Better Software Magazine Articles

Broken Windows, Broken Projects

A social experiment in the ‘80s found “Vandalism can occur anywhere once communal barriers are lowered by actions that seem to signal that 'no one cares.'" The same can be said for our software projects.

Lee Copeland's picture Lee Copeland
The System Behind The Behavior

Most managers are familiar with using feedback and coaching to help people improve their performance at work. But those aren't the only tools managers have. Sometimes, the most effective way to change individual behavior is to change something in the system.

Esther Derby's picture Esther Derby
Believe the Territory

Test plans are seldom followed as written, project plans hardly ever fit the actual progress, and process models are rarely followed to the letter. Markus Gaertner examines why most of our documents become obsolete and gives advice about whether or not to continue to write and maintain them.
 

Markus Gärtner's picture Markus Gärtner
A Common Language

Do your stakeholders use different terms to talk about the same concept or use the same term but in a different way? A domain model can clarify key concepts and the relationships between them, helping your team resolve ambiguous terms and leading to more productive discussions about project requirements.

Laura Brandenburg's picture Laura Brandenburg
Unintended Consequences

Every action elicits a response, but sometimes that response is not what we expect. These anecdotes from industry experts are good examples of how our best intentions don't always match our plans.

Lee Copeland's picture Lee Copeland
The Unshreddable Résumé

The recent economic downturn has record numbers of job seekers pounding the pavement. Find out what you need to include on your resume to increase your chances of getting out of the paper stack and into the building for that all-important interview.

Heather Shanholtzer's picture Heather Shanholtzer
Hidden Messages

A defect management system contains data such as how many defects have been raised, the priority and severity of individual defects, and even who is raising them. This information is regularly used by program and test management to guide decision making. In this article, Dan Minkin proves that an experienced test manager can gather useful information by looking at more than just the defect management system's data.

Dan Minkin
Working Together—Not Just Working Together

People collaborate—and don't—in a variety of ways. Johanna Rothman examines what happens when collaboration isn't working, and how to make it work. Watch for several barriers to collaboration including those imposed on people by the organization itself.

Johanna Rothman's picture Johanna Rothman
What HR Doesn't Know about Scrum

Scrum's relentless "inspect-and-adapt" cycle leads to change beyond software development practices. Scrum teams have reported changes in the way they think about human resources management. This article outlines ways Scrum teams may want to modify HR's beliefs and practices.

Michael James
Offer Appreciations

We don't always appreciate the power of taking a moment to reflect on past performance. Find out how real change can happen when a team invests in time together.

Linda Rising's picture Linda Rising

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