Software Process and Measurement Cast

In the SPaMCast 827, we will begin cracking groupthink in prioritization with a discussion of urgency vs. importance Evaluating the interplay between urgency and importance is a powerful work intake approach. Teams and project management offices regularly use an Eisenhower Matrix or variant to visualize the relationship between these two factors. The bottom line in this approach is that you should prioritize work that is important and urgent above work that is just urgent. We also have a visit from  who brings her You Are Not Alone column to the podcast.  Keis and I discuss the career path of a Scrum Master. Is there a career path or is the role a life avocation? Master Work Intake! Mastering Work Intake by and I hit the bookshelves earlier this year. We have also been running cohort-based workshops to help expose and solve this dirty little secret. Two of the questions we have gotten as we have promoted the workshops are: What is a cohort-based workshop? What value will I get if I join? Both are greater questions and we have an answer! Join us for a one-hour open house on September 11th at 11 am EDT to explore how to diagnose and solve work intake challenges, the most critical issue facing organizations today. This session will provide an overview of our course designed to help you master work intake and ensure your organization thrives. We’ll cover key takeaways such as effective prioritization, navigating organizational structures, measuring work intake flow, and diagnosing common work intake issues. You'll leave with actionable insights and a clear plan to address work intake problems immediately. Sign up on Eventbrite!      Re-read Saturday News Chapter 2 of (buy a copy and read along) is titled “A Roadmap For The Journey.”  In recent months, my wife and I have been beginning to travel in a class B van. We are taking short trips (learning the ropes) with longer trips in the offing. We rely on GPS a lot. I guess that’s not very different from most travelers. However, the more we deviate from the heavily populated and traveled routes, the less ubiquitous and solid WiFi and cell coverage we find. GPS becomes somewhat unreliable. When the GPS is intermittent you must plan for it to be unreliable. We have discovered that we need an old-school paper map. For those of a certain age, a paper map provides turn-by-turn instructions via a static interface. It also provides a sense of the overall broad journey; an early version of a search albeit manual. Chapter 2 titled “A Roadmap For The Journey“ is a paper roadmap for the remainder of How To Be A Stoic.  Week 1:  Week 2:    Week 3: Next SPaMCAST  The SPaMCAST 828 will feature our conversation with Arash Parsania. We will talk about his exciting new methodology, Hyperid.is a flexible hybrid method that fits a wide range of different types of work.

This week we dive into what is often viewed as arcane science by the development community, pricing. Pricing can make or break any product. Everyone in the value chain has to have a good understanding of how pricing decisions are made and how they can impact what should be built and when. One critical part of the conversation focuses on whether there is an ideal pattern for product and development to work together? If not, what are the consequences? Our conversation just skims the surface of Ajit Ghuman’s new book which hit the book stands in April.  Ajit is currently Head of Product Marketing at Narvar, an enterprise-grade customer engagement platform that helps retailers inspire loyalty beyond reason by enabling seamless post-purchase experiences. A SaaS Product Marketing veteran, he has helped companies such as Medallia, Helpshift, and Feedzai differentiate their products, grow revenue, and win. Ajit is an expert in software pricing and his upcoming book, Price to Scale, covers an end-to-end approach to packaging and pricing for high-growth technology companies. He is an avid writer and routinely shares his insights as a member of the Forbes Communication Council, the Bizjournals Leadership Trust, and at Sharebird.com. He is an executive member at Revenue Collective, the leading network of commercial leaders working in the fastest-growing companies worldwide.  Web LinkedIn Twitter Re-Read Saturday News  This week we tack the introduction to .   The introduction is titled The Five Axioms of Monotasking.; Staffan takes us directly into the deep end. As I noted last week, I will take at least one concept/idea for the charter we are reading forward and try to apply it in my life.  As I re-read the introduction, I identified two potential behavior changes based on the five axioms.  They are: Resume doing daily retrospectives (focused on Axiom 5) Quiesce Teams and Slack (focused on Axiom 2) I am going to resume daily retrospectives which I stopped doing early last year as I adjusted my work life after I stopped leaving the house on a daily basis. Option 3 would have the biggest impact but will require more groundwork given expectations of instant availability. Has anyone experimented with quiescing chats in Team and Slack (or other similar tools)?  Week 1 - -   Week 2 - - https://bit.ly/2TXVfwt   Upcoming Events! ISMA 18 Virtual Conference, June 24th, 2021 8 AM EDT to 11:15 EDT  I will host the event.  The event will have a host of great speakers on great topics!  ISMA 18 will be free for both IFPUG members and non-members. IFPUG members are eligible for 1 credit at the CFPS Extension Program (CEP) and also attract 3 Technical PDUs in the PMI Talent Triangle®, both by attending the full conference! Register:     Real Value of TMMi  (SPaMCAST is a Friend of TMMi America) Free webinar from TMMi America featuring Mark Summers June 25th, 2 to 3 PM EDT  This webinar will explore the common usages of the TMMi Test Process Improvement framework. We will dive into how:   You can leverage this framework to transform the way your organization delivers software. The model can transform your career. Next steps to take on your journey to becoming a Test Process Improvement superhero. The real value of the TMMi is to help you dramatically change the frequency and quality of your software delivery.   Register at     Next SPaMCAST In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast, we stay with an agile product theme with a conversation the Rahul Aggarwal. We discussed building products to support the gig economy and entrepreneurship. Anyone thinking about a side hustle or starting a business will want to listen to Rahul’s sage advice.

The Theory Of Constraints: A Real-World Tool Constraints and friction generate interest in process improvement. Why this matters: The lack of friction leads to overuse which is the tragedy of the commons. Our panel flows with: Jeremy Berriault -   Daniel Doiron -    Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Starting Everything Means Finishing Nothing One big thing: Poor work entry means delivering less.  Why it matters: Work Intake controls what a team works on and when they work on it. Overloaded teams deliver less value. Poor prioritization leads to delivering the wrong work. Chaotic work intake costs organizations money and time. Zoom in: Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to deliver more value.  Buy a copy! JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Work-Life Balance IS DEAD Many firms are bringing everyone back to the office and demanding longer hours. They are conflating effort and productivity. Why this matters: Increasing productivity is NECESSARY for profitability and growth. The SPaMCAST 877 will post in two weeks. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

Impressions are NOT facts - No Matter What Your Gut Tells You! Stoic philosophy holds that impressions are not facts and must be tested.  Why this matters: It is very easy to jump to conclusions. In some cases, this is harmless, while in others it leads to disaster.  The question the panel faces is whether EVERY impression needs to be examined or is there a continuum. Our panel flows with: Jeremy Berriault -   Jeremy Willets -   Jon M Quigley -   Daniel Doiron -    Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Starting Everything Means Finishing Nothing One big thing: Poor work entry means delivering less.  Why it matters: Work Intake controls what a team works on and when they work on it. Overloaded teams deliver less value. Poor prioritization leads to delivering the wrong work. Chaotic work intake costs organizations money and time. Zoom in: Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to deliver more value.  Buy a copy! JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Constraints and Friction Are Our Friends Constraints and fiction are required to generate interest in process improvement. Why this matters: The lack of friction leads to overuse - the tragedy of the commons. The SPaMCAST 876 will post on September 28th. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

