AGILE IN ACTION

Tag: mastery

Sunday, 19 February 2012

Lost without a goal

Posted by Simon Baker
I can't operate effectively without some kind of goal. Let me clarify that. Without some kind of goal I am directionless. I'm easily distracted from any focus I might have started with by other things that crop up. I end up flitting from one thing to another, multitasking. I become anxious and frustrated. I lose my sense of priority. I end up working on things that don't add value and I create lots of work-in-progress. It only gets worse the longer I go without being able to check in against some goal. I suspect most people are like this.
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Thursday, 29 December 2011

People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it

Posted by Simon Baker
Simon Sinek says, "people don't buy what you do, they buy [because of] why you do it." He argues that our brain is wired to start with why. We make decisions emotionally, subconsciously, and instinctively (based on the limbic system) and then justify our decisions and actions rationally, consciously and intellectually (based on the cerebral cortex). Despite this we're inclined to talk a lot about what and how and often not really mention why.
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Thursday, 10 December 2009

Intrinsic motivation

Posted by Simon Baker
Money is important in this day and age. But money doesn't motivate people to do their best. Watch the video. Even better read some Deming.
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Saturday, 23 August 2008

Craftsmanship and Artful Making

Posted by Simon Baker
At Agile2008, in his banquet keynote, Uncle Bob proposed over execution" be added to the Agile Manifesto as the fifth value statement. I've blogged before about the lack of craftsmanship in software development and it continues to concern me.
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Tuesday, 27 May 2008

More than practices are required to be agile

Posted by Simon Baker
Over on InfoQ, Amr Elssamadisy says successful agile teams are predominantly characterized by their culture and not their practices. Agreed. Team culture grows out of the values people share, their behavior and the chemistry their personalities create and the fun they have when they work together, the friendships they form and their combined sense of belonging. Sadly, a team's culture is often limited by the culture of the wider organization. But, it's not enough to just have a great culture. Without disciplined application of practices a team is likely to deliver poorer quality.
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