Software Process and Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 398 features our interview with bestselling author Kevin Kruse. We discussed his new book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. The ideas Kevin presents on managing time and more accurately managing focus are extremely useful and in some cases just a bit controversial. Surprising findings include: Most high achievers do NOT use to-do lists. The Harvard experiment that showed how 3 questions saved 8 hours a week. Procrastination is cured by "time traveling" to defeat your future self. Most high achievers practice a consistent morning ritual. How high achievers manage their email If you haven't bought a copy of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, I would recommend that you start your personal program to improve your productivity by using the link in the show notes and buying a copy! Kevin Kruse is an Inc 500 serial entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, and Forbes columnist. Kruse has been named a Top 100 Business Thought Leader by Trust Across America. Over the last 20 years Kevin has started or co-founded several multi-million dollar companies which have won awards for both fast growth (Inc 500) as well as employee engagement (#4 Best Place to Work in PA). As a keynote speaker and performance coach, Kevin has worked with Fortune 500 CEOs, startup founders, US Marine Corps officers and non-profit leaders. Contact Information: twitter.com/Kruse facebook.com/KruseAuthor instagram.com/kevin__kruse www.15TimeSecrets.com www.KevinKruse.com [email protected] Re-Read Saturday News We concluded the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. This week's installment will addresses the epilogue (everybody lives happily ever after) and summarizes some of the key concepts that I have already found useful. Next week we will begin re-reading Kent Beck's xP Explained, Second Edition. I originally read the first edition several years ago on flights traveling between clients. The book provides an important explanation for xP and the even today confronts us with the realization that Agile is more than just Scrum. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on using storytelling to jumpstart Agile efforts. Telling stories is a natural human activity from time immemorial that can be used to create a succinct and informative story to describe a business need or the future of an organization. The essay provides an approach for using storytelling and suggests that sometimes the journey an organization must take to achieve a goal needs facilitation. We will also have columns from the Software Sensi, Kim Pries and an entry from Gene Hughson's Form Follows Function Blog. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 397 features our essay on cumulative flow diagrams. The following file includes all of the figures referenced in the cumulative flow diagrams essay which is part of SPaMCAST 397.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 397 features our essay on cumulative flow diagrams. A CFD can help everyone from team members to program managers to gain insight into issues, cycle time and likely completion dates. Cumulative flow diagrams are extremely versatile tools for managing work. Figures for this essay are included as a separate entry in the feed. Our second column is a visit to the QA Corner. Jeremy Berriault weighs in on the thorny question of who signs off or approves the results of testing for projects. We discuss some strange behaviors that occur when responsibility and authority for the results of testing are ambiguous. We also have the debut column from Jon M. Quigley. Jon inaugurates his column with a discussion of whether project risk, scope and strategy are related. The short answer is yes, and the longer answer suggests what happens when all of the options are not considered. Jon is a principle at Value Transformation, LLC (www.valuetransform.com) along with being a teacher, coach, serial author and past guest on SPaMCAST 346. Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week's installment will address Chapter 7, which using the monomyth structure represents both atonement and the return home, the completion of the cycle. Next week we will conclude with a few final thoughts. The next book in the Re-read Saturday Series will be Kent Beck's xP Explained, Second Edition. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview of with bestselling author Kevin Kruse. We discussed his new book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. The ideas on managing time and more accurately managing focus are extremely useful and in some cases just a bit controversial. Listen to the interview, then buy a copy of his book and become more productive! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 396 begins our run up to Episode 400 with our interview of with Mike Burrows. Mike and I talked about his game changing idea of Agendashift. Agendashift identifies opportunities for positive change by exploring an organization's alignment to the values of transparency, balance, collaboration, customer focus, flow, and leadership. Along the way, we also revisited parts of our previous interview on the podcast covering Mike's book, Kanban From The Inside. Mike's Bio Mike is the founder of Agendashift, author of the book Kanban from the Inside, consultant, coach, and trainer. In recent months, he has been the interim delivery manager for two UK government digital "exemplar" projects and consultant to public and private sector organisations at home and abroad. Prior to his consulting career, he was global development manager and Executive Director at a top tier investment bank, and IT Director for an energy risk management startup. Agendashift Blog: https://www.agendashift.com/ Twitter: @asplake and @KanbanInside Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle chapter 6. Chapter 6 layers ideas from game theory to explain why real options works. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog (www.tcagley.wordpress.com) to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast includes three columns. The first is our essay on cumulative flow diagrams. Cumulative flow diagrams are extremely versatile tools for managing work. I am becoming more and more convinced that they should be used universally. We will also have a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy brings us his unique wisdom to testing topics. Our conversations are always illuminating! Jon M. Quigley. Jon is a serial author and consultant, who first appeared on SPaMCAST 346. We discussed. We began his unnamed column (we need your help) with a discussion of project risk and scope and strategy selection. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 395 features our essay on productivity. While productivity might not be the coolest subject, understanding the concept is critical to every company's and every worker's financial well-being. Gene Hughson brings another entry from his Form Follows Function blog to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Gene discusses the idea of accidental innovation. Gene suggests that innovation is not a happy accident, but is a result of a process, structure, and technology that can enhance innovation. However, it can just as easily get in the way. In our third column this week, Kim Pries, the Software Sensei, brings us a discussion of how software developers leverage assimilation and accommodation in the acquisition of knowledge. Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read of Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle chapter 5. It is a relatively short chapter, but it exposes one of the critical mechanisms for how Agile teams are able to self-organize and self-manage. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast begins the final approach to Episode 400 with our interview of with Mike Burrows. Mike and I talked about his game changing idea of Agenda Shift . Agenda Shift Identifies opportunities for positive change by exploring an organization's alignment to the values of transparency, balance, collaboration, customer focus, flow, and leadership. Along the way, we also revisited parts of our first interview on the podcast covering Mike's book, Kanban From The Inside. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 394 features our interview with Yves Hanoulle. Yves returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss his experiences as a coach with CoderDojo Ghent which brings coding and life lessons to children in Ghent, Belgium. We also explored how Yves has been able to incorporate the lessons he has learned volunteering into his day job. This is a fun interview that has a profound message about our obligation to the future. This is a great interview to come back from vacation to edit and deliver! Yves's Bio: Yves Hanoulle started working in IT in 1994. He has worked as software support, developer, team lead, trainer, agile coach, change artist, first follower, thought jockey. These days he calls himself Creative Collaboration Agent. Yves believes that IT is mainly about working with people. A skill that can never be learned enough. Mr. Hanoulle is deeply involved in many communities including starting the book "Who is agile" together with a team of 20 people. There are now multiple local country spin-offs of the book (we talked about this project near the end of the interview) Yearly Yves spends 10 to 20% of his revenue on training and books so that he stays at the forefront of thought on software development. Since 2005, he has worked as coach or trainer for a wide range of firms across the globe. Connect with Yves at: Twitter: @yveshanoulle LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yveshanoulle Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle chapter four, which delves into the visualization of work, staff liquidity and a focus on outcomes. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement cast will feature an essay on productivity metrics: the good, the bad and the ugly. We will also feature columns from Kim Pries and Gene Hughson. Also, I hope to have news about a new columnist joining the SPaMCAST family and more! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

One last week in mixtape format! I am completing a trip that is a mixture of vacation and a board meeting but that does not mean you have to forego your weekly SPaMCAST. In place of our normal format, I am posting a mix tape of the answers to the "If you could change two things" question I have been asking interviewees for nearly ten years. This week on SPaMCAST 393 we feature our top downloaded podcasts from the year 2010: SPaMCAST 85 – Cory Foy on Agile Coaching http://bit.ly/1Qmmx0g Cory used his wishes to discuss the obsession with certification rather than performance and bring user into making critical business decisions so that usability is maximized. SPaMCAST 92 – Don Reinertsen on Product Development Flow http://bit.ly/1WERCDZ Don used his wishes to ask that people understand the economics of product development and then to use that understanding to measure and reduce WIP queues. SPaMCAST 94 - Ivar Jacobson on SEMAT http://bit.ly/1SYSmhA Ivar discussed the SEMAT core defining software engineering and how SPaMCAST listeners can support the development of SEMAT. If these excerpts tickled your fancy listen to the whole interview by clicking on the links shown above. Next week we will return to regular programming with a thought provoking interview.

I am still traveling for the next two weeks. The trip is a mixture of vacation and a board meeting but that does not mean you will have to forego your weekly SPaMCAST. In place of our normal format, I am posting a mix tape of the answers to the "If you could change two things" question I have been asking interviewees for nearly ten years. This week on SPaMCAST 392 we feature our top downloaded podcasts from the year 2009: SPaMCAST 51 - Tim Lister on Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies http://bit.ly/1WERtk5 Tim discussed ending the estimating charade. Tim stated it would be better if we recognized estimating as goal setting. Secondly, he noted that a lot of outsourcing has overshot its mark and reduced our organizational capabilities. SPaMCAST 67 - Murali Chemuturi on Software Estimation Best Practices, Tools & Techniques http://bit.ly/1MHDzeJ Murali used his wishes to state that estimators need a better grasp and understanding the concepts of productivity and scheduling. SPaMCAST 69 - Kevin Brennan on Business Analysis http://bit.ly/1WERB2V Kevin answered a different question and discussed the message he would share with a C-Level executive to describe why business analysis is important to them. If you enjoyed the snippets please use the links to listen to the whole interviews. Next week 2010!

