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 process, HTP

Hiring the Best… is Available!

My publisher sent me email — the printer shipped them the book yesterday, so Hiring The Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets & Science Of Hiring Technical People is available. Amazon still has it listed at the pre-release price. Dorset House, my publisher, has a page about the book. I’m so excited!Update as […]

HTP, interview

More Discussions about Types and Hiring

Take a look at Personality for a psychologist’s view of using any personality test for hiring. I particularly liked these quotes: It means that our everyday belief that people are consistently “themselves” across a wide variety of kinds of circumstances is unfounded.Given enough time to understand a person’s situational patterns, and a reasonably clear description

hiring strategy, HTP

Types Not Useful for Hiring Decisions

I love it when the experts agree with me. So imagine my glee when reading, Against Types by Drake Bennet. The subtitle is “Personality tests are everywhere — from the workplace to the courtroom. But critics say the tests themselves don’t pass the test.” I don’t know anything about the academic personality tests used to

MPD

Source Control How-Tos

  Eric Sink is writing a series on source control how-tos (also known as software configuration management). If you’re a project manager or functional manager and you don’t know enough about source control, read them. Heck, even if you do know about SCM, read them. Yes, Eric works for a vendor, so his examples are

MPD

Outsourcing or Innovation

  I was reading An Elder Challenges Outsourcing’s Orthodoxy, yet another discussion about the merits — or not — of outsourcing. (You may have to register to read the article.) Whether you think outsourcing is an economic good or evil, here’s my perspective. You can choose to turn your products into commodities or you can

HTP, interview

Audition Tips for Testers

I decided to write a few articles on auditions. The first one is posted at Stickyminds, Watching Testers in Action: Auditions During Interviews. I received a request for someone to translate it into Russian. When he tells me it’s done, I’ll post the URL.

blog, MPD

Comments Back On

I’ve turned comments back on. The spammers were still getting through even though no one else was. If anyone has converted comments from one system to another commenting system, please send me email. I’m considering it.

HTP

No Comments for now

Some not very nice people are spamming my blogs with inappropriate comments, so I’ve turned off comments for now. Unfortunately, I only know how to make them all unseen, rather than than not post new ones. I have questions into my comments provider about that. I’ll turn commenting back on when I can make it

blog, MPD

Turned off Commenting

I have — I hope temporarily — turned off commenting. I’m getting spammed by irrelevant and inappropriate comments. I’ve deleted close to 100 today already, and I’m not ready to delete more. Send me email if you want to talk or know of an alternative.

MPD

How Long Should the Testing Take?

  When I do assessments, invariably someone says to me, “JR, how long should the testing really take? It takes our testers (4/5/6/30 insert your number of choice here) weeks, and we need it to take less time. Why can’t it take less time and how can we tell what’s going on so we know

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