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Showing posts from September, 2012

Your Agile Transformation Needs to Start with a Quiet Phase

From a really great blog post on agile adoption:  http://smoovejazz.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/an-agile-approach-for-adopting-agile-practices/ I've observed some different agile transformation patterns, and maybe you have too: Just Do Standups   (Shoot, then Aim):   some people feel that since you're "agile," you should just start doing stuff, like daily standups, and then build more of the the plan as you go.  Find a team and start doing some agile with them!  Start a revolution one practice at a time, one team at a time. Pros:   you're very busy from the start. Cons:   what exactly are you doing and why? KPI-Driven Change (Aim, then Shoot) : some people who have worked in large corporations for a while will tell you that to get the respect of the people, you need to start with a plan, support the plan with awesome printed and online collateral.  Then you "kick off," tell teams what to do, and measure them using "Key Productivity Indica

Tips for Those Suddenly Traveling Frequently

Do you suddenly need to travel a lot for work?  If so, here are some helpful ideas.  I'm not getting kick-backs from any of these companies--I just like some of these products and you might too! Tiny laptop:   some people really can't deal with a tiny laptop, but if you can, then you should get one.  I have the 11" MacBook Air, which fits into my purse.  It's about the size of an iPad, but it's an actual laptop with an actual keyboard.  By the time you get the iPad case with the keyboard built in, you're carrying more weight than you would be if you just got the MacBook Air in the first place.  I'm not one of those Apple fanatics--I swear by my Android phone, and scoff at iPhone 5 users who are suddenly discovering spoken turn-by-turn navigation.  You can also get a tiny Intel-based PC.  The chip isn't the important thing--it's the size of the overall laptop and the screen quality that matter. Suitcase:  avoid checking your bag.  One da