The first full Software Process and Measurement Cast posted on January 29th, 2007. When the first cast posted we were on an every other week schedule whereas today we post weekly. Over the next few weeks, I will be traveling. The trip is a mixture of vacation and a board meeting but that does not mean you will have to forego your weekly SPaMCAST. In place of our normal format, I will post a mixtape of the answers to the “If you could change two things” question I have been asking interviewees for nearly ten years. SPaMCAST 391 will feature our top downloaded podcasts from the years of 2007 and 2008: SPaMCAST 2 – Will McKnight on Process and Product Quality Assurance http://bit.ly/1VBujvS Will used his wishes to talk about the need for an organizational process focus and the guidance to sustain process improvement. SPaMCAST 4 - Stasia Iwanicki on Six Sigma http://bit.ly/1WdJnOP Stasia used her first wish to address requirements capture, development, and management. Her second wish was for better measurement for supporting the software development process. SPaMCAST 49 – Robin Goldsmith on Requirements http://bit.ly/23ZC9Av Robin used his wishes to discuss the need to capture and validate the real business requirements which lead to better systems. If you enjoyed the snippets please use the links to listen to the whole interviews. Next week 2009!

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 390 features our interview with Vinay Patankar. We discussed his start up Process Street and the path Vinay and his partner took in order to embrace agile because it delivered value, not just because it was cool. We also discussed how Agile fits or helps in a lean start-up and the lessons Vinay wants to pass on to others. Vinay’s Bio: Vinay Patankar is the co-founder and CEO of Process Street, the simplest way to manage your teams recurring processes and workflows. Easily set up new clients, onboard employees and manage content publishing with Process Street. Process Street is a venture-backed SaaS company and AngelPad alum with numerous fortune 500 clients. When not running Process Street, Vinay loves to travel and spent 4 years as a digital nomad roaming the globe running different internet businesses. He enjoys food, fitness and talking shop. Twitter: @vinayp10 Re-Read Saturday News We continue the read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle Chapters Three which explores visualization, knowledge options and focusing on outcomes. Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog to catch up on past installments of Re-Read Saturday. Upcoming Events I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland, May 10th and 11th. Register Now! Next SPaMCAST The next three weeks will feature mix tapes with the “if you could fix two things” questions from the top downloads of 2007/08, 2009 and 2010. I will be doing a bit of vacationing and all the while researching, writing content and editing new interviews for the sprint to episode 400 and beyond. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 389 essay on different layers and anti-patterns of Agile Acceptance Testing. Many practitioners see Agile acceptance testing as focused solely on validating the business facing functionality. This is a misunderstanding; acceptance testing is more varied. We also have a column from Kim Pries, the Software Sensei. Kim discusses the significance of soft skills. Kim starts his essay with the statement, “The terms we use to talk about soft skills may reek of subjective hand-waving, but they can often be critical to a career.” Gene Hughson anchors the cast with a discussion from his blog Form Follows Function, titled OODA vs PDCA – What’s the Difference? Gene concludes that OODA loops help address the fact that “We can’t operate with a “one and done” philosophy” when it comes to software architecture. We are also changing and curtailing some of the comments at the end of the cast based on feedback from listeners. We will begin spreading out some of the segments such as future events over the month so that if you binge listen, the last few minutes won’t be as boring and boring. Re-Read Saturday News This week we begin the read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Maassen, Matts, and Geary. Buy your copy today and read along (use the link to support the podcast). This week we tackle Chapters One and Two which set the context for the novel and introduces the concept of real options. Upcoming Events I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland May 10th and 11th. Register Now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Vinay Patankar. We discussed his start up, Process Street, and the path Vinay and his partner took in order to embrace agile because it delivered value, not just because it was cool. We also discussed how Agile fits or helps in a lean start-up and the lessons Vinay wants to pass on to others. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 388 features our interview with Dr. Mark Bojeun. Dr. Bojeun returns to the podcast to discuss how a PMO can be a strategic tool for an organization. If a PMO is merely a control point or an administrative function, their value and longevity are at risk. Mark suggests that there is a better way. Mark last visited the Software Process and Measurement Cast on SPaMCAST 280. We discussed his book, Program Management Leadership: Creating Successful Team Dynamics (Kindle version). Mark’s BioDr. Bojeun has more than 20 years of experience in providing strategic management and leadership through portfolio, project and program management. His experience includes developing and managing multi-million dollar portfolios, programs and projects, facilitating the achievement of strategic objectives, and creating best practice processes for program and project management efforts. Dr. Bojeun has designed and implemented multiple Enterprise Program Management Offices (EPMOs) for domestic and multinational firms and has extensive experience in organizational change management through transformational leadership, strategic support and staff empowerment to management professionals in the development and implementation of organizational vision, mission, objectives, and goals. Dr. Bojeun holds a Program Management Professional (PgMP), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Risk Management (PMI-RMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD), and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, an MBA from George Mason University and a PhD in Organizational Leadership. Dr. Bojeun’s new book, Program Management Leadership: Creating Successful Team Dynamics as part of CRC Publishing’s Best Practices and Advances in Program Management Series addresses the need for effective leadership styles in managing programs and projects achieving high performing teams that consistently exceed expectations. Over the last ten years, Dr. Bojeun has provided commercial training courses in all aspects of Program and Project management and has been an Adjunct Professor for a number of universities. Dr. Bojeun is currently an Adjunct Professor at Strayer University where he actively teaches business, logistics and project management courses for both undergraduate as well as graduate students. In addition, he provides motivational presentations to leaders throughout the world. Contact Mark on LinkedIn Re-Read Saturday NewsThis week we have a few final notes on our re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In this week installment we summarize our major take away and identify what we can do to improve based on our new knowledge. We will read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Olav Maassen and Chris Matts for our next Re-Read beginning next week. Buy your copy today and start reading (use the link to support the podcast). In the meantime, vote in our poll for the next, next book. As in past polls please vote twice or suggest a write-in candidate in the comments. We will run the poll for one more week. Upcoming EventsI will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland May 10th and 11th. Register Now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on different layers and anti-patterns of Agile Acceptance Testing . Many practitioners see Agile acceptance testing as focused solely on the business facing functionality. This is a misunderstanding; acceptance testing is more varied. We will also have columns from Kim Pries and Gene Hughson! Shameless Ad for my book!Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book book here. Available in E English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 387 includes three features. The first is our essay on storytelling. Storytelling is a tool that is useful in many scenarios, for presentations, to help people frame their thoughts and for gathering information. A story provides both a deeper and more nuanced connection with information than most lists of PowerPoint bullets or even structured requirements documents. The essay provides an excellent supplement to our interview with Jason Little (which you can listen to here). The second feature this week is Steve Tendon discussing Chapter 9 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross. Chapter 9 is titled “Critical Roles, Leadership and More”. We discuss why leadership roles are important to achieve hyper-productive performance. Sometimes in Agile and other approaches, it is easy to overlook the role of leaders outside of the team. Remember Steve has a great offer for SPaMCAST listeners. Check `out https://tameflow.com/spamcast for a way to get Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach, and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban at 40% off the list price. Anchoring the cast this week is a visit to the QA Corner. Jeremy Berriault discusses whether a career and the path your career might take in testing is an individual or a team sport. Jeremy dispenses useful advice even if you are not involved in testing. Re-Read Saturday News This week we are back with Chapter 14 of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Chapter 14 is titled A Universal Measurement Method. In this chapter, Hubbard provides the readers with a process for applying Applied Information Economics. We will read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Olav Maassen and Chris Matts for our next Re-Read. Buy your copy today and start reading (use the link to support the podcast). In the meantime, vote in our poll for the next book. As in past polls please vote twice or suggest a write-in candidate in the comments. We will run the poll for two more weeks. Upcoming Events I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland May 10th and 11th. Register Now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Dr. Mark Bojeun. Dr. Bojeun returns to the podcast to discuss how a PMO can be a strategic tool for an organization. If a PMO is merely a control point or an administrative function, their value and longevity are at risk. Mark suggests that there is a better way. