Think through System Changes to Anticipate Quality IssuesWhen you replace or significantly modify components of a larger system, too frequently we focus on whether the code we are building functions correctly. This is important, but it’s also short-sighted. It’s easy to introduce errors because we are changing interactions. Coding bugs are only one quality problem.
Why You Should Have an Observer on Your Project TeamIf your project team suffers from misunderstandings or squabbles, it may be valuable to designate an observer role. This person would sit back and pay attention to whether there are patterns of miscommunication, interruptions, or conflicts that those in the conversations may not notice, helping resolve problems.
5 Tips for Choosing Your First Agile ProjectWhen transitioning to agile, applying agile methods to a single project is a great way to get started. However, care must be taken to ensure the project you choose is appropriate—it shouldn't be too large, take too long, or be too risky. Here are five tips to help you pick the right project for your agile pilot.
Driving Continuous Improvement to the Entire OrganizationIn traditional agile approaches, retrospectives are valuable to team improvement. However, when teams encounter organizational issues beyond their control, such as project structure, interorganizational communication, or resources, it's more difficult. Here's how to expand continuous improvement to the whole company.
Why Musicians Can Make for the Best TestersTesters need to be both creative and analytical, and those are two features that are very common in musicians. Sure, it might not be writing code, but we’re learning more and more that the building blocks and innate qualities that make for good testers can be more important than the testing skills themselves.
Integrating Code in Agile Software Development: Start with the Goal in MindAgile software development works because of continuous feedback at various levels, and the most important form of feedback is working software. One way to achieve rapid feedback is to integrate and deploy code frequently. Rather than starting with the process, first decide what "frequently" should mean for your team.
Creating a Culture of KindnessEmployees tend to follow the model set from above, treating each other and their customers the way they’re treated by their superiors. Leaders set the tone for the entire organization, and that means that kindness starts at the top. But whatever level you're at, you can create a culture of kindness for everyone.
Using Feature Flags to Boost Testing and DeploymentA feature flag is a configuration setting that lets you turn a given feature on or off. There is no need for a feature to be complete before you can start testing—as soon as the first piece of code is merged, you can turn the flag on in your test environment and begin. This also reduces risk. Do you use feature flags?
