Software Process and Measurement Cast

Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery by Thomas M Cagley Jr and Jeremy Willets, gives you the tools to prioritize and deliver the right work at the right time. The book is on the shelves today! One of the topics covered in the book 9 Core Principles of Work Intake. Today's audio promo describes the 9 principles to promote both the book and our cohort-based workshop. To whet your whistle, when you join the cohort waitlist (near the bottom of the Maven landing page) you will receive a copy of the 9 Core Work Intake Principles Worksheet. This is one of the handouts from the class that you can use to determine how your team or organization is doing with them. Purchase a copy of Mastering Work Intake at: J Ross: https://bit.ly/474ul6G or Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 Sign up or join the waiting list for the workshop at https://bit.ly/3HEsKK7 If you have any questions email me at [email protected]

Happy Birthday to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. Today we begin year 18 with our interview with Gil Broza. Gill and I discussed his new book, Deliver Better Results: How to Unlock Your Organization's Potential. The book is available NOW! I am excited by the ideas in the book and I think you will be also. If you are involved in improving value delivery this is a must-have-book. Why? Because it identifies what organizations that successfully improve value delivery have in common and provides those ideas to you. Gill specializes in helping leaders deliver far better results by upgrading their organizations' Agile ways of working. He is the author of Deliver Better Results, The Agile Mind-Set, The Human Side of Agile, and Agile for Non-Software Teams Listen to the podcast and then download Chapter 1 from: HeardOnPodcast.DeliverBetterResultsBook.com Other Contact Links: The book: https://3pvantage.com/dbr-book/ Gill's My website: https://3pvantage.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbroza/ Mastering Work Intake by Tom Cagley and Jeremy Willets Have you purchased your copy of Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery? Doing the right work at the right time can make or break your project, and there are surprisingly few resources to show you how to manage this process effectively - no longer. Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery focuses on the full pipeline that work follows as it enters and exits your organization, including the different types of work that enter at different levels and times. It is a must-read for agile coaches, Scrum Masters, product owners, project and portfolio managers, team members, and anyone who touches the software development process. Mastering work intake involves recognizing that it's easy to say " yes" and much harder to say " no." Buy a copy today! J Ross: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 For physical copies outside of the US and Canada: UK and EU: https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/ For international orders outside of Europe: https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 (or the Amazon store for your country) Re-read Saturday News Chapter Six, of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability, is titled Detecting Signals on PBCs. Finding a signal in the noise is like separating the wheat from the chaff. Adding to the pile of quotes, one of the most enduring is "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." A more appropriate version in the context of this chapter might be "Give a person some data and they will see a trend. Teach a person to detect a signal and they won't be as silly" – doesn't have the same punch, but the new version encapsulates Chapter 6. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: Process Behavior Charts Part 2 - https://bit.ly/424O5Wc Week 6: How Much Data? - https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Week 7: Detecting Signals - https://bit.ly/3SjwfdO Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 793 explores the relationship between value stream mapping and work intake. The whole value chain needs to understand why mastering work intake delivers more value for everyone! We will also have a visit from Kies Kostaqi who brings her "You Are Not Alone" column to the podcast.

With SPaMCAST 791 we complete Year 17 with our interview with Vinnie GIl. Vinnie and I talked about conferences and staying connected with the Agile Community. One of the topics we covered was the value of conferences and meetups to the community and individuals—a great way to complete year 17. Vinnie puts people and culture first. She enjoys connecting with people and companies to find their purpose, walking alongside them in their organisational growth journey. Her passion is influencing change at the Enterprise level to help bring about wide-ranging agile organisational transformation. Vinnie has vast industry and deep business experience in mining, engineering, retail, financial services, public sector, education, travel, and automotive to name a few. She has over 20 years in the project space and previously held roles in Project Management, Contracts, IT, HR, Strategy as well as experience working in and with start-up companies. She is a Chartered Fellow of the MCIPD. She is deeply involved in the Agile community and volunteers her time with the Business Agility Institute, in addition to being a member of the International Consortium for Agile. She is an IC Agile Authorised Instructor and teaches ICP Leading With Agility and Agility in Human Resources. Vinnie has a special interest in educating and education being the tool that empowers people. As an international conference speaker, she enjoys sharing real life agile learnings with a hint of banter. Mastering Work Intake by Tom Cagley and Jeremy Willets Have you purchased your copy of Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery? Doing the right work at the right time can make or break your project, and there are surprisingly few resources to show you how to manage this process effectively - no longer. Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery focuses on the full pipeline that work follows as it enters and exits your organization, including the different types of work that enter at different levels and times. It is a must-read for agile coaches, Scrum Masters, product owners, project and portfolio managers, team members, and anyone who touches the software development process. Mastering work intake involves recognizing that it's easy to say " yes" and much harder to say " no." Buy a copy today! J Ross: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 For physical copies outside of the US and Canada: UK and EU: https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/ For international orders outside of Europe: https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 (or the Amazon store for your country) Note: The Publisher indicates that it takes a while for the physical copies to get to the distributors outside of the USA and Canada. Re-read Saturday News This week, Chapter 5 of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. The question of how much data is required to determine what is happening in a system is a perennial bugaboo. Those predisposed to acting tend to think less is more, while those with more reticence sometimes wait forever to make a decision. The question of how much data is needed is more than just a footnote in flow. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Week 5: How Much Data? - https://bit.ly/47GVP24 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 792 begins Year 18 with our interview with Gil Broza. Gill and I talked about his new book, Deliver Better Results: How to Unlock Your Organization's Potential. The book explores what all successful improvements to value delivery have in common.

SPaMCAST 790 features our interview with Stefan Wolpers. Stefan and I talked about the Scrum Master's role in the 21st Century, his new book The Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide (buy a copy), and remembering that it's all about people. Stefan's Bio: Embarking on a Scrum career unintentionally in 2006, Stefan was initiated as a Scrum Master for a small German startup. Lacking initial knowledge but employing careful observation, note-taking, and dialogue, the author embraced the role and learned from the team's experiences. Eighteen years into his Scrum journey, Stefan maintains an unwavering appetite for learning, humbled by the vast knowledge shared within the agile community. Recognizing newcomers' overwhelming challenges in this field due to scarce formal education, he aspires to provide guidance, emphasizing a pragmatic, common-sense approach grounded in observing human interaction and collaboration. Since 2019, Stefan has served as a Professional Scrum Trainer for Scrum.org. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stefanwolpers Email: [email protected] Websites age-of-product.com (Other) youtube.com/ageofproduct (Other) berlin-product-people.com/ (Company) Mastering Work Intake by Tom Cagley and Jeremy Willets HAS PUBLISHED! Jeremy Willets and I have been gobsmacked by the reaction to Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery. Doing the right work at the right time can make or break your project, and there are surprisingly few resources to show you how to manage this process effectively - no longer. Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery focuses on the full pipeline that work follows as it enters and exits your organization, including the different types of work that enter at different levels and times. It is a must-read for agile coaches, Scrum Masters, product owners, project and portfolio managers, team members, and anyone who touches the software development process. Mastering work intake involves recognizing that it's easy to say " yes" and much harder to say " no." Buy a copy today! JRoss: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 For physical copies outside of the US and Canada: UK and EU: https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/ For international orders outside of Europe: https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 (or the Amazon store for your country) Note: The Publisher indicates that it takes a while for the physical copies to get to the distributors outside of the USA and Canada. Re-read Saturday News We continue with Chapter Four of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability, titled Process Behaviour Charts, this week. Humans often fall prey to seeing trends when they don't exist. Today we construct an XmR chart to begin to fix that failing. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Week 4: Process Behavior Charts Part 1 – https://bit.ly/3Huainr Next SPaMCAST With SPaMCAST 791 we will complete Year 17 with our interview with Vinnie GIl. Vinnie and I talked about conferences and staying connected with the Agile Community. A great way to complete year 17.

As a coach and mentor, I often observe meetings and events so I can debrief with the person(s) I am coaching afterward and provide them with a different perspective. I was involved in observing a planning session in which a stakeholder stated, "Combine these two items, they are similar, and only count it as one toward our capacity." What? We also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column. Jon and I talk about including technical people in sales and estimates. New Book! Jeremy Willets and I have written Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery which will be released on January 9th. Regardless of whether you're creating, enhancing, or maintaining software products, work intake is a challenge you deal with constantly. Doing the right work at the right time can make or break your project, and there are surprisingly few resources to show you how to manage this process effectively. You need to know what your team is executing, what work is next, and the skill sets required to do the work. Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery focuses on the full pipeline that work follows as it enters and exits your organization, including the different types of work that enter at different levels and times. It is a must-read for agile coaches, Scrum Masters, product owners, project and portfolio managers, team members, and anyone who touches the software development process. Mastering work intake involves recognizing that it's easy to say " yes" and much harder to say " no." Order or preorder your copy from JRoss: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon (US): https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 For physical copies outside of the US and Canada: UK and EU: https://www.eurospanbookstore.com/ For international orders outside of Europe: https://a.co/d/7nYupx5 (or the Amazon store for your country) Note: The Publisher indicates that it takes a while for the physical copies to get to the distributors outside of the USA and Canada. Re-read Saturday News Chapter Four of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability, titled Process Behaviour Charts is a trojan horse. This chapter is substantially more than a rehash of Process Behaviour Charts. The chapter corrected a misconception I have had for at least twenty years which we will get to in Part 2 of our re-read of chapter 4 (we are taking two weeks on this chapter to set up chapters 5 and 6). Thanks, Mr. Vacanti. Buy a copy and get reading – Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability – https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 790 will feature our interview with Stefan Wolpers. Stefan and I talked about the Scrum Master role in the 21st Century.

