Implementing a great idea takes common sense and good marketing. It also requires knowing who to motivate to implement change. In this article, Clarke Ching writes about a time when he figured out a simple solution to a complex problem that would save his employer millions, but no one seemed to care. Clarke discovered that it is far easier to sell aspirin if your customer already has a headache.

Recognizing candidates who are capable of performing well on agile teams doesn't require keyword searches through a stack of resumes. It requires asking candidates questions that allow them to show you they understand the principles and can apply them in their daily work—even if their resume doesn't list particular terms. In this StickyMinds.com column, Johanna gives some excellent tips for the interviewer and the interviewee.

Payson Hall broke onto the software development scene as a maverick programmer, but his penchant for imposing his ideals onto others created more enemies than allies and sometimes detracted from product quality. In this week's column, a more experienced Payson recalls how he exchanged hubris for humility and shares lessons learned during his transformation that help him craft constructive reviews.

As a professional project manager and amateur magician, Payson Hall assures us that effective project management isn't magic. A magician should never reveal how a magical effect is accomplished, but good managers do share the rationale behind their actions to help others become more self-sufficient. Demystifying effective management actions improves our ability to get results, allowing us to move on to new and different challenges. In this column, Payson explains the strongest management "trick" in his repertoire--the pursuit of unambiguous completion criteria. He also tells us that perfecting this trick takes a lot of practice, but it can serve us immediately and throughout our careers.