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Adaptive Software Development: A Collaborative Approach to Managing Complex Systems by James A. Highsmith
Partial Software Ascents- Components of Adaptive Software Thriving at the Edge of Chaos- The Adaptive Development The Project Mission- Identify the Mission- Create Mission Artifacts- Share Mission Values- Focus on Planning Adaptive Development Cycles- Adaptive Planning Techniques- The Evolving World of Great Groups and the Ability to Collaborate- Using Complexity Concepts to Improve Collaboration- Joint Application Models, Techniques, and Cycle Review Practices- Software Inspections- Project Why Even Good Managers Cause Projects to Fail- Disruptive Technologies- No Silver Adaptive Management- The Progression from Process to Workstate Life Cycle Management- Managing Workflow in an Adaptive Structural Collaboration- Eight Guidelines for Applying Rigor to Project Managing Project Time Cycles- Plan the Dawdling, McLuhan, and Thin Air- Organizational Growth- Surviving in Thin AirBibliographyIndex
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First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 8, 2018
Read in 2018. Written before 2000. Out of date.
Managing projects back then was evolving. There was a mixture of classic manufacturing, and software development. The manufacturing come with persons professionally growing up in the manufacturing age.
Companies don't understand software development still. It has gotten better, but may have swung too far in the other direction.
The management of complex systems, or large systems is to break them down into goals that are doable; accept that there will be deviations from the intended goals or outcomes. The heart of the development of the system are the people who work it. It is NOT the managers. They get in the way.
The managers role is to set attainable short term goals, be the person who keeps all the members informed. The manager is the "water boy", not the coach. The coach is the technical lead. The manager is the person who needs to set the cadence (not to fast and not to slow). They are to run interference to the upper managers. They are to be the cheerleaders internally and externally.
A well run project is fluid based on rigid structure. Yes both.
That is my take.
Highsmith worked in that direction, but had to many roles that do not matter to the actual work that need to be done. This is a management book with the intent to have contract or consulting work. Thus the three stars. (It was a better then others I have read.)
Managing projects back then was evolving. There was a mixture of classic manufacturing, and software development. The manufacturing come with persons professionally growing up in the manufacturing age.
Companies don't understand software development still. It has gotten better, but may have swung too far in the other direction.
The management of complex systems, or large systems is to break them down into goals that are doable; accept that there will be deviations from the intended goals or outcomes. The heart of the development of the system are the people who work it. It is NOT the managers. They get in the way.
The managers role is to set attainable short term goals, be the person who keeps all the members informed. The manager is the "water boy", not the coach. The coach is the technical lead. The manager is the person who needs to set the cadence (not to fast and not to slow). They are to run interference to the upper managers. They are to be the cheerleaders internally and externally.
A well run project is fluid based on rigid structure. Yes both.
That is my take.
Highsmith worked in that direction, but had to many roles that do not matter to the actual work that need to be done. This is a management book with the intent to have contract or consulting work. Thus the three stars. (It was a better then others I have read.)
March 3, 2017
I found this book when doing research on complex adaptive systems & how it applied to product development.
It has some really great ideas in there. My hunch is though that it could have provided these ideas in a more succinct way. Only towards the end of the book did all the ideas snap together.
Regardless of that, I'm excited on what I've learned from this. I'm not 100% sure how applicable these ideas are since a lot has changed since 1999.
It has some really great ideas in there. My hunch is though that it could have provided these ideas in a more succinct way. Only towards the end of the book did all the ideas snap together.
Regardless of that, I'm excited on what I've learned from this. I'm not 100% sure how applicable these ideas are since a lot has changed since 1999.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews