People & Teams

Articles

When In Doubt, Throw It Out

Peter Clark's company recently embarked on a "Lean Office" initiative. Now, Peter thinks many of you have steam shooting out of your ears just from reading those words. You probably think that it is just another lame management initiative that will take valuable time away from what is really important: coding and (maybe) testing. But in this week's column, Peter explains why this is the best initiative yet.

Peter Clark
Pair Programming Observations

Say "pair programming" to a programmer and he'll probably frown or turn his back on you. But add some rules the programmers must follow--rules that help maintain each person's sanity--and he just might come to find this practice rewarding and beneficial. This article, originally published on Jeff Langr's website, explains the rules and how certain teams have reacted to this structured version of pair programming.

Jeff Langr's picture Jeff Langr
Communication During a Crisis

When a crisis hits a business, you've got to work hard and fast to mitigate the negative consequences--a process which includes communicating with your clients. In this week's column, Payson Hall reminds us that keeping clients in the know is critical to a successful recovery and will stabilize the clients' faith in you, even when all has failed. Drawing from a recent crisis in which he was the client, Payson gives us key points to consider the next time we are overwhelmed by customers who want to know when business will return to normal.

Payson Hall's picture Payson Hall
Understanding Introversion and Extroversion

Personality differences often pose challenges for people who need to work together. One such difference is that which separates introverts and extroverts. Just by being themselves, introverts and extroverts can drive each other crazy. But they can also benefit from each other's strengths. In this column, Naomi Karten explains this personality difference and helps introverts and extroverts better understand and appreciate each other.

Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
The Test Team Paradox

Successful testers need to be continually critical of other people's work. Yet this critical approach can spill over into other aspects of our work. Therein lies the paradox within every test team. How do we prevent that continual criticality from denting our own motivation and leaving the test team dispirited? In this article, William Echlin helps us look to the bright side of testing.

William Echlin
Going the Distance: Five Tactics to Compensate for Distance on Distributed Teams

Teams communicate quickly and freely when they work in the same room. There's no time wasted walking down the hall, going to another floor, or waiting for a return email or call back. Collocation is the most effective arrangement for teams, but that's not always possible. Esther Derby shares five tactics that help teams compensate for distance.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
Short Takes on Software Development and Life

The Our Take column in StickyMinds.com's StickyLetter presents parallels between the world of software production and the world at large. Here are some previous musings by past editor Pamela Young.

Pam Young
Strengthening Your Speaking Savvy

Speaking at a conference can work wonders for your credibility. Delivering a presentation is an opportunity to share your insights, convey valuable information, and gain a reputation as an expert on your topic. Provided you keep a few key points in mind. In this article, Naomi Karten offers suggestions for successful presentations.

Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
Do We Have to Choose Between Management and Leadership?

Do organizations need fewer managers and more leaders? Do the qualities of one outweigh those of the other? In this article, Esther Derby defines leadership and management, and shows how one test manager incorporates both.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
How Much Building Is Too Much?

Staged integration versus continuous integration—which does your team prefer? Can't decide if one is better than the other? In this column, Johanna Rothman explains that you can create the perfect blend of the two. Developers and testers benefit from frequent builds, but be careful with how much you build. Build too much or too little and a project could topple.

Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman

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