Software Process And Measurement Cast

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature our interview with Yves Hanoulle, builder of community builders.  We discussed collaboration, coaching retreats and the future of Agile.  Yves is an Agile thought leader among thought leaders and he shared his wisdom the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners. Yves' Bio: Yves Hanoulle has taken on almost every role in the software development field, from software support, developer, trainer, scrum master to agile coach. Over the last 10 years, Yves has focused on agile coaching. Yves grows community builders. His personal goal is to make his customers independent from him as soon as possible. Yves is the inventor of the Who is Agile series of books and the co-inventor of the leadership game. Although he co-invented Pair Coaching & Coach Retreats, Yves is not interested in being a rock star coach inventing new methodologies, he rather wants to mix existing ideas like a thought disc jockey, adjusting to the needs of the audienc

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature three columns!  The first is our essay on the definitions of four critical words.  What do the words effectiveness, efficiency, frameworks and methodologies really mean?  These words get used ALL the time, however they really do have fairly specific meanings.  Meanings that, once understood and used to guide how we work, can help everyone to deliver more value and make our customers more satisfied!  The second column is from Jo Ann Sweeney with another of her stellar, Explaining Change columns.  In this segment, Jo Ann talks about content and a framework to guide the development of content.  Anchoring the Cast this week is Gene Hughson with another of his Forms Follows Function columns.  Gene extends his mini-series on microservices with a discussion of whether granularity is irrelevant.  Lots of content in this installment of the Software Process and Measurement Cast! Call to action! Reviews of the Podcast help to attract new listeners. 

In this episode of the Software Process and Measurement Cast we feature our interview with Agile coach Mario Lucero.  Mario and I discussed the nuts and bolts of coaching Agile teams, what is and isn’t Agile and the impact of coaching on success. Mario provided insights on Agile that span both Americas! Mario describes himself as an Agile evangelist (including Kanban) delivering coaching for Agile transformations and Scrum mastery. He performs as a Scrum Master for several teams while mentoring and coaching other teams, Scrum Masters and product owners. Mario is as comfortable advising senior management on the Agile transformation strategy and implementation as he is working with teams. Email: metlucero@gmail.com Twitter: @metlucero Blog:  http://mariolucero.cl/ LinkedIn: http://cl.linkedin.com/in/luceromet/en Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? If your friends don’t know how to subscribe or listen to a podcast, show them how you listen and subscribe them!  Remember to send us the name of

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine feature with three columns. This week we have columns from Kim Pries, The Software Sensei, and Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change.  In this installment Kim discusses the ins and outs of selling defect control.  In Explaining Change, Jo Ann tackles the concept of planning for communication (protip: it is better than winging it). The SPaMCAST essay this week tackles the topic of what is and isn’t Agile.  Does just saying you are Agile make you Agile?  We think not! Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? If your friends don’t know how to subscribe or listen to a podcast, show them how you listen and subscribe them!  Remember to send us the name of you person you subscribed (and a picture) and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show.  Re-Read Saturday News The Re-Read Saturday focus on Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement began on February 21n

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Shirly Ronen-Harel. We began by talking about the book she is co-authoring, The Coaching Booster, which is 80% complete on LeanPub. We branched out into other topics including coaching, lean, Agile and using lean and Agile in startups. This was an incredibly content-rich podcast.  Have your notepad ready when you listen because Shirly provides ideas and advice that can change how you work! Shirly provides coaching and consulting on Agile/lean methods.  She provides Agile solutions using methods like Scrum, Kanban, Agile Testing, Agile product development, DevOps , Agile project management and more. Shirly is experienced with Agile assimilation with large companies, as well as small companies and startups. She holds a BSW degree from the University of Tel-Aviv (1995) and also has experience with family and individual therapy at crisis stage. Shirly is also the author of an Agile parenting book and is currently writing a new book abou

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is a magazine feature with three columns. This week we have columns from Gene Hughson – Form Follows Function, completing a three-column arc on microservices. In Jo Ann Sweeney’s new Explaining Change column, Jo Ann tackles the concept of communication channels. The SPaMCAST essay this week is on Agile Coaching. Coaches help teams and projects deliver the most value, however many times organizations eschew coaches or conflate management and coaching.  This week we will have an external coach versus management death match! Contest We are having a contest! Anthony has offered a copy of his great new book to a randomly selected SPaMCAST listener, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.  Enter between February 22th and March 7th.  The winner will be announced on March 8th.  If you want a copy of Agile Project Management you have two options: send your name and email address to spamcastinfor@gmail.com (I will act as the broker and notify the winner at which point we can deal with o

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview Anthony Mersino, author of Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers and the newly published Agile Project Management.  Anthony and I talked about Agile, coaching and organizational change.  It is a wide ranging interview that will help any leader raise the bar!   We also talked about his new venture: Vitality Chicago. We are having a contest! Anthony has offered a copy of his great new book to a randomly selected SPaMCAST listener, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.  Enter between February 22th and March 7th.  The winner will be announced on March 8th.  If you want a copy of Agile Project Management you have two options: send your name and email address to spamcastinfor@gmail.com (I will act as the broker and notify the winner at which point we can deal with other types of addresses), OR you can buy a copy.  Remember buying a copy through the Software Process and Measurement Cast helps support the podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Anth

