I discovered the importance of project and programme governance several years ago. I was working with an empowered and effective team delivering a project to a distinct budget and deadline. … Continue reading Discovering governance
Learning to be specific
When I first became a hiring manager I had to learn to say No about people. Because we tended to use recruitment agencies I didn’t have to No directly to … Continue reading Learning to be specific
When there are questions about inclusivity
I was once in a discussion about one of those topics that might, if we were over-dramatising it, be considered part of so-called “culture wars”. That is, on the one … Continue reading When there are questions about inclusivity
Structuring ourselves for the right workload
One of the constant challenges software engineering organisations face is not just how to prioritise the work, but how to prioritise the different kinds of work. That is to say, … Continue reading Structuring ourselves for the right workload
Focus your message
Last week the British Prime Minister stood in the United Nations building, in front of an audience of other world leaders, and talked about climate change. As part of the … Continue reading Focus your message
When it’s difficult to decide
I discovered the other day about the etymology of the word “decide”. The “de-” comes from the Latin for “off”, and the “-cide” is from the same word that’s found … Continue reading When it’s difficult to decide
Have you considered your reward profile?
I’ve written previously about the importance of talking about reward alongside talk of risk. Risk (in practical conversation) is a discussion of negatives. But we can only consider negatives if … Continue reading Have you considered your reward profile?
Tips for difficult conversations
I’ve written before about having difficult conversations, and when working with a team it’s often just a matter of time before we all face a choice between ignoring a people-problem … Continue reading Tips for difficult conversations
A handy by-product of estimation
When planning a single user story in a software project it’s pretty common for someone to sit down and think about some details of how it should be done. There … Continue reading A handy by-product of estimation
Focusing on the outcome (in composition)
The other day I was listening to an interview with Christophe Beck, who composes film and television music—the scores to Ant Man and Wanda Vision are among his works. It … Continue reading Focusing on the outcome (in composition)
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