People and Teams

People and Teams

People and Teams Stories
Speaking Too Fast or Too Slow? Speaking to Get Your Idea AcrossIt's interesting how people speak at different rates, and there are lots of reasons for that, such as culture, upbringing, preference, and just the way we're wired. At work, what's important is that if you speak too fast or too slow relative to what's normal in your environment, you may unknowingly be annoying people.
Things to do Software Testers, What Should You Be Doing Right Now?As a software tester, there are any number of jobs you could be doing at any given time. The first problem in software testing, the one we have to think about before even deciding on our approach, is: What should I be working on right now? Communication, time management, and prioritization are essential to our jobs.
Leadership The Difference between Directing and LeadingBeing a leader of a software team comes with a lot of responsibility. You may be used to people looking to you for direction. But directing doesn't let your team truly use the skills and talents they were hired for. A good leader knows that sometimes, the best strategy is to step aside and let the team shine.
Specialist Finding a Home for Specialists on Cross-Functional Agile TeamsIt may seem like the best team would be composed of all specialists, but due to their proficiency in only one area, they can actually hold up an agile workflow. You can keep specialists on your cross-functional teams; you just need to structure their work. Here are four options for making good use of a specialist.
Busy people How to Be Productive Instead of Just BusySome people confuse being busy with being productive, but the two are not the same. Busy people talk about how little time they have; productive people decide what’s important and make time for those things. If you want to be less busy—or at least have some control over your busyness—try these tactics to reprioritize.
team meeting Why Testers and Developers Don’t Have to Be on the Same Page

Since software development is highly subjective in nature, different thought processes and assumptions between development and testing teams can positively impact applications and lead to a more successful, well-rounded product. It might not seem like it at the time, but there’s value to dissonance.

Evaluating research How to Evaluate the Quality of a Research StudyIt’s wise not to accept a research report's findings just because they were published. You may discover the findings couldn’t be replicated, too small a sample was tested, or the results of studies that generated contrary results weren’t considered. Here are some questions you can ask to evaluate research.
Agile culture Creating Your Organization’s Agile Culture

Some organizations decide they can just “install” agile by simply telling the technical team members what to do. It never occurred to the managers that much of what makes agile successful is the organizational culture. It's important to recognize that agile is something you work toward—with the whole team.