A question appeared on Quora asking for the must read book on agile for businesses. Here’s my answer:
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Becoming valued as a programmer
Someone asked how they could become valued on without being a genius programmer. I blame “The Social Network”. Here’s my answer:
Why do employers look for Project Management Qualifications
This question came up on Quora about why employers look for Project Management qualifications when hiring. Here’s my answer:
External Deadlines in Scrum
Someone asked how to handle external deadlines in scrum. Here’s my answer (spoiler alert – the answer is use Scrum)!
The rewards of being a project manager
Someone asked what were the rewards/benefits of being a project manager. Here’s my take:
Why people don’t like task-based scheduling
There was an interesting question on Quora the other day, asking why engineers dislike task-based scheduling. Here’s my answer:
Kinds of praise
As an enfp I am very conscious of praise. External validation is really important to me so I am always looking for signs that my work is being appreciated.
However, there are kinds of praise that work for me and others that I mistrust.
A previous client would frequently tell me how happy they were that I was on board. This is the kind of praise I mistrust. It’s generic rather than specific. It’s like being praised for being beautiful. It makes me feel uncomfortable and anxious. I feel that it sets up an expectation that I cannot live up to.
Being praised for a specific thing I have done however, is a different matter. This acknowledges a past action without setting up expectations for the future. This is the kind of praise I like. This is the kind of praise I try to give as a manager.
There is some scientific basis to all of this. In his fascinating book “Bounce” (a must read for anyone who cares about managing well) Matthew Syed recounts the difference in performance that is seen when people are praised for their hard work rather than their talent.
Challenges PMs face managing resources
A question was asked about this on quota. Here’s my answer:
When to document during a project
I came across this fascinating question today about how to determine what documentation is needed for a project. Here’s my answer:
Choosing software for your organisation
Someone on Quora asked about whether it’s better to choose the process or the tool first when managing metadata. Here’s my answer: