Take two beads and call me in the morning — Managing software development projects better

Abstract

Summary form only given. Warning! Warning! Managing software projects may be accompanied by continued regular bouts of nausea - brought on by unmet expectations, process churn, late deliveries, and worse. In their attempt to conquer these problems, many managers stiffen their resolve, create stricter schedules, and install rigid processes to guide development from inception to production. In this tutorial, we explored the proposition that better results come from fundamental changes in the way managers and the organization approach problems. We drew on W. Edward Deming's “14 Obligations of Managements,” and reprised Deming's famous Red Bead Experiment (with volunteers from the audience) on its 30th anniversary and drew conclusions about how our approach to problem-solving affects our day-to-day work. We had fun “working” in a simulation of a modern workday environment, leading and managing the development efforts. And we left with new, meaningful insights that hopefully inspired participants to make changes to improve both their work life and those around them.