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is our magazine with three features.  We begin with Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change column.  In this column Jo Ann tackles the concepts of messages and themes.  I consider this the core of communication.  Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her column. The middle segment is our essay on commitment.  The making and keeping of commitments are core components of both professional behavior and Agile. The simple definition of a commitment is a promise to perform. Whether Agile or Waterfall, commitments are used to manage software projects. Commitments drive the behavior of individuals, teams and organizations.  Commitments are powerful!  We wrap this week’s podcast up with a new column from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. In this installment Kim discusses software HALT testing.  HALT stands for highly accelerated life test.  The goal is to find defects, faults and things that go bump in the night in hours or d

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Alex Papadimoulis.  Alex is returning to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss Release.  Release is card game about making software inspired by development strategies like Lean, Agile, and DevOps, and classic trick -taking card games. We also circled back to talk about continuous delivery and DevOps; a bit of lagniappe to add to a great interview. Alex’s Bio: Alex is a speaker and writer who is passionate about looking beyond the code to build great software. In addition to founding Inedo - the makers of BuildMaster, the popular continuous delivery platform - Alex also started The Daily WTF, a fun site dedicated to building software the wrong way. Contact Information:Email:  apapadimoulis@inedo.comTwitter: @apapadimoulisWeb: http://inedo.com/Other Web: http://thedailywtf.com/ Call to action! We are just completed a re-read John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.w

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay on the ubiquitous stand-up meeting. The stand-up meeting has become a feature of Agile and non-Agile project alike. The technique can be a powerful force to improve team effectiveness and cohesion, or it a can really make a mess out of things! We explore how to get more of the former and less of the later We also have a new Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson. This column is the second of a three column arc on micro-services and architecture.  This installment is titled “Who Needs Architects? – Navigating the Fractals.” Check out Gene’s blog at Form Follows Function. We also continue with Jo Ann Sweeney’s column Explaining Communication. In this installment Jo Ann addresses communication objectives and why setting and understanding those objectives BEFORE you start the communication process is a big deal if you are interested in being effective! Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think

Software Process and Measurement Cast features our Interview with Steve Tendon. We discussed his new book Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross. Steve discussed how to lead knowledge workers and build a hyper-performing knowledge work organization.  We talked about the four flows,   psychology, information, work and finance that affect performance.  Steve’s ideas can be used to help teams can raise their game to deliver results that not only raise the bar but jump over it. Steve has a great offer for SPaMCAST listeners. Check out https://tameflow.com/spamcast for a way to get Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban at 40% off the list price. Steve’s Bio Steve Tendon, creator of the TameFlow management approach, is a senior, multilingual, executive management consultant, experienced at leading and directing multi­national and distributed knowledge-­work organi

Subscribe to the Software Process and Measurement Cast on ITunes The Software Process and Measurement Cast our essay on product owners.  The role of the product owner is one of the hardest to implement when embracing Agile. However how the role of the product owner is implemented is often a clear determinant of success with Agile.  The ideas in our essay can help you get it right. We will also have a new column from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. In this installment Kim discusses the fact that are numerous ways go get something done when writing code.  Some are the right way and some are wrong way. For example, are you willing to sacrifice clarity for cool or fast? We also continue with Jo Ann Sweeney’s column Explaining Communication. In this installment Jo Ann addresses why knowing who your audiences and stakeholders are will help make your communication more efficient and effective! Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her new column. Next In the next So

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Charley Tichenor and Talmon Ben-Cnaan on the Software Non-Functional Assessment Process (SNAP).  SNAP is a standard process for measuring non-functional size.  Both Talmon and Charley are playing an instrumental role in developing and evolving the SNAP process and metric.  SNAP helps developers and leaders to shine a light on non-functional work required for software development and is useful for analyzing, planning and estimating work. Talmon’s Bio: Talmon Ben-Cnaan is the chairperson of the International Function Point User Group (IFPUG) committee for Non-Functional Software Sizing (NFSSC) and a Quality Manager at Amdocs. He led the Quality Measurements in his company, was responsible for collecting and analyzing measurements of software development projects and provided reports to senior management, based on those measurements. Talmon was also responsible for implementing Function Points in his organization. Currently he manages quality

SPaMCAST 323 features our essay, “Five Factors Leading to Failing With Agile.” Not all Agile implementations succeed.  There are five categories of behaviors that lead Agile implementations toward failure. Failure due to these behaviors is avoidable if an organization recognizes them before the damage is done AND has the will to solve them. Forewarned is forearmed! We also have a new Form Follows Function column from Gene Hughson. This column begins a three column arc on micro-services and architecture.  We begin with a “Microservice Principles and Enterprise IT Architecture.”  Check out Gene’s blog at Form Follows Function. We also have a new Explaining Communication column from Jo Ann Sweeney.  In this installment of Jo Ann’s column she discusses determining relevant and helpful objectives for communication activities as a precursor to getting value from project communication. Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Bl