SPaMCAST 788 is our annual SPaMCAST panel featuring most of the podcast regulars including: Jeremy Berriault, Keis Kostaqi, Jon M. Quigley, Jeremy Willets, and Tom Cagley appears in the ringmaster role. Tony Timbol and Susan Parente, regular contributors, were unable to join and we missed them (this time of year is busy). Maybe I should do the annual panel in February, no one is busy in the colder parts of February. During this year's panel, we talked about using AIs in coaching, working in the office, Jon tent, and took a look into 2024. This is a long podcast so I will keep the chit-chat down to a dull roar. Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means "no agile for you". Jeremy Willets and I have written Mastering Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine concise lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 789 we will continue on our tour of some of the least talked about and most scary work intake problems. This is in the run-up to the release of Mastering Work Intake on January 9th. Preorder your copy now! We will also have a visit from Mr Jon M Quigley who is bringing his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast.

This week we continue in the minefield of why starting everything you are asked to do is problematic that we began in SPaMCAST 785. Framing the discussion is a text from a friend of the cast which highlights those requests that you just can't say no to. Lots of rationalizations and negative impacts. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. In this installment, we discuss the idea that everyone has a book in them. Re-Read Saturday News Vacanti begins Chapter 3 of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability, by reminding the reader: "A predictable process behaves in a way we expect it to." Further a predictable process exhibits only routine variation which means learning to distinguish signal and noise. Buy a copy and get reading - Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. The current re-read entry Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface – https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation – https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Week 3: Variation and Predictability - https://bit.ly/3tAVWhq Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means "no agile for you". Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine concise lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 788 we will feature the annual SPaMCAST panel. As always the conversation will be rollicking. The topics will cover AI, working in the office, and a look into 2024.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 784 features our conversation with Kevin Surace. Kevin is an AI Inventor, Futurist, and Keynote Speaker. We talk about the hype and promise of AI and whether you can ignore using AI in the workplace. My synopsis, embrace AI or live under a bridge. That might be a bit of hyperbole but if you lived through the PC revolution and the birth of the internet I think not. Kevin's Bio Kevin Surace, is a renowned futurist, disruptive innovation keynote speaker, and pioneer in the AI space since the 1990s He is the CTO of Appvance.ai which applies AI in the testing space. Kevin has an impressive portfolio of nearly 100 worldwide patents, including the groundbreaking technology behind Siri and other virtual assistants. He is the visionary creator of one of the world's first smartphones and a dynamic speaker featured in over 15 thought-provoking TED and TEDx talks. His accomplishments have earned him accolades such as Inc. Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year, CNBC's Innovator of the Decade, and an esteemed induction into RIT's prestigious Innovation Hall of Fame. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksurace/ Personal Website: KevinSurace.com Twitter: @kevinsurace Business Website: https://appvance.ai/ Re-Read Saturday News This week we begin the read of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability by Daniel S. Vacanti in earnest covering Chapters One and Two. These two chapters provide a statistical cautionary tale and then go on to define variability. The definition of variability is a foundation that much of AA Volume II builds on. Buy a copy and get reading - Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. The current re-read entry Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface - https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Week 2: Wilt The Stilt and Definition of Variation - https://bit.ly/4aldwGN Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means "no agile for you". Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine concise lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST In SPaMCAST 787 we continue in the minefield of why starting everything you are asked to do is problematic. Framing the discussion is a text from a friend of the cast which highlights those requests that you just can't say no to. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column.

I was asked, "Why shouldn't I say yes and start everything that comes my way?" As we celebrate the impending publication of Managing Work Intake (it is going to the printers very soon) we continue the discussion of work intake scenarios that bedevil teams and organizations. Controlling work entry is controlling WIP which helps us be our best selves. But are there times when you have to say yes when you don't want to? We also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault bringing his Evolutionary Agilist Column to the cast! Mr Berriault and I discussed the concept of root cause. Everybody is looking for one but very few understand the concept. Re-Read Saturday News This week we begin the read of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability by Daniel S. Vacanti. This is the second of Mr. Vacanti's books we have covered in Re-read Saturday. The 260-page book includes a Preface, 14 Chapters broken into two sections, two appendices, endnotes, a bibliography, and an index (hooray). I am planning to cover this book in approximately 16 weeks. Reviewing the book, there are several chapters that I can see combining into a single week and a few chapters that will take a couple of weeks to think through. I also suspect that I may lose one or so weekends to holidays. I am targeting completing this read on March 31st. Buy a copy and get reading - Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability. The current re-read entry Week 1: Re-read Logistics and Preface - https://bit.ly/4adgxsC Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means "no agile for you". Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine concise lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST Software Process and Measurement Cast 784 will feature my conversation with Kevin Surace, AI Inventor, Futurist and Keynote Speaker. We will discuss the hype and promise of AI.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 784 features our interview with Michaele Gardner and Brian Hackerson. We talk about their Agile Best Self Initiative. We also, and perhaps more importantly, discuss being in control of yourself so you can truly deliver value to those around you. As we start to close out 2023 it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how you can be your best self. Michaele Gardner started out as a counselor at an emergency crisis line. Clients were too messy: clear inputs did not lead to predetermined outputs. So she moved into the world of IT and has not looked back. Becoming a developer on an XP team brought together her interests in psychology, flow, teamwork and problem solving. She quickly realized that many teams (and organizations) poured their hearts and souls into projects that added little value. Her next natural step was to help engineers and organizations understand business value at a micro and macro level. At all levels, Michaele loves giving change agents tools to define their own "why" and stay emotionally resilient. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaele-gardner-0829205/ Brian R. Hackerson is the co-creator of the Agile Best Self mindset, the VP of People Operations and Enterprise Agile Consultant at Scrum Inc. An innovator at the intersection of Agile practices and personal development, Brian has revolutionized team engagement and performance in various leadership roles. His approach uniquely blends professional growth with personal empowerment, embodying his belief in the transformative power of aligning individual journeys with Agile principles. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhackerson/ Agile Best Self: https://agilebestself.com/ Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 11 of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't is titled Saving The El Faro. In this final chapter, the author could have just as easily reimagined the outcomes of the Pinto design or the Deepwater Horizon disasters. The theme throughout the book is that Industrial-age thinking fails more often in the age of Knowledge Work. My final thoughts on this book? Not to put too fine a point on it, this is Marquet's most important book yet. Use the links below to read all of my final thoughts on Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't and to catch up on previous installments. Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit – https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Week 7: Complete – https://bit.ly/47aTDQe Week 8: Improve – https://bit.ly/3FMT1Vw Week 9: Connect – https://bit.ly/3QW05Wj Week 10: Applying – https://bit.ly/3ufAq1K Week 11: Red-Blue Operating System – https://bit.ly/3SQLuNb Week 12: Saving The El Faro - https://bit.ly/3R8PIgw Next week we begin the READ (my first time) of Actionable Agile Metrics Volume II, Advanced Topics in Predictability; which is available at LeanPub. We re-read Volume I in 2018 (link to the first installment) that book was life changing…I am looking forward to Volume II. Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means "no agile for you". Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone involved in deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST As we celebrate the impending publication of Managing Work Intake (it is going to the printers very soon) I will continue the discussion of work intake scenarios that bedevil teams and organizations. Controlling work entry is controlling WIP which helps us be our best selves. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault bringing his Evolutionary Agilist Column to the cast!

