Software Process and Measurement Cast: SPaMCAST 411 - Servant Leadership, Systems Thinking, Craftsmanship, Requirements

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 411 includes four columns!  The first is our thoughts on servant leadership. A servant leader facilitates collaboration not only by creating a learning environment but also by helping the team to establish a vision and goals.  Servant leadership is a powerful tool to unlock the ability of teams or groups to deliver value. Many of the links between servant leadership and Agile are because servant leadership enables several of the principles in the Agile Manifesto, but servant leadership doesn’t work in every scenario. This essay will explore the origins of servant leadership, its ties with Agile and when to apply a servant leadership approach. Jon Quigley anchors the cast with the second installment in a three-part arc on requirements in his  “The Alpha-Omega of Product Development” column. This week Jon discusses managing requirements. Gene Hughson brings his Form Follows Function blog to the Software Process and Measurement Cast.  In this visit, Gene discusses his recent blog entry titled, “Organizations as Systems – “Uneasy Lies the Head that Wears the Crown”.  Gene points out that software development organizations live in a complex world where single factor explanations are dangerous. Kim Pries, the Software Sensi, brings a great discussion of the concept of craftsmanship in software development to the Cast.  Craftsmanship and quality are related, but craftsmanship is a more intimate and personal attribute. Re-Read Saturday News This week we complete our re-read of Kent Beck (http://amzn.to/1ssSi49)’s XP Explained, Second Edition with final thoughts on a book that has shaped a generation's thinking on Agile, while at the same time being eminently practical. Next week we begin our read of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (published by Jossey-Bass).  This will be a new book for me, therefore an initial read, not a re-read!  Click the link (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), buy a copy, and next week we will begin to read the book together.  Next SPaMCAST The Software Process and Measurement Cast 412, if you thought we were done with XP Explained, Second Edition, you would be wrong.  One of the SPaMCAST’s long term listeners, Steven Adams and I recently sat down to discuss our thoughts on the book.  It was a great conversation that we look forward to sharing with you! Shameless Ad for my book! Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese.