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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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How Software Testers Can Stay Relevant Testers have an important responsibility to protect and further their craft. Many people who want to be considered testers should engage in career development more than they might have in the past. Hans Buwalda highlights four areas that testers need to understand to stay relevant. |
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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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The Value of Falling into Software Testing To become a software tester, there are generally no required degrees or certifications. Consequently, many testers sort of "fall into" the job. But that doesn't mean they won't do outstanding work. Coming from all walks of life and having varied work experiences can help testers find problems no one else can. |
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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. |