Software Process and Measurement Cast 783 tackles a classic work intake problem, "Do you have the authority to ask for this work?" Work input processes need to vet more than just requirements. We also have a visit from Jon M Quigley. Jon and I discussed taking control of your personal growth. It is not your organization's responsibility. Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 10 of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't is titled, The Red-Blue Operating System. Marquet starts this chapter with the cautionary tale of the Ford Pinto. The chapter highlights the outcome of the industrial approach to leadership going wrong. My wife had a Pinto when we first started dating. It was our only car and we both remember waiting for it to be recalled, even as we drove to work every morning. We discussed the potential of the fuel tank exploding. What we were oblivious to was the reason for the problem. The failure of leadership and the failure of the decision-making model literally sentenced people to death to achieve a goal. Previous installments of our re-read of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't (buy a copy)! Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit - https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Week 7: Complete - https://bit.ly/47aTDQe Week 8: Improve - https://bit.ly/3FMT1Vw Week 9: Connect - https://bit.ly/3QW05Wj Week 10: Applying - https://bit.ly/3ufAq1K Week 11: Red-Blue Operating System - https://bit.ly/3SQLuNb Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means no agile for you. Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone involved in deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST Software Process and Measurement Cast 784 will feature our interview with Michaele Gardner and Brian Hackerson. We talked about Agile Best Self and being in control of our agile.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 782 features our conversation with Govind Balu on the importance of data and the concept of data transformations. Data represents the gold rush of the 21st Century! Govind Balu is a visionary entrepreneur and experienced executive with a strong background in leveraging data and AI to drive business growth across different industries. As the Founder and CEO of QuaXigma, he spearheads the company's vision to transform organizations into data-driven enterprises. Govind observed that small and medium businesses struggle to effectively extract value from data and are unable to compete in a landscape where larger organizations more effectively leverage AI. Motivated to make data and AI easily accessible to SMBs, Govind founded QuaXigma with a clear mission to develop and deliver solutions that deliver business value by focusing on innovation, customer satisfaction, and strategic consulting. Govind's LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/govindbalu Email: [email protected] Company Website: https://www.quaxigma.com/ Re-Read Saturday News In Chapter 9 of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't, Marquet provides several examples of using the new plays. As a reminder, the plays in the new playbook are: Control The Clock Collaborate Commit Complete Improve Connect Each play is powerful; however, the combination of the plays is where the real power is. For example, controlling the clock — calling a pause — allows a person or team time to think. During that pause, if they surface issues that are addressed the post-industrial plays of collaboration and improving are in evidence. Leveraging short iterations so that work can be demonstrated and inspected combines the control the clock, complete, and connect plays. Iterative planning, a hallmark of agile, combines control the clock and commit plays. Use the links below to explore more of the re-read. Previous installments of our re-read of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't (buy a copy)! Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit - https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Week 7: Complete - https://bit.ly/47aTDQe Week 8: Improve - https://bit.ly/3FMT1Vw Week 9: Connect - https://bit.ly/3QW05Wj Week 10: Applying - https://bit.ly/3ufAq1K Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means no agile for you. Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone involved in deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - lots of people are involved which is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST Software Process and Measurement Cast 783 will tackle a classic work intake problem, "Did I forget to tell you, the requirements changed?" What happens when you don't have a clear line to the business to get feedback as you are doing work? Often you get to do things over and over and maybe over again. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault bringing his Evolutionary Agilist Coumn to the cast!

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 781 begins with a discussion of prioritization and sequencing. These two ideas often get conflated. Work might be important but if it has predecessors and successors it will require sequencing. You can't deploy a new piece of hardware unless you have it. The acquisition of the equipment comes before deployment. Not letting teams control or have input into sequencing has consequences. Let us discuss avoiding those negative outcomes. We also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi who returns with her You Are Not Alone column. Keis and I discuss the new Scrum Master that gets thrown to the wolves. Get a coach or risk being eaten? Re-Read Saturday News Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't Chapter 8 is titled, The Enabling Play: Connect. This Chapter begins with the story of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The disaster may have been avoided if a single button had been pushed. The button went unpushed until it was too late because the person did not have permission. Marquet states "How is it that a person could be more afraid of pushing a button without permission, than dying in a fiery explosion?" Hierarchy above all is a power play from the Industrial Age, a play that remains entrenched in corporate life. Fear supported by steep hierarchies, distorts common sense in environments with a strong culture of control and compliance. Previous installments of our re-read of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't (buy a copy)! Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit - https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Week 7: Complete - https://bit.ly/47aTDQe Week 8: Improve - https://bit.ly/3FMT1Vw Week 9: Connect - https://bit.ly/3QW05Wj Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means no agile for you. Jeremy Willets and I have written Managing Work Intake tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone involved in deciding on what work gets completed! This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - there are a lot of people involved and that is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available. Link to Survey! https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST Software Process and Measurement Cast 782 will feature our interview with Govind Balu. We will discuss the importance of data and how organizations are tackling data transformations.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 780 features our interview with Billie Johnson. Our discussion focuses on the role of delivering outcomes and values using agile teams. We also discussed her book, Mastering Business Analysis Standard Practices: Seven Steps to the Next Level of Competency which she co-authored with Kelley Burns. Re-Read Saturday News The improve play is one of the most powerful aspects of Marquet's suggested framework. Improve is chapter 7 of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't. Improve is a time for stepping back from the pressure of getting stuff done to consider whether you are doing the right thing, right. We have spoken about the need to pause, reflect, and replan periodically – this is the heart of the Improve play. Previous installments of our re-read of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't (buy a copy)! Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit - https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Week 7: Complete - https://bit.ly/47aTDQe Week 8: Improve - https://bit.ly/3FMT1Vw Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. SImply put, poor work intake means no agile for you. Jeremy Willets and I have written a book tackling the topic that will be published by JRoss Publishing in January 2024. In support of the book we are building a live, cohort-based course for Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers on taming work intake. The cohort will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. We've held workshops on this topic at conferences. We even have a book coming out in January on this topic. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using this survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort: https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST Software Process and Measurement Cast 781 wrestles with whether overprioritization's impact extends beyond poor leadership to bad products. Just because you have a prioritized backlog does not ensure delivering value. We will also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi who returns with her You Are Not Alone column.

Software Process and Measurement Cast 779 wrestles with the question, When prioritization involves overly detailed or excessive control over how someone accomplishes their tasks or when it impedes an employee's ability to make their own decisions it becomes micromanagement. Let's explore and look for a path to healing. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. Susan talks about her impending sabbatical and why taking a pause can be powerful. Re-Read Saturday News Complete is the next chapter in Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't. This concept suggests breaking goals into smaller chunks with pauses to think and replan between each. Another solution to over-prioritization and micromanagement. Previous installments of our re-read of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't (buy a copy)! Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit - https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Week 7: Complete - https://bit.ly/47aTDQe A Call to Action! Jeremy Willets and I are building a live, cohort-based course for Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers on taming work intake. I wanted to see if you'd be up for sharing it with folks who would find it valuable. The cohort will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. We've held workshops on this topic at conferences. We even have a book coming out in January on this topic. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using this survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort: https://bit.ly/3MdmvQa Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 780 will feature our interview with Billie Johnson. We will discuss her book, Mastering Business Analysis Standard Practices: Seven Steps to the Next Level of Competency which she co-authored with Kelley Burns. We also talked about using business analysis to power agile teams.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 778 marks our return from Iceland. WICKED trip, great country, great people! We return with our interview with Bill Fox. Bill and I discussed his new book, Charting A New Odyssey, transformation, dialog, listening, and leadership. The many conversations Bill and I have had over the years leave me in a better place. Bill states, "I believe that the great leaders and companies in the 21st century will go on a Forward Thinking journey and be built from the inside out.' The world has shifted, and new rules apply. It used to be that you would win by managing change, following best practices, working harder, or even smarter. It was the age of Industrial Thinking and people as profit-producing units. Bill's LinkedIn Profile linkedin.com/in/billfoxstrategy Websites forwardthinkingworkplaces.com (Company) billfox.co (Personal) spaceb.co (Blog) Email [email protected] Re-Read Saturday News This week in our re-read of L. David Marquet's, Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't, Leaving Bluework Behind: Commit. Whether you classify thinking as System Two thinking or bluework, at some point you have to cross the barrier from contemplation to doing. Chapter Five focuses on reducing the barrier between thinking and action. The process that bridges that barrier is commitment. The author begins the chapter by making the distinction between commitment and coercion. Previous installments of our re-read of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't (buy a copy)! Week 1: Logistics, Introduction, Foreword – https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Week 2: El Faro – https://bit.ly/3RnkUue Week 3: The New Playbook – https://bit.ly/3Llgmki Week 4: Control the Clock – https://bit.ly/45UFp5Z Week 5: Collaborate – https://bit.ly/3PzFiXI Week 6: Commit - https://bit.ly/46DMmsF Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 779 will wrestle with the question, when is prioritization micro-management? The answer is not straightforward but often can be yes. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente and her Not A Scrumdamentalist column.

This week we are on our annual holiday. We are toiling away editing audio and doing voice exercises to bring you new and exciting content and will be back next week! In the SPaMCAST 777 we re-release SPaMCAST 486 - Daniel S Vacanti, Actionable Agile Metrics. The idea of flow metrics has fundamentally changed my perspective on how to use metrics. I have to thank Mr. Vacanti for starting me on the path. Enjoy the interview. The original inroducion - SPaMCAST 486 features our interview with Daniel S. Vacanti. Mr. Vacanti is the author of Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability: An Introduction. We discussed the concepts in the book, answered a question from Steven Adams, and talked about his new book. It was great to talk about a book with the author after the re-read.

