personal improvement

A New Year’s Resolution for Testers: Let’s InnovateWith time and cost constraints and high product expectations, teams are having to innovate when it comes to how they think and operate. Testers play an important role in this drive, and not just a handful of them—with due diligence and effort, anyone can step into the innovation zone. Read on.
If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Time to Innovate

If you feel like you are getting stretched too thin at this time of year and just have too much to accomplish, Johanna Rothman understands. She has some suggestions that help her get back on track, including prioritizing the big things first, taking breaks, and not letting yourself stay stuck.

Three Perks That Can Make Up for the Lack of an End-of-Year RaiseAs the end of the calendar year approaches, so does the possibility of an end-of-the-year review—which can lead to a promotion or raise. But let’s say that you’re not up for either. What else can you negotiate for in 2015? Read more to find out.
Are You Making Your Employees Unproductive?

Much has been written about motivating employees who spend time unproductively doing things they know they shouldn't (hello, Facebook). But what about tasks that are sanctioned or even mandated in your organization that are just as unproductive? See if your employees waste time in any of these ways.

Skills Needed to Better Leverage the Internet of Things

Today, everything seems to have an internet connection associated with it. The Internet of Things is ushering in a transition of greater opportunities for just about everyone who knows how to take advantage of it. Here are three skills that you’ll need to better leverage an ever-connected society.

Barbie: I Can’t Be a Computer EngineerA book called Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer may have had good intentions, but in the story, Barbie is incapable of doing more than designing a game—it's the men who do all the coding. What does this say about the challenge of engaging girls in computer science? How can we help that?
No IT Training Budget? Think YouTube and MOOCsIf training budgets don’t exist, there is a wealth of free and informative instructional material available on YouTube and through massive open online courses (MOOCs), free vendor web seminars, white papers, and other related sources. You can still construct a well-orchestrated training curriculum.
How to Give Instructions So That People Will Follow ThemIf you have asked for one thing and gotten another, maybe the problem is the way you gave the instructions. This is the “ curse of knowledge"; once you know something, it's difficult to imagine how it appears to someone who doesn't know. Read on to learn how to better communicate instructions.