I was walking to work on Thursday, down 4th Street in San Francisco towards Townsend where the ThoughtWorks offices are located, when a man approached me with a proposition.
4th Street runs perpendicular to Market Street in downtown San Francisco and is on the edge of what is considered one of the rougher areas of the city, or so I’m told. The top end of 4th Street is populated with shops and hotels, followed by a few blocks of residential housing, before it passes under the freeway and eventually lands you at the CAL train station, safe in an area of urban renewal. The area under the bridge often has homeless people sleeping or begging for money as people walk past on their way to and from work.
As I walked under the bridge on Thursday morning I saw what appeared to be a homeless man walking just in front on me with a pair of jeans over his shoulders. He was walking slowly and I soon past him. I continued walking until I came to the next crosswalk and stopped to wait for the walk sign. It was at this point I heard a voice behind me.
“Hey man” the voice said, “38, 38, 38”. I turned around to see where the voice had come from - it was the man with the jeans over his shoulder.
“Hi” I said smiling weakly.
He pulled the jeans from his shoulder and held out them towards me.
“They’re new man, just a little dirty” he smiled almost apologetically. “Are you a size 38?”
I fumbled for change in my pocket and held out the money.
“Hey, thanks man. Have a good day.” He smiled and placed the jeans back over his shoulder. I turned to face the crosswalk to see if the sign had changed - it hadn’t.
As I stood to wait again I pondered the moment that had just passed, and thought to myself.
“What does he mean size 38? Do I look like a size 38? I mean, I’m a comfortable 36 but much closer to a 34 than I was 3 months ago!”
The walk sign eventually came and I started to walk across the street. As I approached the other side I started to laugh: I laughed at my own vanity and my pathetic concern over my waistline when faced with someone so desperate, just trying to make a few dollars, just trying to survive. The number of homeless people in San Francisco is worse than I have seen in any other city and is a source of concern and embarrassment for the city.
On Thursday morning I was more than a little embarrassed.
Friday, March 11, 2005
The Place and Importance of Acceptance Tests
If unit tests give us feedback on the internal quality of our software then Acceptance Tests give us feedback on the external, behavioural quality of our software.
We naturally care about both types of quality: we know that if we do not take care of 'internal' quality then entropy will set in and the cost of change will slowly but surely rise to something approaching an exponential rate, but the user and/or business spends much less time thinking about 'internal' quality than they do about "external" quality. "Does the software do what I expect it to do?", is the most important question for the user. They rightfully assume that we are looking after internal quality, even when we are not. Acceptance tests are our behavioural contract between us as developers and whoever is paying for the software. We should strive for a more collaborative relationship than perhaps we have suffered/enjoyed in the past, but we still need to agree on what needs to be built, and ATs are a very effective, and with their potential to be automated, a very useful form to express these requirements.
We naturally care about both types of quality: we know that if we do not take care of 'internal' quality then entropy will set in and the cost of change will slowly but surely rise to something approaching an exponential rate, but the user and/or business spends much less time thinking about 'internal' quality than they do about "external" quality. "Does the software do what I expect it to do?", is the most important question for the user. They rightfully assume that we are looking after internal quality, even when we are not. Acceptance tests are our behavioural contract between us as developers and whoever is paying for the software. We should strive for a more collaborative relationship than perhaps we have suffered/enjoyed in the past, but we still need to agree on what needs to be built, and ATs are a very effective, and with their potential to be automated, a very useful form to express these requirements.
The Point of Planning
We like planning so we much we do a little ‘planning’ every day.
This was originally said about “designing” in the context of emergent design, but can equally be applied to planning. The underlying incremental principle is the same: do a little of what you need to do often, every day if possible. By taking an agile approach to planning we acknowledge that change is inevitable and we will be better served by a plan that responds to change than one that reflects some other reality. Put another way: what use, to anyone, is a plan that doesn’t reflect reality?