We only have control over ourselves! The dichotomy of control. Why it matters: We have direct control over our thoughts, judgments, and actions, but external events, other people's opinions, and the outcomes of our actions are not directly within our control.  When discussing problem statements, Jeremy Berriault stated, “stick with STIC.” The alliteration was great! Our panel flows with: Jeremy Berriault -   Jeremy Willets -   -    Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Starting Everything Means Finishing Nothing One big thing: Poor work entry means delivering less.  Why it matters: Work Intake controls what a team works on and when they work on it. Overloaded teams deliver less value. Poor prioritization leads to delivering the wrong work. Chaotic work intake costs organizations money and time. Zoom in: Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to deliver more value.  Buy a copy! JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Impressions are NOT facts. — The next SPaMCAST  Stoic philosophy holds that impressions are not facts and must be tested.  Why this matters: It is very easy to jump to conclusions. In some cases, this is harmless, while in others it leads to disaster.  The SPaMCAST 875 will post on October 14th. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

Dry riverbeds or flash floods - flow matters! Why it matters: Understanding how value is created and moves through an organization is critical. The problem is that the concept is complicated.  Freddie Clark stated, “measuring flow is a two-dimensional measure of a three-dimensional problem.”  Our panel flows with: Jeremy Berriault -   Freddie Clark - https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddie-clark/ -    Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Starting Everything Means Finishing Nothing One big thing: Poor work entry means delivering less.  Why it matters: Work Intake controls what a team works on and when they work on it. Overloaded teams deliver less value. Poor prioritization leads to delivering the wrong work. Chaotic work intake costs organizations money and time. Zoom in: Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to deliver more value.  Buy a copy! JRoss Publishing: Amazon: There are things you can control and things you can’t. — The next SPaMCAST  Epictetus described this idea as the dichotomy of control.  Why this matters: We have direct control over our thoughts, judgments, and actions, but external events, other people's opinions, and the outcomes of our actions are not directly within our control.  The SPaMCAST 874  will be posted on August 31st. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

The work has to get done, be miserable, or find JOY in it – it’s your choice.  Why it matters: It is hard to motivate yourself and your team if you do not find joy in the work you do day in and day out.  Our panel finds a joyful path: Jeremy Berriault -   Jon M Quigley -   -    Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Starting Everything Means Finishing Nothing One big thing: Poor work entry means delivering less.  Why it matters: Work Intake controls what a team works on and when they work on it. Overloaded teams deliver less value. Poor prioritization leads to delivering the wrong work. Chaotic work intake costs organizations money and time. Zoom in: Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to deliver more value.  Buy a copy! JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Dry riverbeds or flash floods - flow matters! — The next SPaMCAST  Flow measures what gets delivered. Why this matters:  Flow just doesn’t happen. You and your organization shape how work moves through the organization.  Flow measures efficiency and influences satisfaction.  The SPaMCAST 873  will be posted on August 17th. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

Habits, doing work without thinking, are the death of process improvement.  Why it matters: When your brain goes on autopilot, it is easy to miss subtle changes and problems in product flow.  Is it ever ok to stop thinking? Panelists include: Jeremy Berriault -   -   Jon M Quigley -   Freddie Clark -    Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Starting Everything Means Finishing Nothing   One big thing: Poor work entry means delivering less.  Why it matters: Work Intake controls what a team works on and when they work on it. Overloaded teams deliver less value. Poor prioritization leads to delivering the wrong work. Chaotic work intake costs organizations money and time. Zoom in: Mastering Work Intake by Jeremy Willets and Tom Cagley provides the reader with ideas, principles, actionable advice, worksheets, and examples to deliver more value.  Buy a copy! JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Fix Your Organization's Operating System FIRST: The next SPaMCAST  Fix your organization BEFORE you try to fix teams. Why this matters: People work in the system that management created The SPaMCAST 871  will be posted on July 20th. For the summer of 2025, we will drop bi-weekly and focus on panel discussions. If you want to participate, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

