Software Process and Measurement Cast

The SPaMCAST 595 features our interview with Vladimir Khorikov. Vladimir and I geeked out on unit testing and his new book, Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns. Our conversations covered the gamut with a discussion of writing from first principles, understanding and tuning the signal-to-noise ratio in unit testing, and tests that are better at proving the negative than the positive. Vladimir Khorikov is a software engineer and author of several popular Pluralsight courses. He has been professionally involved in software development for over 15 years, including mentoring teams on the ins and outs of unit testing. He's also the founder of the Enterprise Craftsmanship blog, where he reaches 500 thousand software developers yearly. He started as an adviser on general programming topics, but lately shifted his focus to unit testing with a central message of teaching software developers how to make unit testing painless. The biggest advantage of his teaching style, and the one students often praise, is his tendency to have a strong theoretic background, which he then applies to practical examples. Web: https://painlessunittesting.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vladimir-khorikov-bb482653 Twitter: @vkhorikov Manning Publications has kindly supplied the SPaMCAST with a few ebook codes. If you are interested (and you should be) email the Software Process and Measurement Cast at [email protected] with your favorite quote from this interview and I will randomly draw winners on April 18th. Email not your style? Post your favorite quote on or post the quote on Twitter with #spamcast. Re-Read Saturday News We worked on getting ready to talk, now it is time to get into the meat of a dialogue. Chapter 7 of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler, is where the rubber hits the road. In many circumstances, this is actually where the wheels actually come off! The authors present five skills for talking when what you have to say could make others feel defensive. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp Week 3 – Chapter 2: The Power of Dialogue – http://bit.ly/3aO4cMa Week 4 - Chapter 3: Start With Heart - http://bit.ly/2UbJizK Week 5 - Learn To Look - https://bit.ly/3djnnPX Week 6 - Make It Safe - https://bit.ly/39p4Xu4 Week 7 - Master my Stories - https://bit.ly/2V1DJUZ Week 8 - State My Path - https://bit.ly/2XtqTSr If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Upcoming Events (ALL ONLINE) DevOps Online Summit 2020 April 20 - 24 Registration is open at https://www.devopsonlinesummit.com/2020 IdeaFest April 21 and 22, 2020 Registration is open at http://ideafest2020.org/ Listen to the Promo after the interview or standalone in the feed! Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 596 will feature our interview with Tom Henrickson. Tom brings the industry the DevOps and the Agile Online Summits and is an active thought leader in the agile community. We talked about learning and sharpening the saw. The idea of tuning your capabilities has never been more important as the economy struggles to get going again.

The DevOps Online Summit 2020 is an online event for DevOps professionals. We will have interviews with DevOps leaders and Ask Me Anything sessions. So wherever you are in the world you can attend these online sessions. It will start Monday, April 20, 2020, and run through Friday, April 24, 2020. I am looking forward to getting my DevOps geek on and hope to virtually see you at xx to the Summit. Check out Tom Henricksen's audio call to action. Then visit and register for this year's DevOps Online Summit at https://bit.ly/2UQaupf I am looking forward to getting my DevOps geek on and hope to virtually see you at the Summit. Check out Tom Henricksen's audio call to action. Then visit and register for this year's DevOps Online Summit at https://bit.ly/2UQaupf The SPaMCAST is proud to be a media sponsor.

The SPaMCAST 594 features our interview with Dennis Lewis. Mr. Lewis, author of Behold the Cryptopreneurs, and I talked about how blockchain and cryptocurrencies are changing all types of software development. Dennis provides great advice for technologists and entrepreneurs that is immediately actionable (without violating social distancing). Dennis is a seasoned digital storyteller and ICO marketing specialist with a proven track record in both Europe and the United States. He has successfully led to market and exited multiple startup companies, and prides himself on his ability to make complex projects easy to understand and relatable. In a marketing landscape increasingly obsessed with shiny objects and overly complicated sales funnels, Dennis still believes that the key to any successful marketing campaign are the words on the page. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennishlewis/ Cryptoreneurs Club: https://cryptopreneurs.club/ Behold the Cryptopreneurs: https://amzn.to/3aM9hor Re-Read Saturday News While I was preparing for this week's installment of Re-read Saturday, I got into a "discussion" with my wife about people and organizations profiteering during the COVID-19 disaster. When I began to notice I was becoming heated, I realized that this week's chapter was an appropriate touchpoint to get the dialogue back on track. Chapter 6 of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler is about how to gain control of your emotions during crucial conversations and therefore gain control of the conversation. Keeping your emotions under control allows you to think and use all of the tools at your disposal to stay in a constructive dialogue. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp Week 3 – Chapter 2: The Power of Dialogue – http://bit.ly/3aO4cMa Week 4 - Chapter 3: Start With Heart - http://bit.ly/2UbJizK Week 5 - Learn To Look - https://bit.ly/3djnnPX Week 6 - Make It Safe - https://bit.ly/39p4Xu4 Week 7 - Master my Stories - https://bit.ly/2V1DJUZ If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Upcoming Events (ALL ONLINE) DevOps Online Summit 2020 April 20 - 24 Registration is open at https://www.devopsonlinesummit.com/2020 IdeaFest April 21 and 22, 2020 Registration is open at http://ideafest2020.org/ I will get more information to you on these two great events later this week. Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 595 will feature our interview with Vladimir Khorikov. Vladimir and I geeked out on unit testing and his new book, Unit Testing Principles, Practices, and Patterns. The concepts of unit testing are important for anyone who develops, tests or interacts with people who write code.

The SPaMCAST 593 features my interview with Scott Crabtree. Happiness at work might sound squishy, but happiness has rigorous science behind it. Simply put, happiness yields better outcomes both in terms of value delivered and our own perception of our value. Scott Crabtree helps people apply science to thrive at work. After earning a degree in cognitive science from Vassar College, he went on to lead the design and development of video games and other software. He discovered the science of thriving (positive psychology and other brain sciences) in 2003 and immediately became a passionate student and teacher of that research. He resigned his senior leadership position at Intel in 2011 to found Happy Brain Science. When not presenting the science of thriving at work, Scott enjoys playing music and getting into the Oregon wilderness, especially with his wife and two daughters. Contact Information LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sccrabtree/ Happy Brain Science: www.happybrainscience.com Re-Read Saturday News Today we tackle Chapter 5, Make It Safe - How to Make It Safe to Talk About Almost Anything, from Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. This is the next step in the journey to help the reader participate and guide crucial conversations into dialogues by ensuring that the interaction is safe. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp Week 3 – Chapter 2: The Power of Dialogue – http://bit.ly/3aO4cMa Week 4 - Chapter 3: Start With Heart - http://bit.ly/2UbJizK Week 5 - Learn To Look - https://bit.ly/3djnnPX Week 6 - Make It Safe - https://bit.ly/39p4Xu4 If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Book Club Starting Soon ** Only a few seats left *** Jon M Quigley and I are starting an online book club to read and discuss the classic books that underpin the lean, quality and agile movements. The name of the book club is "Quality, Agile, and Lean Classic Books: Greatness in the Workplace". The first book is Out Of The Crisis by Deming (don't have a copy — https://amzn.to/32XAH81) We are starting our dialog on Friday, April 10th and the event will run over 7 sessions (we will avoid as many religious and national holidays as possible). We are only opening 10 seats for each group of sessions. We are changing a one time fee of $3.13 which equates to 4.95 (ish) once Eventbrite factors in their fees to encourage people that sign up to show up. More information and sign up at http://bit.ly/2IsPPkf Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 594 will feature our interview with Daniel Lewis. Mr. Lewis, author of Behold the Cryptopreneurs, and I talked about how blockchain and cryptocurrencies are changing all types of software development. Also, I also have another panel discussion focusing on working from home that should air this week and special video content that should get into the feed over the next few weeks. A little lagniappe because we all deserve it right now.

The SPaMCAST 592 features my interview with Shelisa Bainbridge. We talked about human-centered design and the impact of design on the development process. This approach is core to understanding what the customer wants in a way that influences every line of code. We also talked about how organizations adopt agile and women in agile. Shelisa is a Senior Business Coach with more than 20 years of experience working with some of Canada's most notable brands. Through her various corporate experiences, Shelisa has come to understand the exponential power that 'human connection' has on a company's bottom line, and the support that businesses need to attain exceptional results through brand loyalty and unwavering internal team trust and collaboration. Shelisa is the Head of Human Centered Delivery (HCD) at one of Toronto's top Agile Consulting and Coaching groups, Agile by Design. HCD is a complete flow that combines Design Thinking, Agile, User Experience(UX), and validated learning. Shelisa B. helps to arm teams with the skills they need to shift the mindset, culture, and methods required to increase agility. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shelisabainbridge Web: https://agilebydesign.com/about_us/ Re-Read Saturday News This week we focus on Chapter 4 of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. The chapter is titled, Learn to Look: How To Notice When Safety Is At Risk. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp Week 3 – Chapter 2: The Power of Dialogue – http://bit.ly/3aO4cMa Week 4 - Chapter 3: Start With Heart - http://bit.ly/2UbJizK Week 5 - Learn To Look - https://bit.ly/3djnnPX If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Book Club Starting Soon ** Only a few seats left *** Jon M Quigley and I are starting an online book club to read and discuss the classic books that underpin the lean, quality and agile movements. The name of the book club is "Quality, Agile, and Lean Classic Books: Greatness in the Workplace". The first book is Out Of The Crisis by Deming (don't have a copy — https://amzn.to/32XAH81) We are starting our dialog on Friday, April 10th and the event will run over 7 sessions (we will avoid as many religious and national holidays as possible). We are only opening 10 seats for each group of sessions. We are changing a one time fee of $3.13 which equates to 4.95 (ish) once Eventbrite factors in their fees to encourage people that sign up to show up. More information and sign up at http://bit.ly/2IsPPkf Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 593 will feature my interview with Scott Crabtree. Scott and I talked about the impact of being happy at work has on performance and outcomes. Perfect timing for this interview! Also, I may have some special content in the feed over the next few weeks. A little lagniappe because we all deserve it right now.

