Living by Design

Most significant software development projects feel more like a ride on a roller-coaster than a managed success. We lay out the track, check that everyone's strapped in, and scream our way through the out-of-control ride. However, unlike the amusement park counterpart, we feel more frustrated than exhilarated when we step back out on the platform. The Power of SCRUM Does it have to be this way? Discipline and good engineering are definitely lacking in many contexts, but even where these are rigorously applied, there is ample dissatisfaction from excessive delays, lack of creativity, and the inability to adapt to changing circumstances. Perhaps there is an alternative that gives us the best of both worlds -- discipline for the known challenges and adaptability for the emerging ones? Enter Scrum , a set of software development practices and roles that use agile principles to empower teams to delivery high value on time. Combining flexible requirements prioritization techniques,...

Well, not quite... but definitely getting closer. I've been having the pleasure of playing with Highrise, an innovative CRM (Customer Relationship Management) offering by 37Signals , the makers of Basecamp and sponsors of Ruby on Rails . As my initial experiment with Highrise turned into serious reliance, I realized something magical was at play. The Project's Not the Real Challenge Here is the magic, the people are the project! Of course, defining what we know about the project is still critically important. Goals, milestones, and work breakdown structures are still highly useful for the known elements of the project. However, as any experienced Project Manager will tell you, project success is primarily about managing the people and managing the unknown . This is where some of the core elements of CRM are extremely helpful. The focus of CRM is the people (traditionally in the form of leads and contacts). Highrise lets you quickly organize your tasks and communications ar...

We've become experts at managing what we know. To achieve our goals, we break down the work and carefully measure our progress. We squeeze out efficient business practices and powerful system architecture through rigorous planning, testing and execution. But it's not good enough. Are we not often blindsided by the unforeseen? And isn't it true that most of the really valuable discoveries seem to be things we inadvertently trip over, almost by happenstance? Managing Complexity Rather than relegating these circumstances to luck or fate, complexity science offers us some insights into how to manage the unknown. This is the premise of the recent HBR article published by Dave Snowden and Mary Boone, entitled " A Leader's Framework for Decision Making ". The authors suggest that by identifying the context of a business situation, leaders can consciously choose an appropriate management approach: Simple , in which the relationship between cause and effect is obv...

After viewing Robin Chase's video on how wireless mesh networks could help reduce global warming, I was struck by how the characteristics of mesh networks are related to human interaction improvements in the business world. What is a Mesh Network or Meshwork? Meshworks are highly distributed networks of devices which connect to each other without prior infrastructure. Let's apply some of the characteristics of mesh networks to our innovation design for human networks in the business context. Characteristics of mesh networks include the following: Many possible interconnections. Any node can connect to any other node. Connections are dynamic and temporary. People have many dynamic and temporary interactions with a variety of others, both within and outside of the organization. By increasing presence awareness , through capabilities, such as instant messaging and self-publishing, it is possible to dramatically improve the frequency and range of interactions. Nodes have purp...