We are on our annual holiday and will return with new programs on October 22nd. This week in the SPaMCAST 776 from our archives we feature SPaMCAST 641 - The Agile Coaching Code of Ethics, A Conversation With Shane Hastie and Craig Smith. The show was originally aired on March 7, 2021. I still think the ethics initiative is one of the most important things I have been involved with professionally. Enjoy the discussion. Read more (you really should) at https://www.agilealliance.org/agilecoachingethics/ The original inroducion - In the podcast this week, we discuss the Agile Coaching Code of Ethics and the process of building an ethical foundation. Shane Hastie and Craig Smith have been leading the effort to craft a useful Agile Coaching Code of Ethics for the past year. These two thought leaders have helped to pull together a diverse group of coaches, and then guide that herd of cats to create a new force to guide agile coaches of all stripes.

We are on our annual holiday and will return with new programs on October 22nd. The Software Process and Measurement Cast 775 is a re-release of SPaMCAST 635 - Practical Ways to Manage, A Conversation with Johanna Rothman. The show was originally released on January 24, 2021. It was one of the SPaMCAST's many anniversary editions. Enjoy our conversation The original introduction - Cue the music . . . Happy Birthday, Software Process and Measurement Cast! Today we begin year 15 with a visit from Johanna Rothman. We talked about her THREE new books: Practical Ways to Manage Yourself: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 1 https://amzn.to/2LXKkiQ Practical Ways to Lead & Serve (Manage) Others: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 2 - https://amzn.to/39Viwnj Practical Ways to Lead an Innovative Organization: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 3 - https://amzn.to/3qS90Z3 We of course covered more ground. For example about 2/3rds of the way through we talked about why the word experiment is a dirty word in most organizations. This is a longer interview, but when I grow up I want to be just like Johanna (I am serious). See all her books, blogs, and other resources at jrothman.com and createadaptablelife.com.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 774 is a re-release of SPaMCAST 436. We are on our annual holiday and will be back with new programs on October 22nd. For the next four weeks, we will feature shows from our archives. Today SPaMCAST 436 - Incrementalism, UAT and Agile, and Systems Thinking was released originally on April 3, 2017. I hope you will enjoy today's show! The original introduction - The Software Process and Measurement Cast 436 features our essay titled, Change Fatigue, Tunnel Vision, and Watts Humphrey, in which we answer the question of whether the state and culture of the organization or team, can have a large impact on whether a Big Bang approach or an incremental approach makes sense to change. Our second column is from Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy discusses user acceptance testing and Agile. There are lots of different ways to accomplish user acceptance testing in an Agile environment. The only wrong way is not to do UAT in Agile. Jeremy can be found at https://www.berriaultandassociates.com/ Jon M Quigley brings his column, The Alpha and Omega of Product Development, to the Cast. This week Jon puts all the pieces together and discusses systems thinking. One of the places you can find Jon is at Value Transformation LLC.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 773 will feature our essay on why as professionals we should strive to grow a little every day. I overheard a team lead complaining that their team did not need to do a retrospective, they were "darn near perfect." The inference was that their time would be better spent doing rather than reflecting and thinking. Fixed mindsets (Review our re-read of Mindsets by Carol Dweck) are foreign to the philosophy of agile and quality. The comment hurt my heart. We will also have a visit from Jon M. Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast! Jon and I use the learning to play a new bass as a metaphor for learning technology. Re-Read Saturday News This week begin a new book on Re-read Saturday, this week! Ten years ago we started our Re-read Saturday journey. The first installment featured The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. We have read and re-read a lot of books. The book we begin our next ten years is L. David Marquet's, Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't. This is not Mr. Marquet's first time in our re-read queue. In 2018 we re-read Turn the Ship Around! I think that book is universally seen as a game changer. Here is the kicker, I think Leadership is Language is more important and useful on a day-to-day basis. I can't tell how many times I have used ideas from the book in the short time I have owned it. Buy a copy of Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don't and begin reading along. Week 1: Logistics, Foreword, Introduction - https://bit.ly/3sTqyu3 Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 774 will feature a re-release of SPaMCAST 436. We are on our annual holiday and will be back with new programs on October 22nd. For the next four weeks, we will feature shows from our archives. Today SPaMCAST 436 - Incrementalism, UAT and Agile, Systems Thinking from April 3, 2017. I hope you will enjoy the show!

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 772 features our interview with Ahmed Wasfy. We discuss the role of the engineering manager and how people learn to be engineering managers. Coming to grips with the new role requires learning new skills not just rehashed technical skills. Ahmed, advises new leaders to take control of their careers and not to be a victim. Ahmed is an experienced engineering leader, having led teams at Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. In addition to his day job, Ahmed also helps engineering managers become effective leaders through his coaching. Links Instagram: https://instagram.com/a1wasfy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/awasfy/ Website: https://www.thethrivingem.com/ Re-Read Saturday News After the conclusion of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, there are three brief sections with practical tips for making ideas memorable. The dust cover states, "With Added Material (now even stickier)". The added material provides more food for thought for using Made to Stick. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Week 5: Concrete - https://bit.ly/3qcn1Gg Week 6: Credible - https://bit.ly/3Yo9aJo Week 7: Emotional - https://bit.ly/3QCAQbx Week 8: Stories - https://bit.ly/3sbk2yp Week 9: Epilogue - https://bit.ly/3P3jnIh Week 10: Added Material - https://bit.ly/48kR7IS Week 11: Final Thoughts - https://bit.ly/3z6zJaA Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 773 will feature our essay on why as professionals we should strive to grow a little every day. We will also have a visit from Jon M. Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast!

To paraphrase Ghostbusters, critical thinking is the indispensable defense science of the next decade. Over the summer we have investigated the concept so we are better positioned to take part in a boisterous world. As decision-makers, the onus is on us to use critical thinking. Also, Jeremy Berriault joins bringing his QA Corner to the podcast. In this installment, Jeremy discusses the difference between maturity and evolution. Do agile organizations mature or evolve? Re-Read Saturday News We have spent the majority of the summer re-reading Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. While I didn't take the book to the beach, I did take it to the porch! As with other re-reads, the content of the book has found its way into my writing and consulting practice. In the case of Made to Stick, several ideas and examples have made their way into my essays on critical thinking. The two themes work well together. As you consider sticky ideas you need a framework to test their veracity. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Week 5: Concrete - https://bit.ly/3qcn1Gg Week 6: Credible - https://bit.ly/3Yo9aJo Week 7: Emotional - https://bit.ly/3QCAQbx Week 8: Stories - https://bit.ly/3sbk2yp Week 9: Epilogue - https://bit.ly/3P3jnIh Week 10: Final Thoughts - https://bit.ly/3z6zJaA Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 772 features our interview with Ahmed Wasfy. We will discuss the role of the engineering manager and how people learn the role. Being a good engineering manager requires more than a magic wand.

This week the Software Process and Measurement Cast 770 features my interview with Jess Brock. Jess and I talked about her new book, The Dojo Coach's Pocket Guide: Maximizing Immersive Learning for Agile Teams (the book is excellent but doesn't really fit in your pocket), learning, and career pivots. Jess's talk at Agile 2023 helped me reframe how I conceived of dojos as an intense learning environment, not a transformation technique. Jess's Bio Jess is a dynamic coach, technologist, and author who has been involved in developing tech products since the mid-2000s. Jess attributes her diverse career experience as one of her greatest strengths because it enables her to coach with sincere empathy and experience. Former agile skeptic, Jess was eventually convinced by a colleague to give agile a try more than a decade ago. Her personal transformation was so impactful that Jess continues to contribute to the broader Agile community to this very day. Most recently Jess has poured her energy into immersive learning dojos as a preferred means of developing long standing skills. She is the proud author of The Dojo Coach's Pocket Guide. Website: http://jessbrock.com/ Re-Read Saturday News The epilogue was the end of the original version of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die; later additions had extra material added. I am reading from the 26th printing. We will cover the extra material titled, Sticky Advice, next week. Today we'll discuss the Epilogue, without wrapping the book up. It feels wrong :) I read this chapter more deeply knowing that there was more to come. It felt like less of a recap and more of how to use the book. Three items caught my attention during this read. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Week 5: Concrete - https://bit.ly/3qcn1Gg Week 6: Credible - https://bit.ly/3Yo9aJo Week 7: Emotional - https://bit.ly/3QCAQbx Week 8: Stories - https://bit.ly/3sbk2yp Week 9: Epilogue - https://bit.ly/3P3jnIh Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 771 we will complete our summer theme on critical thinking. Critical thinking might sound esoteric or academic, however, I think that categorization is both wrong and misses the point. Critical thinking is a survival tool. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault and his Agile Corner.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 768 features our interview with Phil Alves, CEO of DevSquad. Phil and I covered a wide range of topics starting with how he structures teams to perform in dynamic environments and culminating in a discussion of SaaS and entrepreneurship. Software development of any stripe is a team sport; either get it right or suffer the consequences. Phil describes himself as a SaaS Aficionado! He builds products for bootstrapped founders, fast-growing startups, and big enterprises at DevSquad. His SaaS company, DevStats, helps product and engineering leaders measure what matters. Phil also is a podcaster! The SaaS Origin Stories Podcast uncovers those pivotal moments and decisions that turned SaaS companies into major successes. Contact Information DevSquad: 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑://𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒅.𝒄𝒐𝒎/ DevStats: 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦/ Podcast: 𝒉𝒕𝒕𝒑𝒔://𝒘𝒘𝒘.𝒔𝒂𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔.𝒄𝒐𝒎/𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 Re-Read Saturday News In Chapter 5 of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die we find that an analytical approach reduces people's ability to be emotionally connected to an idea or concept. Without an emotional connection, they are far less apt to act. Calls to action that are emotionally engaging will generate action. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Week 5: Concrete - https://bit.ly/3qcn1Gg Week 6: Credible - https://bit.ly/3Yo9aJo Week 7: Emotional - https://bit.ly/3QCAQbx Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 769, we return to our summer theme of Critical Thinking. My daughter (Meghan also is the editor for the blog and podcast and sounding board on a wide range of topics) pointed out a model for levels of research. The model provides an interesting filter to help understand the types of research we use and the "power" each delivers. We will also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi. Keis brings her wit, empathy, and wisdom as a Scrum Master in complex environments to help you improve.

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 767, we continue our summer dive into critical thinking. In this installment, we consider research and evidence. The discussion of research and evidence ties into this week's installment of Re-Read Saturday (Chapter 4 of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die which is about credibility). Research and evidence provide credibility and that is not always a good thing. Tony Timbol brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast. In this installment, Mr. Timbol continues to unravel the mystery of the agile requirements and user stories. Re-Read Saturday News Credibility is the fourth requirement for maximum stickiness (short of Gorilla Glue) discussed in Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. Credibility is defined as the quality or power of inspiring belief or trust. Without credibility, the attributes of simplicity, unexpectedness, and concreteness crumble. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Week 5: Concrete - https://bit.ly/3qcn1Gg Week 6: Credible - https://bit.ly/3Yo9aJo Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 768, Phil Alves, CEO of DevSquad discusses how he structures teams to perform in dynamic environments. Software development of any stripe is a team sport, you either get it right or suffer the consequences.

This week the Software Process and Measurement Cast 766 features our interview with Ben Johnson, Founder of Particle41. Ben and I discuss the importance of teams, communication, and dependability. Ben Johnson, founder of Particle41, is a serial Entrepreneur with a track record of success and is an active investor. He is a results-driven leader, skilled in managing high-functioning teams for exceptional outcomes. Ben cultivates collaboration, motivation, and effective communication. As a leader, he aligns team efforts with organizational goals and drives innovation. Ben delivers complex projects with visibility, velocity, and vision and is committed to sharing expertise for the growth of others. Particle41: https://particle41.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminrjohnson/ Re-Read Saturday News The third attribute of stickiness is concreteness. I spent most of the past week at Agile 2023 in Orlando, Florida. It was a metaphorical banquet of agile knowledge. I had more hallway conversations than I can count ruminating over presentation topics. The third chapter of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die reminded me that language is abstract but real life is not. Most readers of the Software Process and Measurement Cast blog have been to conferences, so reflect on how many ideas and concepts you implemented when you returned to the office. I suspect the answer is very few because few were tangible enough to be sticky. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Week 5: Concrete - https://bit.ly/3qcn1Gg Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 767, we will continue our deep dive into critical thinking. We will touch on the need to understand what valid research looks like and perhaps why authority bias makes it hard to recognize. We will also have a conversation with Tony Timbol who brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast.

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 765, we will continue with our summer theme on critical thinking by discussing authority. When deciding what to believe, the authority we place on the source has a significant impact. Authority bias is the name for this cognitive bias. We will also have a visit from the one and only Susan Parente, who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast. In this installment, we discuss why meetings seem to be the only mechanism for making decisions. Re-Read Saturday News And now for something completely different…is both the title of the 1971 movie by Monty Python and the Fly Circus and a hint at Chapter 2's of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die title. The title is Unexpected (if you are reading along it won't be a surprise), and is the second condition for something to be sticky. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Week 4: Unexpected - https://bit.ly/43zfkaB Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 766 will feature our interview with Ben Johnson, Founder of Particle41 we discuss how important teams are to delivering value.

In Software Process and Measurement Cast 764 we feature my conversation with Johanna Rothman. We discussed her new book Successful Independent Consulting. Well, we started there and then hit topics like personal value and the impact of success. This might be the eleventy-first conversation I have had with Johanna, and each time I look forward to our time together with anticipation. They are always like attending a master class. Buy a copy of Successful Independent Consulting. Available everywhere including: Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/independentconsulting Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rBfLDV Johanna's Bio: Johanna Rothman, known as the "Pragmatic Manager," offers frank advice for your thorny problems. She helps leaders and teams learn to see simple and reasonable options that might work. Those practical alternatives can help them be more effective with others at work. With those choices, they can choose what—and how—to adapt their product development. With her trademark practicality and humor, Johanna is the author of 19 books, hundreds of articles, and blog posts about many aspects of product development. Her most recent books include Successful Independent Consulting, Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer, and Modern Management Made Easy series. Find her monthly newsletter and blogs at www.jrothman.com & www.createadaptablelife.com. Editor's note: If you are not subscribed to Johanna's newsletter…you should be. Re-Read Saturday News Simple is the first principle of making something sticky. It is also the title of chapter 1 of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. There are three areas in this chapter I would like to spend more time with. The formula core + compactness = simple Curse of knowledge Metaphors and analogies As you read the chapter you will see that all three are intertwined; however, each of the three is useful to consider in isolation. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Week 3: Simple - https://bit.ly/3PZLWaq Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 765, we will continue with our summer theme on critical thinking by exploring how experts, experience, and evidence apply to critical thinking. We will also have a visit from the one and only Susan Parente, who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

We open the Software Process and Measurement Cast 763 with an application of critical thinking. Can you see the Great Wall of China from space? Urban legends say yes, Chip and Dan Heath (check out our re-read of Made to Stick) say no. Let's think about this. We also have a visit from Jon M Quigley. Jon and I discuss the implication of the saying "time is money." In the information economy using that old saw can lead to more problems than it solves. Re-Read Saturday News This week we begin our re-read of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath in earnest. The Introduction lays out the framework for the book and a lot more. This is not one of those introductions you can skip. I can tell that this reading of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die is going to be different than the first. Heraclitus stated, "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." This re-read may well be an examination of the dangers of accepting sticky ideas and those that generate sticky ideas. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Week 2: Introduction - https://bit.ly/46CLmp1 Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 764 will feature my conversation with Johanna Rothman. We discussed her new book Successful Independent Consulting. Well we started there and then hit topics like personal value and the impact of success. Talking with Johanna is the same as attending a master class.

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 762, we host a panel discussion on the impact of AI on project management prospects. The panel of Paul Clapis, Susan Parente, Michael Milutis, and Mark Tolbert state categorically that project administration will be overtaken, but the high-value human side of project management will not be displaced. I am not sure what that means for most people working in the project management space. Listen to the discussion and then look carefully at the work you are doing. Will AI be a boon or a bane for project management? Let the conversation begin. About Paul J. Clapis, Ph.D.: Dr. Clapis has over 30 years of experience managing AI, Machine Learning, and RPA projects for NASA, aerospace, and financial services industries. He also directed the Hughes Advanced Computing Lab at Yale Science Park, where he conducted applied research in AI, Expert Systems, Machine Learning, and Neural Networks. linkedin.com/in/pauljclapis About Susan Parente: Susan is an Engineer/Consultant, speaker, and author with experience managing both software and hardware development. She is proficient in managing complex system implementation for companies seeking to use enterprise business software to improve business process efficiency. Susan is a regular contributor to the Software Process and Measurement podcast. https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanparente/ About Michael Milutis: Michael Milutis is an international keynote speaker, instructor, and 25-year veteran of the IT industry who has dedicated his career to helping individuals learn, develop, and compete within a shifting technology landscape. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmilutis/ About Mark Tolbert: Mark has over 30 years of experience in I.T., including 27 years at Hewlett-Packard. He successfully managed support programs and projects within HP Services. He is a full-time instructor for PMP Prep classes since November 2007. He is very passionate about project management and believes adopting the best project management practices and skills is crucial to the success of enterprises today. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-tolbert-pmp-pmi-acp-90b9b38/ Re-Read Saturday News The votes are in and we have a near tie for the top spot. I decided to re-read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath first. Part of the rationale is that I have two copies of this book and have not read Leadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say–and What You Don't by L. David Marquet – yet. Once we have completed Made to Stick, we will launch ourselves into Leadership Is Language. By then I will have read the book. Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: Announcement and Logistics - https://bit.ly/46tn5Bz Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 763, we will continue with our summer theme on critical thinking by exploring whether sources should matter when considering a topic. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development.