A plan should give us a picture of what we can expect from the team. It sets expectations between the different interested parties on what needs to be done and when we expect work to be completed. As such, it is a very important document and one we should tend with care. When we set expectations, we lay the foundation for trust in our relationships. Meeting those expectations will build trust and our relationships will improve. The benefits come from here: open and supportive dialog is enjoyed when people trust each other, and doesn’t when they don’t. When we fail to regularly meet expectations we have set, our hard earned trust will quickly erode and, once lost, is very difficult to regain.
Our aim is to have a plan that reflects our progress and one we can use to predict when we will be finished.
Is that too much to ask for?
This was originally said about “designing” in the context of emergent design, but can equally be applied to planning. The underlying incremental principle is the same: do a little of what you need to do often, every day if possible. By taking an agile approach to planning we acknowledge that change is inevitable and we will be better served by a plan that responds to change than one that reflects some other reality. Put another way: what use, to anyone, is a plan that doesn’t reflect reality?
A plan should give us a picture of what we can expect from the team. It sets expectations between the different interested parties on what needs to be done and when we expect work to be completed. As such, it is a very important document and one we should tend with care. When we set expectations, we lay the foundation for trust in our relationships. Meeting those expectations will build trust and our relationships will improve. The benefits come from here: open and supportive dialog is enjoyed when people trust each other, and doesn’t when they don’t. When we fail to regularly meet expectations we have set, our hard earned trust will quickly erode and, once lost, is very difficult to regain.
Our aim is to have a plan that reflects our progress and one we can use to predict when we will be finished.
Is that too much to ask for?
Stand-up meetings as a form of Micro-Management
(There, that got your attention.)
The client I am working with just now made a comment last week when I was explaining the purpose and mechanics of Stand-up Meetings that I wanted to come back to and address.
He asked, "Isn't this [daily Stand-up Meetings] a form of Micro Management?"
"No, of course not", I said sincerely but not wholly convinced my answer would satisfy.
Finding a better answer to this question became my weekend homework.
I started by googling for a definition of "Micro Management":
"Management "steps in" and directs the day-to-day and hour-to-hour activities of you and your co-workers in order to get things done, to deal with the (continuing) emergency.", ref http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?MicroManagement
I have added the emphasis to highlight what I consider to be the key difference, namely that the purpose of a daily stand-up is to allow the team to reflect on how it's doing and make adjustments accordingly, be they resource based, in effort or expectations. It is not the manager's job to do this for the team, it is the team's responsibility to do this for itself. Our aim is to have a barely sufficient process but to have a team that has highly effective communication mechanisms. Our aim is to have a self-organizing team. A collocated team will do most of it's communication in the minute-by-minute interactions that make up an ordinary day. Here the stand-up is often more useful for the other (let's say, higher level) stakeholders in the project; it is their chance to hear first hand what progress is being made, and what impediments are getting in the way. Where it is the latter, they are often in a position to help. If the team is distributed then the minute-by-minute interactions are no longer available to us and we must employ other mechanisms to make up for this shortcoming. In this environment, there are many other challenges but communication remains central - the stand-up meeting becomes essential if the team is to keep in sync and come close to operating at an optimum pace.
The client I am working with just now made a comment last week when I was explaining the purpose and mechanics of Stand-up Meetings that I wanted to come back to and address.
He asked, "Isn't this [daily Stand-up Meetings] a form of Micro Management?"
"No, of course not", I said sincerely but not wholly convinced my answer would satisfy.
Finding a better answer to this question became my weekend homework.
