quotable_quotes_list
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====== Quotable Quotes List ====== | ====== Quotable Quotes List ====== | ||
+ | * “Many leaders pride themselves on setting the high-level direction and staying out of the details. But big picture, hands off leadership isn’t likely to work in a change situation, because the hardest part of change - the paralyzing part - is in the details.” — Dan and Chip Heath, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard | ||
+ | * " | ||
+ | * " | ||
+ | * "We are all familiar with guardrails on highways. They are put there to keep a simple mishap from turning into a full-blown catastrophe. If you go a little off course, the rails help you regain the path towards your destination." | ||
+ | * " | ||
+ | * " | ||
+ | * " | ||
+ | * "Never let a serious crisis go to waste" -- Rahm Emanuel | ||
+ | * "Waste no more time arguing what a good person should be. Be one." -- Marcus Aurelius | ||
+ | * “Do you want a team of hamsters – with lots of effort that get you nowhere – or people that produce results?” —- [[https:// | ||
+ | * “On the topic of goals, the academic research agrees with your intuition: Having goals improves performance. Spending hours cascading goals up and down the company, however, does not. It takes way too much time and it’s too hard to make sure all the goals line up. We have a market-based approach, where over time our goals all converge, because the top OKRs are known and everyone else’s OKRs are visible.” — Laszlo Bock, Google’s former VP of People Operations | ||
+ | * "To outdo your competition, | ||
+ | * "John, the kind of control you’re attempting simply its ... it’s not possible." | ||
+ | * "If you don’t tell the story, someone else will" -- Unknown | ||
+ | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
* "The best way to deliver value isn’t more, more, more, it’s to do small valuable things frequently." | * "The best way to deliver value isn’t more, more, more, it’s to do small valuable things frequently." | ||
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* "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is engraved in the lives of others" | * "What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is engraved in the lives of others" | ||
* "The impediment to action advances the action. What stands in the way becomes the way" -- Marcus Aurelius | * "The impediment to action advances the action. What stands in the way becomes the way" -- Marcus Aurelius | ||
- | * "The true method of knowledge is experiment." | + | * "The true method of knowledge is experiment." |
- | * "We are not critical thinkers; we think to criticize" | + | * "We are not critical thinkers; we think to criticize" |
* " | * " | ||
* "It great that you do the work, but it is even better if you bring someone along" —- Cynthia | * "It great that you do the work, but it is even better if you bring someone along" —- Cynthia | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "For knowledge workers it is during the doing of work we discover the work that needs to be done." -- Vasco Duante | * "For knowledge workers it is during the doing of work we discover the work that needs to be done." -- Vasco Duante | ||
- | * "A primary cause of software complexity is that vendors uncritically adopt almost any feature that users want. People seem to misinterpret complexity as sophistication. The incomprehensible should cause suspicion rather than admiration." | + | * "A primary cause of software complexity is that vendors uncritically adopt almost any feature that users want. People seem to misinterpret complexity as sophistication. The incomprehensible should cause suspicion rather than admiration." |
- | * “You are doing a great job of fragmenting work” – Unknown. Not necessarily a compliment. | + | * "You are doing a great job of fragmenting work" -- Unknown. Not necessarily a compliment. |
- | * “Sometimes when people seem lazy, it could be that they are just exhausted” – Unknown. On too much organizational change. | + | * "Sometimes when people seem lazy, it could be that they are just exhausted" -- Unknown. On too much organizational change. |
- | * “Absolutely # | + | * "Absolutely # |
- | * “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure” – Strathern (variation on Goodhart’s Law) | + | * "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure" -- Strathern (variation on Goodhart’s Law) |
- | * “There is no question that in virtually all circumstances in which people are doing things in order to get rewards, tangible rewards undermine intrinsic motivation.” – New Scientist. 9th April 2011 pp 40-43 | + | * "There is no question that in virtually all circumstances in which people are doing things in order to get rewards, tangible rewards undermine intrinsic motivation." -- New Scientist. 9th April 2011 pp 40-43 |
- | * “Inspection is too late. The quality good, or bad, is already in the product.” – Deming | + | * "Inspection is too late. The quality good, or bad, is already in the product." -- Deming |
- | * “Stop controlling people, start controlling value delivered” – Unknown | + | * "Stop controlling people, start controlling value delivered" |
- | * “We have a whole bunch of cute puppies running around. We need to drown some of them” – Heard at leadership prioritization meeting | + | * "We have a whole bunch of cute puppies running around. We need to drown some of them" -- Heard at leadership prioritization meeting |
- | * “Improving daily work is more important than doing daily work” – Gene Kim | + | * "Improving daily work is more important than doing daily work" -- Gene Kim |
- | * “There is no ‘my’ work; there is no ‘your’ work; there is only ‘our’ work” – Dojo quote on team dynamics | + | * "There is no ‘my’ work; there is no ‘your’ work; there is only ‘our’ work" -- Dojo quote on team dynamics |
- | * “Our projects are like watermelons; | + | * "Our projects are like watermelons; |
- | * “The idea that the future is unpredictable is undermined every day by the ease with which the past is explained.” – Daniel Kahneman | + | * "The idea that the future is unpredictable is undermined every day by the ease with which the past is explained." -- Daniel Kahneman |
- | * “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower | + | * "What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important." -- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
- | * “It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong.” – Thomas Sowel | + | * "It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong." -- Thomas Sowel |
- | * "Zero failure is a failure" | + | * "Zero failure is a failure" |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "If you are a manager and you are not uncomfortable during an agile transformation you are probably not doing a transformation to the agile mindset" | + | * "If you are a manager and you are not uncomfortable during an agile transformation you are probably not doing a transformation to the agile mindset" |
- | * "No, I feel that my job as the commander is to tap into the existing energy of the command, discover the strengths, and remove barriers to further progress." | + | * "No, I feel that my job as the commander is to tap into the existing energy of the command, discover the strengths, and remove barriers to further progress." |
- | * "The procedure has become the master not the servant." | + | * "The procedure has become the master not the servant." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "Trust is purely a characteristic of the human relationship." | + | * "Trust is purely a characteristic of the human relationship." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "If you walk about your organization talking to people, I’d suggest that you be as curious as possible." | + | * "If you walk about your organization talking to people, I’d suggest that you be as curious as possible." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "When the performance of a unit goes down after an officer leaves, it is taken as a sign that he was a good leader, not that he was ineffective in training his people properly." | + | * "When the performance of a unit goes down after an officer leaves, it is taken as a sign that he was a good leader, not that he was ineffective in training his people properly." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "Exec quiz: How do you expect your org to innovate if your governance model is fundamentally based on adherence to long-term implementation plans? Just imagine, in order to innovate, your employees would have to put their careers at risk every time." | + | * "Exec quiz: How do you expect your org to innovate if your governance model is fundamentally based on adherence to long-term implementation plans? Just imagine, in order to innovate, your employees would have to put their careers at risk every time." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "The point of estimation is not to predict the future but to understand if we are even in with a chance of managing our way to success" | + | * "The point of estimation is not to predict the future but to understand if we are even in with a chance of managing our way to success" |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "More is coming at us faster." | + | * "More is coming at us faster." |
- | * "Being relentless is key." | + | * "Being relentless is key." |
- | * "Be unfailingly respectful." | + | * "Be unfailingly respectful." |
- | * "But our decisions and actions always increase the probability of what we call “luck,” good or bad." | + | * "But our decisions and actions always increase the probability of what we call “luck,” good or bad." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "We can’t work in silos to solve systemic problems" | + | * "We can’t work in silos to solve systemic problems" |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "We spend a lot of time looking for systemic risk; in truth, however, it tends to find us." | + | * "We spend a lot of time looking for systemic risk; in truth, however, it tends to find us." |
- | * "Teams not individuals are the fundamental learning unit in modern organizations. This is where the rubber meets the road; unless teams can learn, the organization cannot learn." | + | * "Teams not individuals are the fundamental learning unit in modern organizations. This is where the rubber meets the road; unless teams can learn, the organization cannot learn." |
