SoftEd launches new Software Testing Foundation course
In November 2018, SoftEd launched a new software testing foundation program. We talked to practice Lead, Toby Thompson about the new course. What can participants expect from our new ISTQB Foundation in Software Testing course?Our latest software testing course aims to equip testers with the skill…
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Backing away from agile - The wrong lens
I have already explored two reasons that might lead people give up on agile. The first was losing their focus on being good at what they do and the second was implementing agile approaches as a goal rather than a means to an end. This time I thought I would look at another common situation – when…
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Why are people backing away from agile? Who is the tool?
I recently ran a coaching session for a team who have been adopting agile. They were struggling to gain value from some of the practices and felt a little guilty, but I was impressed with how they collaborated, focused on what mattered and took accountability for delivery. I told them that they were…
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If you are not willing to accept casualties, then you are not ready to lead adaptive challenges
The biggest challenges today are adaptive ones, those in which the various stakeholders, including the leader, must face without a blueprint. To find a solution requires learning, and to learn requires overturning ossified forms of thinking and acting. Vested interests, established hierarchies and…
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SoftEd at the Singapore Fintech Festival
The 2018 Singapore FinTech Festival is in full swing, and SoftEd is there. We're excited to be a part of the world’s largest platform for the global FinTech community. The five-day festival has attracted participants and exhibitors from all over the world and features a series of exciting event…
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Agile Fundamentals with Andy van der Gugten at Agile Tauranga
At the recent Agile Tauranga conference held on October 26, SoftEd agile trainer, facilitator and coach, Andy van der Gugten ran an interactive workshop titled 'Agile Fundamentals'. Andy's presentation delved into the background, guiding principles and evolution of the agile approach and why it…
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How to eliminate waste to improve your work practices
One of the big topics people have difficulty digesting when being introduced to agile is the concept of focus. We all have so much to do − too many projects to work on, too many meetings to attend, too many emails to attend to. It is challenging to impossible for some to imagine a world where we…
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Tips for writing effective requirements
When you manage your requirements and manage your people, the tasks will manage themselves. Getting the requirements “righterer soonerer” will save the team shed loads of time, money and stress. Why the somewhat odd grammar? The thing is that for any given product you will never get the requirement…
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5 Tips for Better Daily Stand-ups
Many teams I work with are already employing the agile basics, including working with user stories and kanban boards, but the most universal agile practice I see is the daily stand-up, or scrum meeting. What’s surprising is the amount of complaining I hear about how ineffective these meetings can…
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Safe to Fail and Formula 1
The term ‘Safe to Fail’ seems to be thrown about as if it is an easy thing to achieve. It isn’t always safe to fail. Adam Boas put it beautifully at Agile Australia 2018 where he referred to “Defined Safe Boundaries over Motherhood statements about safe to fail”. (Boas, 2018)So why do we need a safe…
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The Lost Alphabet: An Agile Release Planning Game For Teams
This basic game is designed to help players understand the concepts involved in release and iteration planning. It covers how to plan for new features, minimise defects, monitor velocity, re-plan and the impact of technical debt. You will need:The facilitator's guide
The team instructions (listed…
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User Stories: Your First Step Should Always Be Back
Have you ever played an outfield position in baseball or softball? As an outfielder, your primary responsibility is catching pop flies. When you hear the crack of the bat, there’s a moment of panic as you try to figure out where the ball is headed. For young players, their first instinct is alway…
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