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 761 we continue our exploration of critical thinking. In this installment, we examine logical fallacies. The logic in logical fallacies is incorrect whether by design or misinterpretation. You need to be prepared. This week, Jeremy Berriault brings a discussion of QA Audit in agile to the QA Corner. Are QA Audits a logical fallacy? Re-Read Saturday News The Re-read Saturday has been a feature of the Software Process and Measurement blog since 2013 (7 Habits of Highly Effective People was the first book). This week we are still in the process of choosing the next book or books (we chose three last time), therefore we have a bit of an interlude today. I need your input to make the final cut! Please provide your input using the poll below. https://poll.fm/12416734 In the interim catch up on the re-read of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow. Buy a copy because you can't borrow mine! All of the Team Topologies re-read installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters – https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking – https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies – https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) – https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) – https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Week 8: Choose Team-First Boundaries – https://bit.ly/43i8W8A Week 9: Team Interaction Modes - https://bit.ly/3WR49Is Week 10: Evolve Team Structures with Organizational Sensing - https://bit.ly/3NnIa9b Week 11: Conclusion - https://bit.ly/3JhEaEw Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 762, we will share a panel discussing the impact of AI on the future of project management. A boon or a bane? Let the conversation begin.

SPaMCAST 760 will feature an interview with Jonathan Hensley, Founder & CEO at EMERGE. Jonathan and I talked about digital transformations and engagement. The core boils down to people and alignment. This was an extremely refreshing interview! Let me know what you think. Jonathon Hensley is co-founder and CEO of Emerge, a digital product consulting firm that works with companies to improve operational agility and customer experience. For more than two decades, Jonathon has helped startups, Fortune 100 brands, technology leaders, large regional health networks, non-profit organizations and more, transform their businesses by turning strategy, user needs and new technologies into valuable digital products and services. Jonathon writes and speaks about his experiences and insights from his career, and regularly hosts in-depth interviews with business leaders and industry insiders. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two boys. linkedin.com/in/jonathonhensley emergeinteractive.com (Company) productalignment.com (Company) emergemobilefirst.com (Mobile First Podcast) Re-Read Saturday News First things second! Help me pick the next batch of books to be re-read. Pick two books from the poll below or email me at [email protected] if you have a different suggestion. https://poll.fm/12416734 Back to first things! We completed our re-read of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow this week. If you have (or ever will have) any input into how teams are formed and maintained you need to read this book at least once. PS - buy a copy because you can't borrow mine! All of the Team Topologies re-read installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters – https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking – https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies – https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) – https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) – https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Week 8: Choose Team-First Boundaries – https://bit.ly/43i8W8A Week 9: Team Interaction Modes - https://bit.ly/3WR49Is Week 10: Evolve Team Structures with Organizational Sensing - https://bit.ly/3NnIa9b Week 11: Conclusion - https://bit.ly/3JhEaEw Next SPaMCAST In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 761, we will continue our exploration of critical thinking. In this installment, we will examine several of the attributes of critical thinking. We will also have a visit from the QA Corner. Mr. Berriault brings his wisdom to the podcast.

The SPaMCAST 759 continues our exploration of critical thinking. This week we search for a consumable definition. If you can't hold a definition in your mind it is hard to contemplate the impact and necessity of rigorous thinking. Keis Kostaqi, brings the first installment of her Scrum Master, Facilitation and Transformation column to the podcast. In this installment, Keis discusses the impact of hierarchy on the role and behavior of Scrum Masters. Re-Read Saturday News We are nearly at the conclusion of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow . Over the next few days, we will post a poll to get the selection process moving for our next re-read book. Chapter 8 is titled "Evolve Team Structures With Organization Sensing." I was struck by two important (and related) concepts during this read. They both are encompassed in the quote "the most important thing is not the shape of the organization itself but the rules and heuristics used to adapt and change the organizations as new challenges arise." Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters – https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking – https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies – https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) – https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) – https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Week 8: Choose Team-First Boundaries – https://bit.ly/43i8W8A Week 9: Team Interaction Modes - https://bit.ly/3WR49Is Week 10: Evolve Team Structures with Organizational Sensing - https://bit.ly/3NnIa9b Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 760 will feature an interview with Jonathan Hensley, Founder & CEO at EMERGE. Jonathan and I talked about digital transformations and engagement. The core boils down to alignment.

Jeffrey Miller and I have been trying to coordinate a time for an interview on the topics of tribal knowledge and team playbooks since August 2022. We finally solved that problem. Teams generate knowledge, understanding how to hold on to that knowledge and to push boundaries forward is why teams are powerful. Jeffrey Miller Technologist, Speaker, Author Jeffrey Miller is a Senior Consultant at Manifest Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. Jeffrey has over two decades of experience helping organizations bring value to their mission through software. He has presented a variety of topics at local user groups, regional tech conferences, and national healthcare meetings. Jeffrey and his wife, Brandy, are adoptive parents and have written a fun children's book called "Skeeters" with proceeds supporting adoption. Learn more about the project at https://skeeterbooks.com/adoption/. Contact Information Blog: https://www.knowledgeplaybook.com/ Company Website: https://manifestcorp.com/ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jamiller Twitter: https://twitter.com/xagronaut Re-Read Saturday News Part 3 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow, integrates team interactions with the team topologies. In Chapter 7, Team Interaction Modes, the authors define three basic interaction patterns. Buy a copy of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow and read along! Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters – https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking – https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies – https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) – https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) – https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Week 8: Choose Team-First Boundaries – https://bit.ly/43i8W8A Week 9: Team Interaction Modes - https://bit.ly/3WR49Is Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 759 will feature an essay building on our essay in SPaMCAST 757 which challenged the common agile belief that constant collaboration is a silver bullet. We will use this belief to explore critical thinking. We will also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi who brings her perspective of being a Scrum Master in a complicated environment.

A funny thing happened on the way to SPaMCAST 757. I was considering critical thinking when I ran into data that challenged a common agile belief - enter critical thinking. The idea is that constant collaboration, the goal of team rooms, and always-on communication software, is to create good ideas and decisions; good but not great. This week we also have a visit from Susan Parente who talks about her approach to personal kanban, something she calls kanban for one. Susan also takes us under the hood for a view into her busy, innovative world and how she keeps it under control. Re-Rread Saturday News This week we are back with Chapter 6 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. The boundaries of teams are shaped by numerous pressures ranging from corporate politics and specialism to architectural structure. Inspecting the majority of teams it would seem that boundaries are the outcome of a random walk because they reflect all of these pressures over time. For more of a dive into the topic, check out the book and the whole re-read! Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking - https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies - https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) - https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) - https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Week 8: Choose Team-First Boundaries - https://bit.ly/43i8W8A Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 758 will feature our discussion with Jeffrey Miller. We will discuss the idea of tribal knowledge and playbooks. Teams generate a lot of information and knowledge - capturing that knowledge is not as easy as wishful thinking or waving a magic wand.

SPaMCAST 756 welcomes back Paul Gibbons. In this visit, we discuss his new book Change Myths: The Professional's Guide to Separating Sense from Nonsense which he co-authored with Tricia Kennedy. I have described Paul's new book as a Trojan horse. While it dispels myths it more importantly provides the tools for critical thinking which will allow you to tackle new myths as they appear. Pau's bio: Paul Gibbons is an author, academic, speaker, and business consultant He has authored numerous books, including Change Myths: The Professional's Guide to Separating Sense from Nonsense and The Science of Successful Organizational Change, He lives in the Denver area with his two sons and enjoys playing poker, chess, and other mind sports. Paul's Website: www.paulgibbons.net Email: [email protected] Facebook – Paul Gibbons (author) Twitter – @paulggibbons YouTube – Philosophyfirst LinkedIn – Paul G Gibbons The interview with Paul was huge, so no Re-read Saturday News this week. We will be back next week. In the interim, buy a copy and catch up. Use the link to buy a copy of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking - https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies - https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) - https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) - https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 757 will begin an arc on critical thinking. The interview in this week's podcast has caused me to begin to explore critical thinking and why the idea is important for agile coaches. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

SPaMCAST 755 features an essay on the relationship between engagement, hierarchy, and fatalism based on a discussion of the topic between the SPaMCAST Columnists. The ideas of hierarchy, engagement, and fatalism struck a nerve within the SPaMCAST family. To a person, the prevailing attitude is that hierarchy has value, but only to a point. Jon M Quigley joins the cast in the second slot this week with a discussion about making mistakes. Learning from mistakes is important but making the same mistake over and over is not a sign that you are learning. Re-read Saturday News! This week we finish the re-read Chapter 5 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. As noted last week, Chapter 5 is a powerhouse. This week, let's examine some of the behaviors that the four fundamental team topologies exhibit. Understanding how teams structured in this manner should behave will also be useful for understanding which team type delivers the most value to the organization in a specific context. Buy a copy and read along! - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking - https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies - https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) - https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Week 7: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 2) - https://bit.ly/3I70dxa Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 756 will welcome back Paul Gibbons. In this visit we discuss his new book Change Myths: The Professional's Guide to Separating Sense from Nonsense which he co-authored with Tricia Kennedy. The book gives you the tools to sort the sense from the nonsense -- and there is a lot of nonsense in the change management field.

Today I would like to introduce you to the Software Process and Measurement Cast's newest columnist, Keis Kostaqi. Keis is a scrum master and coach. She will bring a Scrumban flavor to the podcast. Keis has experience with teams with complicated work input patterns. Today we get to know Keis - and get some interesting ideas along the way. Keis Kostaqi is a passionate Agile Coach with years of experience in healthcare, information services, and technology. Currently serving as a Program Manager for the Agile Transformation Team at Northwestern Medicine, she enables individuals and teams to be successful through continual learning and growth and facilitates self-managed continuous improvement. Keis serves at the Greater Illinois Chapter of HIMSS Board of Directors as an Educational Programs Director, where she plans and implements the chapter's programs and educational activities. She is also a Woman in Agile member focused on building mentor-mentee relationships that help the Women in Agile community unlock their full potential. She holds an MBA and is also a Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner. Other interests include traveling, food lover, writing novels, volunteering, and binge-watching TV shows. Contact Information: linkedin.com/in/keiskostaqi Re-read Saturday News! This week we re-read Chapter 5 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. Chapter 5 is a powerhouse. This chapter lays out the four fundamental team topologies with examples. I read this chapter twice during my first read of the book and I read it twice this week. We will approach thinking through the re-read over two weeks. This week we start with a little practice identifying the four basic team topologies. Buy a copy and read along! - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking - https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies - https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Week 6: The Four Fundamental Team Topologies (Part 1) - https://bit.ly/3VUI7EB Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 755 will feature an essay on the relationship between team design, flow, and behavior. Organizations passionately espouse the need for increasing productivity and process improvement but rarely tackle the problem of team design. Let's look that scary idea straight in the eye. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who will regale us with wisdom in his Alpha and Omega of product development column.

SPaMCAST 753 features our essay on the impact of hierarchies on engagement and fatalism. Like most things in life, the relationship is not straightforward. Hierarchies giveth and taketh away. If you don't get the balance right you can say goodbye to engagement, innovation, and fun at work. We also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his insights on the life cycle of user stories to the podcast in his To Tell A Story column. In this installment, we talk about the "Wall of Confusion." When stories are created and then tossed over the wall to another team even high-performing teams slip into the slow lane. Re-read Saturday News! This week we re-read Chapter 4 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. The title of Chapter 4 is Static Team Topologies. One of the underlying messages in the chapter is that team topologies should not be static. However, not being static isn't the same as playing musical chairs. Buy a copy and read along! - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking - https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Week 5: Static Team Topologies - https://bit.ly/40Q6eF2 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 754 introduces Keis Kostaqi. Keis is a scrum master and coach. She will bring a Scrumban flavor to the podcast with a column on agile teams with complicated work input patterns. Keis begins her column with a bit of an introduction and a bucket load of experienced-based advice.

SPaMCAST 752 features our interview with Laura Bell Main. We discuss the confluence of fast-growing companies and security. Maybe I should say collision instead of confluence. Note: Laura provides an incredible amount of wisdom in the interview; however, due to a user error (mine) I lost the first minute of the interview. The abrupt start of the interview means we hit the ground running with very little preamble. Laura Bell Main specializes in securing some of Australia and New Zealand's fastest-growing organizations. She has over twenty years of experience in software development and information security. It's her mission and passion to bring security into organizations of every shape and size. Laura is the founder and CEO of SafeStack Academy, an online education platform offering flexible, high-quality, and people-focused, secure development training for fast-moving companies, with a focus on building security skills, practices, and culture across the entire engineering team. SafeStack is a value's driven company on a mission to make cybersecurity accessible for everyone and any organization. "To protect each one of us, we must protect all of us" Connect With Laura Bell Main: www.Laurabellmain.com www.safestack.io/ mobile.twitter.com/lady_nerd www.nz.linkedin.com/in/lauradbel l Re-read Saturday News! Chapter 3 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais is titled Team First Thinking. Using teams to get work done in all walks of life is undeniable. Whether the idea of "team" emerged a century ago or last week is less important. What is important is the knowledge that very little work happens without teams. Team-first thinking makes simple sense. Buy a copy and read along! - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3: Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Week 4: Team First Thinking - https://bit.ly/3H9xRSC Next SPaMCAST In SPaMCAST 753 we will return to our discussion of fatalism to examine the relationship between hierarchy, fatalism, and engagement. We will also have a visit from Tony Timbol who will bring his To Tell A Story column to the podcast.

I have been considering the relationship between privilege and fatalism. Boiling down the impact of privilege to a single word, we find power. Whether it is the ability to make decisions about the work you will do, the power to direct others to do work, or even just to be heard, privilege is power. That power can generate fatalism in those without the power privilege delivers. In SPaMCAST 751 we discuss! Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the podcast. Mr. Berriault and I discuss why continuous improvement is important. Our discussion ties neatly into the essay on privilege and fatalism. We all have to commit to getting better every day or risk becoming irrelevant. Re-read Saturday News! Chapter 2 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais is a deep dive into Conway's Law both forward and backward (the Reverse Conway Manuver). Conway's Law states simply: the way people are organized influences software architecture. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics – http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts – https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Week 3 Conway's Law and Why It Matters - https://bit.ly/3muTVQE Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 752 features our interview with Laura Bell Main. We will discuss the confluence of fast-growing companies and security. Maybe I should say collision instead of confluence.

SPaMCAST 750 marks the return of Evan Leybourn to the podcast. Evan and I discuss the different domains of business agility, the relationship between behavior and culture, and whether Taylorism still has a place in the world. Evan is the co-founder of the Business Agility Institute; an international membership body to both champion and support the next generation of organizations. Companies that are agile, innovative, and dynamic - perfectly designed to thrive in today's unpredictable markets. Evan is also the author of Directing the Agile Organisation (2012) and #noprojects; a culture of continuous value (2018). Website: https://businessagility.institute/ Re-read Saturday News! This week we tackle Chapter 1 of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. The authors open Chapter 1 with a quote from Naomi Stafford, Guide to Organizational Design. "Organizations should be viewed as complex and adaptive organizations rather than mechanistic and linear systems" The quotes set the tone for Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow. Chapter 1 is titled The Problem With Org Charts. In this chapter, the authors point out problems in how organizations describe and organize themselves. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics - http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Week 2: The Problem With Org Charts - https://bit.ly/3zGGyQf Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 751 will feature an essay on the collision of fatalism and privilege. Let's just say…it isn't pretty. Jeremy Berriault will bring his QA Corner to the podcast. Mr. Berriault and I will discuss testing, Quality, and evolving behavior.

In SPaMCAST 749, we discuss the attributes of good work input/entry. There is no perfect approach to bringing work into an organization or team. Arguably since people are involved, perfect may not be something that can exist in the real world but instead, there are good approaches. There are nine key concepts for good work entry. Good work entry requires that these nine have to be present in some form regardless of whether you are using Scrum, Kanban waterfall, or some mix of frameworks. We want to be crystal clear, deciding to forego any of these characteristics other than for the briefest moment will set you on the path to the ninth circle of work entry hell. We also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast. Susan and I diagnose why some organizations think that a product owner can also be a scrum master. Re-read Saturday News! Today we begin the re-read of Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais. The book contains front matter, including a foreword and preface (22 pages), 8 chapters, a conclusion (190 pages), and end matter (glossary, recommended reading, references, notes, index, acknowledgments, and about the authors). Today we tackle the approach to the re-read and the front matter. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Team Topologies: Organizing Business And Technology Teams For Fast Flow Previous Installments: Week 1: Front Matter and Logistics - http://bit.ly/3nHGkW4 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 750 will mark the return of Evan Leybourn to the podcast. Evan and I discuss the different domains of business agility and whether Taylorism still has a place in the world.