- | * "Why are you checking your Facebook or Twitter streams multiple times per day? Is it because you were sent to a social media workshop by your manager? Or because these companies are smartly targeting your intrinsic motivators? What has caused millions of people to start running, exercising, and monitoring their calorie intakes? Was there a government campaign promoting healthier lifestyles? Or is it because thousands of apps, smartphones and wearables have made it a lot more fun? What convinced me to switch from taxis to ridesharing, | + | * " |
- | * "When does any waterfall project become agile? When you're out of time or money. That's when you negotiate." | + | * "When does any waterfall project become agile? When you're out of time or money. That's when you negotiate." |
- | * "If you dig deep enough you will eventually find that at its core, every mindset is a belief system. That’s why it is so horrifically difficult to change. People don’t like their core beliefs to be shaken up and gravely endangered." | + | * "If you dig deep enough you will eventually find that at its core, every mindset is a belief system. That’s why it is so horrifically difficult to change. People don’t like their core beliefs to be shaken up and gravely endangered." |
- | * "There is truly some magic to this planning thing – the magic of addressing complexity with the most powerful weaponry there is: face-to-face communication." | + | * "There is truly some magic to this planning thing – the magic of addressing complexity with the most powerful weaponry there is: face-to-face communication." |
- | * "The teams themselves can have flawed instincts and regularly take on more work than they can actually accomplish." | + | * "The teams themselves can have flawed instincts and regularly take on more work than they can actually accomplish." |
- | * "As long as I do not see that I’m blind, I’m blind." | + | * "As long as I do not see that I’m blind, I’m blind." |
- | * "Make them jealous that their peers are doing something dangerously cool. Nothing drives large-scale adoption better than that." | + | * "Make them jealous that their peers are doing something dangerously cool. Nothing drives large-scale adoption better than that." |
- | * "A successful change agent must ensure that there’s no unproductive tension between themselves and the stakeholders. Any antagonism, even latent, may inhibit the transformation and must be promptly resolved. It’s up to you to make the first step." | + | * "A successful change agent must ensure that there’s no unproductive tension between themselves and the stakeholders. Any antagonism, even latent, may inhibit the transformation and must be promptly resolved. It’s up to you to make the first step." |
- | * "No demo, no numbers" | + | * "No demo, no numbers" |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "In adopting a new operating paradigm, the ways of working are only the tip of the iceberg. The real target of a change agent—the mass of ice below the surface—is the mindset of those who lead the organization." | + | * "In adopting a new operating paradigm, the ways of working are only the tip of the iceberg. The real target of a change agent — the mass of ice below the surface — is the mindset of those who lead the organization." |
- | * "So why is it that we acknowledge face-to-face communication as the best way of conveying information at the team level, but at the program level this simple, yet absolutely fundamental tenet of Agile is demonstrably ignored?" | + | * "So why is it that we acknowledge face-to-face communication as the best way of conveying information at the team level, but at the program level this simple, yet absolutely fundamental tenet of Agile is demonstrably ignored?" |
- | * "Our customers don’t buy components or even features; they buy systems. That’s why an iteration can be successful only if it produces an increment of the entire system, end-to-end." | + | * "Our customers don’t buy components or even features; they buy systems. That’s why an iteration can be successful only if it produces an increment of the entire system, end-to-end." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "We would never run the servers in our computer rooms at full utilization — why haven’t we learned that lesson in software development?" | + | * "We would never run the servers in our computer rooms at full utilization — why haven’t we learned that lesson in software development?" |
- | * "If stupid enters the room, you have a moral duty to shoot it, no matter who’s escorting it." | + | * "If stupid enters the room, you have a moral duty to shoot it, no matter who’s escorting it." |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow" | + | * "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow" |
- | * "Let the team fail: Certainly, don’t stand idly by while the team goes careening off a cliff. | + | * "Let the team fail: Certainly, don’t stand idly by while the team goes careening off a cliff. |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "In short, software is eating the world." | + | * "In short, software is eating the world." |
- | * "Value occurs only when the end user is operating the solution. The value stream can’t have a model that involves ideation and development, | + | * "Value occurs only when the end user is operating the solution. The value stream can’t have a model that involves ideation and development, |
- | * "When an organization focuses on driving optimization of each individual project, many seemingly logical efforts to improve product development unintentionally undermine the very goal they intend to accomplish." | + | * "When an organization focuses on driving optimization of each individual project, many seemingly logical efforts to improve product development unintentionally undermine the very goal they intend to accomplish." |
- | * "Just like air traffic controllers establish the landing patterns and cadence of airplanes to synchronize arrivals regardless of size, distance traveled, experience of the crew, or any other attribute, so that the planes follow an identical, predictable pattern when landing, a pattern and cadence that encompasses all aspects and varieties of projects in the development portfolio must be established in product development." | + | * "Just like air traffic controllers establish the landing patterns and cadence of airplanes to synchronize arrivals regardless of size, distance traveled, experience of the crew, or any other attribute, so that the planes follow an identical, predictable pattern when landing, a pattern and cadence that encompasses all aspects and varieties of projects in the development portfolio must be established in product development." |
- | * "When a project fails, the failure is generally blamed on the project leader rather than recognizing that the system in which the project leader operates is a much greater determinant of success and failure than the project leader." | + | * "When a project fails, the failure is generally blamed on the project leader rather than recognizing that the system in which the project leader operates is a much greater determinant of success and failure than the project leader." |
* " | * " | ||
* "You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?" – Clement Stone | * "You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?" – Clement Stone | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "A defining feature of intuitive judgment is its insensitivity to the quality of the evidence on which the judgment is based." | * "A defining feature of intuitive judgment is its insensitivity to the quality of the evidence on which the judgment is based." | ||
- | * "I have been struck by how important measurement is to improving the human condition. You can achieve incredible progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress toward that goal … This may seem basic, but it is amazing how often it is not done and how hard it is to get right." – Bill Gates | + | * "I have been struck by how important measurement is to improving the human condition. You can achieve incredible progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress toward that goal." – Bill Gates |
* " | * " | ||
* "The further out the forecaster tries to look, the more opportunity there is for chaos to flap its butterfly wings and blow away expectations." | * "The further out the forecaster tries to look, the more opportunity there is for chaos to flap its butterfly wings and blow away expectations." | ||
- | * "Old forecasts are like old news—soon forgotten—and pundits are almost never asked to reconcile what they said with what actually happened. The one undeniable talent that talking heads have is their skill at telling a compelling story with conviction, and that is enough." | + | * "Old forecasts are like old news — soon forgotten — and pundits are almost never asked to reconcile what they said with what actually happened. The one undeniable talent that talking heads have is their skill at telling a compelling story with conviction, and that is enough." |
* "That was the clever way reporters wrote articles. They put the most important stuff at the top, and then the next most important and then the next. It gave them and their editors huge flexibility" | * "That was the clever way reporters wrote articles. They put the most important stuff at the top, and then the next most important and then the next. It gave them and their editors huge flexibility" | ||
* "The scope of the project always expands until it's too big to fit in the time available to deliver it." – [[: | * "The scope of the project always expands until it's too big to fit in the time available to deliver it." – [[: | ||
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* "It seems to me to be important to distinguish a good idea from poor implementations of it" – Ron Jeffries | * "It seems to me to be important to distinguish a good idea from poor implementations of it" – Ron Jeffries | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "Why do we spend so much time and energy on budgets and budget reporting? One reason is the illusion of control that we discussed earlier. | + | * "The more details and decimal places we churn out in our plans and budgets, the more control we believe we have" – [[: |
* "The main question for management is not how to motivate, but rather how management can be deterred from diminishing or even destroying motivation." | * "The main question for management is not how to motivate, but rather how management can be deterred from diminishing or even destroying motivation." | ||