And we are back!  The SPaMCAST 869 features a conversation on whether AI means the death of the specialist.  Why it matters: AI tools and agents are becoming a core feature in the workplace of nearly all forward-facing organizations.  To keep up, employees need to see the future and take action. Panelists include: Jeremy Beeriault -   -   -   SusanParente -   Me -   Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Overwhelmed? Find your focus. Readers praise "Mastering Work Intake" for its practical, actionable advice. Learn to prioritize effectively and eliminate bottlenecks. Real results, real change. Discover the system that simplifies complex projects. Order your copy today! Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space?  Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn   Habits or Rituals: The next SPaMCAST  Have your daily events become habits with all the conscious thought you’d give to scratching your…ear?    Why this matters: If true, the value and joy from these events have probably gone the way of your conscious thought. THAT IS A BAD THING!   Teams that get no value from retrospectives just go through the motions and then quit. This is true for ANY repeated event. The SPaMCAST 870  will be posted on July 6th. For the summer of 2025, we will drop bi-weekly and focus on panel discussions. If you want to participate, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st.   Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes: SPaMCAST 788 is our annual SPaMCAST panel featuring most of the podcast regulars, including:  Jeremy Berriault, Keis Kostaqi, Jon M. Quigley,  Jeremy Willets, and Tom Cagley appears in the ringmaster role.  Tony Timbol and Susan Parente, regular contributors, were unable to join, and we missed them (this time of year is busy). Maybe I should do the annual panel in February, no one is busy in the colder parts of February.  During this year's panel, we discussed using AIs in coaching, working in the office, Jon’s tent, and 2024.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st. Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes: In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 762, we host a panel discussion on the impact of AI on project management prospects. The panel of Paul Clapis, Susan Parente, Michael Milutis, and Mark Tolbert state categorically that project administration will be overtaken, but the high-value human side of project management will not be displaced. I am not sure what that means for most people working in the project management space. Listen to the discussion and then look carefully at the work you are doing. Will AI be a boon or a bane for project management?  Let the conversation begin. About Paul J. Clapis, Ph.D.: Dr. Clapis has over 30 years of experience managing AI, Machine Learning, and RPA projects for NASA, aerospace, and financial services industries. He also directed the Hughes Advanced Computing Lab at Yale Science Park, where he conducted applied research in AI, Expert Systems, Machine Learning, and Neural Networks.  About Susan Parente: Susan is an Engineer/Consultant, speaker, and author with experience managing both software and hardware development. She is proficient in managing complex system implementation for companies seeking to use enterprise business software to improve business process efficiency. Susan is a regular contributor to the Software Process and Measurement podcast.    About Michael Milutis: Michael Milutis is an international keynote speaker, instructor, and 25-year veteran of the IT industry who has dedicated his career to helping individuals learn, develop, and compete within a shifting technology landscape.   About Mark Tolbert: Mark has over 30 years of experience in I.T., including 27 years at Hewlett-Packard. He successfully managed support programs and projects within HP Services. He is a full-time instructor for PMP Prep classes since November 2007. He is very passionate about project management and believes adopting the best project management practices and skills is crucial to the success of enterprises today.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st. Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes:  One of the fun parts of programming the Software Process and Measurement Cast is getting diverse groups of people together to chat.  In this edition of the podcast, Jon M Quigley, Jeremy Willets, Jeremy Berriault, Kevin Rush, Susan Parente, and I convened to discuss what we learned about work in 2021. The last few years have been extraordinary -- both good and bad. When you live in times like these, it is incumbent on all of us to learn from them. The panelists (other than myself) are: Jeremy Berriault Web:   Susan Parente Web:   Jon M Quigley Web:   Kevin Rush Twitter: @ Jeremy Willets   Blog:

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st. Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes:  Today we share our year-end panel discussion with the SPaMcast contributors and occasionally our dogs (once one gets going, everyone needs to get in on the action). The topic this year is engagement. Is being on two calls at once, engagement? Does just being present tick the engagement box?  Patterns and antipatterns abound, but Is engagement really that important? The panelists for this installment are: Jeremy Berriault Jeremy Willets Susan Parente   A quick advertisement: Controlling work entry requires preparation and knowledge, building to establishing a path to control work entry (magic wands are normally not available), which is why Jeremy Willets and I have developed a work entry workshop. Interested? Please email us at tcagley@tomcagley.com or willetsjm@gmail.com