The SPaMCAST 591 is a very special podcast. On the 18th of March, I convened a panel of luminaries to discuss how they were supporting and working with remote teams. I recorded both the audio and video, today I am releasing the audio version. The panel for this show was Jeff Dalton [email protected] Amy McDonough [email protected] Sandeep Koorse [email protected] Christopher Hurney [email protected] And myself! [email protected] We kept the session short but full of practical advice! Next SPaMCAST We will be back with the video soon AND back on Sunday our interview with Shelisa Bainbridge.

The SPaMCAST 590 features my interview with Nancy Kastl. Nancy and I discussed testing and the future of the testing profession. The future of testing is not cut and dry; in the short run more automation and in the long-term more codeless testing and AI might replace entry-level testers. An eye-opening interview! Nancy's Bio: Nancy Kastl is an accomplished professional with over thirty-five years of experience as a consultant, facilitator, and instructor in software quality and testing. As an entrepreneur and consultant, she brings her expertise in strategic planning, quality management, software testing, process re-engineering, and measurement to every engagement. As the executive director of SPR's Testing Services, she provides thought leadership to clients, formulates solutions to their needs, and provides daily guidance and oversight to SPRs on-shore testing team in Chicago. She is the founder and President of the Chicago Quality Assurance Association. Nancy is a frequent conference speaker and served as the QUEST conference chairperson for twelve years. She loves photography, being surrounded by nature, and traveling. Reach out to Nancy on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/nancy-kastl-416170 And check out SPR at https://spr.com/work/ Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler with Chapter 3, Start With Heart. This chapter begins to teach the reader "how" to dialog. Start with heart means that we have to establish our goal before getting involved in a dialog. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp Week 3 – Chapter 2: The Power of Dialogue – http://bit.ly/3aO4cMa Week 4 - Chapter 3: Start With Heart - http://bit.ly/2UbJizK If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Book Club Starting Soon Jon M Quigley and I are starting an online book club to read and discuss the classic books that underpin the lean, quality and agile movements. The name of the book club is "Quality, Agile, and Lean Classic Books: Greatness in the Workplace". The first book is Out Of The Crisis by Deming (don't have a copy — https://amzn.to/32XAH81) We are starting our dialog on Friday, April 10th and the event will run over 7 sessions (we will avoid as many religious and national holidays as possible). We are only opening 10 seats for each group of sessions. We are changing a one time fee of $3.13 which equates to 4.95 (ish) once Eventbrite factors in their fees to encourage people that sign up to show up. More information and sign up at http://bit.ly/2IsPPkf Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 591 will feature my interview with Shelisa Bainbridge. Shelisa is the Head of Human Centered Delivery (HCD) at Agile by Design. We talked about human-centered design, why design thinking is important, women in tech and agile, and more. This is a powerful interview with a ton of useful ideas. Also, I may have some special content in the feed over the next few weeks. A little lagniappe because we all deserve it right now.

The SPaMCAST 589 features our essay on using clean language to refine requirements. Clean Language's pedigree is from psychotherapy and has found a home in coaching. It is also a valuable tool for discovering information about work products. As product managers, product owners, and stakeholders interact with the world and then describe a set of wants and needs they use metaphors. Clean language helps us unpack those metaphors. We also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist Column to the podcast. Susan delivers thoughts and ideas about virtual agile. Reach out to Susan at [email protected]. Re-Read Saturday News This week we tackle Chapter 2 of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. Chapter 2, titled Mastering Crucial Conversations: The Power of Dialogue. The chapter begins with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that highlights the problem with staying silent. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). New side venture! Jon M Quigley and I are starting an online book club to read and discuss the classic books that underpin the lean, quality and agile movements. The name is "Quality, Agile, and Lean Classic Books: Greatness in the Workplace". The first book is Out Of The Crisis by Deming (don't have a copy — https://amzn.to/32XAH81) We are starting our dialog on Friday, April 10th and the event will run over 7 sessions (we will avoid as many religious and national holidays as possible). We are only opening 10 seats for each group of sessions. We are changing a one time fee of $3.13 which equates to 4.95 (ish) once Eventbrite factors in their fees to encourage people that sign up to show up. Each session will be outlined in the supplemental material provided for the book club. The materials will include definitions of keywords and a series of questions to ponder for each chapter as you read through the book. We are limiting the book club to 10 participants to facilitate ease of discussion of the text and to allow interaction. Tom Cagley and Jon M Quigley will be your guides through the material, posing follow on questions that guide you through the exploration of the work. Note, we will record each of the sessions in case everyone will not be able to attend every week. Sign up at http://bit.ly/2IsPPkf Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 590 will feature my interview with Nancy Kastl. Nacy and I discussed testing and the future of the testing profession. Is the future of testing purely automation and machine learning? You will find out next Sunday!

The SPaMCAST 588 features our interview with Susie Palmer-Trew and Peter Taylor. We discussed their new book Project Management: It's All Bollocks! It was great to meet Susie and renew our conversation with Peter. We talked about the assumptions that the profession of project management makes and why we should challenge those assumptions. The episode has the subtitle (you will discover it ½ way through the interview) Susie Palmer-Trew is an award-winning project professional and Director of Change at The Open University, enabling others to get shit done in a world tied up in red tape. She is the co-creator of the #LetsChangeChange movement, avid risk-taker and professional trouble maker. Contact Susie on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/susie-palmer-trew-13108646) Peter Taylor is author of the Amazon number 1 bestselling project management book, The Lazy Project Manager, and professional speaker, having given 350 lectures around the world in over 25 countries. He has been described as 'perhaps the most entertaining and inspiring speaker in the project management world today'. Contact Peter at http://www.thelazyprojectmanager.com/peter-taylor Re-Read Saturday News This week we are at a family wedding and missed posting the next installment of our re-read of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. The essay is written but unedited. We will be back next week with Chapter 2 and possibly Chapter 3. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 589 will get us back into cadence with an essay on Clean Language. Clean Language is a technique for shaping a discussion. The questions at the heart of this approach are designed to discover and explore a person's personal metaphor. Clean language is a very useful tool for a wide range of roles from coaching to exploring requirements and needs. We will also have a conversation with Susan Parente. Susan brings here Not A Scrumdamentalist Column to the podcast next week!

For SPaMCAST 587 we are going to break cadence and feature another interview. Ryan Ripley, Todd Miller and I discussed their new book Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems. We discussed how to define broken scrum processes. Ryan and Todd make the point that Scrum is so much more than a checklist of practices to follow, yet that's exactly how many organizations practice it. Todd's Bio Todd is a Professional Scrum Trainer for Scrum.org and VP of the Agile Innovation Practice at Itero Group, LLC. He has professional experience as a Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developer, and Agile coach on a variety of technical and creative projects across a multitude of industries. He presently coaches and trains enterprises and teams across the United States on the Scrum framework, enterprise Agile transformation, and professional software development. Ryan's Bio: A professional Scrum trainer with Scrum.org, Ryan Ripley has experience as a software developer, manager, director, and ScrumMaster at various Fortune 500 companies in the medical device, wholesale, and financial services industries. The host of "Agile for Humans," the top agile podcast on iTunes, Ryan lives in Indiana with his wife, Kristin, and three children. He blogs at ryanripley.com and is on Twitter @ryanripley. Most recently, Ryan co-author of "Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems" with Todd Miller. Ryan is also a noted keynote speaker and travels internationally to present on the Scrum and Agile topics. Business Agility Conference is sponsoring SPaMCAST! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount. The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News This week we continue our re-read of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. Chapter 1 of Crucial Conversations provides the reader with a definition of a crucial conversation for the book, hints to aid in recognizing this form of communication, and provides a rationale for why we should care. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 588 features our interview with Susie Palmer-Trew and Peter Taylor. We discussed their new book Project Management: It's All Bollocks! It was great to meet Susie and renew our conversation with Peter. We talked about the assumptions that the profession of project management makes and why we should challenge those assumptions.