* "A performance evaluation can never be entirely objective. There will always be subjectivity." | * "A performance evaluation can never be entirely objective. There will always be subjectivity." | ||
* "I believe that economists put decimal points in their forecasts to show they have a sense of humor" – William Gilmore Simms | * "I believe that economists put decimal points in their forecasts to show they have a sense of humor" – William Gilmore Simms | ||
* "Cost budgets tend to be spent, even when the initial budget assumptions changed (which they almost always do)." – [[: | * "Cost budgets tend to be spent, even when the initial budget assumptions changed (which they almost always do)." – [[: | ||
- | * "CEO opened the workshop. He described the cost budget as '…this cage we build. We know it will constrain us. When finished, we squeeze ourselves in, lock it, and throw away the key. It all happens voluntarily, | + | * "CEO opened the workshop. He described the cost budget as '... this cage we build. We know it will constrain us. When finished, we squeeze ourselves in, lock it, and throw away the key. It all happens voluntarily, |
* "But do not worry; there is more than enough left for you to do in the backseat: setting direction, coaching, motivating, and assisting when needed. Just do not become a backseat driver" | * "But do not worry; there is more than enough left for you to do in the backseat: setting direction, coaching, motivating, and assisting when needed. Just do not become a backseat driver" | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* "Make a difference, not just a point" – Troy Magennis | * "Make a difference, not just a point" – Troy Magennis | ||
* "Never show data unless you show it compared to something else" – Edward Tufte | * "Never show data unless you show it compared to something else" – Edward Tufte | ||
- | * "If anyone adjusts a stable process , the output that follows will be worse than he had left the process alone" – W Edwards Deming - you can do more harm than good. Don't panic | + | * "If anyone adjusts a stable process, the output that follows will be worse than he had left the process alone" – W Edwards Deming - you can do more harm than good. Don't panic |
* " | * " | ||
* "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." | * "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "For acceptance tests to be effective, they have to be automated but also have to be human readable. And ‘human’ in this case also includes those who cannot decrypt the Matrix code on the fly." – Gojko Adzic in [[http:// | * "For acceptance tests to be effective, they have to be automated but also have to be human readable. And ‘human’ in this case also includes those who cannot decrypt the Matrix code on the fly." – Gojko Adzic in [[http:// | ||
- | * "Unit tests will insure the code is built right, and that acceptance tests insure the right code is built’." | + | * "Unit tests will insure the code is built right, and acceptance tests insure the right code is built’." |
* "And as an organization, | * "And as an organization, | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "What can I do to help you do your best work?" | + | * "What can I do to help you do your best work?" |
* "These motivational accessories, | * "These motivational accessories, | ||
- | * "Law of Requisite Variety defined by W. Ross Ashby: | + | * "If a system is to be stable the number of states of its control mechanism must be greater than or equal to the number of states in the system being controlled … Simply put, this law states that a system can be controlled by another system only when the other system is just as complex as or more complex than the first one." – W. Ross Ashby' |
* " | * " | ||
* "Pair programming is not pair typing - its pair thinking" | * "Pair programming is not pair typing - its pair thinking" | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "In the beginning, there was nothing. And then there were membranes or strings, which formed quarks and gluons. And the quarks and gluons organized themselves into composite particles, such as protons and neutrons. And these guys, with the help of some friends called electrons, subsequently organized themselves into atoms. Then these atoms got together one day and decided to take self-organization to yet another level, and they formed molecules. Millions of different molecules were created that way, and they created communities, | + | * "From the beginning of the universe, everything in it was shaped by self-organization." |
* " | * " | ||
* "There is plenty of value in root-cause analysis. I mean that root-cause analysis can only look to the past. It helps you to fix problems that have already happened, so they won’t happen again. But it won’t help you to predict what will go wrong in the future." | * "There is plenty of value in root-cause analysis. I mean that root-cause analysis can only look to the past. It helps you to fix problems that have already happened, so they won’t happen again. But it won’t help you to predict what will go wrong in the future." | ||
* "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." | * "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "Our minds prefer causality over complexity." | * "Our minds prefer causality over complexity." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
+ | | ||
* "The big rule of project portfolio management is that you never make a big decision where you commit an entire organization to a huge project for a long time. I define huge as more than 50 percent of your people, and I define long as more than three months." | * "The big rule of project portfolio management is that you never make a big decision where you commit an entire organization to a huge project for a long time. I define huge as more than 50 percent of your people, and I define long as more than three months." | ||
* "In all honesty, the only projects that are too risky to start are the ones that can’t return anything you can see in a few weeks." | * "In all honesty, the only projects that are too risky to start are the ones that can’t return anything you can see in a few weeks." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* " | * " | ||
* "If you don’t know who your customers are or you haven’t talked to them in six months, you will not deliver what your customers want. This is a slow but sure way to create a doomed project." | * "If you don’t know who your customers are or you haven’t talked to them in six months, you will not deliver what your customers want. This is a slow but sure way to create a doomed project." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
+ | * "If you are trying to staff a project with people who are working part-time on your project and part-time on other projects, you have an uncommitted project. That’s because the cost of context switching will erase any potential ability to focus on this project. Don’t partially commit to a project; that’s a lack of commitment. Be honest. Take that project off the committed list. You may have to move the project to the parking lot. You might have to transform it. But never make a partial commitment." | ||
+ | * " | ||
* "Think in terms of value. Producers create value, but customers define it." – Johanna Rothmans in [[http:// | * "Think in terms of value. Producers create value, but customers define it." – Johanna Rothmans in [[http:// | ||
* "The fewer number of active projects you have, the less competition the projects have for the same people. That lack of competition for people allows them to finish projects faster." | * "The fewer number of active projects you have, the less competition the projects have for the same people. That lack of competition for people allows them to finish projects faster." | ||
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* "I view product development as a horse race where you can move your bets after the horses have started running." | * "I view product development as a horse race where you can move your bets after the horses have started running." | ||
* "The longer something is in transit in a process, the more likely it is the requirement will change" | * "The longer something is in transit in a process, the more likely it is the requirement will change" | ||
- | * "Stop starting and start finishing." | + | * "Stop starting and start finishing." |
* " | * " | ||
* "The vision must be followed by venture" | * "The vision must be followed by venture" | ||
* " | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "Pair programming | + | * "Pair programming |
* " | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
* "The role of the senior leader was no longer that of controlling puppet master, but rather that of an empathetic crafter of culture." | * "The role of the senior leader was no longer that of controlling puppet master, but rather that of an empathetic crafter of culture." | ||
* "I found that, by ignoring the Perry Principle and containing my desire to micromanage, | * "I found that, by ignoring the Perry Principle and containing my desire to micromanage, | ||
- | * "More important, and more surprising, we found that, even as speed increased and we pushed authority further down, the quality of decisions actually went up … We had decentralized on the belief that the 70 percent solution today would be better than the 90 percent solution tomorrow. But we found our estimates were backward - we were getting the 90 percent solution today instead of the 70 percent solution tomorrow." – General Stanley McChrystal in "Team of Teams" | + | * "More important, and more surprising, we found that, even as speed increased and we pushed authority further down, the quality of decisions actually went up." – General Stanley McChrystal in "Team of Teams" |
- | * "I was most effective when I supervised processes—from intelligence operations to the prioritization of resources—ensuring that we avoided the silos or bureaucracy that doomed agility, rather than making individual operational decisions." | + | * "I was most effective when I supervised processes — from intelligence operations to the prioritization of resources—ensuring that we avoided the silos or bureaucracy that doomed agility, rather than making individual operational decisions." |
* "I began to reconsider the nature of my role as a leader. The wait for my approval was not resulting in any better decisions, and our priority should be reaching the best possible decision that could be made in a time frame that allowed it to be relevant." | * "I began to reconsider the nature of my role as a leader. The wait for my approval was not resulting in any better decisions, and our priority should be reaching the best possible decision that could be made in a time frame that allowed it to be relevant." | ||
