Programmers Are Like Boy Scouts On A Hike

I was reading "The Goal", by Eliyahu Goldratt, when I came across an analogy that was familiar. I'm a scout leader, and so get plenty of opportunities to watch boy scouts hike on trails. I've noticed that when each one walks at their own pace, some boys will get to the end of the trail far faster than the slowest boy. If it's a two hour hike, one boy will finish in 90 minutes, while the slowest boy will finish in 2 1/2 hours.

If this were a software development department, that would mean that some developers would finish far ahead of others. The entire project would be delivered according the pace of the slowest developer.

When Boy Scouts march as a troop, the most amazing thing happens. They work together as a team. Two hour hikes are often completed between 1 3/4 hours and 2 hours. That means that the team environment compensates for the slowest guy far more than it slows down the fastest guy.

For a software development department, this increase of productivity is immediate. As the team gets used to working together, they get faster and faster, often sprinting and running towards finish lines. Each software project is delivered on or before the deadline, as long as we are implementing the principles of team development.

Now if I could just get the developers to "Be Prepared", we'd be all set.

Book Review - Marketing Metrics, by Paul Farris

I have seen some very poorly run marketing departments. Because of my past experience, I’ve been skeptical every time I deal with marketing. This book made me reevaluate those feelings and grow to respect the new found science of marketing. Marketing can be effective when metrics are measured and qualified. While reading this book, I met Ron Hendricks, CMO for Northcentral University. He runs his department like a lab, and he is very, very effective. Thanks to this book and Ron, I admire a well-run marketing department and look forward to dealing with more of them.

The metrics in this book are well thought-out, with clear formulas, good examples, and thoughtful insights. I think this should be on every executive’s desk. These measures will make you rethink your business. Hopefully, you’ll have new ideas on how it can grow.

Also, our business intelligence practice will be better equipped to interact with marketing executives, salesmen, and creatives.

Here's the Amazon link:

Marketing Metrics

Book Review - The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course In Finance for Non-Financial Managers, by Robert Cooke

This book is perfect if you are not an accountant and one of the following things are true.

-You need to read financial reports
-You interact with executives
-Deal with CFOs or Controllers
-Prepare budgets
-Invest in companies

As a technology consultant, I’m often asked to help with difficult business problems, and more often than not, those issues deal with accounting principles. I’ve tried reading Accounting 101 books, but I don’t need to know how to keep a "T" account. I needed a summary book for Accounting 400, and this book fit the bill.

There is also an online test that will grant you a certificate of completion. I didn't do that, but you might like to.

Here's the Amazon link:

The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course In Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Book Review, Hiring Smart by Pierre Mornell

Before reading this book, I thought my philosophy of hiring fast and firing fast was a sound management principle. I was wrong. After reading the horror stories in this book, I am recommitted to interviewing thoroughly, completely a full background check, checking all references, and then proceeding cautiously. I still believe that we should terminate employees very soon after discovering that they weren’t who we thought they were.

I also have a habit of being captivated and intrigued by everyone I meet. I need time to let that fade away. I need reality to set in before making an objective hiring decision.

This book is filled with 45 great tips on hiring good people, but all of them don't need to be applied all at once. In fact, I think that would be impossible. Instead, I intend to continuously evolve the hiring process by selectively applying these tips. I’ll just keep experimenting until the perfect team is assembled.

I liked the idea of putting prospects on projects immediately. For instance, I could show a prospect a user interface design and tell them to improve it. I could show them a database and ask them to write a query.

Mornell mentions that we should walk the prospect to his or her car. He says you can tell a lot about a person by how they organize their car. Mornell is a psychiatrist, and brings a unique insight to the hiring process.

Mornell mentions a 49er's Football scout that would not recommend a player until he observed 200 plays of the player. He did this so he could feel comfortable with how they react in different situations. It's impossible to observer 200 plays when hiring people, but we should watch the person in a variety of situations before making a hiring decision.

This book was very easy to read, had very big type, lots of pretty pictures, and can be completed in about 2 hours.

Software development is increasingly becoming a team sport. This book reinforced my belief that the team needs to be part of the entire hiring process.

Here's the Amazon link:

Hiring Smart

Book Review - Lean Thinking, by Womack & Jones

Lean Principles are a hot topic in today's economy. It isn't just about cost reduction; it's about observing every aspect of our lives and our businesses and making them more efficient.

I learned:

1) Muda, the Japanese word for waste, is everywhere and should be shunned and eliminated in every circumstance.

2) Eliminating muda will make workers happier, reduce costs, and will simplify complicated processes.

3) My new hero is Taiichi Ohno, who was the original anti-muda engineer.

4) This book is full of examples of real world companies who applied these principles and did great things with them.

5) After reading this book, I now observe waste wherever I am. I see it in the airport security line, at the DMV, when filing my taxes, at the hospital waiting room, and at the butcher counter.

Software Developers see waste every day, but often do nothing about it. They are too worried about breaking code that is working. Proper testing methods would give them the confidence they need to eliminate wasteful code. I would remind them of their responsibility to remove code that does nothing, simplify complicated code, and to never repeat themselves.

Here's the Amazon link:

Lean Thinking

Book Review - The Copywriter's Handbook, by Bob Bly

Before reading this book, I wasn’t clear on what a copywriter actually did. A copywriter creates print and web content for marketing purposes. They are wordsmiths who choose their words to capture their audience’s attention.

Here’s what I learned:

1) We see the same words repeated in a variety of ads because those words are proven to sell, time and time again.

2) Copywriter's sell things with their words, so every copywriter should look at the end product and ask, “is this going to sell something?” Everything else is irrelevant.

3) Copy (the text that copywriters produce) should tell a compelling story that keeps people reading.

Here's Bob Bly's website:

Bob Bly

Here’s the Amazon link:

The Copywriter's Handbook

Book Review - Getting Things Done, by David Allen

Getting Things Done
This book is a very quick read and worth the couple of hours it will take to get through it.

Here’s what I learned:

1) Manage your TODOs using an electronic medium. Set a start date, a complete date, and a priority. Don’t use your email as your to-do list. A clear to-do list will clear your mind and lift a burden. I tried this and it worked.

2) A good day means that we've completed 3 important things that day. At the beginning of the day, choose which 3 things you will complete.

3) If your organizational system is simple, you are more likely to follow through with it and complete it.

Here's the Amazon link:
Getting Things Done