The SPaMCAST 586 features our interview with Jeff Dalton. We talked about his book Great Big Agile and the Agile Performance Holarchy. One of the topics we explored in this podcast is the relationship between being a professional musician and a software developer. Jeff brings his wisdom and humor to the podcast again to help listeners learn from high-performance agile organizations! Note: At 23:50 ish in this Podcast Jeff and I begin an exchange on the difference between the attributes needed to be an agile leader and those needed to climb the corporate ladder. The discussion is a profound truth that rarely is discussed or is suppressed. I would like to hear your thoughts! Jeff last visited the podcast on SPaMCAST 512. Jeff Dalton is Chief Evangelist at AgileCxO.org, a Research and Development organization that studies agile leadership. He is a technology executive with over 30 years of experience as a CTO, CIO, VP of Product Development, and for that past fifteen years has been CEO of Broadsword and AgileCxO. He is an executive agile coach, agile assessor, and instructor, a regular conference speaker, and author of both "The Agile Performance Holarchy: An Operating System for Agile Leaders" and "The Guide to Scrum and CMMI: Improving Agile Performance with CMMI." In his spare time, Jeff is an instrument-rated pilot and plays bass in a jazz band. He has degrees in music and computer science. Contact Jeff at: Agilecxo.org https://agilecxo.org/ Twitter: @cmmiappraiser Twitter: @agilecxo Business Agility Conference is sponsoring SPaMCAST! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount. The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News This week we begin our re-read of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. This week we review the logistics of the read, the two forewords, and the preface. One of the major takeaways in week 1 is that Covey suggests using the book in a cycle of learning, doing, reflecting and then repeating. The learning cycle ought to resonate with every Scrum Master, Agile Coach and change leader. Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link above! sing the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). Next SPaMCAST For SPaMCAST 587 we are going to break cadence and feature another interview. Ryan Ripley, Todd Miller and I discussed their new book Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems. We discussed how to define broken scrum processes. Ryan and Todd make the point that Scrum is so much more than a checklist of practices to follow, yet that's exactly how many organizations practice it.

The SPaMCAST 585 features an intimate conversation between Jon M Quigley, Susan Parente, and myself. We discussed experimentation, learning, and a deep dive into whether agile transformations do enough to prepare technical teams to get the maximum value from agile. Contact Susan at [email protected] Contact Jon at [email protected] Business Agility Conference is sponsoring SPaMCAST! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount. The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News This week we complete our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow with a few concluding comments. I now have read this book twice. It has influenced my practice both times. I will probably re-read the book again in a few years and expect to be changed again. This weeks installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 39 - Concluding Remarks - http://bit.ly/37cyKoL Or start at the beginning Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h The next book in our Re-read Saturday Feature is Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. I have never read this book, I just ordered the book using the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link above! Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 586 features our interview with Jeff Dalton. We talked about his book Great Big Agile and the Agile Performance Holarchy. Jeff brings his wisdom and humor to the podcast again to challenge the perception that we can't learn from high-performance agile organizations!

SPaMCAST 584, the first interview of our 14th year of the SPaMCAST, features our interview with Allan Kelly. We discussed his new book, The Art of Agile Product Ownership: A Guide for Product Managers, Business Analysts, and Entrepreneurs. The role of a product owner is hard and often misunderstood. Allan offers practical advice on sorting the role out. Allan's Bio Allan has pioneered techniques such as Value Poker, Time-Value Profiles and Retrospective Dialogue Sheets. He is the author of seven books including "Continuous Digital", "Little Book of Requirements and User Stories" and his latest book is "Art of Agile Product Ownership." When not writing Allan consults and coaches, helping companies embrace the agile and digital world, and teams to improve their performance. Links: Me: www.allankelly.net Blog: www.allankelly.net/blog Retrospective cards: www.dialoguesheets.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/allankellynet Business Agility Conference is sponsoring this Podcast! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount. The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News This week we complete the material in Thinking, Fast and Slow. The Conclusion Chapter is the last of the main material in the book. In this chapter, there are three areas I want to highlight. Next week we finish the re-read in earnest with a few closing thoughts. The previous installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 37 - Experienced Well-Being and Thinking About Life - http://bit.ly/2RwYIyJ Or start at the beginning Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h The next book in our Re-read Saturday Feature is Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. I have never read this book, I just ordered the book using the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link above! Next SPaMCAST The SPaMCAST 585 features an intimate conversation between Jon M Quigley, Susan Parente, and myself discussing experimentation, learning, and a deep dive into whether teams are enabled to get the maximum value from agile.

Happy Birthday to the Software Process and Measurement Cast. SPaMCAST 583 marks the beginning of the Podcast's 14th year! The first podcast of year 14 features a three-way discussion between Susan Parente, Anthony Mersino, and myself. We discussed the pros and cons of hybridizing agile frameworks. Hybridizing agile approaches is a lightning rod concept in many circles. Susan, Anthony and I have different experiences and opinions on the topic. The conversation was spirited. Business Agility Conference is sponsoring this Podcast! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News This week as we discuss Chapter 37 and 38 of Thinking, Fast and Slow we are quickly closing in on the completion of the re-read. Chapter 37, Experienced Well-Being, and Chapter 38, Thinking About Life, are the last two chapters before Kanhneman's conclusions. Assuming "God willing and the creek don't rise" (an Americanism), we will begin Crucial Conversations in three weeks. I have purchased my copy and have started reading the book. The current installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 36 - Life As A Story - http://bit.ly/2R8HDe2 Or start at the beginning Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h The next book in our Re-read Saturday Feature is Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. I have never read this book, I just ordered the book using the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link above! Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 584 will feature our interview with Allan Kelly. We discussed his new book, The Art of Agile Product Ownership: A Guide for Product Managers, Business Analysts, and Entrepreneurs. The role of a product owner is often misunderstood and always hard. Allan gets things sorted for us!

SPaMCAST 582 features our interview with Paul Gibbons. We discussed his new book IMPACT: 21st Century Change Management, Behavioral Science, Digital Transformation, and the Future of Work (Leading Change in the Digital Age). The interview started by exploring the high-level factors that influence change and then spun down into areas such as the future of work, biases, and de-biasing. This is the second book in the series he began with The Science of Successful Organization Change which we discussed on SPaMCAST 480. The ideas that Paul shares are thought-provoking and will improve how you think about change. Pau's bio: Paul Gibbons is an author, academic, business consultant, podcaster and professional speaker. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. After eight years as a senior consultant at PwC, Gibbons founded Future Considerations, a consulting firm that provided guidance to major corporations, including Shell, BP, Barclays and HSBC, on achieving whole-systems change. From 2015-2018, he was an adjunct professor at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He currently devotes himself mainly to writing and speaking to businesses about transformational leadership, change, and ethics.. He has authored five books, most prominently The Science of Successful Organizational Change, and runs the popular philosophy podcast, Think Bigger Think Better. 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 Paul is a podcaster! His podcast, Think Bigger, Think Better asks the question How can contemporary philosophy and science help us make better choices, lead better lives, and create a sustainable, prosperous world? Check out Think Bigger, Think Better on Apple Podcasts or where ever you get your podcasts! Business Agility Conference is sponsoring this Podcast! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News This week we discuss Chapter 36 of Thinking, Fast and Slow. The chapter is titled Life As A Story. This chapter focuses on two closely related biases that impact the stories we tell about our lives. The current installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 36 - Life As A Story - http://bit.ly/2R8HDe2 Or start at the beginning Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h The next book in our Re-read Saturday Feature is Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. I have never read this book, I just ordered the book using the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast). If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link above! Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 583 marks the beginning of the Podcast's 14th year! Our first podcast of year 14 will feature a three-way discussion between Susan Parente, Anthony Mersino, and myself. We discussed hybridizing agile approaches. Discussions of hybridization can evoke accusations of not being really agile or not doing agile the right way. Hybrids are often important for meeting people where are so they can smoothly embrace change or meet legal reporting requirements. Susan, Anthony and I have different experiences and opinions on the topic. The conver

SPaMCAST 581 features a discussion on whether most agile transformations have provided teams with the technical skills to be successful with agile. Kim Pries, the Software Sensei, Jeremy Berriault, QA Corner, and I had a wide-ranging discussion covering experimentation, learning and both personal and management responsibility. Business Agility Conference is sponsoring this Podcast! Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Conference is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This is the first, and original, Business Agility Conference. The goal is to bring the local and international business agility community together in a friendly, educational and fun environment to exchange and explore ways to create lasting change. This conference is unique, not only in the topic but also in structure. You will experience; 20-minute "Art of the Possible" stories from each speaker 20-minutes Panel Q/A with the audience for each theme 45-minute deep dives and facilitated peer conversations This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Support the podcast and blog by visiting the link and adding the Business Agility Conference to your conference dance card in 2020! Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 35, titled Two Selves, begins Section Five. Kahneman starts this chapter by discussing the concept of experienced utility. Berridge and O'Doherty define experienced utility as "the hedonic or pleasurable experience produced by the outcome when eventually gained." A person that was attempting to maximize experienced utility would make decisions that yield the most pleasure over other attributes. The current installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 35: Two Selves - http://bit.ly/2FKJi2M Or start at the beginning Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h We will announce the next book in the re-read series next week. Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 582 will feature our interview with Paul Gibbons. We discussed his new book Impact. Along the way, we talked about biases and more importantly about de-biasing. This is the second book in the series he began with The Science of Successful Organization Change which we discussed on SPaMCAST 480. That was a good interview . . . this one is better!

