People & Teams

Articles

When is Done Really Done?

When your idea of a completed task is significantly different from that of your team's members, you're asking for trouble. In this week's column, Peter Clark outlines some steps you can take to ensure that everyone on your team understands your expectations when you ask them if they're "done."
Peter Clark
July 2, 2004
Charge of the Light Brigade Considered Harmful

Communication problems can be devastating to a project–Just ask the Light Brigade. In this week's column, Matt Heusser offers some tips that may help you keep your team a cohesive, functioning unit.
Matthew Heusser's picture Matthew Heusser
May 6, 2004
Was It Something I Said?

Sometimes it seems like talking to a customer is about as effective as chatting with a brick wall. Have you ever considered that the problem may not be your customer but your communication skills? Naomi Karten explains why HOW you say something can be just as important as the WAY you say it.
Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
April 9, 2004
Multiprojecting: The Illusion of Progress

Think working on five projects at once will make great results appear like magic? Don't be so sure. The price your team pays by switching from one project to another could make your productivity disappear. Johanna Rothman reveals the smoke and mirrors behind the illusion of multiprojecting.
Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
March 18, 2004
Bread Crumbs

A cautious project manager knows that all projects are at risk of failure. This week, Peter Clark explains how taking the time to leave a formal trail of communication between you and your customers can lead to a fairy-tale ending.
Peter Clark
March 4, 2004
Dodging the Ditches

"We want the software to be faster, better, cheaper!" the marketing guy declares. We want to deliver, but if we aren't positive what those adjectives mean, we will fail. Read on to learn how a road trip prompted industry veteran Esther Derby to revisit how to avoid the expectations gap.
Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
February 6, 2004
Through the Eyes of a Troubled Customer

Have you ever had to cope with a demanding developer? A touchy tester? A quarrelsome QA person? A cantankerous customer? Why oh why do people act that way? This column describes the route one IT group took to reverse a customer's bad attitude and make her a valuable ally.
Naomi Karten's picture Naomi Karten
January 29, 2004
When Enough is Not Enough

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a situation where, no matter what you do, you can't seem to please your senior manager? Your manager wants you to decrease test time, but at what price? You go back and forth, but no matter how much you compress the schedule, it's never enough. Johanna Rothman explains how to avoid the bring-me-a-rock trap, when enough is not enough, and keep your team from being sucked into unreasonable time constraints.
Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
January 15, 2004
One Bad Apple

Never underestimate the divisive power one person can have on an entire team. One team member with a bad attitude can affect overall productivity, communication, and job satisfaction. This week, Lori Howard offers some direct, decisive solutions for handling these "de-jellers" before they ruin your otherwise cohesive team.
Lori Howard
December 31, 2003
Trading Gold for Days

Spending additional money on resources to ease the strain of a tight schedule seems like a good idea. What project manager wouldn't want more help with a project? This week, Peter Clark explains the pluses and the pitfalls of trading gold for days.
Peter Clark
December 22, 2003

Pages

AgileConnection is a TechWell community.

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