- | * "This is true even in work not seen as requiring creativity and innovation. In 2008, Pentland studied a Bank of America call center. | + | * "A Bank of America call center ... Success is measured by AHT (average call handle time), which ideally should be as low as possible. Pentland gave workers sociometric badges all day for six weeks, and measured levels of interaction and engagement. When he shifted the coffee break system from being individual to being team based, interaction rose and AHT dropped, demonstrating a strong link between interaction and productivity." |
- | * "When Pentland surveyed a number of R&D labs, he found that he could predict the labs’ creative output with an extraordinary 87.5 percent accuracy by measuring idea flow. In the more than two dozen organizations he has studied, Pentland found that interaction patterns typically account for almost half of all the performance variation between high- and low-performing groups." – General Stanley McChrystal in "Team of Teams" | + | * "When Pentland surveyed a number of R&D labs, he found that he could predict the labs’ creative output with an extraordinary 87.5 percent accuracy by measuring idea flow." – General Stanley McChrystal in "Team of Teams" |
- | * " | + | * " |
* "The critical first step was to share our own information widely and be generous with our own people and resources. From there, we hoped that the human relationships we built through that generosity would carry the day." – General Stanley McChrystal in "Team of Teams" | * "The critical first step was to share our own information widely and be generous with our own people and resources. From there, we hoped that the human relationships we built through that generosity would carry the day." – General Stanley McChrystal in "Team of Teams" | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "We don’t know what connections and conversations will prove valuable." | * "We don’t know what connections and conversations will prove valuable." | ||
* "Teams can bring a measure of adaptability to previously rigid organizations. But these performance improvements have a ceiling as long as adaptable traits are limited to the team level." | * "Teams can bring a measure of adaptability to previously rigid organizations. But these performance improvements have a ceiling as long as adaptable traits are limited to the team level." | ||
* "We had to find a way for the organization as a whole to build at scale the same messy connectivity our small teams had mastered so effectively." | * "We had to find a way for the organization as a whole to build at scale the same messy connectivity our small teams had mastered so effectively." | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "Their structure—not their plan—was their strategy." | + | * "Their structure — not their plan — was their strategy." |
* "Great teams consist of individuals who have learned to trust each other. Over time, they have discovered each other’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to play as a coordinated whole." | * "Great teams consist of individuals who have learned to trust each other. Over time, they have discovered each other’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to play as a coordinated whole." | ||
* "In a command, the connections that matter are vertical ties; team building, on the other hand, is all about horizontal connectivity." | * "In a command, the connections that matter are vertical ties; team building, on the other hand, is all about horizontal connectivity." | ||
- | * "SEAL teams accomplish remarkable feats not simply because of the individual qualifications of their members, but because those members coalesce into a single organism. Such oneness is not inevitable, nor is it a fortunate coincidence. The SEALs forge it methodically and deliberately." | + | * "SEAL teams accomplish remarkable feats not simply because of the individual qualifications of their members, but because those members coalesce into a single organism. Such oneness is not inevitable, nor is it a fortunate coincidence. The SEALs forge it methodically and deliberately." |
* "We needed flexibility but we also needed the advantages of scale that accompany efficiency. We had to find a way to create that adaptability while preserving many of our traditional strengths. This would prove difficult—many of the practices that are most efficient directly limited adaptability" | * "We needed flexibility but we also needed the advantages of scale that accompany efficiency. We had to find a way to create that adaptability while preserving many of our traditional strengths. This would prove difficult—many of the practices that are most efficient directly limited adaptability" | ||
- | * "if we cannot control the volatile tides of change, we can learn to build better boats." | + | * "If we cannot control the volatile tides of change, we can learn to build better boats." |
* " | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* "Lean development is a careful elaboration of a single idea—learn from reality. And learning from reality has the great advantage of enabling you to live in a rational universe." | * "Lean development is a careful elaboration of a single idea—learn from reality. And learning from reality has the great advantage of enabling you to live in a rational universe." | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "Put key information in the physical environment where it is available at a glance and people are reminded of it in appropriate places. Use large-format printers to make it easy to maintain the same information on the wall, and electronically so that it can be accessed from anywhere The problem is that our basic concepts of management were formulated in the typewriter age. Typewriters and carbon paper made a few copies of information, | + | * "Put key information in the physical environment where it is available at a glance and people are reminded of it in appropriate places." |
* "Keep in mind that you cannot load the organization to 100% capacity. You need to figure in a buffer, normally in the 15–20% range unless you only do fairly routine development work." – Allen Ward in "Lean Product and Process Development" | * "Keep in mind that you cannot load the organization to 100% capacity. You need to figure in a buffer, normally in the 15–20% range unless you only do fairly routine development work." – Allen Ward in "Lean Product and Process Development" | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "What is the most fundamental waste in conventional companies? Hand-off … A hand-off occurs whenever we separate knowledge, responsibility, | + | * "What is the most fundamental waste in conventional companies? Hand-off … A hand-off occurs whenever we separate knowledge, responsibility, |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "The most important wastes in development are wastes of knowledge." | + | * "The most important wastes in development are wastes of knowledge." |
- | * "There are three primary categories of knowledge wastes: scatter, hand-off, and wishful thinking" | + | * "There are three primary categories of knowledge wastes: scatter, hand-off, and wishful thinking" |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "These responses to scatter create more scatter. The result: more time spent creating waste and less time creating value." | + | * "These responses to scatter create more scatter. The result: more time spent creating waste and less time creating value." |
* "Going faster improves profitability in several ways: 1) Saving time saves money. The size of a team is determined mostly by the range of expertise required. Getting done faster frees resources. 2) In markets with low switching costs for the customer to change from one supplier to another, going faster means you get your share of the market sooner. You probably keep it just as long, so you add some months or years of profit to your ROI. 3) In markets with high switching costs, getting to market first could mean you get most of the market—and you get to keep it. 4) If you are selling to industrial customers that are in a hurry themselves, the promise of speed may be enough by itself to radically improve market share and ROI. 5) Above all, of course, going faster means learning faster. If you learn 20% faster than your competitors, | * "Going faster improves profitability in several ways: 1) Saving time saves money. The size of a team is determined mostly by the range of expertise required. Getting done faster frees resources. 2) In markets with low switching costs for the customer to change from one supplier to another, going faster means you get your share of the market sooner. You probably keep it just as long, so you add some months or years of profit to your ROI. 3) In markets with high switching costs, getting to market first could mean you get most of the market—and you get to keep it. 4) If you are selling to industrial customers that are in a hurry themselves, the promise of speed may be enough by itself to radically improve market share and ROI. 5) Above all, of course, going faster means learning faster. If you learn 20% faster than your competitors, | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
* "Keep the ROI model simple enough for developers to understand and use in daily work." – Allen Ward in "Lean Product and Process Development" | * "Keep the ROI model simple enough for developers to understand and use in daily work." – Allen Ward in "Lean Product and Process Development" | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | | + | |
* “Unless you keep spreading the virus, the immune system of the organization will reject it." – Allen Ward in "Lean Product and Process Development" | * “Unless you keep spreading the virus, the immune system of the organization will reject it." – Allen Ward in "Lean Product and Process Development" | ||
* "While we acknowledge emergence in design and system development, | * "While we acknowledge emergence in design and system development, | ||
* "It is said that a wise person learns from his mistakes. A wiser one learns from others' | * "It is said that a wise person learns from his mistakes. A wiser one learns from others' | ||
- | * "Make the change easy, then make the easy change" | ||
