Author name: Johanna

I help you identify and solve the problems that prevent you from releasing systems, hiring the right people, deciding which project to work on next. I take a pragmatic approach: what will work best for you, now? Some people call me a focuser. Some call me an accelerator. When I work with people, first we define our goal together. Typically, it's to get a better product out the door faster. I work with my clients to help managers figure out how to do the managing better, and how the technical contributors can contribute better, not to create a by-the-book system. I work with you, your staff, and your current product development practices. Together, we learn what works well for you and what doesn't. I believe in changing only what needs to be changed at the current time, to maximize your success. We work together to develop a blueprint for the future, and to build in capacity to recognize and implement change.

hiring strategy, HTP

Gather Data About Your Hiring: Recruiting Strategies

If you have not gathered data about your hiring activities, consider doing so. I find it useful to see how well I’m doing. This is especially important if you can’t find people and you want to know why. For data about recruiting and selection, look at your different recruiting strategies, and for each strategy, record: […]

newsletter

Prepare to Become More Influential

Prepare to Become More Influential When you want to make a change, you need other people to work with you. Maybe you want your organization to transition to agile. Maybe it’s time to experiment with measuring your work in progress. Maybe you want to move from manual testing to a combination of automated testing plus

agile, MPD

Speaking at an AgileConnection Meetup Feb 28

Want to ask me questions about anything agile? Are you available Thursday Feb 28 at 12:30 pm Eastern? We’re doing our first Online AgileConnection MeetUp. Since it’s the first, and we don’t know what you want, we thought we’d do a lean startup approach to it. We’re doing questions-and-answers. I’ve noticed lately that when I

hiring strategy, HTP

Can’t Find People? Root Cause Why

There’s a great article that George Dinwiddie pointed me to, If There’s a Gap, Blame It on the Employer. It’s a nice companion piece to John Sumser’s entire series, Skills Gap: The Series. Here’s what this means for people in technology: Hire based on how well people fit into your team. Yes, this is cultural

cultural fit, HTP

Decoding Culture

After I posted my culture series for job hunters, I saw What Your Culture Really Says. (Hat-tip to Andy Lester who pointed me to it.) This is critical: Culture is not about the furniture in your office. It is not about how much time you have to spend on feel-good projects. It is not about

Articles

Management Myth 13: I Must Never Admit My Mistakes

“Juliet, I really screwed up big time. What am I going to do?” Romeo moaned as he plunked himself down in his VP’s office. “I can tell you, but I can’t admit it to my people. They will never respect me again.” “If they discover what you did—and they will—they will never forgive you if

Books, MPD

Hiring Geeks That Fit is Available at the Pragmatic Bookshelf

Drum roll please… I am very pleased to announce that Hiring Geeks That Fit is also available at the Pragmatic Bookshelf! I self-published the book at leanpub, and announced it over on Hiring Technical People, and have been writing about it in my newsletter for a few months. And, not everyone knew about it. I

management, MPD

Bumping Into Manager Rules

You might have met a manager on a bad manager day. Equally as frustrating is when you work for a manager who has rules about problem solving. I once worked for a manager who proudly said to me, “Don’t bring me a problem without bringing me a solution.” I blinked once and said, “Why would

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