The Tech Industry's Problem with AgeismSteve Berczuk writes that a hallmark of many tech companies, particularly those practicing agile, is being a flat organization with a company culture based on a meritocracy. When hiring, however, this meritocracy is inconsistent with the importance some companies place on a person's age.
Why Employees Leave Your CompanyThe average tenure of an employee in the United States is only a few years; some employees only stay as little as one year at even the top tech companies. So when employees leave your company, is it because this is the new trend, or is it because of something deeper and flawed within the company?
The Emergence of the Chief Experience Officer (CXO)CxO is traditionally an initialism for a group of chief officers—most of whom report to the chief executive officer—who head various strategic functions in an organization. Recently the idea of the CXO (chief experience officer), who heads customer service, is beginning to emerge—and even surge.
Book Review: The Retrospective HandbookSteve Berczuk reviews Patrick Kua's book The Retrospective Handbook: A Guide for Agile Teams. Among the issues Kua addresses are how to lead a retrospective when you are part of the team and how to deal with retrospectives with distributed teams.
Four Reasons to Stick with Daily Scrum MeetingsEvery team member is required to attend a daily scrum meeting. Pro tip: The ScrumMaster and product owner are team members too, despite their titles of leadership. If you feel you don’t need to attend every daily scrum, then consider these four reasons why you should stick with it.
What to Consider If You Want to Switch to an Open Work EnvironmentAn open environment is needed to succeed in an agile implementation. Many organizations favor a change in office layout to promote collaboration and team interaction. However, employees may not always be on board with the decision. Consider these points before making the switch at your workplace.
What If You Don’t Want to Be a Manager?Management isn't for everyone, but many technical professionals worry that they’ll reach a dead end in terms of compensation and organizational clout if they don’t move into management. Read on to learn how to gracefully turn down an offer and how to excel in your career while remaining a techie.
Why Being Kind Will Make You a Better LeaderWhen you think about successful leaders, kindness is usually not among their first qualities. But kindness and compassion shouldn’t be equated with weakness. In fact, in organizations led by compassionate bosses, employees tend to be more loyal and dedicated. Here's why you should aim for kindness.