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 386 features our interview with Jason Little. Jason and I discussed his exploration of storytelling in change management. Stories are a powerful tool to develop and hone a big picture view of organizational change. Jason began his career as a web developer when Cold Fusion roamed the earth. Over the following years, he moved into management, Agile Coaching and consulting. The bumps and bruises collected along the way brought him to the realization that helping organizations adopt Agile practices is less about the practices, and all about change. In 2008, he attended an experiential learning conference about how people experience change, and since then he’s been writing and speaking all over the world about helping organizations discover more effective practices for managing organizational change. He is the author of Lean Change Management and an international speaker who has spoken all over the world from Canada, the US, Finland, Germany, Australia, Belgium and more. Contact Data:http://www.agilecoach.ca/about/http://ca.linkedin.com/in/jasonlittle/http://www.twitter.com/jasonlittle Re-Read Saturday News This week we are back with Chapter 13 of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter 13 we discuss New Measurement Instruments for Management. Hubbard shifts gears in this chapter to focus the reader on the new tools that our dynamic, electronically-tethered environment has created. Here is a summary of the chapter in a few bullet points: Everyone creates data that is trackable and measurable. The internet is a measurement instrument. Prediction markets are a way to synthesize a wide variety of opinions. It is time to begin the selection process for the next’ish book for the Re-Read Saturday. We will read Commitment – Novel About Managing Project Risk by Olav Maassen and Chris Matts based on the recommendation of Steven Adams first then move to the next book. As in past polls please vote twice or suggest a write-in candidate in the comments. We will run the poll for three weeks. Upcoming Events I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! I will be speaking at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 Conference in Annapolis, Maryland May 10th and 11th. Register Now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on storytelling. In the Harvard Business Review article, The Irresistible Power of Storytelling as a Strategic Business Tool by Harrison Monarth (March 11, 2014), Keith Quesenberry, a researcher from Johns Hopkins, notes “People are attracted to stories because we’re social creatures and we relate to other people.” The power of storytelling is that it helps us understand each other and develop empathy. Storytelling is a tool that is useful in many scenarios; for presentations, but also to help people frame their thoughts and for gathering information. A story provides both a deeper and more nuanced connection with information than most lists of PowerPoint bullets or even structured requirements documents. The essay provides an excellent supplement to our interview with Jason Little. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 385 features our essay on Agile portfolio metrics. Agile portfolio metrics are integral to prioritization and validating the flow of work. But, Agile portfolio metrics are only useful if they provide value. Metrics and measures add value if they reduce uncertainty so that we can make better decisions. In the second segment, Kim Pries, the Software Sensei asks the question, “Why should we care about diversity?” No spoilers here, but the answer might have something to do with value! Anchoring the cast, Gene Hughson discusses Architecture and OODA Loops: Fast Is Not Enough from his blog Form Follows Function! For those of you that don’t remember, OODA stands for observe, orient, decide, and act. Re-Read Saturday NewsThis week we are back with Chapter 12 of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter 12 we discussed The Ultimate Measurement Instrument: Human Judges. Humans can be a valuable measurement tool; however, that value requires using techniques to correct for the certain errors that are common in unaided human judgment. Upcoming EventsI am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on March 15th at 1 PM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Jason Little. Jason and I discussed his exploration of the use of storytelling in change management. Stories are a powerful tool to develop and hone a big picture view of organizational change. Shameless Ad for my book!Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 384 features our interview with Gwen Walsh. Gwen is the President of TechEdge LLC. We discuss leadership and why leadership is important. We also discuss the topic of performance appraisals and how classic methods can hurt your organization. Gwen’s advice both redefines industry standards and provides you with an idea of what is truly possible. Gwen Walsh has built a career creating and implementing business and technology solutions that redefine the industry standards for both Fortune 100 corporations and entrepreneurial organizations. With over 25 years of experience in leadership development and organizational transformation, Ms. Walsh, founder of TechEdge LLC, helps her clients stay ahead of their competition, stay in touch with their customers and stay in high demand. Ms. Walsh's client portfolio includes Kaiser Permanente, Hospital Corporation of America, Hewlett-Packard, KeyBank, Medical Mutual of Ohio, General Motors, Omaha Public Power District and Anheuser-Busch. Contact information [email protected]://techedgellc.com/https://www.linkedin.com/company/techedge-llchttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gwenwalsh Re-Read Saturday NewsThis week we are back with Chapter 11 of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Chapter 11 begins section four of the book and is titled Preferences and Attitudes: The Softer Side of Measurement. The softer side is a euphemism for attitudes and opinions. In this chapter, we visit how to: · Measure opinions and feelings.· Design out bias in surveys and questions.· Observe opinions and feelings through trade-offs.· Use trade-offs to describe risk tolerance. Anyone living in the United States knows that every election year there are a plethora opinion polls. One of my favorite blogs is Nate Silver’s FiveThrityEight, which shows a wealth of statistical information about sports, economics, culture, and politics (a form of sport). Much of the data presented is a reflection of opinions and attitudes. Often they are real predictors of behavior and product success. Upcoming EventsI am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on March 15th at 1 PM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay on portfolio metrics. Agile portfolio metrics are integral to prioritization and validating the flow of work. But, Agile portfolio metrics are only useful if they provide value. Metrics and measures add value if they reduce uncertainty so that we can make better decisions. We will also have a new installment from the Software Sensei. Kim asks the question, “Why should we care about diversity?” Gene Hughson will anchor cast with another entry from his wonderful blog Form Follows Function! Shameless Ad for my book!Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English h and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 383 features our essay on peer reviews. Peer reviews are a tool to remove defects before we need to either test them out or ask our customers to find them for us. While the data about the benefits of peer reviews is UNAMBIGUOUS, they are rarely practiced well and often turn into a blame apportionment tool. The essay discusses how to do peer reviews, whether you are using Agile or not so that you get the benefits you expect! Our second segment is a visit to the QA Corner. Jeremy Berriault discusses a piece of advice he got from a mentor that continues to pay dividends. This installment of the QA Corner discusses how a QA leader can generate and leverage responsibility without formal authority. Steve Tendon anchors this week’s SPaMCAST discussing Chapter 8 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross. Chapter 8 is titled “Creating A Shared Vision At The Team Level”. We discuss why it is important for the team to have a shared vision, the downside of not having a shared vision and most importantly, how to get a share vision. Remember Steve has a great offer for SPaMCAST listeners. Check out https://tameflow.com/spamcast for a way to get Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach, and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban at 40% off the list price. Re-Read Saturday News This week we are back with Chapter 10 of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter 10 we visited how to use Bayesian Statistics to account for having prior knowledge before we begin measuring. Most common statistics assume that we don’t have prior knowledge of the potential range of what we are measuring or the shape of the distribution. This is often a gross simplification with ramifications! Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on March 15th at 1 PM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! Upcoming Webinars Budgeting, Estimation, Planning, #NoEstimates and the Agile Planning Onion March 1, 2016, 11 AM EST There are many levels of estimation, including budgeting, high-level estimation and task planning (detailed estimation). This webinar challenges the listener to consider estimation as a form of planning. Register Here Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Gwen Walsh. Gwen is the President of TechEdge LLC. We discussed leadership and why leadership is important. We also discussed the topic of performance appraisals and how classic methods can hurt your organization. Gwen’s advice both redefines industry standards and provides you with an idea of what is truly possible. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 382 features our interview with Ben Linders. Ben revisits the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss his recent series of articles on targeting, finding, and eradicating impediments. Ben discussed a platform for continuous process improvement that delivers continuously increasing value! Ben’s Bio: Ben Linders is an Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality and Continuous Improvement, based in The Netherlands. He is the author of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives, Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives, What Drives Quality and Continuous Improvement. As an adviser, coach and trainer he helps organizations by ddeploying effective software development and management practices. He focuses on continuous improvement, collaboration and communication, and professional development, to deliver business value to customers. Ben is an active member of networks on Agile, Lean and Quality, and a frequent speaker and writer. He shares his experience in a bilingual blog (Dutch and English), as an editor for Agile at InfoQ and as an expert on TechTarget. Follow him on twitter: @BenLinders. Ben's impedements articles http://www.benlinders.com/2015/handling-impediments-why-it-matters/ Ben's new book on continuous improvement is available on leanpub: https://leanpub.com/continuousimprovement Re-Read Saturday News We take a break for Podcamp Toronto and to begin the process of picking the next book. What are your suggestions? In the meantime catch up on the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on March 15th at 1PM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! Upcoming Webinars IIST Webinar: Scaling Agile Testing Using the TMMi Date: February 26, 2016Time: 11:00am ESTPresenter: Tom Cagley, VP of Consulting, TMMi Accredited Assessor Agile methods, principles and techniques are core to how many IT organizations develop and maintain software. However, even though techniques like Test-Driven Development and Scrum are widely practiced, one common complaint is that it is difficult to scale these practices. The webinar will outline the TMMi and provide a process for using environmental, technical and project context to effectively integrate testing into an Agile development environment, measuring the effectiveness of the process. Budgeting, Estimation, Planning, #NoEstimates and the Agile Planning OnionMarch 1, 2016, 11 AM ESTThere are many levels of estimation, including budgeting, high-level estimation and task planning (detailed estimation). This webinar challenges the listener to consider estimation as a form of planning. Register Here Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay on focus. The essay is a reaction to an earlier discussion of hyper-connectivity and the techniques to combat the downside of hyper-connectivity, which has convinced me that we are dancing around the bigger workplace issue of how can you stay focused on delivering real business value in an environment that seems to be designed to promote making incremental progress on lots of projects, rather than getting any one of them done. We will also have new entries from the Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner and a discussion with Steve Tendon on Chapter 8 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban. Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 381 features our essay on Agile adoption. Words are important. They can rally people to your banner or create barriers. Every word communicates information and intent. There has been a significant amount of energy spent discussing whether the phrase ‘Agile transformation’ delivers the right message. There is a suggestion that ‘adoption’ is a better term. We shall see! We will also have an entry from Gene Hughson’s Form Follows Function Blog. Gene will discuss his blog entry, Seductive Myths of Greenfield Development. Gene wrote “How often do we, or those around us, long for a chance to do things “from scratch”. The idea being, without the constraints of “legacy” code, we could do things “right”. While it’s a nice idea, it has no basis in reality.” The discussion built from there! And a visit from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries! In the essay, Kim ruminates on the gender gap in computer science education leading to a gender gap in the industry. Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter Nine, we tackle sampling. Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on February 17 at 11 AM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Ben Linders. Ben revisits the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss his recent series of articles on targeting, finding, and eradicating impediments. Ben lays out a process that generates a platform for continuous process improvement that delivers continuously increasing value! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 380 features our interview with Kim Robertson. Kim and I talked about big picture configuration management. Without good configuration managements work, products, and programs often go wildly astray. Kim describes the a process that is as old a dirt . . . but WORKS and delivers value. We also discussed the book Kim co-authored with Jon M Quigley (Jon was interviewed in SPaMCAST 346) Configuration Management: Theory, Practice, and Application. Kims Bio Kim Robertson is a NDIA Certified Configuration Management (CM) practitioner, consultant, and trainer with over 30 years of experience in contracts, subcontracts, finance, systems engineering and configuration management. He has an advanced degree in organizational management with a government contracts specialty and is the co-author of Configuration Management: Theory Practice and Application. He can be reached at [email protected] If you are interested in the seed questions used to frame our interview please visit the SPaMCAST Facebook page. Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of "Intangibles in Business" Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter Eight, we begin the transition from what to measure to how to measure. Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute's Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on February 17 at 11 AM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay on Agile adoption. Words are important. They can rally people to your banner or create barriers. Every word communicates information and intent. There has been a significant amount of energy spent discussing whether the phrase 'Agile transformation' delivers the right message. There is a suggestion that 'adoption' is a better term. We shall see! We will also have an entry from Gene Hughson's Form Follows Function Blog. Gene will discuss his blog entry, Seductive Myths of Greenfield Development. And a visit from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries! Kim's essay is on women in the tech field. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 379 features our short essay on the relationship between done and value. The essay is in response to a question from Anteneh Berhane. Anteneh called me to ask one of the hardest questions I had ever been asked: Why doesn’t the definition of done include value? We will also have an entry of Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner. Jeremy and I discussed test data, and why having a suite of test data that many projects can use is important for efficiency. One question is who should bite the bullet and build the first iteration of any test data library? Steve Tendon completes this cast with a discussion of the next chapter in his book, Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban. Chapter 7 is titled “Budgeting is Harmful.” Steve hits classic budgeting head on, and provides options that improve flexibility and innovation. Remember to help grow the podcast by reviewing the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player. Then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter Seven, we discuss the concept of the economic value of information. Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on February 17 at 11 AM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Kim Robertson. Kim and I talked about the big picture configuration management. Kim suggests that the basic need and process for configuration management has not changed since ancient China. Complexity and speed of change, however, has forced changes to the tools and who needs to be involved in the big picture of configuration management. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

We begin year 10 of the Software Process and Measurement Cast with our Interview with Evan Leybourn. Evan returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss the "end to IT projects." We discussed the idea of #NoProject and continuous delivery, and whether this is just an “IT” thing or something that can encompass the entire business. Evan’s views are informative and bit provocative. I have not stopped thinking about the concepts we discussed since originally taping the interview. Evan last appeared on SPaMCAST 284 – Evan Leybourn, Directing The Agile Organization to discuss his book Directing the Agile Organization. Evan’s BioEvan pioneered the field of Agile Business Management; applying the successful concepts and practices from the Lean and Agile movements to corporate management. He keeps busy as a business leader, consultant, non-executive director, conference speaker, internationally published author and father. Evan has a passion for building effective and productive organizations, filled with actively engaged and committed people. Only through this, can organizations flourish. His experience while holding senior leadership and board positions in both private industry and the government has driven his work in business agility and he regularly speaks on these topics at local and international industry conferences. As well as writing "Directing the Agile Organization.", Evan currently works for IBM in Singapore to help them become a leading agile organization. As always, all thoughts, ideas, and comments are his own and do not represent his clients or employer. All of Evan’s contact information and blog can be accessed on his website. Remember to help grow the podcast by reviewing the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter Six, we discussed using risk in quantitative analysis and the Monte Carlo analysis. Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on February 17 at 11 AM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on the relationship between done and value. The essay is in response to a question from Anteneh Berhane. Anteneh called me to ask one of the hardest questions I had ever been asked: why doesn’t the definition of done include value? We will also have columns from Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner and Steve Tendon discussing the next chapter in the book Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

In this week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature three columns. our essay on empathy. Coaching is a key tool to help individuals and teams reach peak performance. One of the key attributes of a good coach is empathy. Critical to the understanding the role that empathy plays in coaching is understanding the definition of empathy. As a coach, if you can’t connect with those you are coaching you will not succeed. Let’s learn how to become more empathic. Our second column features the return of the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. Kim looks at how we might apply David Allen’s concepts for Getting Things Done (after the book of the same name). Please note the comments reflect the Software Sensei’s interpretation of how Allen’s work might be applied to software development. Anchoring the cast this week is Gene Hughson bringing an entry from the Form Follows Function Blog. Today Gene discussed his essay, Changing Organizations Without Changing People. Gene proclaims, “Changing culture is impossible if you claim to value one thing but your actions demonstrate that you really don’t.” Remember to help grow the podcast by reviewing the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter five, we discussed estimation, calibration and what we know now! Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on February 17 at 11 AM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge In other events, I will give a webinar, titled: Discover The Quality of Your Testing Process on January 19, 2016, at 11:00 am ESTOrganizations that seek to understand and improve their current testing capabilities can use the Test Maturity Model integration (TMMi) as a guide for best practices. The TMMi is the industry standard model of testing capabilities. Comparing your testing organization's performance to the model provides a gap analysis and outlines a path towards greater capabilities and efficiency. This webinar will walk attendees through a testing assessment that delivers a baseline of performance and a set of prioritized process improvements. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our Interview with Evan Leybourn. Evan returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss the "end to IT projects." We discussed the idea of #NoProject and continuous delivery and whether this is just an “IT” thing or something that can encompass the entire business. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week we are doing something special. Right after the New Year holiday, all of the regulars from the Software Process and Measurement Cast gathered virtually to discuss the topics we felt would be important in 2016. The panel for the discussion was comprised of Jeremy Berriault (The QA Corner), Steve Tendon (The TameFlow Approach), Kim Pries (The Software Sensei), Gene Hughson (Form Follows Function) and myself. We had a lively discussion that included the topics of women in tech, microservices, capabilities, business/IT integration and a lot more. Help grow the podcast by reviewing the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of "Intangibles in Business" Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter Four, we focused on two questions. The first is getting the reader to answer what is the decision that measurement is supposed to support. The second is, what is the definition of the thing being measured in terms of observable consequences? Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the CMMI Institute's Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI Capability Challenge session will be held on January 12 at 1 PM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge The Challenge will continue on February 17th at 11 AM. In other events, I will give a webinar, titled: Discover The Quality of Your Testing Process on January 19, 2016, at 11:00 am EST Organizations that seek to understand and improve their current testing capabilities can use the Test Maturity Model integration (TMMi) as a guide for best practices. The TMMi is the industry standard model of testing capabilities. Comparing your testing organization's performance to the model provides a gap analysis and outlines a path towards greater capabilities and efficiency. This webinar will walk attendees through a testing assessment that delivers a baseline of performance and a set of prioritized process improvements. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on empathy. Coaching is a key tool to help individuals and teams reach peak performance. One of the key attributes of a good coach is empathy. Critical to the understanding the role that empathy plays in coaching is understanding the definition of empathy. As a coach, if you can't connect with those you are coaching you will not succeed. We will also have new columns from Kim Pries, The Software Sensei, and Gene Hughson Form Follows Function. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast opens with our essay on quality and measuring quality. Software quality is a simple phrase that is sometimes difficult to define. In SPaMCAST 374, Jerry Weinberg defined software quality as value. In our essay, we see how others have tackled the subject and add our perspective. Jeremy Berriault brings the QA Corner to the first SPaMCAST of 2016, discussing the sticky topic of estimating testing. Estimating has always been a hot button issue that only gets hotter when you add in testing. Jeremy provides a number of pragmatic observations that can help reduce heat the topic generates. Wrapping up the cast, Steve Tendon discusses the topic of discovery driven planning from his book, Tame The Flow. Discovery driven planning is a set of ideas that recognizes that most decisions are made in situations that are full of uncertainty and complexity. We need new tools and mechanisms to avoid disaster. Help grow the podcast by reviewing the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. In Chapter Three, Hubbard explores three misconceptions of measurement that lead people to believe they can’t measure something, three reasons why people think something shouldn’t be measured and four useful measurement assumptions. Upcoming Events I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new competition showcases thought leaders who are building organizational capability and improving performance. The next CMMI Capability Challenge will be held on January 12 at 1 PM EST. http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge The Challenge will continue on February 17th at 11 AM. In other events, I will give a webinar, titled: Discover The Quality of Your Testing Process on January 19, 2016, at 11:00 am EST Organizations that seek to understand and improve their current testing capabilities can use the Test Maturity Model integration (TMMi) as a guide for best practices. The TMMi is the industry standard model of testing capabilities. Comparing your testing organization's performance to the model provides a gap analysis and outlines a path towards greater capabilities and efficiency. This webinar will walk attendees through a testing assessment that delivers a baseline of performance and a set of prioritized process improvements. Next week even more! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast is a panel discussion featuring all of the regulars from the Software Process and Measurement Cast, including Jeremy Berriault, Steve Tendon, Kim Pries, Gene Hughson and myself. We prognosticated a bit on the topics that will motivate software development and process improvement in 2016. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

In this Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Gerald M. Weinberg. We discussed quality and the how quality is related to value. A talk with Jerry is always profound; however, I must admit that Jerry's humor caused me to laugh more times than I can count during our conversation. Gerald Weinberg is the author of more than 100 books, including the best-selling Secrets of Consulting, other non-fiction series, and the ever-popular Women of Power novels. He is a principal in the international consulting firm of Weinberg and Weinberg. The festschrift, The Gift of Time (Fiona Charles, ed.) honors his work for his 75th birthday. His websites may be found at http://www.geraldmweinberg.com and http://www.thewomenofpower.org. Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We continue the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of "Intangibles in Business" Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Chapter Two provides the evidence that measurement does not need to be complex or expensive, and that in the end everything is measurable. Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and ISMA12 to name a few after the New Year. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on quality and measuring quality. Software quality is a simple phrase that is sometimes difficult to define. We will also hear from Steve Tendon on Tame The Flow and from the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. In two weeks on the Software Process and Measurement Cast, we have something even more really special than normal!

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 373 features our essay #NotImplementedNoValue. The twelve principles that underpin the Agile Manifesto include several that link the concept of value to the delivery of working software. The focus on working software stems from one of the four values, “Working software over comprehensive documentation,” which is a reaction to projects and programs that seem to value reports and PowerPoint presentations more than putting software in the hands of users. For a typical IT organization that develops, enhances and maintains the software that the broader organization uses to do their ultimate business; value is only delivered when software can be used in production. We visit Gene Hughson’s Form Follows Function Blog! Gene suggests that while most models have value, some models are can lead to poor decisions. The punchline for the discussion is “Simple is good, but not when it’s too good to be true” Gene builds the case that we need to be cognizant of our biases when using and building models. Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We began the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Chapter one lays out Hubbard’s philosophy and approach to measurement. What do you think is intangible or unmeasurable? Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and ISMA12 to name a few in a few weeks. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Gerald M. Weinberg. Jerry and I discussed quality. With over 42 books to his name (fiction and non-fiction), Jerry is a leader amongst leaders in the software engineering industry. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 372 features our interview with Vasco Duarte. Vasco returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, #NoEstimates Book. In the interview, Vasco and I discussed the underlying concepts behind #NoEstimates and how the concept has matured. If you are interested in project management, estimation and delivering value, the ideas that Vasco discusses will be both controversial and valuable. If we paraphrase Shakespeare, then Estimates or #NoEstimates has to be the question. Let’s answer it! Introducing Vasco: Vasco wants to transform product development organizations into product business organizations. He does that by focusing the work of the product development teams on the end-to-end life-cycle of their products. From Concept to Cash and Back! Vasco Duarte is currently a Managing Partner at Oikosofy. Product Manager, Scrum Master, Project Manager, Director, Agile Coach are only some of the roles that he has taken in software development organizations. Having worked in the software industry since 1997, and Agile practitioner since 2004. He has worked in small, medium and large software organizations as an Agile Coach or leader in agile adoption at those organizations. Vasco was one of the leaders and catalysts of Agile methods and Agile culture adoption at Avira, Nokia and F-Secure. You can read more from Vasco on his blog: http://SoftwareDevelopmentToday.com and join him on twitter: @duarte_vasco Twitter: http://twitter.com/duarte_Vasco Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: http://scrum-master-toolbox.com/ NoEstimates book: http://noestimatesbook.com/ Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News The readers have spoken and next week we will begin the re-read of How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard. Like The Mythical Man-Month that we completed last week, the version we are reading is not the same version I originally read in 2007. Check out the introduction to the next re-read at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and ISMA12 to name a few in a few weeks. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay #NotImplementedNoValue. The twelve principles that underpin the Agile Manifesto include several that link the concept of value to the delivery of working software. The focus on working software stems from one of the four values, “Working software over comprehensive documentation,” which is a reaction to projects and programs that seem to value reports and PowerPoint presentations more than putting software in the hands of users. For a typical IT organization that develops, enhances and maintains the software that the broader organization uses to do their ultimate business, value is only delivered when software can be used in production We will also have a new column from the Software Sensei and will revisit Gene Hughson with an entry from the Form Follows Function Blog! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 371 features our essay on Focus and the Pomodoro technique. Focus might be just about the most important technique available for getting work done. Focus and attention are critical assets that need to be managed or we risk wasting time and energy. We will also include Steve Tendon discussing management’s role in a learning organization from his new book, Tame The Flow. Management needs to both facilitate and participate in a learning organization. A learning organization is a critical success factor for engaging in a knowledge economy. Finally, we will anchor the cast with a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy and I discussed testing environments. Jeremy puts his stamp on the perennial discussion of whether all testing environments need to be production like. Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News We have just completed the re-read of The Mythical Man-Month with the essay titled “The Mythical Man-Month 20 Years Later” Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. We will be choosing the next re-read book to be? One last call for votes. Please vote on the blog! Currently we have a tight battle between: Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business - Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency – Vote Here Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and StarEast to name a few in a few weeks. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will our interview with Vasco Duarte . Vasco returns to the podcast to discuss his new book #NoEstimates Book. In the interview Vasco and I discussed the underlying concepts behind #NoEstimates and how the concept has matured. If you are interested in project management, estimation and delivering value, the ideas the Vasco discusses will be both controversial and valuable. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 370 features my discussion with Greger Wikstrand. Greger and I discussed his article titled “Should you distrust Agile?” and other topics. Greger discussed why some people distrust Agile and whether you and your customers should also distrust Agile software development. After you listen to the podcast, read Greger’s blog on the topic. Greger Wikstrand, Ph.D. M.Sc. is a TOGAF 9 certified enterprise architect with an interest in e-heatlh, m-health and all things agile as well as processes, methods and tools. Greger Wikstrand works as a CTO at Capgemini where he alternates between enterprise advisory services, business development and working with thought leadership. Contact Blog: http://www.gregerwikstrand.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregerwikstrand Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is winding down (we will pick things up next week). We will tackle the essay titled “The Mythical Man-Month 20 Years Later” Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. What would you like the next re-read book to be? Please vote on the blog! Currently, we have a tight battle between: Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business - Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency – Vote Here Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and StarEast to name a few in a few weeks. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our article on Focus and the Pomodoro technique. A discussion on focus during the festive this season might be helpful for making sure you can get to everything that needs to be done. We will also include Steve Tendon discussing the next chapter in his new book, Tame The Flow. Finally, we will anchor the cast with a visit to the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 369 features our essay on stand-up meetings. Stand-up meetings are a combination of tactical planning on steroids and the perfect start to a great day. Stand-up meetings are one the easiest Agile practices to adopt and often one the easiest to mess up. Also, this week features we have Kim Pries and his Software Sensei column. Kim discusses what it takes to move toward mastery. Mastery implies more than just being good at any particular task. The Software Sensei provides a path forward. Gene Hughson brings the first of his discussions on the topic of #NoEstimates from his Form Follows Function blog! Specifically Gene provided a more detail and background on his essay #NoEstimates – Questions, Answers, and Credibility. Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is winding down. THis week we are running a quick poll to identify the next book on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. What would you like the next re-read book to be? Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and StarEast to name a few in a few weeks. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature a discussion with Steve Tendon discussing more of his new book Tame The Flow, and more. (Subject to change due to the Thanksgiving holiday in the States). Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 368 features our interview with Pedro Serrador. We discussed his research, paper, and presentation titled “Does Agile Work?” Pedro lays out his research on whether and not Agile really works. Pedro’s Bio The Software Process and Measurement Cast 368 features our interview with Pedro Serrador. We discussed his research, paper and presentation titled “Does Agile Work?” Pedro lays out his research on whether or not Agile really works. Pedro’s Bio: Pedro M. Serrador, PMP, P.Eng., MBA, PhD is a writer and researcher on project management topics and owner of Serrador Project Management, a consultancy in Toronto, Canada He specializes in technically complex and high risk projects, vendor management engagements, and tailoring and implementing project management methodologies; he has worked on projects in the financial, telecommunications, utility, medical imaging, and simulations sectors for some of Canada's largest companies. His areas of research interest are project success, planning, and agile and he has presented a number of peer-reviewed papers on these topics at academic conferences. He an author of books and articles on project management and is also a regular speaker at PMI global congresses. He currently teaches project management as a part-time faculty member at Humber College in Toronto. He was the recipient of the PMI 2012 James R. Snyder International Student Paper of the Year Award and the Major de Promotion Award for best PhD Thesis 2012-2013 from SKEMA business school. Contact Data LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-serrador-326b751Website: http://www.serrador.net/index.html Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month returns this week when we tackle the essay titled “No Silver Bullet, Refired.” Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Details on 2016 Conferences that include QAI Quest and StarEast to name a few in a few weeks! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on stand-up meetings. Stand-up meetings are a combination of tactical planning on steroids and the perfect start to a great day! We will also have new installments of Kim Pries’s Software Sensei and Gene Hughson’s Form Follows Function Columns! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast includes two columns this week. The first is our essay: Scaled Agile Charters. A scaled Agile charter is not just a thicker team charter because a scaled Agile project is not just a bigger Agile project. Scaled Agile charters need to be assembled part by part based on the needs of the project. This week’s essay provides a path to getting value from scaled Agile charters. The second column is a new installment of Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner! We discussed using communities of practice to spread testing knowledge. A community of practices is a wonderful tool to transfer knowledge and to generate a network among practitioners. Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month returns this week when we tackle the essay titled “No Silver Bullet” Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. In the next few weeks we will start to lay out the 2016 conference calendar. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our interview with Pedro Serrador. We discussed his presentation titled Does Agile Work?, based on the paper he co-authored by the same name. Pedro lays out his research on whether Agile really works. The answer is . . . see you next week. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast features my interview with Jeff Dalton. Jeff returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss the 12 attributes of successful Agile organizations. Jeff talks about the relatively small set of attributes that successful Agile organizations possess and exhibit. These attributes don't occur by accident, but rather are a reflection of hard work and consistency of purpose. We can all reflect and adopt these attributes in our pursuit of success. Jeff shows us how! Jeff's Bio: Jeff Dalton is President of Broadsword, a Certified Lead Appraiser, CMMI Instructor, ScrumMaster and author of "agileCMMI," Broadsword's leading methodology for incremental and iterative process improvement, as well as many published articles and ebooks on performance innovation. Jeff has been selected Keynote Speaker at numerous conferences including the International Conference on CMMI in Lima, Peru, the PMI Great Lakes 2013 Symposium, the 2014 QUEST Conference and Expo, the CMMI SEPG Conference 2014, the CMMI Global Congress 2015, the PM Symposium Indianapolis 2015 and the PM Symposium Chicago 2015. He has appeared multiple times at Agile Development West, Better Software, Agile Processes and Tools, AgileDC, and at Software Process Improvement Network (SPIN) and Agile Leadership Network (ALN) meetups throughout North America. Jeff served as the Chairman of the Partner Advisory Board at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) and CMMI Institute from 2011-2014 during their transition period. He has been president of Great Lakes Software Process Improvement Network, and is a recipient of the prestigious Software Engineering Institute's SEI Member Award for Outstanding Representative for his work uniting the Agile and CMMI communities through his popular blog "Ask the CMMI Appraiser." He holds degrees in Music and Computer Science and builds experimental airplanes in his spare time. Jeff can be reached at [email protected]. Contact Data: Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @CMMIAppraiser Blog: http://askthecmmiappraiser.blogspot.com/ Web: http://www.broadswordsolutions.com/ also see: www.cmmi-tv.com Previous Appearances on the podcast: SPaMCAST 296 – Jeff Dalton, CMMI, Agile, Resiliency SPaMCAST 176 - Jeff Dalton, CMMI, Scrum and Agile Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month returns this week when we tackle the essay titled "The Other Face" Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Agile Development Conference East November 8-13, 2015 Orlando, Florida http://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast returns to the topic of Agile Project Charters, tackling the concepts needed to scale a charter to an Agile project or program. When Agile projects scale up to handle larger efforts additional steps are often required. Additional steps can lead to bloat if you do not take care. We will also have a new installment of Jeremy Berriault's QA Corner! We discussed the definition of test cases and why they are so important to delivering quality code! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: "This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process for you or your team." Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast includes three columns! The first is our essay on Agile Project Charters. Project charters, done correctly, can play an extremely important role in the initiation of projects. The essay lays out how Agile projects can get the benefit of a project charter, without the bloat and shelfware that often get attached to project charters. Software process and Measurement Cast 365 also features the return of the Software Sensei with a discussion of improvisation in software development. Kim Pries writes, “Many people think improvising means making things up, on the spot, without any advance preparation. I prefer a different definition: creating something special from whatever ordinary ingredients happen to be available. I would suggest we can go beyond this definition—good improvisation is a sign of mastery of one’s craft. Furthermore, truly great improvisation always involves ensembles (i.e., leave your ego at the door).” A powerful and important essay for anyone interested in delivering software. Finally, Gene Hughson brings a new installment from his Form Follows Function blog to the Software Process and Measurement Cast with a discussion of his entry titled, “Maybe It’s Time for Customer-Driven Development.” Gene reminds us that the point of all work is pleasing a customer. That is a reminder that we all need to hear over and over and over to ensure it sticks! Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on iTunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month returns this week when we tackle the essay titled “Hatching a Catastrophe!” Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Agile Development Conference East November 8-13, 2015 Orlando, Florida http://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features my interview with Jeff Dalton. Jeff returns to the Software Process and Measurement Cast to discuss the attributes of successful organizations. There are a relatively small set of attributes that successful organizations exhibit. These attribute don’t occur by accident, but rather are a reflection of hard work and consistency of purpose. We can all reflect and adopt these attributes in our pursuit of success. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

I am still on vacation (at least for a few more hours), and this week we have another mixtape for you. This week I have included the responses to the “if you could fix any two (or sometimes one) things” question I ask at the end every interview from the three most downloaded interviews of 2014. The top three were: SPaMCAST 302 featured Larry Maccherone. Larry’s two wishes were: That we unlearn the natural tendency to look at how a number can be gamed rather than how it can be used. That he had access to all data and infinite time to analyze the data. Listen to the whole interview with Larry! SPaMCAST 318 featured Rob Cross. Rob wished that: Organizations would realize it is not the tools rather it is the data that counts. Organizations need to change their culture to focus on security. Listen to the whole interview! SPaMCAST 310 featured the return of Mike Burrows. Mike only had one wish this time: Development organizations need to embrace balance as a value. Mike made the list two years in a row! Listen to the whole interview with Mike. If these excerpts tickled your fancy listen to the whole interview by clicking on the links shown above. Next week we will return to regular programming with our essay on Agile Project Charters.

I am on vacation for a two weeks and could not leave you without some Monday morning mind candy, therefore, we are doing two very special shows this week and next. This week I have included the responses to the “if you could fix any two (or sometimes just one) things” question I ask at the end every interview from the three most downloaded interviews of 2013. The top three and one extra were:: SPaMCAST 224 featured Mike Burrows. Mike focused his wishes on: Changes agents need to take their role as change agents seriously. Delay is expensive. Link: http://spamcast.libsyn.com/s-pa-mcast-224-mike-burrows-kanban-values SPaMCAST 246 featured Tobias Mayer. Tobias focused his wish on: People, not management or consultants, need to own scrum. (One wish was enough for Tobias) Link: http://spamcast.libsyn.com/s-pa-mcast-246-tobias-mayer-t-he-people-s-scrum SPaMCAST 270 featured Alan Shalloway. Alan focused his two wishes on: Everyone needs to acknowledge there are laws of software development. Assuming that everyone involved in delivering software is highly motivated. Link: http://spamcast.libsyn.com/s-pa-mcast-270-alan-shalloway-sa-fe-lean-kanban And just because I could . . . a bit of lagniappe, SPaMCAST 138 Featured Jo Ann Sweeney. Jo Ann focused her wishes on: Reminding the listeners that change often starts before IT starts a project there we need to listen carefully to the stakeholders. Project teams should care about end users. Link: http://spamcast.libsyn.com/s-pa-mcast-138-jo-ann-sweeney-communication If these excerpts tickled your fancy listen to the whole interview by clicking on the links shown above. Next week the best excerpts from 2014!

