Better Software - November 2008 - (Page 8)

Editor’s Pick Go Fish In the past few weeks, I’ve received instant messages from strangers going by the names bracedtrout, reductivetrout, ornamentaltrout, and nourishedtrout. At first, I thought I was just on someone’s spam list. “Are you going to die?” one asked. “Let’s discuss botany!” another said. I just ignored them and blocked the accounts from contacting me again. But when I responded to one that asked, “What is your purpose in living?” by asking, “Friend or foe?” the trout on the other end asked, “Who is this?” Aha! This trout doesn’t know why I’m talking to him. The “trout” bit is just a middlefish, so to speak. Someone has set up a bot system on instant messaging software that prompts two strangers to converse over a random introductory thought. During another conversation, it became clear that I, too, was wearing the trout mask, when nourishedtrout asked me, “Are we close companions, Trout?” Hmm fishy. I have to admit that it’s an interesting concept, forcing two strangers into conversation. In fact, much of the Internet and its “social networking” are built on that very idea. But, sometimes, the hardest conversations to have can be between friends or coworkers—especially when communication or trust has slipped by the wayside. In his October 2007 Management Chronicles, “Tending Communication Paths,” Payson Hall writes about the importance of one-on-one communication, honesty, and openness between managers and employees. It’s a great lesson in how to prevent your coworkers from becoming virtual strangers. Read “Tending Communication Paths” at www.stickyMinds.com/editorspick10-9. To read my troutbot chat transcripts and find out how to release any troutbots you’ve managed to hook, visit www.stickyMinds.com/Blogtroutbot. Joseph McAllister Managing Editor, Multimedia jmcallister@sqe.com Quotables “When agile teams are given a problem to solve, you will see them literally swarm together as they begin to analyze and brainstorm solutions for the issue at hand. Like birds’ flocking behaviors and the swarming of bees, this collective behavior is indicative of a complex adaptive system in which the group’s intelligence is greater than the sum of its parts. ” Michele Sliger, “iS ThiS chaoS oK?” www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-9a “But it’s not just the people in the upper echelons who misjudge or underestimate how people will respond to change. When it comes to technological and organizational change, people in positions from team leader on up often seem to proceed on the assumption that everyone will march forward in lockstep. Employees one and all will appreciate the change, welcome it, and embrace it. Fair warning: This is unlikely to happen. ” NaoMi KarTeN, “recepTiveNeSS To chaNge” www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-9b “Given the behavior changes—especially the enforced single tasking—you’ve now got a project that is far more likely to finish on time even though it’s only 75 percent of the original duration. You can now do twelve months’ worth of projects in nine months. That’s a whopping 33 percent increase in capacity—for free. The biggest but least obvious benefit is that using this approach builds trust between managers and staff by removing all the unhealthy game playing that goes on with estimates. ” clarKe chiNg, “criTical chaiN ScheduliNg for SofTware projecTS” www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-9c 8 BETTER SOFTWARE NOVEMBER 2008 www.StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-9a http://www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-9b http://www.StickyMinds.com/editorspick10-9 http://www.StickyMinds.com/BlogTroutbot http://www.stickyminds.com/quotables10-9c http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - November 2008

Better Software - November 2008 Contents Mark Your Calendar Contributors eLightenment Technically Speaking Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles Getting Agile with User-Centered Design Google Web Toolkit Simple Summaries of Complex Projects Product Announcements 10 Things You Might Not Know About … The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - November 2008

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