Context: you have a small team of 5 people, evolving in a highly dynamic environment with small projects (2-4 weeks, sometimes less, sometimes more) coming all over the place for the team to realize. This is a very usual pattern observed in agencies, or smaller teams dedicated to professional services (services to clients). How do you approach people planning (a.k.a “resource planning”, although I won’t hide my aversion for the term “resource” when referring to a person) in that kind of context? Read more...

Organizations today are always looking for ways to improve how they build software. To stay competitive on fast-paced markets, they have to optimize the delivery pipeline to bring features from ideation to market more rapidly. Many rightfully seek solutions by adopting agile or lean practices. To be fully effective, these methodologies also need to be supported by rigorous engineering practices such as those brought forward by Extreme Programming. Executed correctly, these are all very good ways of optimizing the way you and your team build your software. Read more...

People seem to have a hard time treating a group of individuals working on a common goal as a Team. I’ve observed that many people will naturally expect commitment and liability from leaders, even unofficially appointed leaders, or natural leaders, instead of teams. But why is that so? Why are people seeing hierarchy in leadership? The answer might come from us being deeply entangled in our Fayolism roots. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, management styles have always focused on creating a hierarchy of command and control. Read more...