* "Every dependency you can remove from your delivery stream doubles your chances of delivering on time." – Troy Magennis. | * "Every dependency you can remove from your delivery stream doubles your chances of delivering on time." – Troy Magennis. | ||
* "For high utilization systems we need to track system level impediments to the flow." – Troy Magennis | * "For high utilization systems we need to track system level impediments to the flow." – Troy Magennis | ||
* "Its impossible to forecast a system under high utilization" | * "Its impossible to forecast a system under high utilization" | ||
- | * "A symptom of over-utilization in a system is high batch size" – Troy Magennis. "If the system is so over-utlitized then you might as well send a truck through the system as a car, as you'll end up with more at the end." | + | * "A symptom of over-utilization in a system is high batch size" – Troy Magennis |
+ | * "If the system is so over-utlitized then you might as well send a truck through the system as a car, as you'll end up with more at the end." | ||
* "A bad system will keep a good developer down." - Troy Magennis | * "A bad system will keep a good developer down." - Troy Magennis | ||
* "Note - these are just ideas / approaches. If the approach does not suite your context, believe the context, and adjust the approach" | * "Note - these are just ideas / approaches. If the approach does not suite your context, believe the context, and adjust the approach" | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "The sooner you get behind schedule, the more time you have to make it up." – Anonymous | * "The sooner you get behind schedule, the more time you have to make it up." – Anonymous | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "Plus, research [Katz82] shows that long-lived stable R&D teams are correlated with higher productivity than temporary project groups of people drawn from a resource pool" – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde from " | * "Plus, research [Katz82] shows that long-lived stable R&D teams are correlated with higher productivity than temporary project groups of people drawn from a resource pool" – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde from " | ||
- | * "The most powerful form of “queue management” is to utterly eradicate a queue by changing the system." | + | * "The most powerful form of 'queue management' |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
* " | * " | ||
- | * "Focus on large-scale test automation—to learn about defects and behavior. The setup costs are non-trivial (if you are currently doing manual testing) but the re-execution costs are almost zero." – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde from " | + | * "Focus on large-scale test automation — to learn about defects and behavior. The setup costs are non-trivial (if you are currently doing manual testing) but the re-execution costs are almost zero." – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde from " |
- | * " | + | * " |
* "This is one purpose of the Scrum Product Backlog. It acts as a tool for leveling or smoothing the introduction of work to feature teams. A small buffer of high-quality inventory created to support level pull is another example of useful temporarily necessary waste" – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde from " | * "This is one purpose of the Scrum Product Backlog. It acts as a tool for leveling or smoothing the introduction of work to feature teams. A small buffer of high-quality inventory created to support level pull is another example of useful temporarily necessary waste" – Craig Larman, Bas Vodde from " | ||
* "It is interesting to note that people’s models of causation are influenced by the timeliness (delay) and quality of feedback in the system." | * "It is interesting to note that people’s models of causation are influenced by the timeliness (delay) and quality of feedback in the system." | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
* " | * " | ||
* "The Wright brothers achieved the dream of flight through an organized, disciplined process of diligently orchestrated learning cycles. Each learning cycle was designed to create knowledge, which they captured on limit and trade-off curves. They had set out to undertake a study of flight and make a contribution in advancing the knowledge of powered flight. The process they employed was so successful that the result was the invention of the airplane. Clearly, there is much to be learned from their process." | * "The Wright brothers achieved the dream of flight through an organized, disciplined process of diligently orchestrated learning cycles. Each learning cycle was designed to create knowledge, which they captured on limit and trade-off curves. They had set out to undertake a study of flight and make a contribution in advancing the knowledge of powered flight. The process they employed was so successful that the result was the invention of the airplane. Clearly, there is much to be learned from their process." | ||
* " | * " | ||
* "To unilaterally optimize the overall flow of projects across the entire development portfolio, a product development cadence must be established." | * "To unilaterally optimize the overall flow of projects across the entire development portfolio, a product development cadence must be established." | ||
- | * “Actions that optimize individual projects generally serve to suboptimize | + | * “Actions that optimize individual projects generally serve to sub-optimize |
* " | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "Just like air traffic controllers establish the landing patterns and cadence of airplanes to synchronize arrivals regardless of size, distance traveled, experience of the crew, or any other attribute, so that the planes follow an identical, predictable pattern when landing, a pattern and cadence that encompasses all aspects and varieties of projects in the development portfolio must be established in product development." | ||
* "A firefighting organization requires extraordinary people to achieve ordinary results. In an exceptional organization, | * "A firefighting organization requires extraordinary people to achieve ordinary results. In an exceptional organization, | ||
* "In contrast to work standards, standardized work is determined collectively by the group closest to the work." – [[: | * "In contrast to work standards, standardized work is determined collectively by the group closest to the work." – [[: | ||
- | * "When a project fails, the failure is generally blamed on the project leader rather than recognizing that the system in which the project leader operates is a much greater determinant of success and failure than the project leader." | ||
* "When a genuine shared vision (no to be confused with the all-to-familiar " | * "When a genuine shared vision (no to be confused with the all-to-familiar " | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* "Each of these complex systems exhibits a distinctive property called emergence, roughly described by the common phrase ‘the action of the whole is more than the sum of the actions of the parts" – John Holland from "A Very Short Introduction to Complexity" | * "Each of these complex systems exhibits a distinctive property called emergence, roughly described by the common phrase ‘the action of the whole is more than the sum of the actions of the parts" – John Holland from "A Very Short Introduction to Complexity" | ||
* "The point here is that most reasonable people don’t have to get their way in a discussion. They just need to be heard, and to know that their input was considered and responded to.” – Patrick Lencioni from "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" | * "The point here is that most reasonable people don’t have to get their way in a discussion. They just need to be heard, and to know that their input was considered and responded to.” – Patrick Lencioni from "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" | ||
- | * “Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think.” – Patrick Lencioni from "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" | + | * "Politics is when people choose their words and actions based on how they want others to react rather than based on what they really think." |
* "I want to assure you that there is only one reason that we are here at this off-site, and at the company: to achieve results. This, in my opinion, is the only true measure of a team" – Patrick Lencioni from "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" | * "I want to assure you that there is only one reason that we are here at this off-site, and at the company: to achieve results. This, in my opinion, is the only true measure of a team" – Patrick Lencioni from "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" | ||
* "It is not enough that management commit themselves to quality and productivity, | * "It is not enough that management commit themselves to quality and productivity, | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "If you only quantify one thing, quantify Cost of Delay" – Don Reinertsen " | * "If you only quantify one thing, quantify Cost of Delay" – Don Reinertsen " | ||
* "You can't scale crappy code." – Dean Leffingwell | * "You can't scale crappy code." – Dean Leffingwell | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * "No useful improvement was ever invented as a desk" – Taiichi Ohno |
+ | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
* "When WIP and utilization become too high, you will see a sudden and catastrophic reduction in throughput." | * "When WIP and utilization become too high, you will see a sudden and catastrophic reduction in throughput." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
+ | * "I like to assume that no one came to work with the explicit intention of pissing me off or doing the wrong thing." | ||
* "A common disease that afflicts management the world over is the impression that 'Our problems are different.' | * "A common disease that afflicts management the world over is the impression that 'Our problems are different.' | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "Left to themselves, components (of a system) become selfish, | + | * "Left to themselves, components (of a system) become selfish, |
* "All we are doing is looking at the timeline, from when the customer gives us an order to when we collect cash And we are reducing the timeline by reducing the non-value added wastes." | * "All we are doing is looking at the timeline, from when the customer gives us an order to when we collect cash And we are reducing the timeline by reducing the non-value added wastes." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* " | * " | ||