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Chris Nurre. Chris is a developer and Agile Coach extraordinaire. We explored the role of an Agile coach from the point of view of someone that is actively involved in delivering code, both technically and as a change agent. Chris likes to keep his bio short and sweet: Chris is an Agile coach, Apple developer and Clevelander. Co-organizer of Cleveland Agile Group #CleAG Chris’s contact data:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-nurre/4/322/22bTwitter: http://twitter.com/cnurreEmail: [email protected] Call to Action! Review the SPaMCAST on ITunes, Stitcher or your favorite podcatcher/player and then share the review! Help your friends find the Software Process and Measurement Cast. After all, friends help friends find great podcasts! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “The Whole and the Parts”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Agile Philly - AgileTour 2015October 5, 2015http://www.agilephilly.com/events/agiletour-2015 I will be speaking on Agile Risk Management Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will be a special show. We are going to feature the “if you could fix any two things” question I asks at the end every interview from the three most downloaded interviews of all times. PS I will visiting Krakow and Prague over the next few weeks shoot me an email and let me know where the best places to get a beer are found! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast includes two columns. The first is our essay on software measurement. When we measure we are sending an explicit message about what is important to the organization, and therefore sending an explicit signal about how we expect people to act. Remember the old adage, “you get what you measure.” Our second column this week is from Gene Hughson and his Form Follows Function blog. In this installment Gene throws down the gauntlet to ask the questions, “Who needs architects?” Call to Action! For the remainder of September let’s try something a little different. Forget about iTunes reviews, and tell a friend or a coworker about the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Let’s use word of mouth will help grow the audience for the podcast. After all the SPaMCAST provides you with value, why keep it yourself?! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Sharp Tools”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Agile Philly - AgileTour 2015October 5, 2015http://www.agilephilly.com/events/agiletour-2015 I will be speaking on Agile Risk Management More conferences next week, including Agile DC! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Chris Nurre. Chris is a developer and Agile Coach extraordinaire. We explored the role of a coach from the point of view of someone that is actively involved in changing the world, one team at a time. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature interview with Steve Boronski. Steve and I had a great conversation about Agile and Prince2. The conversation focused on the new Prince2 Agile Project Management Best Practice extension to Prince2 and why the world needs another interpretation of Agile project management. Once you have listened to the SPaMCAST 360 revisit my first interview with Steve on SPaMCAST 184. Steve is a Project and Program Management professional with many years practical experience developed in both the public and private sectors. He specializes in IT enabled Business Change assisting many organizations to use a structured approach to their business changes, from Portfolio to Program and Project delivery mechanisms. Steve now spends most of his time travelling the world, training and consulting, helping people to learn and apply PRINCE2®, PRINCE2 Agile™, MSP® and P3O® all Best Practice Guidance freely available from the UK Cabinet Office for worldwide application. Contact Information:Email: [email protected]: http://www.ilxgroup.comLinked In: http://ow.ly/azUqhPrince 2 Official Site: http://www.prince-officialsite.com/ Call to Action! For the remainder of September let’s try something a little different. Forget about iTunes reviews and tell a friend or a coworker about the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Let’s use word of mouth will help grow the audience for the podcast. After all the SPaMCAST provides you with value, why keep it yourself?! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Plan to Throw One Away”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Agile Philly - AgileTour 2015October 5, 2015http://www.agilephilly.com/events/agiletour-2015 I will be speaking on Agile Risk Management More conferences next week including Agile DC! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will an essay on measurement. When we measure we are sending an explicit message about what is important to the organization and therefore sending an explicit signal on how we expect people to act (remember the old adage, “you get what you measure”). We will also include a visit to the QA Corner and perhaps a new installment from Steve Tendon’s book on the TameFlow method. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features three columns. The first our essay on Reviews and Inspections. Reviews and inspections are a critical tool for improving quality and team effectiveness. Whether you are using Agile or classic techniques improving your reviews and inspections will directly increase the value you deliver. We also have a new entry in the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy and I discussed the value of independent QA. Anchoring the cast is a new installment from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. Kim contrasts planned activities and improvisation in software development. Kim builds on the differences in the two approaches to help teams to understand when to do either. Call to Action! For the remainder of September let’s try something a little different. Forget about iTunes reviews and tell a friend or a coworker about the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Let’s use word of mouth will help grow the audience for the podcast. After all the SPaMCAST provides you with value, why keep it yourself?! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “The Documentary Hypothesis”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test ManagementSeptember 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams. Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code. Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. More conferences next week including Agile DC and Agile Philly! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature interview with Steve Boronski. Steve and I had a great conversation about Agile and Prince2. The conversation focused on the new Prince2 Agile Project Management Best Practice extension to Prince2 and why the world needs another interpretation of Agile project management. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement features our interview with Julia Wester. Julia is an Improvement Coach at LeanKit and writes the Every Kanban Blog. Julia and I discussed the role of management in Agile. Is it time to throw out managers? Julia’s perspectives is that management must play a constructive role in helping Agile teams deliver the most value. Julia espouses Lean principles and considers herself on an eternal journey to make teams as happy, effective and customer-value oriented as possible. As an Improvement Coach at LeanKit, she is excited to continue to learn and integrate Lean principles into efforts that help others tame the chaos of traditional organizations and streamline processes in order to make customers and teams more satisfied. You can read more about Julia at her blog, Everyday Kanban Reach out to Julia on twitter @everydaykanban and visit LeanKit Call to Action! For the remainder of September let’s try something a little different. Forget about iTunes reviews and tell a friend or a coworker about the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Let’s use word of mouth will help grow the audience for the podcast. After all the SPaMCAST provides you with value, why keep it yourself? Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Ten Pounds In A Five-Pound Package”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams. Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code. Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Florida http://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. More conferences next week including Agile DC and Agile Philyy! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on Reviews and inspections. Reviews and inspections are critical tools for improving quality and team effectiveness. We will also have a new QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault and a new installment from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement our essay on Mind Mapping. I view Mind Mapping as a great technique to stimulate creative thinking and organize ideas. Mind Mapping is one of my favorite tools. Note: this essay has a lot of visual examples, while there they are explained in the reading of the essay, I have also included them in a separate document for reference. We also feature Steve Tendon’s column discussing the TameFlow methodology and Chapter 4 of his great book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance. Steve and I discussed the impact of management’s profound understanding of knowledge work and that understandings impact on the delivery of value. Anchoring the cast will be Gene Hughson, returning with an entry from his Form Follows Function blog. This week Gene discusses the ideas in his entry, “Who Needs Architects?” Call to Action! For the remainder of August and September let’s try something a little different. Forget about iTunes reviews and tell a friend or a coworker about the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Let’s use word of mouth will help grow the audience for the podcast. After all the SPaMCAST provides you with value, why keep it yourself?! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Calling The Shot”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams. Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code. Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement feature our interview with Julia Wester. Julia is an Improvement Coach at LeanKit and writes the Every Kanban Blog. Julia and I had wide ranging conversation that included both process improvement and the role of management in Agile. Julia’s [WHAT?] is that management can play a constructive role in helping Agile teams deliver the most value. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The Software Process and Measurement 356 features our interview with Steve Turner. Steve and I talked time management and email inbox tyranny! If you let your inbox and interruptions manage your day you will deliver less value than you should and feel far less in control than you could! Steve’s Bio: With a background in technology and nearly 30 years of business expertise, Steve has spent the last eight years sharing technology and time management tools, techniques and tips with thousands of professionals across the country. His speaking, training and coaching has helped many organizations increase the productivity of their employees. Steve has significant experience working with independent sales and marketing agencies. His proven ability to leverage technology (including desktops, laptops and mobile devices) is of great value to anyone in need of greater sales and/or productivity results. TurnerTime℠ is time management tools, techniques and tips to effectively manage e-mails, tasks and projects. Contact Information:Email: [email protected]: www.GetTurnerTime.com Call to Action! For the remainder of August and September let’s try something a little different. Forget about iTunes reviews and tell a friend or a coworker about the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Let’s use word of mouth will help grow the audience for the podcast. After all the SPaMCAST provides you with value, why keep it yourself?! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Why Did the Tower Babel Fall”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams. Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code. Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement feature our essay on mind mapping. To quote Tony Buzan, Mind Mapping is a technique for radiant thinking. I view it as a technique to stimulate creative thinking and organize ideas. I think that is what Tony meant by radiant thinking. Mind Mapping is one of my favorite tools. We will also feature Steve Tendon’s column discussing the TameFlow methodology and his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance. Anchoring the cast will be Gene Hughson returning with an entry from his Form Follows Function blog. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features three columns. The first is our essay on Agile Success Factors. We recently surveyed a group of people actively involved in the software development field. In the essay we discuss the top ten (factors involved in successfully using Agile. This cast also includes a new entry in Jeremy Berriault’s QA Corner. Jeremy discussed the sticky topics of who owns QA (testing) and who owns quality. Jeremy’s take on ownership of testing and quality is thought provoking. After listening we would like your take on the topic. In the third column, Kim Pries brings his popular Software Sensei column to bear on the prototypes and frameworks in software development. Kim explores the many of the different types of models that exist and discusses when and where they can be used. Call to Action! It is time to start building our fall and winter interview schedule. Who would you like us to interview or is there a topic you want to hear discussed? Please send us an email at [email protected]. Re-Read Saturday News We are taking a day off this week to attend Podcamp Pittsburgh X. We are re-visiting the first re-read we ever did which was focused on Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test ManagementSeptember 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams. Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code. Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement feature our interview with Steve Turner. Steve and I talked time management and email inbox tyranny! As the summer winds down in the northern hemisphere, it is time to start thinking about getting in control of our time and inbox so that we can be not only more productive, but dare I say, more satisfied. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

