One of the most vexing issues for executives and managers is balancing the need for both predictability and adaptability in software delivery. While this might seem like an either/or issue, the solutions are really both/and ones. In presentations I often ask the question, “How many of you have been on Agile teams and were asked [...]
Archive | Paradoxical (and) Management RSS feed for this section
Embracing Change
To a manager’s question, “How much will project Zebra cost?” The comment, “I don’t know,” is usually an unacceptable (but often the best) response. A more specific answer such as, “Well, somewhere between $2 and $6 million dollars would be rejected in many, if not most, organizations. The project manager who says, “Project Zebra will [...]
Clarity over Certantity
In the last 6 months I’ve heard several senior-level executives talk about the need for clarity over certainty. Clarity sounds simple, but it’s not. We embrace agility because it helps us adapt to the turbulence — business, economic, and technological – that creates opportunity and peril. Most of the time significant changes create mounds of [...]
“And” Leadership
What is an agile leader or manager? There are countless answers to this question revolving around the characteristics or behaviors of agile leaders—for example, collaborative, light touch, servant, and failure tolerant. One of the traits I think is very important is that of “And” rather than “Or” leadership. The most pressing issues to face leaders [...]
Affiliations
- APLN.org - Cofounder & Board Member
- Agile Alliance - Cofounder