* "There was in fact no correlation between exiting phase gates on time and project success. The data suggested the inverse was true." – [[: | * "There was in fact no correlation between exiting phase gates on time and project success. The data suggested the inverse was true." – [[: | ||
- | * "Any project that costs more than $1 million in normalized labor is a waste of money, time, and resources." | + | * "Any project that costs more than $1 million in normalized labor is a waste of money, time, and resources." |
* " | * " | ||
- | * "The notion that 'our problems are different', | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "The most important and visible outcropping of the action bias in the excellent companies is their willingness to try things out, to experiment. There is absolutely no magic in the experiment… But our experience has been that most big institutions have forgotten how to test and learn. They seem to prefer analysis and debate to trying something out, and they are paralyzed by fear of failure, however small." | + | * "The most important and visible outcropping of the action bias in the excellent companies is their willingness to try things out, to experiment. There is absolutely no magic in the experiment |
* “Cease dependence on mass inspection to achieve quality. Improve process and build quality into the product in the first place.” – Deming | * “Cease dependence on mass inspection to achieve quality. Improve process and build quality into the product in the first place.” – Deming | ||
* "A project plan is like a lettuce. On the day you buy it, it looks firm and crispy; a week later its a bit wilty around the edges, and after a month its unrecognizable." | * "A project plan is like a lettuce. On the day you buy it, it looks firm and crispy; a week later its a bit wilty around the edges, and after a month its unrecognizable." | ||
* "If I have learned one thing it is this: there is no answer. There is never an answer; there are only better questions." | * "If I have learned one thing it is this: there is no answer. There is never an answer; there are only better questions." | ||
* "… doing the wrong thing righter …" – Russell Ackoff | * "… doing the wrong thing righter …" – Russell Ackoff | ||
- | * “Most people do not listen to understand, they listen to reply” – Stephen Covey | + | * "Most people do not listen to understand, they listen to reply" |
* "In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' | * "In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' | ||
- | * “A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it’s not open” – Frank Zappa | + | * "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it’s not open" |
* "Study after study shows that we have little-to-no skill in when it comes to making predictions — but that sure doesn' | * "Study after study shows that we have little-to-no skill in when it comes to making predictions — but that sure doesn' | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "If you are going to quantify one thing, quantufy cost of delay" – Don Reinersten | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "The idea of a merit rating is alluring. The sound of the words captivates the imagination: | + | * "The idea of a merit rating is alluring. The sound of the words captivates the imagination: |
- | * "We learn from history that man can never learn anything from history." | + | * "We learn from history that man can never learn anything from history." |
* " | * " | ||
- | * "We are working on everything but we can guarantee you that it will not be delivered any earlier than if we were not working on it at all." – Don Reinertsen | + | * "We are working on everything but we can guarantee you that it will not be delivered any earlier than if we were not working on it at all." – Don Reinertsen |
+ | * "You don't get more planes to land at an airport by insisting on putting more planes in the air." "The Big Ideas Behind Lean Product Development" | ||
* "Any fool can write code a computer can understand, but it takes real genius to write code a human will understand." | * "Any fool can write code a computer can understand, but it takes real genius to write code a human will understand." | ||
* “If done well, management is a tough job, which is why the pay is premium. However, there will always be those managers who want to get paid for the hard parts of management work without actually doing them.” Jerry Weinberg " | * “If done well, management is a tough job, which is why the pay is premium. However, there will always be those managers who want to get paid for the hard parts of management work without actually doing them.” Jerry Weinberg " | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" | * "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" | ||
- | | + | * " |
- | | + | |
* “A single-point estimate is usually a target masquerading as an estimate.” – Steve McConnell | * “A single-point estimate is usually a target masquerading as an estimate.” – Steve McConnell | ||
* “There is a limit to how well a project can go but no limit to how many problems can occur." | * “There is a limit to how well a project can go but no limit to how many problems can occur." | ||
* "A company shouldn' | * "A company shouldn' | ||
* "I think frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints do. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out." – Jeff Bezos on innovation. | * "I think frugality drives innovation, just like other constraints do. One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out." – Jeff Bezos on innovation. | ||
- | * "If you' | + | * "If you are competitor-focused, |
* "All businesses need to be young forever. If your customer base ages with you, you're Woolworth' | * "All businesses need to be young forever. If your customer base ages with you, you're Woolworth' | ||
* "Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others." | * "Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others." | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "Scrum is not a silver bullet; Scrum is a silver mirror" | + | * "Scrum is not a silver bullet; Scrum is a silver mirror" |
* "I smell fried brains" | * "I smell fried brains" | ||
- | * "The deal with engineering goes like this. Product management takes 20% of the capacity right off the top and gives this to engineering to spend as they see fit. Whatever is required to avoid, ‘we need to stop features to rewrite code'. … If you’re in really bad shape today, you might need to make this 30% or even more of the resources. I get nervous when I find teams that think they can get away with much less than 20%." – Marty Kagan, Inspired | + | * "The deal with engineering goes like this. Product management takes 20% of the capacity right off the top and gives this to engineering to spend as they see fit ... I get nervous when I find teams that think they can get away with much less than 20%." – Marty Kagan, Inspired |
- | * “Do painful things more frequently, so you can make it less painful…" | + | * “Do painful things more frequently, so you can make it less painful…" |
- | * “Having a developer add a monitoring metric shouldn’t feel like a schema change.” – John Allspaw, SVP Tech Ops, Etsy on need to make it easy to help build systems that self–monitor | + | * “Having a developer add a monitoring metric shouldn’t feel like a schema change.” – John Allspaw, SVP Tech Ops, Etsy |
* "We found that when we woke up developers at 2am, defects got fixed faster than ever" – Patrick Lightbody, CEO, BrowserMob | * "We found that when we woke up developers at 2am, defects got fixed faster than ever" – Patrick Lightbody, CEO, BrowserMob | ||
* "If people don't understand the model they won't let it influence their behavior" | * "If people don't understand the model they won't let it influence their behavior" | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "If you don't like change, you are going to like irrelevance even less." – General Eric Shinseki | * "If you don't like change, you are going to like irrelevance even less." – General Eric Shinseki | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "The key, though, is not to manage by metrics but to use the metrics to understand where to have conversations about what is not getting done." Gary Gruver et al, "The Practical Approach to Large–scale Agile Development." | * "The key, though, is not to manage by metrics but to use the metrics to understand where to have conversations about what is not getting done." Gary Gruver et al, "The Practical Approach to Large–scale Agile Development." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "It is useful to do detail planning, but you always want to use it with a short time horizon because detailed planning is very perishable. You do not want to hold a large inventory of detailed planning because you are throwing money away when you do that." – Don Reinersten. | * "It is useful to do detail planning, but you always want to use it with a short time horizon because detailed planning is very perishable. You do not want to hold a large inventory of detailed planning because you are throwing money away when you do that." – Don Reinersten. | ||
* "Yes, estimation is fraught. It is inaccurate, and politically dangerous. But we do have some knowledge and the project deserves to have it." – Ron Jeffries tweet 2013–03–18. | * "Yes, estimation is fraught. It is inaccurate, and politically dangerous. But we do have some knowledge and the project deserves to have it." – Ron Jeffries tweet 2013–03–18. | ||
* "Agile is about simplicity. Agile is not simple. If you think it's simple, wait and see." – Ron Jeffries | * "Agile is about simplicity. Agile is not simple. If you think it's simple, wait and see." – Ron Jeffries | ||
- | * "The First Law of Wisdom | + | * "The First Law of Wisdom |
* "If you want people to act like adults, you need to treat them like adults." | * "If you want people to act like adults, you need to treat them like adults." | ||
- | * "If it’s hard but important to do, do it more often!" | + | * "If it’s hard but important to do, do it more often!" |
* " | * " | ||
* " | * " | ||
* "And I find it little bit odd that a 50 year old woman in Bangladesh often has an easier time getting experimental capital than the average first line employee in a global 1000 company." | * "And I find it little bit odd that a 50 year old woman in Bangladesh often has an easier time getting experimental capital than the average first line employee in a global 1000 company." | ||
