Mar 6, 2016
The Software Process and Measurement Cast 384 features our interview with Gwen Walsh. Gwen is the President of TechEdge LLC. We discuss leadership and why leadership is important. We also discuss the topic of performance appraisals and how classic methods can hurt your organization. Gwen’s advice both redefines industry standards and provides you with an idea of what is truly possible.
Gwen Walsh has built a career creating and implementing business and technology solutions that redefine the industry standards for both Fortune 100 corporations and entrepreneurial organizations. With over 25 years of experience in leadership development and organizational transformation, Ms. Walsh, founder of TechEdge LLC, helps her clients stay ahead of their competition, stay in touch with their customers and stay in high demand. Ms. Walsh's client portfolio includes Kaiser Permanente, Hospital Corporation of America, Hewlett-Packard, KeyBank, Medical Mutual of Ohio, General Motors, Omaha Public Power District and Anheuser-Busch.
Contact information
gwalsh@techedgellc.com
http://techedgellc.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/techedge-llc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwenwalsh
Re-Read Saturday News
This week we are back with Chapter 11 of
How to Measure Anything, Finding the Value of “Intangibles in
Business” Third Edition by Douglas W. Hubbard on the
Software Process and Measurement Blog. Chapter 11 begins
section four of the book and is titled Preferences and Attitudes:
The Softer Side of Measurement. The softer side is a euphemism for
attitudes and opinions. In this chapter, we visit how to:
· Measure opinions and feelings.
· Design out bias in surveys and questions.
· Observe opinions and feelings through trade-offs.
· Use trade-offs to describe risk tolerance.
Anyone living in the United States knows that every election year there are a plethora opinion polls. One of my favorite blogs is Nate Silver’s FiveThrityEight, which shows a wealth of statistical information about sports, economics, culture, and politics (a form of sport). Much of the data presented is a reflection of opinions and attitudes. Often they are real predictors of behavior and product success.
Upcoming Events
I am facilitating the CMMI Capability Challenge. This new
competition showcases thought leaders who are building
organizational capability and improving performance. Listeners will
be asked to vote on the winning idea which will be presented at the
CMMI Institute’s Capability Counts 2016 conference. The next CMMI
Capability Challenge session will be held on March 15th at 1 PM
EST.
http://cmmiinstitute.com/conferences#thecapabilitychallenge
I will be at the QAI Quest 2016 in Chicago beginning April 18th through April 22nd. I will be teaching a full day class on Agile Estimation on April 18 and presenting Budgeting, Estimating, Planning and #NoEstimates: They ALL Make Sense for Agile Testing! on Wednesday, April 20th. Register now!
Next SPaMCAST
The next Software Process and Measurement Cast features our essay
on portfolio metrics. Agile portfolio metrics are integral to
prioritization and validating the flow of work. But,
Agile portfolio metrics are only useful if they provide
value. Metrics and measures add value if they reduce
uncertainty so that we can make better decisions.
We will also have a new installment from the Software Sensei. Kim
asks the question, “Why should we care about diversity?” Gene
Hughson will anchor cast with another entry from his wonderful blog
Form Follows Function!
Shameless Ad for my book!
Mastering Software Project Management: Best Practices, Tools and
Techniques co-authored by Murali Chematuri and myself and
published by J. Ross Publishing. We have received unsolicited
reviews like the following: “This book will prove that software
projects should not be a tedious process, for you or your team.”
Support SPaMCAST by buying the book
here. Available in English h and Chinese.