**Scattered across almost any consultant’s PowerPoint decks will be several quotes. There’s the infamous, “If we asked what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse,” and “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” and the one I’ll...

Let’s face it: agile conquered the world of software development. Often, though, I find people are dissatisfied with the results, and in this article, I want to point out a few common things that folks struggle with and what you can do to get some of...

I recently finished my newsletter series on how I build high-performing software teams, and in that process, I recalled many moments from my career. One of those memories is a big part of my leadership style and what I want to share today.

Everyone loves thinking about all the features their new software product will have, but many other elements need that same level of attention. I am guilty of missing some of these myself or at least putting them off too long. Here is an incomplete l...

Since teams, or something parading around with that word, are the norm in most companies, let’s talk about some qualities of teams and contrast that to what exists instead. That way, we know the difference we’re aiming for and how to spot it.

I can’t remember when there wasn’t some emphasis on participating in a team—starting back in college when our assignments moved from individual to team assignments and continuing into every single job I’ve had since. Even when moving into consulting,...

As I promised in my newsletter (Which you should be reading) I offered thoughts around two books or at least an article series on two topics. What comes next are the core questions I want to answer in each one.

It was about three years before I saw a retrospective that didn’t have the basic three-column setup. You know, the one where you have +, -, Change. Maybe yours is start, stop, continue.

Let’s talk about a situation that happens in almost every team I see. After meeting everyone and getting access to things, I will look at whatever tools they use to manage their work. I do this because while most people are adamant they use the tool,...

Today I’m going to rant a little bit because I’m over-caffeinated, and a few things have come up all related to quality and testing.