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It’s Time to Evaluate Your Annual Performance Reviews While annual performance reviews can add value when done right, they are often done in a way that does more harm than good. A helpful alternative to an annual review is more frequent feedback that focuses on successes in addition to areas for improvement. Reviews should be motivational and constructive. |
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What's in the Winter 2017 Issue of Better Software Magazine? The first issue of our nineteenth volume of Better Software magazine has a new simplified, modern look. We've been planning this design overhaul for months, and the content keeps getting better. Check out the articles on reducing the risk of failed system updates, scaling agile, and servant leadership. |
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Make Your One-on-One Meetings More Effective One-on-one meetings between managers and the people on their teams can be a very powerful tool, but it's also all too easy for these meetings to become routine, simply turning into regular status reports. One-on-ones should address career development, identify obstacles, and look at the big picture. |
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The Importance of Giving Others a Sense of Control It's important to give people some sense of control over their circumstances, especially during times of stress. This is good to keep in mind when dealing with clients. Feeling a sense of control is a very deep need, so it would be smart to ask clients' opinions and let them influence how some things happen. |
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Flattery Can Get You (and Everyone Else) Everywhere The difference between flattery and a compliment seems to be a matter of motives. A compliment represents a genuine acknowledgement of another person, while flattery, by contrast, is driven by the desire to gain some advantage. This is important to keep in mind when you’re on the receiving end. |
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Overcoming Resistance to Change in Agile Teams For agile software developers, acknowledging that change is inevitable is a core principle in how we work. Yet we often resist change—for a variety of reasons. By understanding human nature and being systematic about how we evaluate decisions, we can give ourselves a way of identifying changes that add value. |
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How Group Norms Enable High-Performing Teams Group norms are the traditions, behavioral standards, and unwritten rules that govern how a team works together. They can be implied or openly acknowledged, but establishing a consistent way the team functions helps the individual members focus less on their own preferences and more on what works best. |
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Lead Teams that Deliver the Goods Great teams are often the result of great leadership—meaning leadership demonstrated across the team, including the person charged with heading up the team. Leaders have a responsibility to maximize their own potential as well as their team members'. Develop a great team, and you can deliver great products. |
