Category Archives: feedback

A Probe by Any Other Name

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Liz

In complexity (new stuff is complex) we prefer to probe; which means to try something out that’s safe-to-fail. Knowing things are failing or succeeding relies on feedback loops; but who do we get feedback from? And what do we do … Continue reading →

Posted in cynefin, feedback, real options, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Respect for People: it’s a Test, not a Pillar

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Liz

On Monday at LKNA13, I ran an ignite talk on the title above. It was prompted by a video clip of John Seddon talking to Jeffrey Liker, suggesting that running interventions to make people more respectful might not be a … Continue reading →

Posted in complexity, feedback, real options | 3 Comments

Splitting stories into tasks – when, why and how (or not)

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Liz

Before I write anything about this, I’d like to clarify what I mean by a task and a story. A feature is something tangible that works and which we could potentially deliver, if it was enough to provide business benefit. … Continue reading →

Posted in feedback, scrum, stories | 14 Comments

Who are your Users?

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Liz

I’ve wanted to write this post for a while, and reading “Metaphors we live by” has given me some language and ideas to express it in. So here goes. Requirements come from above In a straw-man Waterfall project, requirements are … Continue reading →

Posted in feedback, stakeholders | 3 Comments

Agile 2009: BDD Clinic, Feedback Workshop and Programming with the Stars

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Liz

At Agile 2009, Pat Maddox of RSpec will be running a BDD Clinic with me. Between us we have experience with Java, .NET and Ruby code, and we’re willing to look at and learn from anything else. If you bring … Continue reading →

Posted in bdd, feedback | Leave a comment

Feedback sandwiches and Real Options

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Liz

Esther Derby writes great advice on giving feedback. I’m intrigued by her closing comment: Praise sandwich tends to erode trust in the feedback givers intentions, and once that’s gone, there’s not much chance any useful information will get through. I … Continue reading →

Posted in feedback, nlp | 4 Comments

Cargo Cults and Agile Values

Posted on May 22, 2009 by Liz

What’s a Cargo Cult? Once upon a time, during World War II, there was an island on which planes landed. The islanders loved the planes landing, because they brought goods that the islanders couldn’t normally get. The soldiers shared the … Continue reading →

Posted in breaking models, feedback, learning models, values | 1 Comment

I am not a Pr0n Star: avoiding unavoidable associations

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Liz

I just read Matt Amionetti’s thoughtfully worded response to the reaction he’s got from his presentation, “CouchDB: Perform like a Pr0n star”. Indeed, reading the response, it seems almost inconceivable that anyone could possibly be offended by his presentation. Matt … Continue reading →

Posted in breaking models, feedback | 54 Comments

Feedback loops

Posted on March 16, 2007 by Liz

Because our customers don’t know what they want, they find out from the people that want the system. They sometimes get this wrong. Because I don’t know what to code, I find out from our customer. I sometimes get this … Continue reading →

Posted in feedback | 3 Comments

Peer to peer feedback and sexual harassment in the workplace

Posted on June 14, 2005 by Liz

Reading Esther Derby’s article on peer to peer feedback made me remember something that happened a few years ago (not here, I hasten to add). I’m sharing this as an example of how peer to peer feedback can resolve a … Continue reading →

Posted in feedback | Tagged | Comments Off on Peer to peer feedback and sexual harassment in the workplace