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 Keis Kostaqi, MBA 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 Jeremy Willets 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! https://bit.ly/MasteringWorkIntake Re-read Saturday News Chapter 2 of How To Be A Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci (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: Logistics and Opening Thoughts Week 2: The Unstraightforward Path Week 3: A Roadmap For The Journey 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 Priced to Scale 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 https://ajitghuman.com/pricing-book/ LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ajitpalghuman Twitter apghuman Re-Read Saturday News This week we tack the introduction to Monotasking by Staffan Nöteberg. 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 - Logistics, Game Plan, and Preface - https://bit.ly/3x1oVap Week 2 - Introduction - 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: https://www.ifpug.org/isma18/ 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 https://bit.ly/2RtoGpy 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.

Process Debt Swamps Platform Teams! Over-abstraction slows teams by INCREASING complexity. Why this matters: Profitability is HIGHLY related to productivity. Mark Fussell is the CEO of Diagrid, a cutting-edge company that simplifies building and scaling cloud-native applications. As the co-founder of Dapr (Distributed Application Runtime), Mark has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of modern application development by empowering developers to build resilient, distributed systems with ease. With decades of experience in the software industry, Mark has been a driving force behind innovative solutions that bridge the gap between developers and complex infrastructure. LinkedIn: inkedin.com/in/mfussell Website diagrid.io/ (Company) 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 Next! Involving Others in Personal Change Can Cause Problems. Involving others when changing a team or organization is unassailable. The same isn't true when changing yourself. Why this matters: Understanding boundaries and what you control is important for owning your own productivity. SPaMCAST 880 will be posted in two weeks. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

AI, the Future of Work, and Cybersecurity Are Intertwined! Why it matters: Business processes are being transformed, yielding opportunities and RISKS - leaders should be aware. Bio: Ephraim Ebstein is the CEO and Co-founder of FIT Solutions, LLC. Ephraim is not just another cybersecurity guy-he's a $30M entrepreneur who built two national companies from the ground up, and now helps business leaders turn tech headaches into growth engines. .IG: @kingspear @fitsolutionsllc Ephraim Ebstein | LinkedIn https://fitsolutions.biz/ Web 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 Process Debt Swamp Platform Teams! Over-abstraction slows teams by INCREASING complexity. Why this matters: Profitability is HIGHLY related to productivity. SPaMCAST 879 will be posted in two weeks. If you would like to participate in the panel discussions, email me at spamcastinfo@gmail.com.

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 - https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Daniel Doiron - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldoiron/ Me - www.tomcagley.com 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 - https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Jeremy Willets - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremywillets/ Jon M Quigley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmquigley/ Daniel Doiron - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieldoiron/ Me - www.tomcagley.com 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 - https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Jeremy Willets - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremywillets/ Brad Bittorf- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bittorfbradley/ Me - www.tomcagley.com 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 - https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Freddie Clark - https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddie-clark/ Brad Bittorf- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bittorfbradley/ Me - www.tomcagley.com 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 - https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Jon M Quigley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmquigley/ Brad Bittorf- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bittorfbradley/ Me - www.tomcagley.com 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 - https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Jeremy Willets - https://www.jeremywillets.com/ Jon M Quigley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmquigley/ Freddie Clark - https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddie-clark/ Me - www.tomcagley.com 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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.

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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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. linkedin.com/in/pauljclapis 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. https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanparente/ 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. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmilutis/ 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. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-tolbert-pmp-pmi-acp-90b9b38/

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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-berriault-mba/ Web: https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Susan Parente linkedin.com/in/susanparente Web: http://www.s3-tec.com/ Jon M Quigley linkedin.com/in/jonmquigley Web: https://www.valuetransform.com/product-development-tools/ Kevin Rush linkedin.com/in/kezrush Twitter: @Kezrush Jeremy Willets linkedin.com/in/jeremywillets Blog: https://www.jeremywillets.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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 linkedin.com/in/jeremy-berriault-mba Jeremy Willets linkedin.com/in/jeremywillets Susan Parente linkedin.com/in/susanparente 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-berriault-mba/ Web: https://berriaultandassociates.com/ Jon M Quigley linkedin.com/in/jonmquigley Web: https://www.valuetransform.com Kevin Rush linkedin.com/in/kezrush Twitter: @Kezrush Chris Hurney linkedin.com/in/chrishurney Web: https://www.inspiradoconsulting.com/ T witter: chris_hurney Participating in spirit (they were on part one last week) Susan Parente Susan Parente linkedin.com/in/susanparente Twitter: @TechRiskManager Jeremy Willets linkedin.com/in/jeremywillets Blog: https://www.jeremywillets.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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 SPaMCAST 597. 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 https://freeguide.explaining-change.com/ 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. (www.AgilePhilly.com) 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: linkedin.com/in/john-voris-7b20525 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: linkedin.com/in/paullaberge 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 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 https://freeguide.explaining-change.com/ 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. (www.AgilePhilly.com) 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: linkedin.com/in/john-voris-7b20525 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: linkedin.com/in/paullaberge 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, Adopting AI: The People-first Approach, 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: https://paulgibbons.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulggibbons/ 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14483957/ 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 David Herron 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: https://bit.ly/474ul6G Amazon: https://amzn.to/4236013 Interested in continuing the conversation on work intake with peers in a safe space? Join the Mastering Work Intake Community on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14483957/ Re-read Saturday News In our re-read of Development as Freedom this week, 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 Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen: All previous installments can be found at www.tomcagley.com or www.tcagley.wordpress.com 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. 🙂