The week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Allan Kelly. We talked #NoProjects and having a focus of delivering a consistent flow of value. The classic project framework causes us to focus on being on-time, on-budget and on-scope, but not on-value. If we don’t focus on delivering the maximum value we are doing both our customers and ourselves a great disservice. Allan Kelly advises teams from many different companies and domains on adopting and deepening Agile practices and development in general. He specializes in working with software product companies and aligning products and processes with company strategy. When he is not with clients he writes far too much. He holds BSc and MBA degrees, is the author of three books: "Xanpan - team centric Agile Software Development" (https://leanpub.com/xanpan), "Business Patterns for Software Developers" and “Changing Software Development: Learning to be Agile”. In addition he is the originator of Retrospective Dialogue Sheets (http://www.dialoguesheets.com) and a regular conference speaker. He can be found on Twitter as @allankellynet (http://twitter.com/allankellynet) and blogs (http://blog.allankelly.net). Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Passing the Word”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams. Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code. Agile Development Conference EastNovember 8-13, 2015Orlando, Floridahttp://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk. Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement feature our essay titled, Agile Success. How do we define success with Agile? If we can’t define what success using Agile is and how we can measure it, anyone adopting Agile is bound to wander aimlessly. Wandering aimlessly is bad for your career and potentially for the careers of everyone around you! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast features three columns. The first is our essay on learning styles. Learning styles are useful to consider when you are trying to change the world or just and an organization. While opposites might attract in poetry and sitcoms, however rarely do opposite learning styles work together well in teams without empathy and a dash of coaching. Therefore, the coach and teams need to have an inventory of learning styles on the team. Models and active evaluation against a model are tools to generate knowledge about teams so they can tune how they work to maximize effectiveness. Our second column features Gene Hughson bringing the ideas from his wonderful Form Follows Function Blog. Gene talks about the topic of microservices. Gene challenges the idea that microservices are a silver bullet. We anchor this week’s SPaMCAST with Steve Tendon’s column discussing the TameFlow methodology and his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance. One of the topics Steve tackles this week is the idea of knowledge workers and why a knowledge worker is different. The differences Steve describes are key to developing a hyper-productive environment. Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “The Second-System Effect”! Check out the new installment at Software Process and Measurement Blog. Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015 San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams! Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code! Agile Development Conference East November 8-13, 2015 Orlando, Florida http://adceast.techwell.com/ I will be speaking on November 12th on the topic of Agile Risk! Let me know if you are going and we will have a SPaMCAST Meetup. Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Allan Kelly. We talked #NoProjects and having a focus of delivering a consistent flow of value. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 352 features our interview with Gil Broza. We discussed Gil’s new book The Agile Mind-Set. Do you know what the Agile Mind-Set is or how to get one? Gil’s new book explains the concept of the Agile Mind-Set and how you can find it in order to deliver more value! Gil Broza helps organizations, teams and individuals implement high-performance Agile principles and practices that work for them. His coaching and training clients – over 1,300 professionals in 40 companies – have delighted their customers, shipped working software on time, increased their productivity and decimated their software defects. Beyond teaching, Gil helps people overcome limiting habits, fears of change, blind spots and outdated beliefs, and reach higher levels of performance, confidence and accomplishment. Gil is the author of The Agile Mind-Set and The Human Side of Agile: How to Help Your Team Deliver. Gil has a M.Sc. in Computational Linguistics and a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He is a certified NLP Master Practitioner and has studied organizational behavior and development extensively. He has written several practical papers for the Cutter IT Journal, other trade magazines, and for conferences, winning the Best Practical Paper award at XP/Agile Universe 2004. Gil co-produced the Agile Coaching stage for the “Agile 2010” and “Agile 2009” conferences. Gil lives in Toronto, Canada. Contact Data:http://www.3pvantage.com/index.htmhttps://leanpub.com/theagilemindsethttp://thehumansideofagile.com/https://twitter.com/gilbroza Gil was last interviewed on SPaMCAST 210. We discussed his first book The Human Side of Agile. Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “Aristocracy, Democracy and System Design”! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think? Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams! Let me know if you are attending! If you are still deciding on attending let me know because I have a discount code! More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features three columns. The first is our essay on leaning styles. Learning styles are an interesting set of constructs that are useful to consider when you are trying to change the world or just and an organization. We will also include Steve Tendon’s column discussing the TameFlow methodology and his great new book, Hyper-Productive Knowledge Work Performance. Anchoring the cast will be Gene Hughson returning with an entry from his Form Follows Function column. Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 351 includes three columns. The first is our essay on distributed Agile. What is distributed Agile? The phrase "distributed Agile" is often used indiscriminately; therefore definitions can cover a wide range of situations and evoke a wide range of emotions. A precise definition encompasses three concepts. The first is a team, project or program that is using Agile techniques. The second is geographic distribution describing where team members are located. The location of team members in a distributed team can range from being spread across a single building to members sprinkled across continents. Finally, the third is organizational distribution, meaning that teams can be comprised of members from different companies. No matter the definition, distributed Agile is different. The Software Sensei, Kim Pries dives into the Illusion of Control. Kim reminds us to drop the egos before you start working and choose your weapons unemotionally! Jeremy Berriault brings a new installment of his QA Corner. Jeremy discussed why testing is not just a random event. Testing requires planning or you will waste time, effort or your quality. Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News Remember that the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month is in full swing. This week we tackle the essay titled “The Surgical Team”! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think? Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management ConferenceSeptember 13 – 18, 2015San Diego, Californiahttp://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams! Let me know if you are attending! I HAVE A SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE. . . just ask! More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our interview with Gil Broza. We discussed Gil’s new book The Agile Mindset. Teams and organizations with an Agile mindset deliver more value; however many in the Agile community don’t know or don’t embrace an Agile Mindset. Gil’s new book explains the concept of the Agile Mindset and how you can find it! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 350 features our interview with Arlene Minkiewicz. Arlene and I talked technical debt. Our discussion included the definition of technical debt, a set of philosophies for technical debt and perhaps a few solutions. Regardless of philosophy or approach, a little technical debt goes a long way! Arlene F. Minkiewicz is the Chief Scientist at PRICE Systems, LLC with over 30 years of experience at PRICE building cost models. She leads the cost research activity for TruePlanning, the suite of cost estimating products that PRICE provides. She is a software measurement expert dedicated to finding creative solutions focused on helping make software development professionals successful. She is widely published and speaks frequently on software related topics. She has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MS in Computer Science from Drexel University. Email: [email protected]: @arleneminkWebsite: www.pricesystems.com Call to Action! I have a challenge for the Software Process and Measurement Cast listeners for the next few weeks. I would like you to find one person that you think would like the podcast and introduce them to the cast. This might mean sending them the URL or teaching them how to download podcasts. If you like the podcast and think it is valuable they will be thankful to you for introducing them to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Thank you in advance! Re-Read Saturday News We have just begun the Re-Read Saturday of The Mythical Man-Month (buy it here to support the podcast). We are off to rousing start beginning with the Tar Pit. Get a copy now and start reading! The Re-Read Saturday and other great articles can be found on the Software Process and Measurement Blog. Remember: We just completed the Re-Read Saturday of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement which began on February 21nd. What did you think? Did the re-read cause you to read The Goal for a refresher? Visit the Software Process and Measurement Blog and review the whole re-read. Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Upcoming Events Software Quality and Test Management September 13 – 18, 2015 San Diego, California http://qualitymanagementconference.com/ I will be speaking on the impact of cognitive biases on teams! Let me know if you are attending! More on other great conferences soon! Next SPaMCast The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature our essay on distributed Agile. Distributed Agile is not just Scrum and other Agile techniques over a distance. As distribution and cultural diversity increase what worked for a co-located team will often fall short. We will identify solutions next week! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.