I started by googling for a definition of "Micro Management":
"Management "steps in" and directs the day-to-day and hour-to-hour activities of you and your co-workers in order to get things done, to deal with the (continuing) emergency.", ref http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?MicroManagement
I have added the emphasis to highlight what I consider to be the key difference, namely that the purpose of a daily stand-up is to allow the team to reflect on how it's doing and make adjustments accordingly, be they resource based, in effort or expectations. It is not the manager's job to do this for the team, it is the team's responsibility to do this for itself. Our aim is to have a barely sufficient process but to have a team that has highly effective communication mechanisms. Our aim is to have a self-organizing team. A collocated team will do most of it's communication in the minute-by-minute interactions that make up an ordinary day. Here the stand-up is often more useful for the other (let's say, higher level) stakeholders in the project; it is their chance to hear first hand what progress is being made, and what impediments are getting in the way. Where it is the latter, they are often in a position to help. If the team is distributed then the minute-by-minute interactions are no longer available to us and we must employ other mechanisms to make up for this shortcoming. In this environment, there are many other challenges but communication remains central - the stand-up meeting becomes essential if the team is to keep in sync and come close to operating at an optimum pace.
"All our servers are currently busy"
What is the point to technology if it does not somehow make life easier, more productive or more fun?
Our experience of using technology should be a pleasant one and yet often is neither pleasant nor especially useful. Let me give you an example that I think illustrates the point.
On Christmas day I was trying to phone home to speak to my parents. I picked up the phone, hit the speed dial number and handed the phone to my youngest daughter so that she would be the first to wish them a Happy Christmas. She held the handset close to her head and waited for an answer. And then she waited some more. Eventually she reached out to pass the phone back to me and said, “Dad, the lady says that all the servers are currently [sic] busy”. I placed the handset to my ear to listen to the “lady” repeat her message about the busy “servers”.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“Well …” my voice trailed away.
Well, what does it mean? Perhaps in a bygone age the “servers” in question were real human operators waiting to help me make a long distance call, but I wasn’t making “an operator assisted call” - I was just dialing a number. No, as I’m sure you suspected, the servers were the more common computer sort and apparently they were trying their best but just couldn’t cope with the load.
From a user experience point of view I couldn’t care less that my telco’s servers are too busy, but I do care that they can’t connect me to the person I’m trying to contact. Whatsmore, now I know there is a “problem”, I’d like to get some idea of what I should do next. Should I hold until a connection can be made or should I hang up and try again in a few minutes?
“Well … I’m not sure. Let’s try again.”
And, of course, it worked next time.
Our experience of using technology should be a pleasant one and yet often is neither pleasant nor especially useful. Let me give you an example that I think illustrates the point.
On Christmas day I was trying to phone home to speak to my parents. I picked up the phone, hit the speed dial number and handed the phone to my youngest daughter so that she would be the first to wish them a Happy Christmas. She held the handset close to her head and waited for an answer. And then she waited some more. Eventually she reached out to pass the phone back to me and said, “Dad, the lady says that all the servers are currently [sic] busy”. I placed the handset to my ear to listen to the “lady” repeat her message about the busy “servers”.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“Well …” my voice trailed away.
Well, what does it mean? Perhaps in a bygone age the “servers” in question were real human operators waiting to help me make a long distance call, but I wasn’t making “an operator assisted call” - I was just dialing a number. No, as I’m sure you suspected, the servers were the more common computer sort and apparently they were trying their best but just couldn’t cope with the load.
From a user experience point of view I couldn’t care less that my telco’s servers are too busy, but I do care that they can’t connect me to the person I’m trying to contact. Whatsmore, now I know there is a “problem”, I’d like to get some idea of what I should do next. Should I hold until a connection can be made or should I hang up and try again in a few minutes?
“Well … I’m not sure. Let’s try again.”
And, of course, it worked next time.
Q. What advice would you have liked to receive when you were a new or expectant father?
I came up with quite a few answers to this question, for example:
A. Embrace Change. ("No, wait a minute, that was for something else ...")
A. Don't worry, you'll figure it out.
A. There is no handbook. Well actually, there are lots of handbooks out there but none that will have the answers you need when you need them.
A. Talk to your Parents.
I'm not sure I could have taken much comfort from any of these answers at the time, but the last one has proven to be the most useful.
So, "Talk to your Parents".
That's right, when you're stuck and at a loss as to what you should do next, talk to your Parents because they can probably help and more importantly they will want to help.
