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.

agile, MPD

How Agile Architects Lead

Lisa, Vin, and Derek in their comments on Agile, Architects, and Programs were concerned about how an architect might lead the test architecture work. They have good reason to be concerned. I hadn’t expressed how I see architecture working in an agile program, and they haven’t been to my talks, where I have discussed it. […]

agile, MPD

Agile, Architects, and Programs

When I was on vacation, I realized that lots of people already know that we need development architects on complex programs. And, lots of people forget that we also need test architects on complex programs. The more complex the product, the more you need integrated testing, so the more agile makes sense for your product.

newsletter

Solve Problems With the Rule of Three

Solve Problems With the Rule of Three You may have noticed in these Pragmatic Manager emails that I articulate a problem I’ve seen and then offer you a minimum of three potential reasonable solutions. Sometimes, I even offer four solutions. That’s because I use the Rule of Three to help develop these solutions—and it works.

agile, MPD

Do You Have Feature-itis?

Feature-itis. It’s an agile Product Owner game. It’s when the Product Owner says, in his or her best George Carlin voice, “Gimme Features. I don’t care about no stinkin’ framework. I don’t care about no technical debt. I don’t care that it’s going to make your work harder later. I only care about now. I’m

HTP, interview

Pairing, Observers, and Interviewing Candidates

On the Scrumdevelopment list, there was a thread about interviewing candidates. I didn’t see the thread until too late to be useful. But I have comments and thought I would share them with the greater community. A poster said, We didn’t try to pair with the whole team during the interview – just one person

newsletter

Three Tips for Your Geographically Distributed Agile Teams

Rothman Consulting Group, Inc. Vol 8, #3:  Three Tips for Your Geographically Distributed Agile Teams June 9, 2011 In This Issue:Three Tips for Your Geographically Distributed Teams   Interested in a Geographically Distributed Teams Workshop? New to the Pragmatic Manager?   Three Tips for Your Geographically Distributed Team Agile has moved past small co-located teams. As

agile, MPD

Musings about Agile Architecture and Agile Program Management

Bob Payne interviewed me about agile program management last year at the Agile 2010 conference and posted the podcast. We always have a great time talking, and that podcast was no exception. He makes me sound quite coherent! Matt Heusser interviewed me about my new workshop with Rebecca Wirfs-Brock about Agile Architecture. My column on

MPD, program management

Enticing a Program to Move to Agile

There was a question on a LinkedIn group earlier this week about a program with teams with interconnected features and how did you know when a feature was done. After all, a feature wasn’t done until all the teams were done with it. After a few more questions, I realized the teams were architectural teams,

MPD, project management

Plan for Murphy

It seems strange to plan for Murphy’s Law, but if you don’t plan for risks, they will happen and they will turn into disasters. Some risks you can’t plan for, but many risks you can anticipate. I plan for some typical risks: I keep a power cord in my office, in my briefcase, in my

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