Everyone leaves at some point. How do you lead through the change? Rule #1: Never try and hold on to good people who have simply decided to make a career change within the company. They will feel restricted, demotivated and eventually leave anyway. Get over your feelings, look them in the eye and genuinely wish …
This great quote by Robert Newton Peck is a constant reminder: less is truly more. We are all guilty; while appearing to listen to the other person we are actually just thinking of our own reply. Do we truly participate in meaningful dialogue any more – verbal communication has become a ritual, a necessity to …
Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut Read More »
Either pick up the phone, apply the 24 hour rule or do something differently. When I learnt to drive I remember being told, “if you hesitate, stop” and this is true in the jam packed highway of corporate email. Millions of largely inconsequential written messages flood all of our inboxes every day but surprisingly few …
Regularly demonstrate working software to customers; it builds engagement and increases trust. Nothing beats a good test drive before buying a new car; it’s difficult to get excited about the leather seats or the smooth gear change by reading the manual. Likewise software needs a tactile experience by the customer who is paying for it; …
Unlock your next level’s leadership potential and they will never look back. Most IT professionals reach a point in their career where they need to transition from relying on their core technical skills to managing people. Being asked to run a team simply moves them from writing their own code to managing other people who …
Find a way to anchor user requirements to practical building blocks. It is important to understand what a user wants and why, through the gathering of user stories. However, requirements can quickly become unrealistic wishlists unless they are kept in check by architects who understand how the building blocks fit together. If you are leading …
A sprint is a perfect name – it is simple, self-evident and the route is clear. Well written software is intuitive and doesn’t require manuals and long training courses – no one has been trained to use Facebook or a Playstation. Likewise, good software engineering methodologies are easily explained, quickly understood and avoid jargon and …