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st. Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes:  Today marks the end of year 15 on the Software Process and Measurement Cast, and we are closing the year with pitchforks and torches. We discussed the world of knowledge work in 2022. Leadership, principles, value, and values take center stage. Panels like this make me want to do panels every week! The panelists (other than myself) are: Jeremy Berriault Web:   Jon M Quigley Web: Kevin Rush  Twitter: @ Chris Hurney Web:  T witter:  Participating in spirit (they were on part one last week) Susan Parente Susan Parente  Twitter: @TechRiskManager Jeremy Willets   Blog:

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st.   Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes:  In March 2020, as our world was shrinking and words like 'lockdown' and 'zoom-bombing' were becoming a reality, we recorded and aired . Paul Laberge, Susan Parente, Jo Ann Sweeney, John Voris, and I talked about how we could create or preserve interactions leading to serendipity. Remote working was new for many people. This week we discuss what went well and what have we learned from nearly a year of working remotely. As the editor of the SPaMCAST it is my great pleasure to reconvene a group of people that have such great insight into people. The discussion is full of great ideas to improve remote and hybrid working environments, but most of all it is full of ideas to help respect people in tough times or not.   Panelist Bios Jo Ann Sweeney FCIM FIIC MCIPR is an engagement and communication consultant. Typically, she acts as change management lead on complex programmes, facilitating development of effective engagement, training, and communication strategies and then assisting as the strategies are implemented. Clients value her deep understanding of audiences. Jo Ann is known for clarifying the complex and for persuading key stakeholders to get involved and actively support change. You are welcome to download a complimentary copy of Jo Ann’s guide How to Explain Change in 8 Easy Steps at Contact Jo Ann at jo.ann@sweeneycomms.com John Voris is the current leader of AgilePhilly, the local user group in the Philadelphia area for Scrum, Kanban, and Lean Software. ()  His day job is working on financial applications for Crown Cork & Seal, an essential company with over 100 years of manufacturing food and beverage cans.  Prior to Crown, John was an independent software consultant for 30+ years helping both small companies and Fortune 100 large companies with both applications and operating systems. Reach out on LinkedIn: With more than 30 years in the information technology industry, Paul Laberge – CGI Director Consulting-Expert, has a wide range of experience providing IT project management. He enjoys coaching leaders in deploying business technology solutions. His experience in organizational change management spans many different lifecycles including transitions to Agile frameworks (RUP, XP, Scrum, SAFe, Nexxus, LeSS) and incorporating Lean (Kanban) methodologies. Reach out on LinkedIn: Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and a University Professor at multiple Universities. Mrs. Parente is an author, mentor and professor focused on risk management, traditional and Agile project management. Her experience is augmented by her Masters in Engineering Management with a focus in Marketing of Technology from George Washington University, DC, along with a number of professional certifications. Ms. Parente has 23+ years’ experience leading software and business development projects in the private and public sectors, including a decade of experience implementing IT projects for the DoD. Contact Susan at parente.s3@gmail.com