* "We say that code is of high quality when productivity remains high in the presence of change in team and goals." | * "We say that code is of high quality when productivity remains high in the presence of change in team and goals." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "If you can't do it with a card you'll really mess it up with a tool" – Dave Thomas, Keynote at Agile 2010 | * "If you can't do it with a card you'll really mess it up with a tool" – Dave Thomas, Keynote at Agile 2010 | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* “Testing is the infinite process of comparing the invisible to the ambiguous in order to avoid the unthinkable happening to the anonymous.” – James Bach | * “Testing is the infinite process of comparing the invisible to the ambiguous in order to avoid the unthinkable happening to the anonymous.” – James Bach | ||
* “I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.” – Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer and original implementor of C++. | * “I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone.” – Bjarne Stroustrup, the designer and original implementor of C++. | ||
- | * “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda. Interesting use of this quote by Ron Jefferies on dealing with priorities that change. | + | * “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda. |
* "The conversation surrounding the estimation process is as (or more) important, than the actual estimate." | * "The conversation surrounding the estimation process is as (or more) important, than the actual estimate." | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "We need to make sure that our people weed their own garden." | + | * "We need to make sure that our people weed their own garden." |
* “Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs | * “Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs | ||
* "When lost in the woods, if the map doesn' | * "When lost in the woods, if the map doesn' | ||
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* "We can always shoot ourselves in the foot. The amazing thing is how quick we are able to reload and do it again." | * "We can always shoot ourselves in the foot. The amazing thing is how quick we are able to reload and do it again." | ||
* "You can fight reality and lose, but only 100% of the time." Byron Katie | * "You can fight reality and lose, but only 100% of the time." Byron Katie | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work." – Peter Drucker | * "So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work." – Peter Drucker | ||
- | * "If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No, calling a tail a leg don’t make it a leg." – Abraham Lincoln. I used this in the context that just because you have a group of people working together and you call it a team does not mean you have a team. | + | * "If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No, calling a tail a leg don’t make it a leg." – Abraham Lincoln. |
* "No matter what, the cost of addressing technical debt increases with time." – Chris Sterling | * "No matter what, the cost of addressing technical debt increases with time." – Chris Sterling | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* "In the business world, the rear-view mirror is always clearer than the windshield." | * "In the business world, the rear-view mirror is always clearer than the windshield." | ||
* "It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time." – Winston Churchill | * "It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time." – Winston Churchill | ||
- | * "… as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know." – Donald Rumsfeld on the unknowns we don't know. | + | * "... as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know." – Donald Rumsfeld on the unknowns we don't know. |
* "Doing it better is not hard, it's easier, so do it better. Increase in code skill means code is better, so your job is easier." | * "Doing it better is not hard, it's easier, so do it better. Increase in code skill means code is better, so your job is easier." | ||
* "Many people outsource to a country that is further away than the space station – does this make sense?" | * "Many people outsource to a country that is further away than the space station – does this make sense?" | ||
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* "Agile is FrAgile as it depends on sustainable leadership and discipline." | * "Agile is FrAgile as it depends on sustainable leadership and discipline." | ||
* "' | * "' | ||
- | | + | * "In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable." |
- | | + | * "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy." |
* "The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everyone has decided not to see." – Ayn Rand. | * "The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everyone has decided not to see." – Ayn Rand. | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "We know this is a useful number because there is a decimal point in it." – A little fun from Dave Nicolette | + | * "We know this is a useful number because there is a decimal point in it." – Dave Nicolette |
* " | * " | ||
* "Tell me how you will measure me and I will tell you how I behave." | * "Tell me how you will measure me and I will tell you how I behave." | ||
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* "What is the simplest thing that could possibly work?" – Kent Beck on a good design | * "What is the simplest thing that could possibly work?" – Kent Beck on a good design | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter." | + | * "I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter." |
* "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." – Thomas Edison on experimentation. | * "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." – Thomas Edison on experimentation. | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "…we all safely interpret dangerous things in ways that don’t require us to change our lives." | + | * "... we all safely interpret dangerous things in ways that don’t require us to change our lives." |
* "When you want your boat to go fast it is easier to cut anchors than to add horsepower." | * "When you want your boat to go fast it is easier to cut anchors than to add horsepower." | ||
* "They must understand, within the context of their specific product, the difference between excellence and perfection. No company can afford a perfect product, but building a product that delivers customer value and maintains technical integrity is essential to commercial success." | * "They must understand, within the context of their specific product, the difference between excellence and perfection. No company can afford a perfect product, but building a product that delivers customer value and maintains technical integrity is essential to commercial success." | ||
- | * "Be quick, but don't hurry." | + | * "Be quick, but don't hurry." |
+ | * "Life, like basketball, must be played fast – but never out of control." | ||
* "The agile triangle: value (releasable product), quality (reliable, adaptable) product, & constraints (cost, schedule, scope)" | * "The agile triangle: value (releasable product), quality (reliable, adaptable) product, & constraints (cost, schedule, scope)" | ||
* "Bad news does not get better with age" – Joe Little from his "agile principles" | * "Bad news does not get better with age" – Joe Little from his "agile principles" | ||
- | * "I know it when I see it." – Judge Potter Stewart | + | * "I know it when I see it." – Judge Potter Stewart |
* " | * " | ||
- | * "If a test is worth writing, it’s worth automating, and it must always pass in the future. | + | * "If a test is worth writing, it’s worth automating, and it must always pass in the future ... When the CI breaks, the team should stop the line and get it green." |
- | * " | + | |
* "We are risk adverse when we might gain." – Piattelli-Palmarini | * "We are risk adverse when we might gain." – Piattelli-Palmarini | ||
* "If you never erase the whiteboards, | * "If you never erase the whiteboards, | ||
- | * "A mess is not technical debt. A mess is just a mess." – " | + | * "A mess is not technical debt. A mess is just a mess." – " |
* "To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable but to be certain is to be ridiculous." | * "To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable but to be certain is to be ridiculous." | ||
* " | * " | ||
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* "This leads us to the odd conclusion that strict control is something that matters a lot on relatively useless projects and much less on useful projects. It suggests that the more you focus on control, the more likely you’re working on a project that’s striving to deliver something of relatively minor value." | * "This leads us to the odd conclusion that strict control is something that matters a lot on relatively useless projects and much less on useful projects. It suggests that the more you focus on control, the more likely you’re working on a project that’s striving to deliver something of relatively minor value." | ||
* "No matter how far down the wrong road you’ve gone, turn back." – Turkish proverb | * "No matter how far down the wrong road you’ve gone, turn back." – Turkish proverb | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
* "If you think you have a new idea, you are wrong. Someone probably already had it. This idea isn't original either; I stole it from someone else." – Bob Sutton | * "If you think you have a new idea, you are wrong. Someone probably already had it. This idea isn't original either; I stole it from someone else." – Bob Sutton | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * " | + | * " |
* "Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn' | * "Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn' | ||
* "Ah well! I am their leader, I really ought to follow them!" – Alexandre Auguste Ledru–Rollin on servant leadership. | * "Ah well! I am their leader, I really ought to follow them!" – Alexandre Auguste Ledru–Rollin on servant leadership. | ||
* " | * " | ||
- | * "There are two kinds of inspection: 1. Inspection after the defect occurs 2. Inspection to prevent defects." | + | * "There are two kinds of inspection: 1. Inspection after the defect occurs 2. Inspection to prevent defects." |
