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"Poor management can increase software costs more rapidly than any other factor." (Barry Boehm)  Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (Pragmatic Programmers) 
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Monday, April 24, 2006
...and a management workshop in July
Johanna and I are offering a management workshop July 10-12 in lovely Minneapolis, MN. More than salary, perks, or a spacious cubicle, an employee’s relationship with his or her direct supervisor determines work satisfaction and productivity. A manager’s ability to focus and leverage work affects everyone’s productivity. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to build strong and productive working relationships, one interaction at a time.
Audience: Managers and technical leaders who wish to hone their communication, feedback, and coaching skills to develop strong working relationships. The format is simulations, exercises, and guided discussions. No dry boring lecture! No theoretical hand-waving. Just tried and true pragmatic management practices. Students will leave with practical tools they can apply right away. Email for registration details derbyATestherderbyDOTcom. | Thursday, April 13, 2006
Reminder: Secrets of Agile Teamwork in June
Secrets of Agile Teamwork: June 6-8 in Portland Back by popular demand: Secrets of Agile Teamwork! This workshop is for people who want to hone their collaboration skills, learn to navigate confict, and enhance communciation. This isn't theoretical stuff... you'll go home with practical tools that you can use the next day. Beyond technical skills, Agile success depends on productive self-organizing teams. How do you develop, grow, and maintain a functioning self-organizing team? It’s not magic, but it doesn’t just happen either. Effective self-organizing teams rely on personal and interpersonal effectiveness. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll discover the secrets to developing the skills you need to succeed and lead on a self-organizing team. Audience: Team leaders, team coaches, XP coaches, ScrumMasters and others leading and working in teams. Pre-requisites: A desire to be best team member or team leader possible. Logistics: We'll be at the Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon. Benefits: Here’s what people who have attended the workshop are saying: “Great workshop! Very thought provoking.” “This workshop gives you great skills in communicating with co-workers. “I think this is a must-attend workshop for almost all levels of “Very positive. Worth the time and energy if you want a better “Not boring corporate techniques. Real processes that help and “Interesting. Illuminating. Introspective.” “Esther and Diana teach the soft skills that you think you already have We still have a few places -- register soon! If you want more information email me. | Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Motivation
I hear a lot of managers worry about how to motivate people. I don't think you can motivate people... people create their own motivation. But you can de-motivate people and unfortunately, too many managers do. Here are some of the de-motivators I see: When managers stop de-motivating, people find their own intrinsic motivation. Here’s an HBR article that outlines actions to create a motivating environment. I've also written a bunch about management action to create a motivating environment. Some of the articles are posted on my website (which I'm having overhauled -- hope to have a new shiny version with more articles up soonish). | |