The Software Process and Measurement Cast Crew is on vacation. Until then, we are revisiting some fabulous panel discussions we have had during the last 19 years. We will be back on June 21st.   Poor work intake equals out-of-control.  Being out of control leads to stress and poor quality.  Mastering Work Intake is the path to bringing order out of chaos. Buy a copy today!  JRoss Publishing or Amazon. JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Original Show Notes:    SPaMCAST 597 features a special panel of leaders who discuss working from home now and after the initial reaction to being remote has worn off. One of the important points we discussed was the need to make space for intentional serendipity. The panel is composed of Paul Laberge, Susan Parente, John Voris, Jo Ann Sweeney, and your host.  Panelist Bios Jo Ann Sweeney FCIM FIIC MCIPR is an engagement and communication consultant. Typically, she acts as change management lead on complex programmes, facilitating development of effective engagement, training, and communication strategies and then assisting as the strategies are implemented. Clients value her deep understanding of audiences. Jo Ann is known for clarifying the complex and for persuading key stakeholders to get involved and actively support change. You are welcome to download a complimentary copy of Jo Ann’s guide How to Explain Change in 8 Easy Steps at Contact Jo Ann at jo.ann@sweeneycomms.com John Voris is the current leader of AgilePhilly, the local user group in the Philadelphia area for Scrum, Kanban, and Lean Software. ()  His day job is working on financial applications for Crown Cork & Seal, an essential company with over 100 years of manufacturing food and beverage cans.  Prior to Crown, John was an independent software consultant for 30+ years helping both small companies and Fortune 100 large companies with both applications and operating systems. Reach out on LinkedIn: With more than 30 years in the information technology industry, Paul Laberge – CGI Director Consulting-Expert, has a wide range of experience providing IT project management. He enjoys coaching leaders in deploying business technology solutions. His experience in organizational change management spans many different lifecycles including transitions to Agile frameworks (RUP, XP, Scrum, SAFe, Nexxus, LeSS) and incorporating Lean (Kanban) methodologies. Reach out on LinkedIn: Susan Parente is a Principal Consultant at S3 Technologies, LLC and a University Professor at multiple Universities. Mrs. Parente is an author, mentor and professor focused on risk management, traditional and Agile project management. Her experience is augmented by her Masters in Engineering Management with a focus in Marketing of Technology from George Washington University, DC, along with a number of professional certifications. Ms. Parente has 23+ years’ experience leading software and business development projects in the private and public sectors, including a decade of experience implementing IT projects for the DoD. Contact Susan at parente.s3@gmail.com

The SPaMCAST 860 features a conversation with Paul Gibbons.  We discussed his new book, , which he co-authored with James Healy. This is not our first conversation with Paul, they have all been fabulous.   Paul Gibbons is a keynote speaker and author of five books, including the acclaimed Adopting AI: The People-first Approach, which came out in March 2025. Before that, he was IBM's thought-leader on the future of work, and before that, a professor of business leadership at the University of Denver.  In the Jurassic era, he was CEO of Europe's top leadership consulting firm.  He lives in Denver with his two sons and enjoys F45 and competitive high-stakes poker. Web: LinkedIn:   Note: Due to a technical error on my part, the opening is abrupt. One minute of chit chat was lost.    Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Overwhelmed? Find your focus. Readers praise "Mastering Work Intake" for its practical, actionable advice. Learn to prioritize effectively and eliminate bottlenecks. Real results, real change. Discover the system that simplifies complex projects. Order your copy today! Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon:   Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space?  Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn   Next SPaMCAST  The SPaMCAST 861 begins an eight-week rewind featuring eight of my favorite panel discussions. We will be back on June 21st with new content and stories.

SPaMCAST 858 features a tale of work intake woe set in the Innovatech world that and I created. In this world, we use a bit of fiction to highlight real-world problems without pointing fingers or calling anyone a box of rocks. I would love your feedback about using allegory to highlight real issues.  We will also have a visit from Jeremy Bearriult, The Evolutionary Agilist, who will bring his humor and wisdom to the podcast.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Overwhelmed? Find your focus. Readers praise "Mastering Work Intake" for its practical, actionable advice. Learn to prioritize effectively and eliminate bottlenecks. Real results, real change. Discover the system that simplifies complex projects. Order your copy today! Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space?  Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn     Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of , we reach Chapter 10 titled Culture And Human Rights. This chapter explores the “intellectual edifice of human rights.” The concept of human rights is often trotted out almost as a totem in debates. We need to get beyond that perspective. Logistics note:  We have two more weeks in this re-read.  Next week, we will reflect on Chapter 12 (we did Chapter 11 earlier due to its relevance to current events), followed by a wrap-up.   Previous installments of : All previous installments can be found at or Next SPaMCAST  The SPaMCAST 859 will be a surprise. It will either be a panel discussion of the role of empathy in project management or an interview with Paul Gibbons. Whichever gets recorded first will be presented first. 🙂

