Managers Are Still Good for Self-Organizing Agile TeamsWhen teams self-organize to deliver software and solve problems, they can be more robust, effective, and directed. But this begs the question: If agile teams self-organize, do they really need managers? Yes, they do. Managers help create conditions that help teams thrive. Read on to find out how.
Let’s Stop Discussing Post-Agile: We Still Can’t Agree on AgileSome people in the software world feel that agile focuses too much on problems of the past. These people have moved on to what's being called post-agile, which shakes up the process. Johanna Rothman, however, thinks they're getting ahead of themselves—first, we need to keep working to achieve agile.
Creating High-Performance, Cross-Functional DevOps TeamsDevOps provides strategies to automate and streamline your application build, package, and deployment. Excellent tools and technology are imperative, but even more essential is leading your team to work together effectively. Read on to learn what makes a high-performance, cross-functional team.
Will Facebook at Work Redefine the Way We Work?Facebook recently unveiled a pilot program for Facebook at Work. Piggy-backing on their enormous success with social networking, Facebook seems to be on a mission to redefine the way work gets done. The concept seems appealing, but will Facebook at Work succeed at redefining the way we work?
The Abstraction ProblemAs technical people, when we give too much information in a project status meeting, we can overwhelm managers. Worse, if we don’t answer the implied question ("When is this thing going to be done?"), the managers will get answers elsewhere. Read on for ideas to get you speaking the same language.
What's in the Winter 2015 Issue of Better Software Magazine?Many of us spend more time (and money) beefing up our technical skills when we could use guidance on developing soft skills. The Winter 2015 issue of Better Software should have just what you need to overcome organizational roadblocks in your quest for agile nirvana. Read on to see what's in it.
What Do You Do on a Snow Day?Extreme weather happens, and it can make getting into the office difficult (or impossible). Do you try to collaborate remotely? What if everyone else is taking the day off? If you still want to get some work done (instead of building snowmen), here are some perfect tasks you can do on your own.
The Weakest Link in Your ChainThere is a saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. DevOps helps establish a pipeline to automate application and systems software deployments. DevOps also has an amazing way of very quickly discovering exactly which link in the deployment chain needs to be fixed or replaced.
