Daily Stuff

Martin Fowler hit on some keen topics over the last few months.  I say they are keen topics because they are things that need worked on at the current project I am on.  I must add, we have all gotten much better, but it seems a quick read over of these entries of Fowler’s would do us all a little bit of good, reduce stress, solve world hunger, etc.

First Article

The first entry topic is It’s Not Just Standing Up: Patterns of Daily Stand-up Meetings (and note, it’s not actually by Martin Fowler, but Jason Yip).  This article brings up some obvious points.

Some of the points I think are of important concern are what differentiates the stand up / SCRUM from a regular status meeting.  A stand up is supposed to be short.  Above all it assists developers which are often in ridiculously hectic and multi-task oriented positions, to refocus and prepare for their specific tasks each day.  Without these meetings most developers will get side tracked and lose focus.  Daily scrums prevent this by allowing a clear focus to be maintained.  As quoted in the entry by Mr. Yip, “We want everyone to be moving in the same direction. The stand-up is used to continually remind the team what that direction is.“

The other point that is brought up that I feel we all need to work on, that could help out the team substantially is brought up in the particular “feel” of what a SCRUM should provide. 

As quoted, “Quickness and high energy support the goal of setting focus. Long, low-energy meetings tend to distract and mute the day.”  We all need to work on our energy an supportiveness in these meetings.  Every person involved in a SCRUM should know that what they are contributing is a vital to the success of the project.  With that they should bring good motivation and a strong positive attitude about what they’ve competed.  This should be brought up with enthusiasm and any blockages should be discussed without pointing fingers.  The later focus our team has mastered.  Our problem resolution has finally gotten a strong process and is starting to work smoother and faster than at any time before.

This brings up the second point, “Good stand-ups will feel supportive.”  Offers of assistance, parallel pair programming, and other efforts should be mentioned whenever applicable during the stand up.  Pointing out the strong players for pieces of technology.  The team at current is fairly decent at doing this, but a little more could be done at some points.  Maybe a little more attention could be brought to this so that strong players could be identified and used better to ramp up new developers?

Also, be sure to click on the link to Yip’s write up and read all the way through it.  The “Pig and Chickens” section is priceless!

With that I’ll just say, our teams are starting to really kick some code ass.  Our leads, Mr Jim and Mr Eric are doing excellent jobs leading the team SCRUMs.  Some streamlining of teams is still left, but the massive tasks at hand are finally within a reasonable grasp.  We just need to do that Nike thing now and “Just do it!”  (Hopefully they won’t sue me for usage of that)

The Other Article

The other article I don’t have read 100%.  But is directly related to unit tests and how we’re doing testing against our objects and business layers.  I need to finish up the article and then I might have 2 cents to share, otherwise I think I’m familiar with the difference between mocks and stubs so I’m going to read the article and see if I am clear on the topic.

  Weeeehoooo!  Off I go to onto other topics.