LOGIN | REGISTER NOW | SUBSCRIBE
 

Getting agile teams ready for takeoff


By Jeff Feinman
Email    print   
June 25, 2009 —  (Page 1 of 2)
There are as many issues involved in safely guiding an airplane to its destination as there are in software product development.
 
Michael James travels throughout the United States and Europe talking with agile teams about common themes between agile development and flying planes. Some of those themes are situational awareness, or knowing exactly what’s going on at any given time or iteration; and assertiveness, or being assertive when making decisions.

When a pilot takes a seat in the flight deck of an airplane, he or she must be extremely alert. The pilot must ensure that the navigation display is showing the correct route, and that the mode control panel is showing the right speed and altitude. And more than anything, the pilot must have an open line of communication with the rest of his or her team.

Flying a plane safely across a continent or across the globe requires utmost communication and teamwork between air traffic controllers, ground control and pilots.

Since radar, flight data processing systems and other technologies used by controllers are very strong nowadays, many problems arise out of communication issues, not technology.

“Aviation is interesting because it’s a place where we measure teamwork so precisely,” said James, a certified Scrum trainer with agile training company Danube Technologies. “When an air traffic controller and pilot team gets into a non-routine situation, that’s when you see what the team really has.”

One difference between the two is that in software it can be harder to measure success and failure, because teams are building something that’s never been built before, so there is not much of a basis of comparison, James noted. Operating an aircraft safely, however, for the most part is a repeatable form of work. Crew interaction and data recordings can show what went wrong and what went well.

Play it again, band!
In James’ seminars, agile discussion doesn’t just center on ties to aviation. The trainer also tries to help teams get in rhythm by explaining concepts based in jazz and improvisational theatre.


Related Search Term(s): agile

Pages 1 2 


Share this link: http://sdt.bz/33573
 
Most Read Latest News Blog Resources
Branching and merging: the heart of version control
Providers hold their own views of the landscape, but the Git SCM system is drawing looks from them all
Not so fast when it comes to testing in the cloud
Developers face outsourcing, virtual lab management and mobile devices as obstacles
Microsoft pivots toward business intelligence
The goal is to make business intelligence accessible "to the masses"
From the Editors: Node.js is unruly, but that’s where the fun is
The time to get involved with Node.js is now; Hadoop is about to break its own barriers
Digg!  Digg
Reddit  Reddit
Slashdot  Slashdot
Share on facebook  Facebook
Share on Twitter  Twitter



Comments


06/26/2009 01:32:45 PM EST

Thanks for running this article! One thing I did not state clearly in the interview is that Scrum does have a Product Owner role who is responsible for indicating business priorities and direction, while adjusting it every iteration. While executing each iterations, there is no externally appointed "team lead" regarding technical implementation. As the article suggests, in a collaborative Scrum team (jazz ensemble, improv acting group, etc.), leadership moves fluidly from person to person based on emerging discovery. Thanks again for the great article. Michael James http://danube.com/blog/michaeljames

United StatesMichael James


Add comment


Name*
Email*  
Country     


  • Comment
Loading




close
NEXT ARTICLE
Finding the right tool for the agile job
Experts emphasize that tools should bolster the agile process above all else Read More...
 
 
 
 
News on Monday
more>>
SharePoint Tech Report
more>>


   

 
 

Download Current Issue
FEBRUARY 2012 PDF ISSUE

Need Back Issues?
DOWNLOAD HERE

Want to subscribe?


 
blogs tab
GitHire: Use Headhunters to Find Your Perfect Programmer
Are you a hiring manager tired of scouring the job boards? Check out this new service that will find 5 people interested in your jobs.
02/03/2012 12:17 PM EST

Facebook claims hacker cred
Facebook's SEC S-1 filing form includes a short essay on the Hacker Way by Mark Zuckerberg himself.
02/02/2012 08:26 AM EST

Ryan Dahl steps down
Ryan Dahl, creator of Node.js, steps back from his position as gatekeeper for the project.
02/01/2012 04:58 PM EST

Bloomberg opens its API
Bloomberg's APIs could lead to a future standard for accessing market data.
02/01/2012 04:41 PM EST

The case for piracy
In the aftermath of SOPA and PIPA, some copyright holders have begun to embrace piracy as inevitable...and even beneficial.
01/30/2012 02:39 PM EST

Tablet sales boom, but applications lag
The installed base of tablet computers and e-book readers is growing rapidly, but no killer app has yet emerged -- hint, hint.
01/28/2012 05:48 PM EST

 
Events calendar tab
Cloud Connect
2/13/2012 to 2/16/2012
Santa Clara
TechWeb

SPTechCon: The SharePoint Technology Conf.
2/26/2012 to 2/29/2012
San Francisco
BZ Media

RSA Conf.
2/27/2012 to 3/2/2012
San Francisco
RSA

IBM Pulse Conf.
3/4/2012 to 3/7/2012
Las Vegas
IBM Tivoli

Game Developer Conf.
3/5/2012 to 3/9/2012
San Francisco
TechWeb