SPaMCAST 580 features our interview with Bill Fox. Bill and I discussed his new book The Future of the Workplace - https://amzn.to/2Q8z9Df. Bill has compiled a huge amount of wisdom from his amazing interviews that translated into his new book. Bill and I spent time in this interview exploring the journey to the new book and Bill's philosophies. Our discussion highlights the benefits of a deep humanist view of leadership. Bill's Bio Bill Fox is an author, speaker, and consultant who helps build forward-thinking and human-centered workplace cultures. Bill leads a growing global conversation at Exploring Forward Thinking Workplaces (forwardthinkingworkplaces.com) with 75+ pioneering business and thought leaders. His work will help you discover new pathways, make better decisions, and be a forward thinking leader. He is the author of The Future of the Workplace (Apress, October 2019), the Be a Workplace of the Future NOW Series, and 5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success. Learn more about Bill at billfox.co and visit https://forwardthinkingworkplaces.com/creating-a-forward-thinking-workplace-culture/ All of Bill's Books can be found at https://billfox.co/my-books/ Business Agility Conference Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street What drives you to sign up and go to a conference? Great speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities? Do I have a conference for you! The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Business Agility Institute is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we review Chapter 34 which highlights a number of critical ideas that are germane in today's environment. Kahneman begins the chapter with the statement that classic economists' beliefs and preferences are reality bound. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 34: Frames and Reality - http://bit.ly/2rV26ZZ Or start at the beginning Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Remember we are in the process of choosing the next book in the Re-Read Saturday feature. We have approximately six weeks left in the reading of Thinking Fast and Slow. We have four books that have been suggested (two I have not read, but should). Please vote for your two favorites in the poll below: https://tcagley.wordpress.com/2020/01/04/thinking-fast-and-slow-by-daniel-kahneman-re-read-week-34-chapter-34-frames-and-reality/#more-11223 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 581 is a special show featuring a discussion on whether most agile transformations have provided teams with the technical skills to be successful with agile. Kim Pries, the Software Sensei, Jeremy Berriault, QA Corner, and I had a wide-ranging discussion covering learning and both personal and management responsibility.

SPaMCAST 579 features our essay on fear-driven agile hybrids. Most hybridization issues stem from techniques that conflict with the framework and/or agile principles due to clashes with culture or lack of knowledge. Blindly making changes will never reflect what the environment's context demands. Expecting to get good results by randomly changing how you work won't be effective. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault from QA Corner. Jeremy and I talked about frameworks and what should happen if the framework is not helping. Contact Jeremy at https://www.berriaultandassociates.com/ Email: [email protected] Business Agility Conference Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. The Business Agility Institute is bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Use the special code "spamcast" to get a 20% discount! Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about reversals. Taking related decisions separately allows the decision-maker to use factors that are unrelated to the decision. This allows System 1 Thinking and bias to creep into the process. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 33: Reversals - http://bit.ly/363hrqe Remember we are in the process of choosing the next book in the Re-Read Saturday feature. We have approximately seven weeks left in the reading of Thinking Fast and Slow. We have four books that have been suggested (two I have not read, but should). Please vote for your two favorites in the poll below: Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 580 will feature our interview with Bill Fox. Bill and I discussed his new book Forward Thinking Workplace - https://amzn.to/2Q8z9Df. Bill has compiled a huge amount of wisdom from his amazing interviews with leaders and thought leaders. Our discussion highlights the benefits of a deep humanist view of leadership.

SPaMCAST 578 features our interview with Evan Leybourn. Evan and I discussed HR Guilds and news from the Business Agility Institute. Evan last visited the podcast on SPaMCAST 478 as the Business Agility Institute was just being formed. Two years later it is going strong and helping change how business is done. Evan is the Founder and CEO 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. The BAI connects leaders across industries and regions to share their experiences and insights with each other. The flagship event, the Business Agility Conference will run in New York March on 11 and 12, 2020. Evan is also the author of Directing the Agile Organisation and #noprojects: A Culture of Continuous Value. Business Agility Institute: http://businessagility.institute/ HR Guild - https://businessagility.institute/hr-guild/ BAI Members - https://businessagility.institute/join/individual-membership/?level=1 Business Agility Conference Dates: March 11-12, 2020 Location: New York City, 117 West 46th Street The Business Agility Conference is an intense 2-day event focusing on the future of business, focusing on customer centricity, employee engagement, organization design, product innovation, and next-gen leadership. We are bringing together some of the greatest speakers and practitioners of business agility to share their experiences and the benefits their organizations have gained from exploring new and agile practices. This year's speakers include current and prior executives from Zappos, Amazon, Pacific Life Insurance, and Scrum Alliance, the Chair of the Board of CHOICE, as well as thought-leaders from Menlo Innovations, Freddie Mac, and AgilityHealth. URL: http://bit.ly/2SmOJMS Special Discount For SPaMCAST Listeners: spamcast - 20% discount Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about keeping score! Mental accounts and keeping score impact the decisions that we make. Keeping score and the potential for regret support the status quo and fosters resistance to change. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday is: Week 32: Keeping Score - http://bit.ly/3941Atp Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 579 will feature our essay on fear-driven agile hybrids. Most hybridization issues stem from techniques that conflict with the framework and/or agile principles due to clashes with culture or lack of knowledge. Let's explore why when context demands, the right techniques can be used to augment the framework. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault from QA Corner.

SPaMCAST 577 features our essay on approaches to backlog prioritization. Today we will share some background and a simple approach because sometimes a straightforward approach will fit the bill! Also this week, Susan Parente joins the cast with an installment of her Not a Scrumdamentalist column. Susan discusses agile myths. Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about risk policies. The concept of risk policies dovetails quite nicely with our discussion of story and portfolio prioritization. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday: Week 31: Chapter 31: Risk Policies - http://bit.ly/2RWEqin Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 578 features the return of Evan Leybourn. Evan and I discussed HR Guilds and news from the Business Agility Institute.

SPaMCAST 576 features a discussion on learning and experimentation with Kim Pries. Kim has coded, tested, lead, and is an author. He has also delivered pointed advice as the Software Sensei. Today we discussed the relationship between learning and experimentation which is at the heart of growing as you practice software development. Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about the collision of utility theory and prospect theory, overweighting vivid outcomes, and denominator neglect. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday: Week 40: Rare Events - http://bit.ly/2LANUMr Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 577 will feature our essay on simple approaches to backlog prioritization. Sometimes a straightforward approach will fit the bill! We will also talk with Susan Parente.

SPaMCAST 575 features our essay on the lightning-rod issue: hybridizing agile methods and techniques. We can all agree that fitting a model to an observed reality requires the flexibility to hybridize. Why do we it so wrong so often? We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column. Jon and I talked about Deming and his impact on our lives and a book club we are launching early next year. Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about the Fourfold Pattern, Certainty Effect and the Possibility Effect (Chapter 29). Simply put "people are not perfectly rational choosers," which makes it hard to make consistently good decisions. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday: Week 29: The Fourfold Pattern - http://bit.ly/2Y3doHg Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 576 will feature a conversation with Kim Pries, the Software Sensei on learning, quality, craftsmanship, and future plans. This is one of those conversations that is full of serendipity.

SPaMCAST 574 features our interview with Ian Reynolds, chief Solutions Architect at Zibtek We answered the question, What is a solution architect? The discussion coved ideas across starts-ups, medium, and large-sized businesses. Ian paints the solutions architect as an action hero whose raison d'être is to deliver business value. Ian's Bio: Ian is a partner and chief Solutions Architect at Zibtek - a software development firm focused on helping businesses of all sizes in the US to solve their core problems with the software. Ian has spent his career consulting and helping different industries to empower greater profitability and efficiency. He loves to share his experiences and ideas on building the right tools through custom software. Website: www.zibtek.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/zibtek/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/Zibtek/ Twitter: twitter.com/zibtek Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we talk about bad events. The chapters in Part 4 of Thinking Fast and Slow are relatively short and punchy, but the ideas aren't small. I think these chapters are the most useful on a day-to-day basis. Chapter 28 goes into depth on the concept of loss aversion. Loss aversion works because people evaluate outcomes as losses or gains, and losses loom larger than gains. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday Week 28: Chapter 28 - Bad Events http://bit.ly/33hAgUi Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 575 will feature our essay on the lightning-rod issue, hybridizing agile methods and techniques. An action many people perform without a good handle on the pitfalls. We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley and his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column.

SPaMCAST 573 features our essay using a workflow to prioritize a backlog. Items on any backlog proliferate. Product backlogs used in agile and lean development approaches are no different. Many outsiders have the mistaken notion that once on the list that that is the end of the story -- let's dissuade them of this idea. Gene Hughson brings his Form Follows Function column to the podcast. Gene and I discussed his experience as an application architect. Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow Chapter 27 begins with a discussion of the classic indifference curve from Econ 101. The indifference curve shows the trade-off between two goods. In this case, Kahneman uses the trade-off between income and leisure to show how overly simple theories generate models that do not describe behavior outside the textbook. The problem that Kahneman points out is the basic indifference curve doesn't reflect context. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday Chapter 26 - Prospect Theory -http://bit.ly/2Nx3tWI Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 574 will feature our interview with Ian Reynolds. chief Solutions Architect at Zibtek We discussed the role of a solutions architect in software development.

SPaMCAST 572 features our interview with Michael Larsen. Mr. Larsen and I battled fires, Santa Ana winds, and power cuts to have a great conversation on testability. Anyone that has participated in delivering software EVER has wrestled with a discussion of whether a story or requirement can be proved. Michael brings fresh and actionable insights into how to assure testability. Michael's bio Michael Larsen is a Senior Quality Assurance Engineer with Socialtext/PeopleFluent. Over the past two decades, he has been involved in software testing for a range of products and industries, including network routers & switches, virtual machines, capacitance touch devices, video games, and client/server, distributed database & web applications. Michael is a Black Belt in the Miagi-Do School of Software Testing, helped start and facilitate the Americas chapter of Weekend Testing, is a former Chair of the Education Special Interest Group with the Association for Software Testing (AST), a lead instructor of the Black Box Software Testing courses through AST, and former Board Member and President of AST. Michael writes the TESTHEAD blog and can be found on Twitter at @mkltesthead. A list of books, articles, papers, and presentations can be seen at http://www.linkedin.com/in/mkltesthead. Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow Kahneman, formally introduces the Prospect Theory and talks about the difference between it and the Expected Utility Theory. When doing a little background research, Prospect Theory (part of his research on decision making under uncertainty)contributed to his winning the Nobel prize in economics. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday Chapter 26 - Prospect Theory -http://bit.ly/2Nx3tWI Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 573 will feature our essay on a workflow to prioritize a backlog. Items on any backlog proliferate. Product backlogs used in agile and lean development approaches are no different. Many outsiders have the mistaken notion that once on the list that that is the end of the story - this is far from the truth! We will also have the return of Gen Hughson with an entry in his column, Form Follows Function.

SPaMCAST 571 features our essay titled the Art of Saying No. I recently presented a workshop on saying no -- a simple word that is very difficult to say. During the session, three specific reasons why participants could not say no generated a huge debate. Today we ask you to decide how you feel about the impact of a history of performance, interruptions, and demands. Feel free to share your opinion. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault. In the QA Corner this month, Jeremy provides observations about outside interests and their ability to improve focus and reduce burnout. Jeremy's outside interests are Jiu-Jitsu and his family. Jeremy can be reached at Berriault and Associates Consulting Group or by email at [email protected]. We had planned to have Michael Larsen on the cast this week, however, Mr. Larsen was affected by power outages in the Bay Area of California due to wildfires. Re-Read Saturday News In this week's installment of our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow we consider Chapter 25, Bernoulli's Errors. When I first read the chapter I struggled with how Kahneman's ideas translated to process improvement and change programs. I was naive enough to believe that the majority of outcomes could be predicted based on the economic outcome. After seeing more than one change program fail even though they could have had a positive return on investment, it dawned on me that the context and preexisting conditions as described in Chapter 25 should play a part in planning for change. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday Chapter 25 - Bernoulli's Errors http://bit.ly/32bJ8dV Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 572 will feature our interview with Michael Larsen -- assuming the fires and Santa Ana winds cooperate. Michael and I will discuss testability. Anyone that has participated in delivering software EVER has wrestled with this problem. Michael brings fresh and actionable insights into how to assure testability.

SPaMCAST 570 features our essay on the components of good sprint goals. Sprint goals provide direction and energy, and they communicate with the outside world. A sprint goal should be a straightforward statement that a product owner should be able to craft quickly and then agree upon with a team. We provide a structure to keep goals simple and impactful. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente. In this installment of Susan's Not a Scrumdamentalist column, we discuss value. Value is core to many practices, the problem is that value is a very nebulous concept. Susan provides guidance. Continue the conversation with Susan at [email protected] and visit her company at www.s3-tec.com Re-Read Saturday News And we are back! Kahneman titled chapter 24 The Engine of Capitalism. Optimism, Kahneman's engine of capitalism, convinces entrepreneurs to take risks and start new firms even when statistically most will fail for a myriad of reasons. In addition, this type of bias pushes start-ups to be resilient in the face of adversity. We are describing a double-edged sword. Long live optimism because with a bit of tempering it is a force that can define the future. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The current installment of Re-read Saturday Chapter 24 The Engine of Capitalism - http://bit.ly/2WgNSgV Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 571 with feature our interview with Michael Larsen, Michael and I will discuss testability. Anyone that has participated in delivering software EVER, has wrestled with this problem. Michael brings fresh and actionable insights into how to assure testability.

SPaMCAST 569 features our essay on the five types of meetings. Meetings are the most important event in any organization — well that is what it seems like. It can also be said that meetings are the bane of every human that isn't buying or selling something (and that caveat might be an overstatement). Let's put a name on the five most common types in software-centric organizations. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault. In the QA Corner this month, Jeremy provides observations about the inclusion (and sometimes the lack of inclusion) of QAs in ceremonies such as the Daily Scrum. Jeremy can be reached at Berriault and Associates Consulting Group or by email at [email protected]. Re-Read Saturday News We added Mt Hood (last active in 1800s) to our tour of volcanoes so I did not get back on track, but never fear we really will be back next week (unless volcanoes pop up in Midwest…) Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! If you have not, check out the last installment! Chapter 23: The Outside View http://bit.ly/35dOibJ Upcoming Events I am doing a webinar on value stream and process flow mapping for The Great IT Professional Organization on October 22, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST. The registration link is http://bit.ly/2VaFzm3 The webinar is free! I hope you have time to be in the audience! Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 570 will feature our essay on the components of good sprint goals. Sprint goals provide direction and energy, and they communicate to the outside world. A sprint goal sounds like a simple, straightforward statement that a product owner should be able to craft quickly and then agree upon with a team with relative ease -- in theory. We will sort it out. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente!

This week in SPaMCAST 568 marks the return of Sandeep Koorse. Sandeep brings deep insight into the Agile mindset, passion, and experimentation. All three are required for a healthy team. Sandeep last appeared as part of SPaMCAST 511. Sandeep is an innovative leader with over 15 years of experience in helping companies achieve higher results through a careful evaluation of their processes and their technology. Known for determining the metrics and behaviors that promote consistent excellence then sharing those values with colleagues through influence and authority. Recognized by peers for exceptional problem-solving abilities, excellent communication skills, and a passion for the community. Reach out to Sandeep at [email protected] Re-Read Saturday News I am hiking volcanoes this week, literally! The 400+ page copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow has not been in my day pack (it is in the luggage). We will be back next week. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! If you have not, check out last week's installment! Chapter 23: The Outside View http://bit.ly/35dOibJ Upcoming Events Pacific NW Software Quality Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon beginning October 14th through the 16th. I will be speaking on the 15th! Register now: https://www.pnsqc.org/2019-conference/ I am doing a webinar on value stream and process flow mapping for The Great IT Professional Organization on October 22, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST. The registration link is http://bit.ly/2VaFzm3 The webinar is free! I hope you have time to be in the audience! Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 569 will feature our essay on the 5 types of meetings. Meetings are the most important event in any organization — well that is what it seems like. It can also be said that meetings are the bane of every human that isn't buying or selling something (and that caveat might be an overstatement). Lets put a name on the 5 most common types in software-centric organizations. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault who will bring his QA Corner to the podcast!

This week in SPaMCAST 567 we discuss the impact of herding on work entry. Herding in decision making effectively takes "no" off the table, leading to uncontrolled work entry. This type of behavior is response-driven and dangerous. We will also have a visit from Gene Hughson to complete his three-part discussion of the solution architect. Today we discuss the solution architect as risk mitigation. Re-Read Saturday News This week in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow, we have a chapter that needs to be read by anyone ever who has been asked for an estimate… ever. The chapter title is The Outside View and makes the case for another point of view when estimating. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! This week's installment! Chapter 23: The Outside View http://bit.ly/35dOibJ Upcoming Events Last call for the Agile Online Summit! This year's summit will be held October 7 - 11th --- EVERYWHERE, it's a virtual conference. Visit the website to sign-up. The basic conference is FREE. Register now at https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/2019 Pacific NW Software Quality Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon beginning October 14th through the 16th. I will be speaking on the 15th! Register now: https://www.pnsqc.org/2019-conference/ Webinar on value stream and process flow mapping for The Great IT Professional Organization on October 22, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM EST. The registration link is http://bit.ly/2VaFzm3 The webinar is free! I hope you have time to be in the audience! Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 568 will feature a discussion with Sandeep Koorse. Sandeep returns to talk Agile mindset, passion, and experimentation.

SPaMCAST 566 features our interview with Christopher Gerg. Security issues can range from clicking on the wrong thing in emails to ransomware and is painful and costly. Security might be everybody's responsibility however someone needs to lead the charge. Our conversation covered the role of the CISO in today's organization, security in software development, and cybersecurity in the real world. Chris's bio: Christopher Gerg is the CISO and Vice President of Cyber Risk Management at Gillware. He is a technical lead with over 15 years of information security experience. Christopher has worked as a Systems Administrator, Network Engineer, Penetration Tester, Information Security Architect, Vice President of Information Technology, Director and Chief Information Security Officer. He has experience in the challenges of information security in cloud-based hosting, DevOps, managed security services, e-commerce, healthcare, financial, and payment card industries. He has worked in mature information security teams and has built information security programs from scratch and leading them into maturity in wide variety of compliance regimes. While an expert in the theoretical aspects of information security best practice, he is also experienced in the practical aspects of building secure technical environments – and working with the boardroom to promote executive understanding and support. He also authored the O'Reilly and Associates book "Managing Network Security with Snort and IDS Tools." Company Website: www.gillware.com Email Adress: [email protected] Re-Read Saturday News This week in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman discusses when expert intuition can be trusted. A chapter that is germane to all walks of life. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Week 18: Taming Intuitive Predictions — http://bit.ly/2kAHClJ Week 19: The Illusion of Understanding - http://bit.ly/2lK954p Week 20: The Illusion of Validity - http://bit.ly/2mfyrYh Week 21: Intuitions vs Formulas - http://bit.ly/2kx7kri Week 22: Expert Intuition - http://bit.ly/2ooe50h Upcoming Events It is nearly time for the Agile Online Summit! This year's summit will be held October 7 - 11th --- EVERYWHERE, it's a virtual conference. Visit the website to sign-up. The basic conference is FREE. Register now at https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/2019 Pacific NW Software Quality Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon beginning October 14th through the 16th. I will be speaking on the 15th! Register now https://www.pnsqc.org/2019-conference/ Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 567 will tackle the concept of herding. Herding is a pattern where an individual or team acts based on the behavior of others. Stated very simply, herding is just like the children's game follow-the-leader. Sounds innocuous? This type of behavior can lead to work entry problems and other team level snafus! We will also have a visit from Gene Hughson!

The dates for the third Agile Online Summit is getting close! If history is a harbinger, Tom Henricksen will serve up marvelous content for all agile practitioners in easily consumed chunks. I hope to "see" you there! Watch the video and then sign up at https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/2019 October 7 -11th online!

SPaMCAST 565 tackles three ways to mess up sprint goals. Sprint goals are a statement of the value that teams strive to deliver. It is possible to complete all of the stories or work items only to realize that the team has lost sight of the goal. Alternately, it is possible to meet the goal and not complete all of the stories. We also have a promo for the Agile Online Summit https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/2019 This year's summit will be held October 7 - 11th --- EVERYWHERE, it's a virtual conference. Visit the website to sign-up. The basic conference is FREE. Rounding out the cast, we have a visit from Jon M Quigley with an installment of The Alpha and Omega of Product Development. Jon talks about his two new books and product roadmaps. Re-Read Saturday News This week in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman opens with a discussion of a number of studies that show that professional predictions are far less accurate than simple algorithmic predictions. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Week 18: Taming Intuitive Predictions — http://bit.ly/2kAHClJ Week 19: The Illusion of Understanding - http://bit.ly/2lK954p Week 20: The Illusion of Validity - http://bit.ly/2mfyrYh Week 21: Intuitions vs Formulas - http://bit.ly/2kx7kri Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 566 will feature our interview with Christopher Gerg. Our conversation covered the role of the CISO in today's organization, security in software development, and cybersecurity in the real world.

SPaMCAST 564 is part 2 of my conversation with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron. We discussed their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Danie ask the question "Do you need a high-performance enterprise management & governance approach improving planning, execution, and delivery while dealing with multiple projects, events, stakeholders and teams?", the book and the interview probes potential answers. In order to answer the question, the three of us take a deep dive into applying Goldratt's Theory of Constraints in the real world. Listen to part 1 before listing to SPaMCAST 564. Steve Tendon's Bio With a background in software engineering (in his early career he lead the development of software applications in diverse fields, like banking, health care, legal, human resources, and more), Steve is the creator of the TameFlow ® Approach, a systems thinking approach for creating breakthrough performance innovation in knowledge-intensive digital businesses. The TameFlow Approach has been developed and used with great success since 2003, across numerous industries. Steve holds MSc in Software Project Management with the University of Aberdeen, an MIT Fintech Innovation: Future Commerce certificate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme certificate with the Oxford Saïd Business School. Daniel Dioron's Bio Daniel has been involved in IT since 1981 in a wide range of roles and responsibilities, primarily in client-facing consulting projects covering the government, banking, insurance, and telecom industries to name a few. Daniel's involvement with Agile started with Scrum in 2005 and more recently with Kanban and Management 3.0. Daniel is heavily involved with Steve Tendon's TameFlow method. He is proficient with working expertise in Finance/Accounting/Managerial control (MBA-CPA-CMA), Agility (CSP), Project Management (PMP), Kanban (CKC and CKP) coupled with 38 years in IT (Bachelor studies & career). He loves systems, enjoys measuring improvement while embracing teamwork that actually works! For Tameflow Training, visit http://agileagonist.com/ Re-Read Saturday News A few nights ago severe thunderstorms rolled through northern Ohio. There were lots of power outages and trees that were blown over. The next morning when I went to the grocery store, the store's systems could not accept debit cards. I immediately made up a story that connected the storms to system failure. As we have seen before, System 1 thinking takes disparate facts and creates a coherent believable story. No conclusion is too big a jump for System 1 thinking. My story and my belief that I had predicted the most probable cause is an illusion of validity which unless I can get System 2 involved stands a good chance at being wrong even though I believe I am correct! Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Week 18: Taming Intuitive Predictions — http://bit.ly/2kAHClJ Week 19: The Illusion of Understanding - http://bit.ly/2lK954p Week 20: The Illusion of Validity - http://bit.ly/2mfyrYh Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 565 will feature an essay on sprint goals. Everyone says they use sprint goals. While I am not convinced, those that do use them often mess them up. We will spend a few minutes straightening them out! We will also have a visit from Jon M Quigley who will bring his column, The Alpha and Omega of Product Development to the podcast!

SPaMCAST 563 is part one of my conversation with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron. We discussed their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Daniel share deep insights into applying Goldratt's Theory of Constraints in the real world. After you have listened to the conversation you will never view the flow of work as an esoteric topic. Steve, Daniel, and I had a wide-ranging conversation, I decided to ignore my own guideline on two-part interviews and let the tape run (metaphorically). We will return with part 2 next week. Steve Tendon's Bio With a background in software engineering (in his early career he lead the development of software applications in diverse fields, like banking, health care, legal, human resources, and more), Steve is the creator of the TameFlow ® Approach, a systems thinking approach for creating breakthrough performance innovation in knowledge-intensive digital businesses. The TameFlow Approach has been developed and used with great success since 2003, across numerous industries. Steve holds MSc in Software Project Management with the University of Aberdeen, an MIT Fintech Innovation: Future Commerce certificate with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme certificate with the Oxford Saïd Business School. Daniel Dioron's Bio Daniel has been involved in IT since 1981 in a wide range of roles and responsibilities, primarily in client-facing consulting projects covering the government, banking, insurance, and telecom industries to name a few. Daniel's involvement with Agile started with Scrum in 2005 and more recently with Kanban and Management 3.0. Daniel is heavily involved with Steve Tendon's TameFlow method. He is proficient with working expertise in Finance/Accounting/Managerial control (MBA-CPA-CMA), Agility (CSP), Project Management (PMP), Kanban (CKC and CKP) coupled with 38 years in IT (Bachelor studies & career). He loves systems, enjoys measuring improvement while embracing teamwork that actually works! For Tameflow Training, visit http://agileagonist.com/ Re-Read Saturday News Part 3 of Thinking, Fast and Slow is titled Overconfidence. Chapter 19 begins by exploring several biases that affect overconfidence. Earlier in the book, we explored how System 1 thinking connects events to generate a coherent story. This chapter begins by building on the attributes of fast thinking by stating that humans interpret behavior as a manifestation of general propensities and personal traits. One of the classic biases that cause this type of thinking is the halo effect. I overheard an example of a negative halo effect this week as I walked behind a group of people in Chicago. The group, tourists, pointed at a person sleeping rough along the river and exclaimed that the person was lazy. One attribute of the person's behavior was generalized into a larger narrative. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Week 18: Taming Intuitive Predictions — http://bit.ly/2kAHClJ Week 19: The Illusion of Understanding - http://bit.ly/2lK954p Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 564 will feature part 2 of our interview with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron discussing their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Daniel continue to share deep insights into applying the Theory of Constraints in the real world.

SPaMCAST 562 features our essay on the power of saying no. I firmly believe that unless you have control over the amount of work you take, you are asking for a trainwreck. The problem is that saying no is often harder than being late or over budget. We will also have a visit from the Software Sensei. Kim Pries is back to kick off September with an essay titled, Real Planning. While the actual plan might not be exactly what happens in real life, the act of planning is crucial. Re-Read Saturday News Well, I missed posting an entry of Re-read Saturday and if you had not noticed SPaMCAST 562 is not exactly what I had planned. Five weeks ago my standard poodle Jax (named after the New Orleans Beer of yesteryear) died. My wife and I missed having a canine presence around the house. Yesterday, we drove to Brantford, Ontario and picked up a new standard poodle, Nyssa (named after Nyssa of Traken -- Dr. Who aficionados will recognize the name). It was a round trip 14 hours, including a stop at the Resurgence Brewing Company in Buffalo --- I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PLACE. This is the long way around saying that I did not have WIFI, so I failed to post. Hence the pivot on the material in the cast this week. Never fear you never know what tomorrow may bring! Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 563 will feature an interview with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron. We discussed their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Daniel share deep insights into applying the Theory of Constraints in the real world. The flow of work is not an esoteric topic. Steve and Daniel provide very useful advice on how to deliver more value.

In SPaMCAST 561 we discuss making the Daily Scrum work for the mission it was intended. When a Daily Scrum or daily stand-up is not used for micro-planning and collaborating to achieve the team's goal, they are occurring for a reason. Those meetings are scratching some other itch than planning, an itch that however unagile is often defended. When the goal of a daily meeting is something other than group planning there are more efficient and less expensive approaches even for highly agile teams to address status and have a social event. Also in this podcast, Susan Parente brings us her Not A Scrumdamentalist column. Susan discusses the product owner's role and why it is important. Susan's LinkedIn Profile linkedin.com/in/susanparente Websites techriskmanager.com (Technical Risk Management) s3-tec.com (Company Website) Email Address [email protected] Twitter TechRiskManager Re-Read Saturday News I took a day off from our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow to spend the day at a pickle festival. I began the morning with a bike ride (Mr. Adam's has already commented on Strava) rather than running to change things up just a little which helped shift me to an introspective mood! For your reading pleasure, a slightly modified entry from the Motivational Sunday series, this one from a Sunday in December 2013. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 562 features an interview with Steve Tendon and Daniel Dioron. We discussed their new book Tame Your Work Flow. Steve and Daniel share deep insights into applying the Theory of Constraints in the real world. The flow of work is not an esoteric topic. Steve and Daniel provide very useful advice on how to deliver more value.

