the Unknown: Dates or Budgets, Part 1

Almost every manager I know wants to know when a project will be done. Some managers decree when a project will be done. Some managers think they can decree both the date and the feature set. There is one other tiny small subset, those managers who ask, “When can you finish this set of ranked features?”

Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
Is It Beautiful?—Aesthetics in Software Testing

With all the faces it presents, surely software can be said to possess or lack beauty. But, what does it mean to have beautiful software, and how do we evaluate it? In this installment of his series on philosophy and testing, Rick Scott takes a closer look at software aesthetics.

Rick Scott's picture Rick Scott
How to Lose a Customer

Giving your clients the opportunity to voice their opinions after conducting business with you is a great way to express your interest in continuing to work with them. Just make sure you're earnest in hearing their thoughts and that you don't simply think this is accomplished with a survey alone.

Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
One-Minute Management and Project Teams

Managing expectations and providing useful feedback are incredibly important skills for managers, whether you’re dealing with one employee or many. In this article, Laura Brandenburg takes a closer look at how some of the principles from the book The One Minute Manager apply to project teams.

Laura Brandenburg's picture Laura Brandenburg
How to Manage the Hurly-Burly Hubbub of Change

Giving yourself, and your team, the necessary time to adapt to and move on from change is the healthiest way to make sure that everyone is back on the same page in a timely manner. Learn how to avoid prolonging the necessary time to "heal" by minimizing turbulence.

Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
Dependable vs. Irreplaceable

We all like being in demand, feeling wanted, and being dependable. But, we forget that there is a thin line between being dependable and irreplaceable. The result is not only a loss of credibility but also a loss of opportunities

Rinku Sahay's picture Rinku Sahay
Product complexity and opportunity to rearchitect and refactor Do You Need Titled Architects for Your Agile Programs?

Johanna Rothman received a variety of responses to her recent writing on agile architecture. In this article, she attempts to clarify her case for having an architect on some—but not all—agile programs, depending on a number of factors.

Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
Are the Five CEO Temptations Limiting Your Leadership Potential?

Becoming a CEO isn’t the ultimate goal for the most successful CEOs. It is a status that they use to achieve great things, and they face ongoing temptations that threaten their potential. Here, Laura Brandenburg takes a look at the temptations in Patrick Lencioni’s Five Temptations of a CEO that can limit the potential of not only CEOs, but also anyone in a leadership position.

Laura Brandenburg's picture Laura Brandenburg

Pages

AgileConnection is a TechWell community.

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