SPaMCAST 748 features our interview with Bob Galen. Bob and I discuss Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond. With the interview, we wrap up the re-read and then moved on to talk about improving coaching and the agile industrial complex. Bob Galen is an Agile Practitioner, Trainer & Coach based in Cary, NC. In this role, he helps guide companies and teams in their pragmatic adoption and organizational shift towards agile methods of working. Bob has been doing that since the late 1990s, so he's deeply experienced. He is the Director of Agile Practice at Zenergy Technologies, a leading business agility transformation company. Bob is also President and Head Coach at RGCG a boutique agile coaching firm. Bob regularly speaks at international conferences and professional groups on topics related to agile software development, testing, scaling, and organizational leadership. He is a Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC), Scrum Alliance CAL trainer, and an active member of the Agile & Scrum Alliances. He's published four agile-centric books: The Three Pillars of Agile Quality and Testing in 2015, Scrum Product Ownership, 3'rd Edition in 2019, Agile Reflections in 2012, and Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching in 2022. He's also a prolific writer & blogger (at - www.rgalen.com and www.agile-moose.com) and podcaster (at www.meta-cast.com ) Bob may be reached directly at: [email protected] or networking via: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobgalen Re-read Saturday News! This week we conclude our re-read of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond. Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching is my new go-to coaching reference. It will be the book I recommend to anyone playing a coaching role in an agile environment. As we know a wide variety of organizational roles such as team leads, Scrum Masters, managers, and of course agile coaches coach. Coaching is dynamic and complex. What would you expect? There are people involved. Bob and his co-authors provide the tools to help a coach go from meh to badass. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond Previous Installments: Week 20: Wrap-up - http://bit.ly/40pFwTY Week 19: Sharpening Your Badass Saw - http://bit.ly/3JQCXEY Week 18: Setting Up a Badass Agile Coaching Community of Practice - http://bit.ly/3JyPT27 Week 17: Dojo Practices - http://bit.ly/3FlftW7 Week 16: Badass Agile Coach's Guide to Starting Your Day - http://bit.ly/3Y4Kcgy Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv Next SPaMCAST In SPaMCAST 749 we will discuss the attributes of good work input/entry. We have discussed patterns and anti-patterns. We explore what makes good work entry, good. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the podcast.

This week we continue our exploration of fatalism's impact on change in organizations (listen to Part 1 in SPaMCAST 745). Fatalism does not have to be permanent. How that transition away from fatalism can be made varies depending on context. In this installment of the series, we will look at a few approaches to tackling this problem. We also have a visit from Jon M Quigley. Jon and I discussed succession planning and why planning needs to be more diverse to support organizational health. Re-read Saturday News! This week we re-read Chapter 20 of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond. Bob notes that Stephen Covey's seventh habit in his classic, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, is sharpening the saw. This is a reminder that who and where we are today can't be who or where we are tomorrow. This habit is a prescription for balanced self-renewal. This is the last chapter of Extraordinary Badass; next week we will discuss the afterword and final thoughts. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond Previous Installments: Week 19: Sharpening Your Badass Saw - http://bit.ly/3JQCXEY Week 18: Setting Up a Badass Agile Coaching Community of Practice - http://bit.ly/3JyPT27 Week 17: Dojo Practices - http://bit.ly/3FlftW7 Week 16: Badass Agile Coach's Guide to Starting Your Day - http://bit.ly/3Y4Kcgy Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 748 features our interview with Bob Galen. Bob and I will discuss Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond and wrap up the re-read.

This week we discuss the Manifesto for Organizational Agility with Jeff Bubolz and Chad Beier. Jeff and Chad developed the manifesto to help organizations get agile and stay agile. Many organizations rush into agile finding early success that turns sour a few months or years down the road. This pattern is indisputable. The Manifesto seeks to highlight the core issues that lead to this pattern (you will also want to listen to the interview with Bob Galen on SPaMCAST 748 due to be posted on 26 March). You can read the Manifesto for Organizational Agility at http://bit.ly/3mOnBaU Chad and Jeff's Bios: Chad is an organizational agility advisor and external change agent with Wisconsin Agility and Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) with Scrum.org. He promotes organizational agility and positive pressure for change through speaking, advising, coaching, and training. Jeff is a Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) with Scrum.org, organizational agility advisor, podcast host, and speaker. Jeff brings storytelling, a broad array of experience, along with a collaborative approach to teaching and speaking. Contact information and More: Wisconsin Agility: https://www.wisconsinagility.com/ Agile Wire Podcast (one of my favorites): https://www.wisconsinagility.com/pages/the-agile-wire-podcast Chad Beier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadbeier/ Chad Beier's Agile Songs: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrE4EJKhiUtc3j5aAnRlskg Jeff Bubolz: linkedin.com/in/jeffbubolz Re-read Saturday News! Chapter 19 of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond is titled " Setting Up a Badass Agile Coaching Community of Practice." I have strong opinions about Communities of Practice (CoP). They can be a very valuable tool, when done well, for supporting movements within an organization. As Mr. Galen points out, a CoP, is a place for learning and feedback. Done poorly they are invasive and harmful. CoPs will get like-minded people together to learn, support each other, interact, and become a community. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond Previous Installments: Week 18: Setting Up a Badass Agile Coaching Community of Practice - http://bit.ly/3JyPT27 Week 17: Dojo Practices - http://bit.ly/3FlftW7 Week 16: Badass Agile Coach's Guide to Starting Your Day - http://bit.ly/3Y4Kcgy Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv Next SPaMCAST We will continue our exploration of fatalism's impact on change in organizations (listen to the essay in SPaMCAST 745). Fatalism does not have to be permanent. How that transition away from fatalism can be made varies depending on context. In the next installment in this series, we will look at a few approaches to tackling this problem. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who will bring his Alpha and Omega of Product Development to the podcast.

Fatalism stops process improvement and agile transformations in their tracks. One of the definitions of fatalism is the belief that all events are predetermined and therefore inevitable. Just accepting the status quo because it is the status quo isn't pragmatism it is stagnation. We also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast. Sign up for his free newsletter (https://forms.aweber.com/form/73/322717473.htm) and get a copy of the ebook on agile requirements we discussed. Re-read Saturday News! Chapter 18 of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond is titled "Dojo Practice for the Badass Agile Coach." The coaching dojo in Chapter 18 has a much smaller footprint than other dojos I have participated in and is easily implementable. I ran two this week and have plans for several more. Buy a copy and upgrade your coaching skills - Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond Week 17: Dojo Practices - http://bit.ly/3FlftW7 Week 16: Badass Agile Coach's Guide to Starting Your Day - http://bit.ly/3Y4Kcgy Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv Next SPaMCAST The next Software Process and Measurement Cast will feature a conversation with Jeff Bubolz and Chad Beier. We discussed their Manifesto for Organizational Agility ( Agility.https://www.wisconsinagility.com/pages/organizational-agility-manifesto) - a new manifesto for the dynamic world of work.

This week Nikhil Nandagopal and I talked about building teams. Teams are the heart and soul of software development in all of its many aspects. Nikhil provides pragmatic advice for organizing people into teams. We also discussed the democratization of coding that low-code platforms deliver. Nikhil Nandagopal, a co-founder of Appsmith, leads the development of the company's product – the first open-source low-code platform for developers. He is a software engineer and entrepreneur with 10 years of experience building apps. Nikhil's GitHub Website: https://app.appsmith.com/applications Nikhil's Profile: linkedin.com/in/nikhil-nandagopal-05534241 Twitter NikilNandagopal Re-read Saturday News! Chapter 17 of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond is titled "The Badass Agile Coach's Guide to Starting Your Day" which provides a structure or ritual for beginning each coaching day. I almost see this as a macro planning arc that Bob has recommended for all coaching sessions. Thinking about Christmas presents for your coaching friends? (302 days from today!) Buy a copy and beat the rush - Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond Week 16: Badass Agile Coach's Guide to Starting Your Day - http://bit.ly/3Y4Kcgy Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv A quick advertisement: Controlling work entry requires preparation, knowledge, and building to establish a path to control work entry (magic wands are normally not available), which is why Jeremy Willets and I have developed a work entry workshop. Interested? Please email us at [email protected] or [email protected] Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, I want to talk about one of the great enemies of change - fatalism. Phrases like "that's not our culture" or "that won't work here" are discussion killers. We will also have a visit from Tony Timbol who brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast.

This week, we take a detour thanks to Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching. Over the past two chapters, the book has drilled us on recognizing and adapting to situational nuances as a crucial skill for effective coaching. I will admit that my first few years of coaching were formulaic. I did not spend the needed time to understand and address nuances of context or differences in individuals' journeys through life. I do not remember when I learned that roles and situations change the trajectory of coaching, as does the starting point of the person or persons you are coaching. At some point, I got the point. In this chapter, diversity is an omnibus term used to describe inclusiveness across a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, life experiences, and more. Galen-Personick focuses on four specific areas. Rather than recounting the four, what struck me during this read was the impact privilege has on both delivering and being coached. That's what I discuss in today's podcast. Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the podcast. This week we communicated on the topic of communication. Re-read Saturday News! Chapter 16 of Extraordinary Badass Agile Coaching: The Journey from Beginner to Mastery and Beyond is titled Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach. This chapter is written by Rhiannon Galen-Personick and focuses on diversity awareness. The author uses four areas of diversity to help coaches think through their biases, the biases of the people they are coaching, and the biases of the teams around them. This is in an effort to teach all of us to be better coaches and, dare I say, people. Week 15: Situational Awareness as a Badass Agile Coach - http://bit.ly/3KnoJMv A quick advertisement: Controlling work entry requires preparation, knowledge, and building to establish a path to control work entry (magic wands are normally not available), which is why Jeremy Willets and I have developed a work entry workshop. Interested? Please email us at [email protected] or [email protected] Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, Nikhil Nandagopal and I talked about building teams. Teams are the heart and soul of software development in all of its many aspects.