Comments on: Thirty Days to Better Software http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software Stories of a Self-published, Entrepreneurial Fiction Author (née Software Guy) Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:43:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: carnival of the agilists, 18-may-06 « silk and spinach http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-32551 carnival of the agilists, 18-may-06 « silk and spinach Sat, 12 May 2007 13:17:29 +0000 http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-32551 [...] while we’re on that topic, J. Timothy King presents Thirty Days to Better Software, in which he discusses Alistair Cockburn’s Reflective Improvement [...] […] while we’re on that topic, J. Timothy King presents Thirty Days to Better Software, in which he discusses Alistair Cockburn’s Reflective Improvement […]

]]> By: silk and spinach http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-209 silk and spinach Thu, 18 May 2006 13:24:46 +0000 http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-209 <strong>carnival of the agilists, 18-may-06</strong> Welcome to the May 18th edition of the Carnival of Agilists - providing you with a commented digest on what's been said in the agile blogsphere during the last two weeks carnival of the agilists, 18-may-06

Welcome to the May 18th edition of the Carnival of Agilists - providing you with a commented digest on what’s been said in the agile blogsphere during the last two weeks

]]> By: J. Timothy King http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-123 J. Timothy King Fri, 12 May 2006 01:35:43 +0000 http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-123 Hi, Brian. That's okay. You can shoot down my ideas anytime you want. :) I'm not saying that a bullpen works or that it doesn't. I've actually never worked in a bullpen, and the one bullpen I saw up-close seemed impossible to work in. But I was part of a team, for example, where we moved to a closer, more open office arrangement, and our communication improved immediately and dramatically. Since communication is one of the most important things a team needs, we considered this a good thing. The idea is not that bullpens are good or that stand-up meetings are good or that any technique in particular is good, but that being self-aware is good and that using this self-awareness to try new things is also good. -TimK Hi, Brian. That’s okay. You can shoot down my ideas anytime you want. :)

I’m not saying that a bullpen works or that it doesn’t. I’ve actually never worked in a bullpen, and the one bullpen I saw up-close seemed impossible to work in. But I was part of a team, for example, where we moved to a closer, more open office arrangement, and our communication improved immediately and dramatically. Since communication is one of the most important things a team needs, we considered this a good thing.

The idea is not that bullpens are good or that stand-up meetings are good or that any technique in particular is good, but that being self-aware is good and that using this self-awareness to try new things is also good.

-TimK

]]> By: Brian http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-120 Brian Fri, 12 May 2006 00:55:28 +0000 http://blog.jtimothyking.com/2006/05/10/thirty-days-to-better-software#comment-120 Before you make a total fool of yourself for too long, you might wanna delete the bullpen and "daily stand-up meeting" entries. Either that, or seriously consider a new job as a bean counter. Those two items would make you well-loved by the bean counters, but universally hated by any software engineers who ever had to suffer under your leadership. Give your people the opportunity to do good work, give them the quiet and privacy necessary to do good work, give them the benefit of your leadership when necessary and the benefit of your absence when not, and you might just see some good work from them. And, by the way, I ~do~ love shooting down your ideas. Before you make a total fool of yourself for too long, you might wanna delete the bullpen
and “daily stand-up meeting” entries. Either that, or seriously consider a new job as a bean
counter. Those two items would make you well-loved by the bean counters, but universally hated
by any software engineers who ever had to suffer under your leadership.

Give your people the opportunity to do good work, give them the quiet and privacy necessary to
do good work, give them the benefit of your leadership when necessary and the benefit of your
absence when not, and you might just see some good work from them.

And, by the way, I ~do~ love shooting down your ideas.

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