I thought it was time someone said something nice about HMRC. There will be an obligatory grievance at the end which relates to cost and complexity. But there needs to … Continue reading Some nice words about HMRC
Category: General management
Sell the problem
I was particularly pleased today to read one of Think Purpose’s 101 tactics for revolutionaries: Learn to sell people the problem, not the solution I like this not because it’s … Continue reading Sell the problem
Sustainable (software) development
One of my key driving forces is to ensure teams don’t just deliver working software, but can do so sustainably. This happens at three levels, and it entails specific behaviours … Continue reading Sustainable (software) development
Reduce your technology costs the hard way
A short time ago I was speaking to an IT director who was excited having come out of a conversation with his opposite number in Finance. The finance director wanted … Continue reading Reduce your technology costs the hard way
On hiring the best developers
One thing that is guaranteed to annoy me is when companies claim they hire “the best developers” or “the best” something else. Here’s a tweet that reminded me of that … Continue reading On hiring the best developers
We are all “the business”
One of my bugbears is when technical people—developers, BAs, etc—refer to internal stakeholders as “the business”. We all understand who these people are and their great value in our work. … Continue reading We are all “the business”
The mountain beyond GOV.UK
Last week GOV.UK finally launched. Its pages are simple, the content and navigation is incredibly clear. It’s a huge step forward. And yet this is the easy bit. Alan Mathers … Continue reading The mountain beyond GOV.UK
Justifying developers’ salary increases
One of the most difficult aspects of line managing a team of developers in more established organisations is trying to change people’s salaries. Large established organisations tend to have an … Continue reading Justifying developers’ salary increases
It’s the team, stupid
A Reuters article last week focused on the importance of designers in Facebook: “In Silicon Valley, designers emerge as rock stars” it said. A great headline, but misleading and dangerous. … Continue reading It’s the team, stupid
Asking about behaviours
Asking about what people see and hear can go a long way to help clarify and resolve difficult problems that often start out about feelings and ideas. Like many technologists, … Continue reading Asking about behaviours
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