Saturday, February 15, 2014

Agile Says What It Values, How About What It Doesn't?

The signatories of the Agile Manifesto are quick to point out that they value all the things mentioned in the manifesto.  For example, when the manifesto says, "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools," the signatories point out that they mention processes and tools because they value them, they just value individuals and interactions more.  A lot has been written about this point.

So that got me thinking, what about the things that Agile really does not value.  

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Whiners Are Both the Canary in the Coal Mine and ... well, whiners

I worked on one of my previous employer's largest projects and it was a complete disaster.  I've tried and tried to take away really great lessons from that experience.  But here's the lesson I find most frustrating.  It's not that resources were squandered.  It's not that money was wasted.  It's not that opportunity was lost.  It's not about profit or loss. No, the lesson I find most frustrating is this:
From the president right down to the interns, the people on a project that whine the most will provide the least amount of actionable feedback and will contribute the least to avoiding the problem next time.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Explain Your Framework Before Implanting Your Memories...

Please explain your framework before telling me how to use it