Software Process and Measurement Cast Thomas M. Cagley Jr

We are on our annual holiday and will return with new programs on October 22nd. The Software Process and Measurement Cast 775 is a re-release of SPaMCAST 635 - Practical Ways to Manage, A Conversation with Johanna Rothman. The show was originally released on January 24, 2021. It was one of the SPaMCAST’s many anniversary editions. Enjoy our conversation The original introduction -  Cue the music . . . Happy Birthday, Software Process and Measurement Cast!  Today we begin year 15 with a visit from Johanna Rothman.  We talked about her THREE new books: Practical Ways to Manage Yourself: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 1 Practical Ways to Lead & Serve (Manage) Others: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 2 -   Practical Ways to Lead an Innovative Organization: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 3 -   We of course covered more ground.  For example about 2/3rds of the way through we talked about why the word experiment is a dirty word in most organizations. This is a longer interview, but when I grow up I want to be just like Johanna (I am serious).   See all her books, blogs, and other resources at jrothman.com and createadaptablelife.com.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 774 is a re-release of SPaMCAST 436. We are on our annual holiday and will be back with new programs on October 22nd. For the next four weeks, we will feature shows from our archives. Today SPaMCAST 436 - Incrementalism, UAT and Agile, and Systems Thinking was released originally on April 3, 2017. I hope you will enjoy today’s show! The original introduction -  The Software Process and Measurement Cast 436 features our essay titled, , in which we answer the question of whether the state and culture of the organization or team, can have a large impact on whether a Big Bang approach or an incremental approach makes sense to change. Our second column is from Jeremy Berriault. Jeremy discusses user acceptance testing and Agile. There are lots of different ways to accomplish user acceptance testing in an Agile environment.  The only wrong way is not to do UAT in Agile.  Jeremy  can be found at  https://www.berriaultandassociates.com/ Jon M Quigley brings his column, The Alpha and Omega of Product Development, to the Cast. This week Jon puts all the pieces together and discusses systems thinking.  One of the places you can find Jon is at .

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 773 will feature our essay on why as professionals we should strive to grow a little every day. I overheard a team lead complaining that their team did not need to do a retrospective, they were “darn near perfect.” The inference was that their time would be better spent doing rather than reflecting and thinking. Fixed mindsets (Review our re-read of Mindsets by Carol Dweck) are foreign to the philosophy of agile and quality. The comment hurt my heart. We will also have a visit from Jon M. Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast! Jon and I use the learning to play a new bass as a metaphor for learning technology. Re-Read Saturday News This week begin a new book on Re-read Saturday, this week! Ten years ago we started our Re-read Saturday journey. The first installment featured . We have read and re-read a lot of books. The book we begin our next ten years is L. David Marquet’s, .    This is not Mr. Marquet’s first time in our re-read queue. In 2018 we re-read Turn the Ship Around! I think that book is universally seen as a game changer. Here is the kicker, I think Leadership is Language is more important and useful on a day-to-day basis. I can’t tell how many times I have used ideas from the book in the short time I have owned it.   Buy a copy of  and begin reading along. Week 1: Logistics, Foreword, Introduction -    Next SPaMCAST  The Software Process and Measurement Cast 774 will feature a re-release of  SPaMCAST 436. We are on our annual holiday and will be back with new programs on October 22nd. For the next four weeks, we will feature shows from our archives. Today SPaMCAST 436 - Incrementalism, UAT and Agile, Systems Thinking from April 3, 2017. I hope you will enjoy the show!

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 772 features our interview with Ahmed Wasfy. We discuss the role of the engineering manager and how people learn to be engineering managers. Coming to grips with the new role requires learning new skills not just rehashed technical skills. Ahmed, advises new leaders to take control of their careers and not to be a victim. Ahmed is an experienced engineering leader, having led teams at Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. In addition to his day job, Ahmed also helps engineering managers become effective leaders through his coaching. Links Instagram: LinkedIn: Website: Re-Read Saturday News After the conclusion of , there are three brief sections with practical tips for making ideas memorable.  The dust cover states, “With Added Material (now even stickier)”. The added material provides more food for thought for using Made to Stick.  Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Week 8: -   Week 9: -   Week 10: -   Week 11: -     Next SPaMCAST  The Software Process and Measurement Cast 773 will feature our essay on why as professionals we should strive to grow a little every day. We will also have a visit from Jon M. Quigley who brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the podcast!  

To paraphrase Ghostbusters, critical thinking is the indispensable defense science of the next decade. Over the summer we have investigated the concept so we are better positioned to take part in a boisterous world. As decision-makers, the onus is on us to use critical thinking. Also, Jeremy Berriault joins bringing his QA Corner to the podcast. In this installment, Jeremy discusses the difference between maturity and evolution. Do agile organizations mature or evolve?   Re-Read Saturday News We have spent the majority of the summer re-reading . While I didn't take the book to the beach, I did take it to the porch! As with other re-reads, the content of the book has found its way into my writing and consulting practice. In the case of Made to Stick, several ideas and examples have made their way into my essays on critical thinking. The two themes work well together. As you consider sticky ideas you need a framework to test their veracity.   Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Week 8: -   Week 9: -   Week 10: -     Next SPaMCAST  The Software Process and Measurement Cast 772 features our interview with Ahmed Wasfy. We will discuss the role of the engineering manager and how people learn the role. Being a good engineering manager requires more than a magic wand.   

This week the Software Process and Measurement Cast 770 features my interview with Jess Brock.  Jess and I talked about her new book, (the book is excellent but doesn’t really fit in your pocket), learning, and career pivots. Jess’s talk at Agile 2023 helped me reframe how I conceived of dojos as an intense learning environment, not a transformation technique. Jess’s Bio   Jess is a dynamic coach, technologist, and author who has been involved in developing tech products since the mid-2000s. Jess attributes her diverse career experience as one of her greatest strengths because it enables her to coach with sincere empathy and experience. Former agile skeptic, Jess was eventually convinced by a colleague to give agile a try more than a decade ago. Her personal transformation was so impactful that Jess continues to contribute to the broader Agile community to this very day. Most recently Jess has poured her energy into immersive learning dojos as a preferred means of developing long standing skills. She is the proud author of . Website: http://jessbrock.com/ Re-Read Saturday News The epilogue was the end of the original version of ; later additions had extra material added. I am reading from the 26th printing. We will cover the extra material titled, Sticky Advice, next week. Today we'll discuss the Epilogue, without wrapping the book up. It feels wrong :)  I read this chapter more deeply knowing that there was more to come. It felt like less of a recap and more of how to use the book. Three items caught my attention during this read.  Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Week 8: -   Week 9: -     Next SPaMCAST  In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 771 we will complete our summer theme on critical thinking. Critical thinking might sound esoteric or academic, however, I think that categorization is both wrong and misses the point. Critical thinking is a survival tool. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Berriault and his Agile Corner.