May 24, 2018
At least 99% of the time, micromanagement is bad. It would be nice if we could wave a magic wand and break the cycle of micromanagement. It would be equally as nice if just recognizing that you were a micromanager was enough to change the behavior. While knowing is part of the battle, micromanagement is an addiction that requires effort to stop. There are several steps I have found useful that can be taken to breaking the addiction of micromanagement. (more…)
May 22, 2018
Sometimes . . .
Micromanagement is a type of authoritarian leadership. In general, this form of leadership is harmful because the manager exerts excessive control and/or pays excessive attention to details. The subordinates of micromanagers have little to no freedom of thought or action. This form of management is stark and easy to recognize from the outside. However, it is often difficult to recognize in ourselves. There are several useful questions to alert a manager to the possibility that they are a micromanager. (more…)
May 20, 2018
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SPaMCAST 495 features our essay titled, The Definition of Done: Simplicity and Complexity Revisited. The Definition of Done is an important agile technique to help teams plan and execute work. The simplest definition of the Definition of Done is the criteria that a work product must meet to be considered to be complete. While the concept is simple, the implementation of the technique in the real world is rarely simple. Both context and interpretations make things just a bit gray!
Our second column features Jon Quigley’s column, The Alpha and Omega of Product Development. In this installment Jon and I discussed Muda, waste, and whether failed innovations are waste.
Kim Pries, the Software Sensei, contributes his essay Kanban to the Kanban Power. Kim talks about using kanban to guide and control work both in the workplace and at home.
Re-Read Saturday News
In week ten of the re-read of L. David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around! (Buy Your Copy Now) we add two more mechanisms for control and complete part two of the book. This week the two chapters are A New Ship and We Have A Problem.
Current Installment:
Week 10: A New Ship and We Have A Problem – https://bit.ly/2IUJ6RL (more…)
May 19, 2018
In week ten of the re-read of L. David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around! we add two more mechanisms for control and complete part two the book. This week the two chapters are A New Ship and We Have A Problem. (more…)
May 17, 2018
Micromanagement is almost universally viewed as a poor management practice when it is recognized. Micromanagement rather than addressing the root cause of having to be directly involved in getting work done makes the problem worse! The problem is that there is no single cause. Some of the most pernicious causes include: (more…)
May 15, 2018
Save Our Ship or maybe Save Our Team
Micromanagement is a type of authoritarian leadership. Merriam-Webster defines micromanagement “as managing with excessive control or attention to details.” In general, this form of leadership is harmful. In a software or business environment, a micromanager closely controls the work of their subordinates. Closely observing how work is being done and providing explicit feedback to change the subordinate’s behavior to meet expectations generates control. The subordinate has little to no freedom of thought or action. While this might (and I stress might), be an acceptable leadership style when disarming a nuclear weapon, it DOES NOT make sense in the business environment. If it were rare, we could constrain the discussion to footnotes, yet this form of leadership is not rare. (more…)
May 13, 2018
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SPaMCAST 494 features our interview with Alan Mallory. We discussed his book The Family That Conquered Everest (https://amzn.to/2Iiz3Tc). The book provides strong lessons on leadership and teamwork in an environment where failure can lead to death or worse! Danger, mountaineering, and leadership in a single interview; a first for the Software Process and Measurement Cast.
Alan’s Bio
Alan Mallory is an international speaker, author and performance coach who is passionate about leadership and human performance. A graduate from Queen’s University, he has worked internationally with large organizations as a professional engineer and project manager. Living and working abroad has given Alan the opportunity to deepen his understanding of individual and team challenges, better appreciate cultural diversity and successfully adapt to different organizational structures. Through his work and life experiences, he has discovered that his true passion is helping people reach new heights by cultivating effective ways of thinking and taking action. Building experience through a lifestyle of adventure and challenge, in the spring of 2008 Alan embarked on the journey of a lifetime: to attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Along with three members of his immediate family, Alan climbed through some of the most challenging yet exciting conditions imaginable and set a world record when all four of them set foot on the summit. The expedition involved two years of planning and two months of climbing through immense challenges but they were able to overcome these obstacles through strategic planning, healthy team dynamics, self-awareness and perseverance. Alan delivers a number of exciting presentations and training programs designed to help individuals, team members and organizations reach new heights in the way we think and the actions we take in order to achieve breakthrough performance. For more information, visit www.alanmallory.com.
Contact
Phone: 647-388-4044
Email: alan@alanmallory.com
Web: alanmallory.com
Re-Read Saturday News
In week nine of the re-read of L. David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around! we discuss chapters 12 and 13, titled Up Scope! and ”A New Ship”.
Current Installment:
Week 9: Up Scope! and ”A New Ship” – https://bit.ly/2KfDZbS (more…)