In SPaMCAST 560 we complete our wide-ranging interview with Al Shalloway. We continue our conversations about the troubles dogging classic agile, the Agile Industrial Complex, using a scientific approach to change, and FLEX. I recommend that you listen to SPaMCAST 559 before listening to this week's podcast Mr. Shalloway's bio: Al Shalloway is the creator of FLEX (FLow for Enterprise Transformation), a framework that is a platform for any practices consistent with Flow, Lean, and Agile, including technical practices. Al has made explicit his thought leadership in Scrum, XP, SAFe, Lean, Flow, design patterns and test-first methods into creating FLEX. FLEX takes a scientific approach regarding what methods work best. While it integrates with its own baseline of practices to offer a complete solution to organizations, its architecture enables it to be both tailored as needed to an organization as well as having other consultants integrate their own practices in it. The intention is to create a community of consultants that can offer the services needed by practitioners in a cohesive manner while avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Al is the co-author of 5 books as well as the author of the upcoming book on FLEX. Website:https://www.netobjectives.com/ Email: [email protected] Twitter: @alshalloway Re-Read Saturday News Why does leadership bring a release home to great adulation only to have the next release crash and burn? Did the leader's skill change between releases or were other random factors, such as luck, involved. Kahneman suggests a simple formula as a thought experiment. Success = skill + luck. Chapter 17 of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Regression To The Mean, discusses correlation and causal interpretation. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Week 17: Regression To The Mean - http://bit.ly/2ZdwCgu Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 561 will feature our essay on the Daily Scrum. The Daily Scrum, sometimes known as a standup, is ubiquitous but it is often a hot mess. Let's fix it. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente!

SPaMCAST 559 part one of our interview with Al Shalloway. I am breaking two guidelines this week. First, rarely do I bring guests back so quickly. And secondly, I have not broken an interview into two parts for 7 years (ish). The conversation with Al was full of huge ideas, s, concepts, and calls to action cutting any of the content did not make sense. Al and I talked about about the troubles dogging classic agile, the Agile Industrial Complex, using a scientific approach to change, and FLEX. Edited, the interview was 49 minutes (with about 20 minutes of chit chat ended up on the cutting room floor - figuratively). I have broken the interview into two parts of approximately 27 and 22 minutes. Today we have part one and next week we will complete the interview. Mr. Shalloway's bio: Al Shalloway is the creator of FLEX (FLow for Enterprise Transformation), a framework that is a platform for any practices consistent with Flow, Lean, and Agile, including technical practices. Al has made explicit his thought leadership in Scrum, XP, SAFe, Lean, Flow, design patterns and test-first methods into creating FLEX. FLEX takes a scientific approach regarding what methods work best. While it integrates with its own baseline of practices to offer a complete solution to organizations, its architecture enables it to be both tailored as needed to an organization as well as having other consultants integrate their own practices in it. The intention is to create a community of consultants that can offer the services needed by practitioners in a cohesive manner while avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Al is the co-author of 5 books as well as the author of the upcoming book on FLEX. Website: https://www.netobjectives.com/ Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alshalloway/ Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 16, Causes Trump Statistics, was revelatory for me the first time I read Thinking, Fast and Slow, and it was revelatory during this read. Over my career, I have been shocked many times to see a perfectly sane leader stand up and show a single statistic or estimate which promises delivery of a product at a cost or in a timeframe that is well outside of normal performance. This chapter provides a rationale for what often seems to be less than rational. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Week 16: Causes Trump Statistics - http://bit.ly/2OTpAta Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 560 will feature part two of our interview with Alan Shalloway including more on the Agile Industrial Complex and how we can reinvigorate learning and challenging ideas. Let not let inspect and adapt perish!

SPaMCAST 558 features our essay Story Points – Leave Them, Don't Love Them. Story Points are not evil and they may be useful in some circumstances. But like most tools, at some point, they lose focus. They have outlived their usefulness, therefore, I will leave them when at all possible. This week, Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the podcast. We talked about focus. How much focus is enough and how much is too much? Mr. Berriault has an opinion and stories to back his opinion up. Re-Read Saturday News In Chapter 15 of Thinking, Fast and Slow we explore two types of fallacies. Logical and conjunction fallacies can impact any process improvement effort, typically in a manner that does not benefit change. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Week 15: Linda: Less Is More - http://bit.ly/2T3EgnV Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 559 will feature our interview with Al Shalloway. Rarely do I bring guests back so quickly, however, Al has a number of important ideas to share that only recently began to see wide distribution. We talked about the troubles dogging classic agile, using a scientific approach to change, and FLEX. This was a long discussion . . . it was so riveting that I lost track of time.

SPaMCAST 557 features our interview with Jorgen Hesselberg. We talked about his book Unlocking Agility, assessing agility, and whether leadership and structure lead culture when adopting an agile mindset. It is a thought-provoking and fun interview. Jorgen's irrepressible nature shines through even when tackling tough topics! Jorgens Bio: "Jorgen Hesselberg is the author of Unlocking Agility and co-founder of Comparative Agility, a leading agile assessment, and continuous improvement platform. A proven thought leader of numerous successful enterprise transformation efforts since 2009, Jorgen provides strategic guidance, executive counsel, and coaching to some of the world's most respected companies both as an internal change agent and an external consultant. He has trained thousands of people on agile and Scrum, disruptive innovation, and enterprise transformation strategy." Contact Information Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jhesselberg Comparative Agility: https://www.comparativeagility.com/product/ Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 14 continues the discussion of cognitive biases and heuristics. In Chapter 14 of Thinking, Fast and Slow we explore the representative heuristic. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Week 14: Tom W's Speciality - http://bit.ly/2YxKSA8 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 558 will feature our essay Story Points – Leave Them, Don't Love Them. I use them when needed but I am becoming less enamored with story points every day. We will also return to the QA Corner and spend some time with Jeremy Berriault.

SPaMCAST 556 features our essay on Socratic Questioning. Questions are a critical tool that every coach, mentor or leader uses to help shape and improve the performance of those they interact with — I don't think this statement should surprise anyone. That said, pushing past the concept of just asking questions, Socratic questioning is a formal and disciplined approach to getting the person answering the questions to synthesize and answer based on knowledge and logic. We also have a visit from Susan Parente. Susan brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist column to the SPaMCAST. In this installment, Professor Parente discusses being agile in name only. Being agile in name only is not an enviable place to be! Re-Read Saturday News The availability heuristic, introduced in Chapter 12, states that we make judgments about an attribute based on how easy or hard it is to retrieve information about the attribute. In Chapter 13, Kahneman dives deeper into how the availability heuristic functions, and provides some hints on how it can be used. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Week 13: Availability, Emotion, and Risk - http://bit.ly/2GmOkTT Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 557 will feature my interview with Jorgen Hesselberg. We talked about his book Unlocking Agility and assessing agility. A thought-provoking and fun interview. Jorgen's irrepressible nature shines through even when tackling tough topics!

SPaMCAST 555 features our essay applying a simple filter to determine whether an interaction or event is collaborative. In this essay we put the simple four attribute model we introduced in SPaMCAST 554 to use. Collaboration is an important tool, so let's recognize what is or isn't collaboration and stop calling everything collaboration. We will also have a visit from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. In this installment, Kim returns to the topic of lean software development. In 2019, the concepts of lean and agile have become intertwined. Understanding concepts like waste is important for everyone involved in delivering value. Re-Read Saturday News This week we dive into the availability heuristic. The availability heuristic is useful for understanding what people believe and how they will act. All leaders need to understand the impact of top of mind experiences on decision making and how to disrupt those biases; the availability heuristic is a tool for building that knowledge. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Week 12: The Science of Availability - http://bit.ly/30tW6TN Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 556 will continue our essay and discussion extravaganza. We will feature an essay on using questions to coach and teach. Asking questions is one way to get someone to own a change rather than use renting it from you. We will also have a visit from Susan Parente!

SPaMCAST 554 features our essay on the misuse of the word 'collaboration'. Collaboration is a hallmark of agile techniques, but people confuse collaboration with many other forms of interactions. When that happens everyone gets confused and disheartened. In order to stop the cycle, we identify four attributes to help recognize collaboration. We'll also hear from Gene Hughson who brings his Form Follows Function Column to the podcast. In the second part of a three-part series on architects, Gene discusses the role of the solutions architect. Part One can be found on SPaMCAST 543 - Value Chain, Solution Architects, Essays and Discussions Web Player and Show Notes: http://bit.ly/2L3tLku Re-Read Saturday News Today we dive into the concept of anchors and the impact of anchor bias. This is one of my favorite topics for understanding behaviors in negotiations. Negotiations are all around us whether you are discussing salary, buying a car, or wrestling with a request for an impossible due date. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Week 11: Anchors - http://bit.ly/30iMgUu Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 555 will complete our latest set of essays on collaboration. In this essay, we apply the four attribute model we introduced this week. Having a model is great and it is even better if it can be applied in the real world! We will also have a visit from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries.

SPaMCAST 553 features our interview with Jim Benson. Jim and I focused on prioritization and how prioritization can be a reflection of more deep-seated problems. One of the ideas Jim shares is that processes are the social contract for getting work done. I really enjoy talking with Jim and think you will enjoy the conversation. During the close of the interview, Jim talks about Modus Cooperandi's class on prioritization. Jim has extended a discount code for listeners of the podcast for all of the MI classes. The code is SPAMCAST20 or you can use the link: https://modusinstitute.com/p/me-what-do-i-do-next/?coupon_code=SPAMCAST20 Jim's Bio: Jim's career path has taken him through government agencies, Fortune 10 corporations, and start-ups. Through them all, his passion has remained consistent – applying new technologies to workgroups. In each case asking how they can be leveraged to collaborate and cooperate more effectively. Jim loves ideas, creation, and building opportunities. He loves working with teams who are passionate about the future, pushing boundaries, and inclusion. His goal with all technologies is to increase beneficial contact between people and reduce the bureaucratic noise which so often tends to increase costs and destroy creativity. Jim is the author of the Shingo Research Award-winning book Personal Kanban (use the link to buy a copy and support the podcast). He is a noted expert in business process, personal work management, and the application of Lean to personal work and life. Jim believes that the best process is the least process necessary to achieve goals. He has zero tolerance for process waste. All said, Jim enjoys helping people and teams work out sticky problems, an advocate of people actually seeing their work, and inventing new ways to work at the intersection of Lean thinking, brain science, and leadership. Contact Jim Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourfounder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbenson Personal Kanban: http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/#sthash.MtOA96sV.dpbs Modus Cooperandi: http://moduscooperandi.com/ Re-Read Saturday News Today we dive into the concept of the Law of Small Numbers, chapter 10 in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow. I found this chapter particularly useful because I see the results in the process improvement world nearly every day. It is great to experiment but make sure you get enough observations so that when you draw a conclusion it will be correct. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Week 10: Law of Small Numbers - http://bit.ly/2JcjxtI Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 554 will feature our essay on the misuse of the word 'collaboration', and how to recognize when are talking about something else (like a lecture). We will also hear from Gene Hughson!

SPaMCAST 552 features our essay on the idea of "fit for purpose" and its impact on the definition of quality. Even if you don't deliver any defects, not being fit for purpose wipes quality off the board. BOOM! (Rather read the essay? http://bit.ly/2wZxkxX) In the second spot this week, Jon M Quigley delivers with his Alpha and Omega of Product Development! In this installment, Jon discusses the need to say no. A simple straight forward word that is nearly impossible to use in polite company. Re-Read Saturday News Today, two stories…ops, the wrong column…today we take on two chapters in our re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow, chapters 8 and 9: How Judgment Happens and Answering An Easier Question. I would be interested in your feedback on the depth in this entry compared to previous entries. Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Week 9: How Judgement Happens and Answering An Easier Question - http://bit.ly/2XBPaX3 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 553 will feature our interview with Jim Benson. We will discuss prioritization and how prioritization can be a reflection of more deep-seated problems. Life changing ideas in a powerful interview.

SPaMCAST 551 features our interview with Michael (Mike) Lynn. Mike and I talked about leadership and agile. Leadership is important any time two or more people get together to pursue a goal. Mike shares his expertise, experience, and wisdom to help shine a light on the relationship between agile and leadership. Mike's Bio Mike Lynn is a seasoned learning/leadership/organizational development professional with close to 30 years experience, including nine years with McKinsey and Company. He provides executive coaching and custom consulting services, and is a principal of thoughtLEADERS, a global leadership development training firm offering a full menu of programs to help leaders think, communicate and succeed. Mike has deep expertise and passion in structured executive thinking and decision-making as well as interpersonal success strategies (e.g., meeting leadership, tough conversations, coaching and feedback, presentation delivery, upward management, etc.) His learning specialties are in the areas of executive coaching, team facilitation, training design and delivery (classroom and online). For individual clients, Mike's coaching approach is rooted in strategic focus and deep understanding of how leaders' unique individual preferences and approaches drive priorities, successes, challenges, and stresses across multiple leadership dimensions. Contact Mike at [email protected]. Learn more about thoughtLEADERS training programs at www.thoughtleadersllc.com Re-Read Saturday News And we are back! This week we re-read Chapter 7 of Thinking, Fast and Slow, A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions.. Logistics note: every time I think I can get to a two chapters a week cadence with this book, I find that hit a chapter that I really think is full of ideas that will be useful for thinking about how people behave and how change can be facilitated and feel that I need to spend more time with it. Maybe next week! Remember, if you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction – http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story – http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort – http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller – http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine – http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease – http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes – http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Week 8: A Machine for Jumping to Conclusions - http://bit.ly/2XOjOcx Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 552 will feature our essay on quality. We will tackle ideas like "fit for purpose", cost and timing. Messing up on any of these categories can (and often does) mess up quality. We will also have a visit from Jon Quigley!

SPaMCAST 550 features our essay titled, Intertwining Conway's Law And Agile. Conway's Law trains a spotlight on how an organization's structure impacts the product they ship. The "Law" states that the structure of a software product will mimic the structure of the organization that produces the software. It can (and has) been said that you are shipping the "org structure." How you are structured therefore is going to impact just how much agile you can achieve. We also visit the QA Corner with Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy discusses the differences between test engineers and testers. We also tackle whether every person with the word test in their title should have the ability to code or script. Jeremy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-berriault-mba/ I know this is not the show I promoted last week but my guest, Mike Lynn, is out of pocket this week and wanted to around when the show went live. Not only am I agile, but I am also flexible therefore we are rearranging the lineup! Re-Read Saturday News I am celebrating my birthday this weekend instead of working on the re-read of Thinking, Fast and Slow. We will be back next week, so in the interim, I decided to reprise and revise an entry from 2014 titled Teams and Overly Self-interested Behavior ( http://bit.ly/2I5pPvS) I hope you will enjoy and reflect on the piece! Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 551 will feature our interview with Michael (Mike) Lynn (I promise). Mike and I talked about leadership and agile. Leadership is important any time two or more people get together to pursue a goal. Mike shares his expertise, experience, and wisdom to help shine a light on the relationship between agile and leadership.

SPaMCAST 549 features our essay Seven Issues Testers Experience Being Agile. Recently I attended the QAI Quest Conference in Chicago, during the conference I got to talk with lots of people from across the development spectrum. From the conversations and workshops, I identified seven common threads that test and quality focused personal experience being or trying to be agile. In order to be agile, not just do agile, we need to tackle these seven issues We also have the completion of Susan Parente's three-installment discussion of distributed agile. In this installment of Not a Scrumdamentalist, Susan discusses tools and whether they are the hurdle some people make them out to be. Re-Read Saturday News This week we re-read Chapter 6 of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Norms, Surprises, and Causes. The chapter continues the deep dive into System 1 thinking. As noted before, System 1 thinking continually is active nearly all of the time making snap decisions based on associated that it has constructed. In Chapter 6 Kahneman asserts that the main role of system one "is to maintain and update a model of your personal world, which represents what is normal in it." The Associative Machine (Chapter 5) defines one mechanism the brain uses to construct a model of the world around us. If you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story - http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort - http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller - http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine - http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease - http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Week 7: Norms, Surprises, and Causes - http://bit.ly/2Molok2 Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 550 will feature our interview with Michael (Mike) Lynn. Mike and I talked about leadership and agile. Leadership is important any time two or more people get together to pursue a goal. Mike shares his expertise, experience, and wisdom to help shine a light on the relationship between agile and leadership. We will also be halfway to show 1100 next week!

SPaMCAST 548 features our interview with Heidi Helfand. Heidi and I discussed teams and her book Dynamic Reteaming: The Art and Wisdom of Changing Teams. Heidi challenges the conventional wisdom that in agile (or any walk of life) that you need to keep your teams "the same" in order to be successful. In short, there are no absolutes except for change. Heidi's Bio Heidi Helfand is Director of Engineering Excellence at Procore Technologies, creators of cloud-based construction software. She is the author of the book Dynamic Reteaming: The Art and Wisdom of Changing Teams which challenges the notion that you need to keep your teams "the same" in order to be successful. Heidi was on the first team at two highly successful startups ñ ExpertCity, Inc. (acquired by Citrix) where she was on the teams that invented GoToMyPC, GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar and AppFolio, Inc., a SAAS property management software company. She is a co-active coach certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Buy the book! https://leanpub.com/dynamicreteaming Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidihelfand LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/heidihelfand Re-Read Saturday News This week we are re-reading Chapter 5 of Thinking, Fast and Slow, Cognitive Ease. This chapter is full of tactical considerations for how to present information or to influence how teams work. If you do not have a favorite, dog-eared copy of Thinking, Fast and Slow, please buy a copy. Using the links in this blog entry helps support the blog and its alter-ego, The Software Process and Measurement Cast. Buy a copy on Amazon, It's time to get reading! The installments: Week 1: Logistics and Introduction - http://bit.ly/2UL4D6h Week 2: The Characters Of The Story - http://bit.ly/2PwItyX Week 3: Attention and Effort - http://bit.ly/2H45x5A Week 4: The Lazy Controller - http://bit.ly/2LE3MQQ Week 5: The Associative Machine - http://bit.ly/2JQgp8I Week 6: Cognitive Ease - http://bit.ly/2VTuqVu Next SPaMCAST SPaMCAST 549 will feature our essay Seven Issues Testers Experience Being Agile. Recently I attended the QAI Quest Conference in Chicago, during the conference I got to talk with lots of people from across the development spectrum. From the conversations and workshops, I identified seven common threads that test and quality focused personal experience being or trying to be agile. We will also have a column from Susan Parente who brings her Not a Scrumdamentalist column to the cast!