SPaMCAST 329 – Commitment, Message and Themes, HALT Testing

This week’s Software Process and Measurement Cast is our magazine with three features. We begin with Jo Ann Sweeney’s Explaining Change column. In this column Jo Ann tackles the concepts of messages and themes. I consider this the core of communication. Visit Jo Ann’s website at http://www.sweeneycomms.com and let her know what you think of her column. The middle segment is our essay on commitment. The making and keeping of commitments are core components of both professional behavior and Agile. The simple definition of a commitment is a promise to perform. Whether Agile or Waterfall, commitments are used to manage software projects. Commitments drive the behavior of individuals, teams and organizations. Commitments are powerful! We wrap this week’s podcast up with a new column from the Software Sensei, Kim Pries. In this installment Kim discusses software HALT testing. HALT stands for highly accelerated life test. The goal is to find defects, faults and things that go bump in the night in hours or days rather than waiting for weeks, months or years. Whether you are testing software, hardware or some combination this is a concept you need to have in your portfolio. Call to action! Can you tell a friend about the podcast? Even better, show them how you listen to the Software Process and Measurement Cast and subscribe them! Send me the name of you person you subscribed and I will give both you and the horde you have converted to listeners a call out on the show. Re-Read Saturday News The next book in our Re-Read Saturday feature will be Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox’s The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement. Originally published in 1984, it has been hugely influential because it introduced the Theory of Constraints, which is central to lean thinking. The book is written as a business novel. On February 21st we will begin re-read on the Software Process and Measurement Blog Note: If you don’t have a copy of the book, buy one. If you use the link below it will support the Software Process and Measurement blog and podcast. Dead Tree Version or Kindle Version Next SPaMCast In the next Software Process and Measurement Cast we will feature our interview Anthony Mersino, author of Emotional Intelligence for Project Managers and the newly published Agile Project Management. Anthony and I talked about Agile, coaching and organizational change. A wide ranging interview that will help any leader raise the bar! 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, neither for you or your team.” Support SPaMCAST by buying the book here. Available in English and Chinese