* "It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent." | * "It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent." | ||
- | * "How come we believe bad news and data immediately but we don't believe any good news". – John Simpson | + | * "How come we believe bad news and data immediately but we don't believe any good news". – John Simpson |
* " | * " | ||
* "A world class ' | * "A world class ' | ||
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* " | * " | ||
* "For a new software system, the requirements will not be completely known until after the users have used it" – This is the " | * "For a new software system, the requirements will not be completely known until after the users have used it" – This is the " | ||
- | * "Just because Scrum doesn’t say anything about breakfast doesn’t mean you have to go hungry!” – Pete Deemer & Gabrielle Benefield Yahoo, 2006 on the fact that Scrum is lightweight and does not proscribe a practice for every situation. Basically message is "use your common sense" | + | * "Just because Scrum doesn’t say anything about breakfast doesn’t mean you have to go hungry!” – Pete Deemer & Gabrielle Benefield Yahoo, 2006 |
* "A well functioning Scrum will deliver highest business value features first and avoid building features that will never be used by the customer. Since industry data shows over half of the software features developed are never used, development can be completed in half the time by avoiding waste, or unnecessary work." – Jeff Sutherland 2006 – "The Nuts and Bolts of Scrum" | * "A well functioning Scrum will deliver highest business value features first and avoid building features that will never be used by the customer. Since industry data shows over half of the software features developed are never used, development can be completed in half the time by avoiding waste, or unnecessary work." – Jeff Sutherland 2006 – "The Nuts and Bolts of Scrum" | ||
* "In most companies, development is slowed down by impediments identified during the daily meetings or planning and review meetings. When these impediments are prioritized and systematically removed, further increases in productivity and quality are the result. Well run Scrums achieve the Toyota effect – four times industry average productivity and 12 times better quality." | * "In most companies, development is slowed down by impediments identified during the daily meetings or planning and review meetings. When these impediments are prioritized and systematically removed, further increases in productivity and quality are the result. Well run Scrums achieve the Toyota effect – four times industry average productivity and 12 times better quality." | ||
- | * "I believe that the prevailing system of management is, at its core, dedicated to mediocrity, | + | * "I believe that the prevailing system of management is, at its core, dedicated to mediocrity, |
* "Any piece of software reflects the organizational structure that produced it." – Conway' | * "Any piece of software reflects the organizational structure that produced it." – Conway' | ||
* "Sit down with your team and have a dialog. Dialogs work better with 2 people. Dialogs with one person requires medication." | * "Sit down with your team and have a dialog. Dialogs work better with 2 people. Dialogs with one person requires medication." | ||
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* "When it comes to code it never pays to rush.” – Marick’s law | * "When it comes to code it never pays to rush.” – Marick’s law | ||
* "The task is then to refine the code base to better meet customer need. If that is not clear, the programmers should not write a line of code. Every line of code costs money to write and more money to support. It is better for developers to be surfing than writing code that won't be needed. If they write code that ultimately is not used, I will be paying for that code for the life of the system, which is typically longer than my professional life. If they went surfing, they would have fun, and I would have a less expensive system and fewer headaches to maintain." | * "The task is then to refine the code base to better meet customer need. If that is not clear, the programmers should not write a line of code. Every line of code costs money to write and more money to support. It is better for developers to be surfing than writing code that won't be needed. If they write code that ultimately is not used, I will be paying for that code for the life of the system, which is typically longer than my professional life. If they went surfing, they would have fun, and I would have a less expensive system and fewer headaches to maintain." | ||
- | * " | + | * " |
- | * "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensible." | + | * " |
* "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." – Einstein | * "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." – Einstein | ||
* "We never have time to do it right; we always have time to do it twice." | * "We never have time to do it right; we always have time to do it twice." | ||
* "Unit testing is spell checking the word, not validating the sentence." | * "Unit testing is spell checking the word, not validating the sentence." | ||
* "Plans are an ongoing dynamic activity that peers into the future for indications as to where the solution might emerge and treats the plan as a complex situation, adapting to an emerging solution." | * "Plans are an ongoing dynamic activity that peers into the future for indications as to where the solution might emerge and treats the plan as a complex situation, adapting to an emerging solution." | ||
- | * "One is a thug's game, played by gentlemen, and the other a gentleman' | + | * "One is a thug's game, played by gentlemen, and the other a gentleman' |
* "You will pay for the cost of a face–to–face meeting regardless of whether you have it or not." – Ken Pugh speech at Agile 2008. | * "You will pay for the cost of a face–to–face meeting regardless of whether you have it or not." – Ken Pugh speech at Agile 2008. | ||
- | * "Later = Never" | + | * "Later = Never" |
* "The best measure of clean code? The number of WTF's per minute when reading code." – Robert Martin, keynote speech at Agile 2008. | * "The best measure of clean code? The number of WTF's per minute when reading code." – Robert Martin, keynote speech at Agile 2008. | ||
* "A change in requirement late in the development cycle is a competitive advantage provided you can act on it." – Mary Poppendieck | * "A change in requirement late in the development cycle is a competitive advantage provided you can act on it." – Mary Poppendieck | ||
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* "If you already know the project is going to fail, then a lot of traditional documentation in a project is about figuring out ‘who to blame'" | * "If you already know the project is going to fail, then a lot of traditional documentation in a project is about figuring out ‘who to blame'" | ||
* "User stories are not use cases" – Mike Cohn | * "User stories are not use cases" – Mike Cohn | ||
- | * "Scrum is just the result of software developers going through a midlife crisis" | + | * "Scrum is just the result of software developers going through a midlife crisis" |
* " | * " | ||
* "It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit." | * "It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit." | ||
- | * "… if a build is not breaking then it is doubtful the team is pushing itself hard enough and concerns should be raised" | + | * "... if a build is not breaking then it is doubtful the team is pushing itself hard enough and concerns should be raised" |
- | * "Testing by itself does not improve software quality. Test results are an indicator of quality, but in an of themselves, they don't improve it. Trying to improve software quality by increasing the amount of testing is like trying to lose weight by weighing yourself more often. | + | * " |
- | * "It is typical to adopt the defined (theoretical) modeling approach when the underlying mechanisms by which a process operates are reasonably well understood. When the process is too complicated for the defined approach, the empirical approach is the appropriate choice." | + | * "It is typical to adopt the defined (theoretical) modeling approach when the underlying mechanisms by which a process operates are reasonably well understood. When the process is too complicated for the defined approach, the empirical approach is the appropriate choice." |
* "Of the organizations that are attempting to implement Scrum, probably 30–35% will successfully implement it. And that's because of this core problem. Most organizations don't want to be faced with what they don't want to see. And this puts it up there and says 'are you going to do something about it, or not'?" | * "Of the organizations that are attempting to implement Scrum, probably 30–35% will successfully implement it. And that's because of this core problem. Most organizations don't want to be faced with what they don't want to see. And this puts it up there and says 'are you going to do something about it, or not'?" | ||
- | * "Scrum is arguably the oldest and most widely applied agile and iterative method, with an emphasis on iterative and adaptive PM practices. It has been applied in thousands of organizations and domains since the early 1990s, on projects large and small, from Yahoo to Medtronics to Primavera, with great results when leadership commits to the deep required changes moving away from command–control and wishful–thinking – predictive management, and with poor results when leadership can’t or won’t make those changes. Scrum can be easily integrated with practices from other iterative methods, such as practices from the Unified Process and Extreme Programming, | ||
* "One of the industry statistics is that over 65% of the functionality that is delivered and then has to be maintained and sustained is rarely or never used" – Scrum et al by Ken Schwaber talking at Google. Quote refers to a study by the Standish Group. | * "One of the industry statistics is that over 65% of the functionality that is delivered and then has to be maintained and sustained is rarely or never used" – Scrum et al by Ken Schwaber talking at Google. Quote refers to a study by the Standish Group. | ||
* "Scrum is a " | * "Scrum is a " | ||
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/home/hpsamios/hanssamios.com/dokuwiki/data/pages/quotable_quotes_list.txt · Last modified: 2023/08/29 08:39 by hans