Better Software - November 2007 - (Page 9)

brain food for building better software >>>> EDITOR’S PICK A LittleThankYou Goes a Long Way Call me Captain Obvious, but a November Editor’s Pick dedicated to giving thanks seems like too good of an opportunity to pass up. Thanksgiving is probably my favorite major holiday. I love it for all of the standard reasons: spending time with family, looking back on the year and remembering the good times, eating lots and lots of food… as well as some selfish ones: Almost every year my birthday falls either on or right after the day of giving thanks, so my entire extended family is required to attend my birthday dinner (and bring me presents). And don’t forget the four-day weekend. Talk about thankful! A less obvious—and less self serving—reason I get jazzed up over the fall festivities is that they portend a seasonal phenomenon in my workplace. Don’t get me wrong—the Software Quality Engineering office is always a great place to work, but around here, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve are especially fun. We plan a lot of holiday activities, so everyone is drawn out of his shell and mingles with members of all departments. It’s a great way to get to know your coworkers. For the past two years we’ve played a sort of “Secret Santa” game during the holidays. Each person draws a name from a hat and then spends a couple of weeks secretly doing nice things for the person whose name was drawn. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or elaborate—just something nice. It’s amazing how good you feel when you walk into your office and someone has taken the time to make you an origami box to hold a piece of your favorite candy. If nothing else, it makes you feel appreciated. H E AT H E R S H A N H O LT Z E R Heather Shanholtzer, editor of Better Software magazine and recent inductee into the ranks of the CTFL, brings to her position a background in creative writing, biology, environmental regulation, and amphibian research. Contact her at hshanholtzer@sqe.com. So, in honor of the season of warm fuzzies, well wishes, and wonderful friends, family, and coworkers, I’ve chosen Naomi Karten’s “Reaping the Rewards of Recognition” as this month’s Editor’s Pick. This installment of Management Chronicles, which ran concurrently on StickyMinds.com, serves as a reminder of the power of “thank you.” Appreciation is a powerful, inexpensive management tool that too often is overlooked. After you read the article, I hope you will post some of your experiences with giving and receiving recognition in the workplace. Read “Reap the Rewards of Recognition” at www.stickyminds.com/editorspick9-11. POINTER ARE THEY ALL NEUROTIC? With a title like that, you’d better believe it’s this month’s PowerPass Pointer. And the rest of the presentation is great, too. Speaking at the 2007 Better Software Conference & EXPO, James McCaffrey explores the minds of software professionals using personality assessments. Learn how to create, administer, and interpret personality profiles of your team members; then use that information to maximize their productivity and value to the business. www.stickyminds.com/powerpass9-11. The Best Part of Waking Up When was the last time you thought to yourself “Great! It’s Monday!”? Maybe it’s time to add a little excitement to the beginning of your workweek. Fresh every Monday morning, a brand new weekly column is available on the StickyMinds.com homepage. If that alone is not enough to make you spring out of bed, consider November’s expert lineup: Jean Tabaka, Naomi Karten, Mary Gorman, and Payson Hall will be featured throughout the month, providing you with valuable information and how-to articles that will boost your knowledge and help you improve your skills. www.StickyMinds.com NOVEMBER 2007 BETTER SOFTWARE 9 http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/editorspick9-11 http://www.stickyminds.com/powerpass9-11 http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - November 2007

Better Software - November 2007 Contents MarkYour Calendar Technically Speaking What’s Happening @StickyMinds.com Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles The Measure of a Management System Behind the Scenes A Story About User Stories and Test-Driven Development Product Announcements The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - November 2007

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