Help for My Manager

Mon Feb 21 11:15:42 PST 2005

Is there not a precedent for this!

I have a memory of a story about software developers who got together in a
very OS way.

They were invited to write all the tasks the project needed on cards and
place them on a table. The software modules that needed to be modified. The
functions that needed to be included. Whatever entered their heads without
fear or favour. They added new ones as they arose, stapled duplicates
together, organised them into groups or clusters, whatever it took until
all the cards were on the table.

Only when they had run out of ideas did the participants start to take
responsibility for individual cards, and start to do the work. Even after
the work started cards could be added to the table. Again they could add
cards regarding areas that they would not work on, maybe outside their area
of expertise.

It might be a way of getting started. The sneaky way is to do it, number
and record all the cards (tasks), and create the plan. Of course there
might be cards that no one wants. So you do it again with that one card as
the theme until it takes a form that someone is willing to take
responsibility for. If no one does then maybe its not needed or no one is
qualified to deal with it and you've identified a lack of resources.

In seems like it could be fun. At least in my head.

Shay

At 22:13 19/02/2005, you wrote:
>When last heard from, the young manager was in some major state of
>dis-repair, not to mention confusion. He feels much better now, thanks to
>everybody's suggestions, and wishes to report that his progress towards
>enlightenment is small but steady. However, he still has a job to do - and
>despite some reservations, actually enjoys his job. But he surely could use
>some help in terms of practical strategy and tactics.  Specifically, he has
>just been given an assignment to develop a new piece of software for a
>client. If he can do it - it will be right at the cutting edge, and he just
>loves the challenge. But - how to get there from here?
>
>He knows all about playing by the old rules which require a project plan,
>budget, staffing levels, milestones, evaluation and testing procedure, and
>all the rest. But, what about all this "self-organizing" stuff? How do you
>play by the new rules? What are they? And last but not least - how do you
>rationalize what you have done under the new rules so that it looks like the
>"old rules" have been observed? This last part may seem sneaky and
>dishonest, but my young manager friend really likes his job. But he did
>confide in me that he is thinking about going out on his own. However, his
>mortgage, wife and kids make him a little nervous.
>
>So he sure could use your help!
>
>Harrison
>
>Harrison Owen
>7808 River Falls Drive
>Potomac, Maryland   20845
>Phone 301-365-2093
>
>Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
>
>Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
>
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Crossroads Facilitation
50 Carrigdhoun, Waterpark, Carrigaline, Co. Cork
www.crossroadsfacilitation.ie
"Building bridges and getting you over them"

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>From  Mon Feb 21 20:27:36 2005
Message-Id: <MON.21.FEB.2005.202736.0000.>
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 20:27:36 +0000
Reply-To: mherman at globalchicago.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Michael Herman <mjherman at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Help for My Manager
In-Reply-To: <5.1.1.6.0.20050221185816.00a15070 at mail.crossroadsfacilitation.ie>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

that story is the one i'm pointing to in my earlier post, shay!
<grin> or at least it' s very close.  the cards are bits of code to
write.  they go off and write code in pairs and come back to compile
and redeploy themselves.  many interations.
http://www.globalchicago.net/ost  ...look for the stuff near the
bottom... some links called Agile.

On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 19:15:42 +0000, Seamus McInerney
<seamus at crossroadsfacilitation.ie> wrote:
> Is there not a precedent for this!
>
> I have a memory of a story about software developers who got together in a
> very OS way.
>
> They were invited to write all the tasks the project needed on cards and
> place them on a table. The software modules that needed to be modified. The
> functions that needed to be included. Whatever entered their heads without
> fear or favour. They added new ones as they arose, stapled duplicates
> together, organised them into groups or clusters, whatever it took until
> all the cards were on the table.
>
> Only when they had run out of ideas did the participants start to take
> responsibility for individual cards, and start to do the work. Even after
> the work started cards could be added to the table. Again they could add
> cards regarding areas that they would not work on, maybe outside their area
> of expertise.
>
> It might be a way of getting started. The sneaky way is to do it, number
> and record all the cards (tasks), and create the plan. Of course there
> might be cards that no one wants. So you do it again with that one card as
> the theme until it takes a form that someone is willing to take
> responsibility for. If no one does then maybe its not needed or no one is
> qualified to deal with it and you've identified a lack of resources.
>
> In seems like it could be fun. At least in my head.
>
> Shay
>
> At 22:13 19/02/2005, you wrote:
> >When last heard from, the young manager was in some major state of
> >dis-repair, not to mention confusion. He feels much better now, thanks to
> >everybody's suggestions, and wishes to report that his progress towards
> >enlightenment is small but steady. However, he still has a job to do - and
> >despite some reservations, actually enjoys his job. But he surely could use
> >some help in terms of practical strategy and tactics.  Specifically, he has
> >just been given an assignment to develop a new piece of software for a
> >client. If he can do it - it will be right at the cutting edge, and he just
> >loves the challenge. But - how to get there from here?
> >
> >He knows all about playing by the old rules which require a project plan,
> >budget, staffing levels, milestones, evaluation and testing procedure, and
> >all the rest. But, what about all this "self-organizing" stuff? How do you
> >play by the new rules? What are they? And last but not least - how do you
> >rationalize what you have done under the new rules so that it looks like the
> >"old rules" have been observed? This last part may seem sneaky and
> >dishonest, but my young manager friend really likes his job. But he did
> >confide in me that he is thinking about going out on his own. However, his
> >mortgage, wife and kids make him a little nervous.
> >
> >So he sure could use your help!
> >
> >Harrison
> >
> >Harrison Owen
> >7808 River Falls Drive
> >Potomac, Maryland   20845
> >Phone 301-365-2093
> >
> >Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
> >
> >Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> >Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
> >OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
> >http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >*
> >*
> >==========================================================
> >OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> >------------------------------
> >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> >view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> >http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> >
> >To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> >http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>
> Crossroads Facilitation
> 50 Carrigdhoun, Waterpark, Carrigaline, Co. Cork
> www.crossroadsfacilitation.ie
> "Building bridges and getting you over them"
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>

--
Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
http://www.michaelherman.com
...inviting people and whole organizations into movement

Small Change News Network
http://www.smallchangenews.org
...linking active givers and gifted activists to make a bigger difference

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