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Fixing the Quick Fix
Author(s): Esther Derby
Summary: Demands on businesses these days tend to make speed a priority--often at the expense of other areas. When it comes to correcting a problem in your organization, you should make sure you are, in fact, fixing the problem and not just a symptom. In this article, Esther Derby takes a look at the issue of the quick fix and offers some tips on how to get to the heart of the problem.
Taming the Torrent
Author(s): Linda Hayes
Summary: There was a time when software releases came slowly--perhaps even annually for some projects. But in today's fast-paced world, where computers are everywhere and software has to keep up, some teams are promoting software daily or even more frequently. If you feel like a storm cloud of change is unleashing its fury upon you, Linda Hayes has some suggestions to give you hope and help you gain control.
The Role of the Test Manager in an Agile Organization
Author(s): Johanna Rothman
Summary: If you're a test manager--or any sort of manager, for that matter--in a company that's transitioning to agile, you might be curious about where you stand in the new environment. Many of the traditional management roles are gone, but managers still have their place. As Johanna Rothman explains, it's time to think about coaching, removing obstacles, providing career development, and building relationships and organizational capacity.
Negative Positive
Author(s): Fiona Charles
Summary: Testers who point out project risks are often perceived as "negative" thinkers. In this week's column, software test consultant Fiona Charles (an optimist by nature and a pessimist by trade) writes about how a culture of unthinking optimism pervades our organizations and our society, and describes some of its detrimental effects on software projects.
Empowering Self Organization and Energizing Project Planning with the Commander's Intent
Author(s): George Schlitz/Giora Morein
Summary: Things change, and when they do, it's best to be ready to change with them. The best plans are doomed to fail if they aren't malleable. In this column, George Schlitz and Giora Morein take a look at the military concept of "Commander's Intent" and how it can apply to non-military project planning.
Date Posted: Jan 29, 2010 |
Pragmatic Personas
Author(s): Jeff Patton
Summary: Knowing who will use your software is important to the software development process. Having the end user in mind helps you develop features that fit the user's needs. And, figuring out your end user, as Jeff Patton reveals, is indeed easy. In this column, Jeff details stereotypes to avoid, questions to ask, and how to implement this pragmatic persona in your development process.
Date Posted: Jan 22, 2010 |
Wrecking a Project
Author(s): Payson Hall
Summary: If you want to commit industrial espionage and damage the company you work for, there are few roles as highly leveraged and capable of harm as that of project sponsor. For executives seeking to undermine a project and assure failure, consultant Payson Hall identifies tactics that quickly derail and ultimately crash projects while simultaneously sucking the life and enthusiasm from project staff.
The Challenge of Coping with Chaos
Author(s): Naomi Karten
Summary: When you face the discomfort and uncertainty brought about by change, it's tempting to want to do something to deal with the situation. But, acting precipitously could be a big mistake. In this column, Naomi Karten explains why and offers some suggestions of what to do instead.
Test Case Design for Automated UI Tests
Author(s): Chris McMahon
Summary: In this article, Chris McMahon offers an approach to implementing automated tests at the user interface level in a way that is visually simple and should save a lot of work when analyzing and maintaining tests down the road.
Rocks into Gold: Part 3
Author(s): Clarke Ching
Summary: This short book by Clarke Ching is a "biztech" parable for software developers who want to survive--and then thrive--through the credit crunch. The book is being republished on StickyMinds.com in a four-part series. In part three, when things seem at their very worst, Bob has a "light bulb moment" that just might save the day. Follow the story as our characters fight to keep their jobs by implementing creative business ideas and management skills taken from agile development.
Date Posted: Dec 22, 2009 |
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