Re: Re: Do C-Level managers, and business drivers really need to know about XP?

On Tuesday, February 11, 2003, at 6:18:02 AM, Sandy wrote:

>> My approaches to recieving and inviting questions: 
>> I have used the Management By Walking Around(MBWA),
>> until it seemed to some folks that I was hovering,
>> so I backed off.  In other companies that was the
>> most successful form.  I would never ask "how is
>> project x" or even "how are you doing?".  

> Over my career, as I moved from developer to project
> lead, to project manager to VP to C-level, I too fell
> into that trap. It was only recently, as a C-level
> manager, that I realized that I needed to keep my
> fingers in the code to be relevant.

> Today, even though I carry the title and the
> responsability, I sit with the developers in
> cube-ville. I write code more than 50% of the time. I
> peer program, write unit tests, do it all. 

> And you know what? Garnering status has never been
> easier. I can look as cvs and determine status. I can
> conduct code reviews and see velocity. All the "hard"
> metrics disappeared once I got involved again. 

> As a software manager I think it's hard to run a
> successful software company and not remain a developer
> ... not just at heart. 

I'm just guessing, I admit. But I'm guessing you're not the CxO of a
Fortune 500 company? Could the CIO of GE do what you're doing? Should she?

Ron Jeffries
www.XProgramming.com
You can observe a lot by watching. --Yogi Berra


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Get 128 Bit SSL Encryption!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/LIgTpC/vN2EAA/xGHJAA/nhFolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[email protected]

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/