SPaMCAST 322 features our interview with Clareice and Clyneice Chaney. Clareice and Clyneice provide insights and practical advice into how Agile and contracting work together.  The focus of the interview is on contracting and acquisition of Agile testing, however the concepts we discussed can be applied to contracting for any type of service using Agile techniques. Clyneice Chaney brings over 30 years of testing, quality assurance, and process improvement experience. Clyneice holds certifications from the American Society for Quality as a Certified Quality Manager/Organizational Excellence and Project Management Institute's Professional Project Manager. She has participated as an examiner for Baldrige state quality awards for Georgia and Virginia. She is currently an instructor for an International Testing Certification organization and has presented technical papers at the Software Engineering Institute: SEPG Conference, American Society for Quality: Quality Manager's conference, Quality Assurance Institute

SPaMCAST 321 features our essay on the reasons for success with Agile.  I asked friends and colleagues what they think are the top reasons an organization succeeds with Agile.  The answers were not always what I expected. We review the top 11 factors leading to success with Agile. Listen and share your feedback. This episode also includes the next installment of Jo Ann Sweeney’s new column Explaining Change.  Jo Ann discusses whether communication always adds value to a project. Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com/ and let her know what you think of her new column. The third segment of this podcast is a new installment of the Software Sensei, where Kim Pries shines light on the area of cloud development. Development for cloud computing is red hot. Understand the nuances that developing for the cloud to enhance your effectiveness! Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change on the Software Process and Measurement Blog.  Are you participating in th

SPaMCAST 320 features our interview with Alfonso Bucero. We discussed his book, Today Is A Good Day. Attitude is an important tool for a project manager, team member or executive.  In his book Alfonso provides a plan for honing your attitude. Alfonso Bucero, MSc, PMP, PMI-RMP, PMI Fellow, is the founder and Managing Partner of BUCERO PM Consulting.  He managed IIL Spain for almost two years, and he was a Senior Project Manager at Hewlett-Packard Spain (Madrid Office) for thirteen years. Since 1994, he has been a frequent speaker at International Project Management (PM) Congresses and Symposiums. Alfonso has delivered PM training and consulting services in Spain, Mexico, UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Costa Rica, Brazil, USA, and Singapore. As believer in Project Management, he teaches that Passion, Persistence and Patience as keys for project success. Alfonso co-authored the book Project Sponsorship with Randall L. Englund published by Josse-Bass in 2006. He has authored the book Today is a Good Day –

SPaMCAST 319 includes three segments! The first segment is our essay, Why Are Requirements So Hard To Get Right?  Much of the problems with requirements boil down to people, and while people are not the only factor driving the quality of requirements, they are a critical factor.  Pay attention to how people are being deployed, provide support and instruction and make darn sure the right people are in the right place at the right time. The second segment marks the debut of Jo Ann Sweeny’s new column Explaining Change.  Jo Ann’s first installment tackles the need for defining the impact you expect communication activities to make – knowledge, attitudes, action.  Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com/ and let her know what you think of her new column. The third segment features a new entry of Gene Hughson’s column: Form Follows Function.  In this installment, Gene talks about his blog entry, Fixing IT – Credible or Cassandra? Gene points out that credibility is a precious commodity that, if squan

SPaMCAST 318 features our interview with Rob Cross.  Rob and I discussed his InfoQ article “How to Incorporate Data Analytics into Your Software Process.”  Rob provides ideas on how the theory of big data can be incorporated in to big action that provides “ah-ha” moments for executives and developers alike. Rob Cross has been in the software development industry for over 15 years in various capacities.  He has worked for several start-up businesses including his current company, PSC.  These companies have been focused on providing software quality, security and performance data to organizations leveraging state of the art technologies.  Rob's current company has analyzed over 8 billion lines of code as an independent software assessment company on products ranging from military systems, medical devices, satellite systems, video games to Wall Street exchanges.   Rob's email: rc@proservicescorp.com Call to action! We are in the middle of a re-read of John Kotter’s classic Leading Change of on the Software Proce

SPaMCAST 317 tackles a wide range of frequently asked questions, ranging from the possibility of an acceleration trap, the relevance of function points, whether teams have a peak loads and safe to fail experiments. Questions, answers and controversy! We will also have the next installment of Kim Pries’s column, The Software Sensei! This week Kim discusses robust software. The essay starts with “Agile Can Contribute to an Acceleration Trap” I am often asked whether Agile techniques contribute to an acceleration trap in IT.  In an article in The Harvard Business Review, Bruch and Menges (April 2010) define an acceleration trap as the malaise that sets in as an organization fails prey to chronic overloading. It can be interpreted as laziness or recalcitrance, which then elicits even more pressure to perform, generating an even deeper malaise. The results of the pressure/malaise cycle are generally a poor working atmosphere and employee loss. Agile can contribute to an acceleration trap but only as a reflection o