PLAN FOR IMPROVISATION

In Individuals and Interactions an agile guide , Ken Howard and Barry Rogers give us a set of tools for managing individuals on agile projects. They acknowledge that "There have been countless books on the subject of human behavior and communication. Psychologists, sociologists, organizational behavior experts, and others have conducted studies, published journal articles, taught courses, and granted degrees in this subject area." Since the philosophical science has been covered in detail by many many others, this book focuses on specific tools you can use for individuals and interactions on agile software projects. It jumps right into actionable techniques without much exposition. It assumes you are fully in agreement with running projects utilizing agile project management practices. Fair warning: The book might feel quite one sided for some if you come from a heavy command and control background or don't agree with agile principals . You might get a bit frustrated. I...

I am reviewing books I have read in the past for an upcoming coaching gig. I realized I hadn't posted this review on my blog yet! This is from over a year ago, but its still relevant as I work with more and more customers who are now becoming interested in Lean software development. This is still one of the better "agile" books I have read in the past couple of years. Here is my review: In  Leading Lean Software Development , Mary and Tom Poppendieck present a handbook for how to run a software development group, top to bottom. I intended for this to be a simple review of concepts known to me for years, but the book offered much more. The book’s jacket describes it better than I can: They “show software leaders and team members exactly how to drive high-value change throughout a software organization—and make it stick.”  If you are completely new to agile and lean you the book might move a little fast for you.  If this is the case, I suggest you spend some quick time ge...

In Making it Big in Software , Sam Lightstone has the ambitious task of giving you "all the information you need to jumpstart your software career: the best ways to get hired, move up, and blaze your way to the top!". It's an ambitious claim. I read the introduction that stated the book would give me the skills to get started and the skills to be a visionary and leader. Honestly, this seemed too broad a topic to cover in one book - even a 400+ page one. However, I decided to push on and evaluate if the book was a good read for our software apprentices. I ended up reading the whole book cover to cover. In my opinion the book succeeds in its mission. The book made me recall many of the mentoring discussions and off hand comments I have heard throughout my career from successful people. I enjoyed Lightstone's candor and his frank advice. Some ideas are big - if you want to be successful don't be a "cookie cutter" developer. Some are simple - e...

In Succeeding with Agile , Mike Cohn gives organizations a handbook for how to succeed using Agile practices and principals. If you are picking up this book, keep in mind that he assumes you have some experience with Agile before you begin. He starts the book by presenting some agile adoption patterns then discusses how and why those patterns are resisted by individuals within the organization. Next he spends a number of chapters explaining new roles and how existing ones change in an organization after agile practices are adopted. I particularly like when he describes a practice, or role, in detail; then steps back to discuss how it will affect each role in an organization and how to overcome resistance. The remainder of the book covers additional topics about agile adoption that aren't large enough to cover a chapter themselves. By the time you get to chapter 20 he is discussing "Human Resources, Facilities, and the PMO." I especially liked the end, "You're ...