SPaMCAST 857 features our interview with Andy Hilliard, CEO of Accelerance and author of . In this episode, we talk about the future of software development and how global teams fit into the current geopolitical perspective. Nothing light and frothy in this week's discussion!   Andy Hillard's Bio:  As CEO of Accelerance, Andy leads and advocates for the globalization and collaboration of great software teams with our clients in search of talent and innovation Building a distributed extension of their engineering function and culture. At Accelerance, we’re passionate about global software development and committed to making your global relationship an enviable success. Accelerance helps companies create and execute better software engineering strategies using global software outsourcing partnerships by providing professional guidance for planning, sourcing, and managing global teams… to achieve valuable benefits without risks and challenges. Accelerance has certified software engineering partners in more than 35 countries that are "large enough to scale but small enough to care". Website:      Linkedin:     YouTube:    Synergea:      Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Overwhelmed? Find your focus. Readers praise "Mastering Work Intake" for its practical, actionable advice. Learn to prioritize effectively and eliminate bottlenecks. Real results, real change. Discover the system that simplifies complex projects. Order your copy today! Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space?  Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn   Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of we reach Chapter 9: Population, Food, and Freedom. Sen begins with the sentence: “The contemporary age is not short of terrible and nasty happenings, but the persistence of extensive hunger in a world of unprecedented prosperity is surely one of the worst.” Previous installments of : All previous installments can be found at and Next SPaMCAST  The SPaMCAST 858 will revisit the topic of work intake. Over the past year, and I have been discussing the topic of work intake in support of our book, Mastering Work Intake, Almost unanimously everyone we have talked to agrees that it is the root cause of a wide range of problems. Impacts (but are not limited to) include quality issues, reduced value, job insecurity, and failures of trust. The tragedy is not that the problem is not recognized but that many people believe they lack agency even though there are ways to take control of work intake. We will also have a visit from Jeremy Bearriult, The Evolutionary Agilist, who will bring his humor and wisdom to the podcast.

Consider sailing on a lake. It is a great day, there is only a slight rolling swell to contend with. Because you are so relaxed, you slip below and start a game of billiards with your mate. Its not too hard to time the rocking, but nothing is perfect. Then, out of nowhere, a thunderstorm. Who knows where the cue ball will land?  How different is this example to any organizational transformation (or project or program) you have been involved in? The SPaMCAST 856 features an essay on delivery in an unstable environment and why it is like playing billiards on a boat. The outcome is unpredictable. We also have a visit from ! Mr Quigley brings his Alpha and Omega of Product Development column to the cast. In this installment, we talk about configuration management.  Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! From ad-hoc to optimized! Dive deep into work intake with this insightful book. Learn the "Gold Standard" and practical deviations, plus how to use flow metrics effectively. Understand the human element and align with Agile principles for better delivery. Perfect for executives, managers, and coaches. Links to buy a copy… JRoss Publishing: Amazon: Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn     Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of , we tackled Chapter 8, Women’s Agency and Social Change. Paraphrasing Wikipedia (to make it a bit less technical), the definition of agency is a person's ability to initiate and control their actions and the feeling they have of being in charge of their own actions. The concept of agency is important in all human endeavors, not just economic and social development.  Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Week 7: Week 8:   Week 9: Week 10: Week 11:   Next SPaMCAST  The SPaMCAST 857 will feature our interview with Andy Hilliard, CEO of Accelerance and author of the book Synergea. We talk about the future of software development and how global teams fit into the current geopolitical perspective. Nothing light and frothy in this week's discussion!