communication

Crying at Work: A Delicate Issue

Crying at work is often seen as a weakness, or even completely taboo. Whether the crying seems to be justified or not, the situation still has to be dealt with. Read on to learn what you should do if you're the one who shed tears, as well as how to respond if you witness an employee breakdown.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
How to Tell if Your Team Is Really Agile

Agile teams run like a well-oiled machine, so it’s important to take a look at your group and assess just how agile it really is. What fixable problems might you be experiencing that are jamming up the system, causing the process to run slower than it needs to?

Josiah Renaudin's picture
Josiah Renaudin
The Challenge of Being the Intermediary

Within every team, people have different methods of tackling problems. Some strive to solve a problem within its bounds, while on the other end of the spectrum, others redefine the problem. Smack in the middle: the intermediary. Though it's tough, this role is important in bridging the two sides.

Pam Morgan's picture
Pam Morgan
How to Criticize with Kindness

The word "criticize" has such a negative connotation that it seems like a contradiction to talk about doing it with kindness. But being nice when giving feedback will make someone you disagree with more receptive to listening to your perspective. And that approach can help minimize conflict at work.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
Office Space: What Arrangement Is Right for Your Workplace?

Regardless of your office has a different configuration—be it a cubicle farm, open space, some configuration of offices, or a mix—it is likely that not everyone will be happy. While it's tempting to just shrug off these discussions, thinking about office layout is important for a number of reasons.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk
The Importance of Asking Good Questions

Kids ask questions nonstop. When they become adults, they ask fewer questions, and sometimes none at all. Yet questions are the best way to gain insight, develop understanding, and solve problems. If you feel reluctant to ask questions in the workplace, overcome that fear and start asking away.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
The Art of Precise Communication

Regardless of how effective we are in our deliverables, much of our success is often attributed to communication. We communicate with various stakeholders about our projects, and while several attributes contribute to effective communication, being precise is one of the most important.

Rajini  Padmanaban's picture
Rajini Padmanaban
Terminology Pollution in DevOps

Many folks are embracing DevOps best practices. But there is also a dark side in the way that some teams are using terms like continuous integration, delivery, and deployment in vague and confusing ways. Using terminology in a clear and consistent manner is essential when implementing DevOps.

Bob Aiello's picture
Bob Aiello