My Us and Them Workshop
I love this workshop. I ran it at Scrum Gathering Paris and it seemed to work beautifully again. There were some great ideas about how we can start to overcome...
View ArticleThe Shame of Pair Programming
When I tell people that most of my team pairs most of the time, and that it’s not mandated, they nod and say “Yes but I don’t think my developers would...
View ArticleOut of the Rabbit Hole and into the Fear
Agile is openness and collaboration, it takes courage and vulnerability and that scares people and we should be mindful of that. My post “The Shame of Pair...
View ArticleWhat does Collaborative Remote Software Development feel like?
It feels great. After walking my daughter to school, I tend to log on around 9. Perhaps chat to a few people, maybe a quick code review or take a fresh look...
View ArticleSome Principles for Collaborative Remote Software Development
When I talk to people about working remotely the focus is often on the tools. The tools need to be good, but they generally are now; that problem is gone....
View ArticlePeople, Not Resources
When I was younger I thought becoming a manager would be great because I would have all these “resources” to guide, direct, even bend to my will. With this...
View ArticleA New Etiquette For Remote Working
Office hierarchy and structure quash my desire to think, share and learn freely. My spontaneity is lost in organizational structure and the fear it generates....
View ArticleRemote Practices
Our practices revolve around keeping the team engaged. My goal is to give everyone enough space to think and opportunities to collaborate. The practices are...
View ArticleWhy be remote?
Because your office is designed for people who employ people they don’t trust. For people who work because “the man” who pays them is watching them. It...
View ArticleA Return To Scrum
After five years of Scrum, we decided to break free of its shackles. Abandoning fixed length sprints, work-life became one long un-estimated party. Diverse...
View ArticleThe Day I Met a Customer
Like many developers, I’ve been protected from apparently difficult customers by my managers and left to get on with the important job of “writing...
View ArticleA Creative System of Work
It’s been more than 10 years since I last worked with him. He’s a lovely guy, full of humility and kindness. It was a pleasant surprise to work with him...
View ArticleWhat Do I Need?
My last few months of working with a larger, more traditional organisation has lead me to conclude that the roles and processes involved in traditional...
View ArticleCould we really be so wrong?
I see us frustrated when we aren’t given the time to do the right thing. Hierarchy leaves us vulnerable to pressure. Encouraged to take short-cuts,...
View ArticleInterviewing Programmers: Start with Code
I spent the day yesterday interviewing programmers for a new start-up near Bristol. It’s a job I love. I’m always intrigued to hear about peoples' careers...
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