Yes, the same people "who just don't understand" are about to become "all knowing" all over again. As children, we go through a phase where we think our Parents have all the answers. It's great while it lasts but eventually, of course, we figure out that they're human after all and come with a bagful of hope and fears like everyone else, it's just that their hopes and fears are centred around us. With all the best intentions in the world they make mistakes too.
"Aha", you think as a child, "I knew they were bluffing!"
The timing of this little epiphany couldn't be worse as for most of us it happens with the onset of the "teenage years", difficult and turbulent times. There then follows a period of growth and confusion until some point much later when WE emerge "all knowing", ready to take on the world.
Now, fast forward, and if you're lucky, you meet someone, fall in love and have your own children.
And then comes the punch line.
On the day this wonderful bundle of joy arrives in the world you realise in an instant your life will never be the same again. Never have I felt my own sense of mortality so clearly, and felt so alive, than the day when my first daughter was born. And so time passes, and soon this unique little person will start to ask you questions and come to see you as "all knowing', but you won't have all the answers, just like your parents didn't have all the answers.
And they still don't have all the answers but they do have more experience than you and answers to questions that you can't yet fathom, so do yourself a favour, make it easier on yourself and "Talk to your Parents".
[grid::fatherhood]
A. Embrace Change. ("No, wait a minute, that was for something else ...")
A. Don't worry, you'll figure it out.
A. There is no handbook. Well actually, there are lots of handbooks out there but none that will have the answers you need when you need them.
A. Talk to your Parents.
I'm not sure I could have taken much comfort from any of these answers at the time, but the last one has proven to be the most useful.
So, "Talk to your Parents".
That's right, when you're stuck and at a loss as to what you should do next, talk to your Parents because they can probably help and more importantly they will want to help.
Yes, the same people "who just don't understand" are about to become "all knowing" all over again. As children, we go through a phase where we think our Parents have all the answers. It's great while it lasts but eventually, of course, we figure out that they're human after all and come with a bagful of hope and fears like everyone else, it's just that their hopes and fears are centred around us. With all the best intentions in the world they make mistakes too.
"Aha", you think as a child, "I knew they were bluffing!"
The timing of this little epiphany couldn't be worse as for most of us it happens with the onset of the "teenage years", difficult and turbulent times. There then follows a period of growth and confusion until some point much later when WE emerge "all knowing", ready to take on the world.
Now, fast forward, and if you're lucky, you meet someone, fall in love and have your own children.
And then comes the punch line.
On the day this wonderful bundle of joy arrives in the world you realise in an instant your life will never be the same again. Never have I felt my own sense of mortality so clearly, and felt so alive, than the day when my first daughter was born. And so time passes, and soon this unique little person will start to ask you questions and come to see you as "all knowing', but you won't have all the answers, just like your parents didn't have all the answers.
And they still don't have all the answers but they do have more experience than you and answers to questions that you can't yet fathom, so do yourself a favour, make it easier on yourself and "Talk to your Parents".
[grid::fatherhood]
The First Rule of Driving
I was waiting to cross the road on the way to work this morning when I noticed that the driver waiting in the lane beside me was typing a message into their Blackberry. It's not unusual to see people sitting at the lights doing all manner of things so I didn't pay too much attention. The lights soon changed and I made my way across the road and continued down the street. A short time later the car with the Blackberry user drove past ... and the driver was still feverishly tapping at the device's tiny keyboard. I watched incredulous as the driver continued to drive with their forearms pressed against the steering wheel, clearly squinting to see what they were typing onto the tiny screen.
Talk about dangerous driving! Personally, I am happy for the few moments in the day when I am out of reach of email and can focus my attention on a book or something equally frivolous like watching where I'm driving.
Talk about dangerous driving! Personally, I am happy for the few moments in the day when I am out of reach of email and can focus my attention on a book or something equally frivolous like watching where I'm driving.
"Yes, that is a naked man"
I like going to the beach, always have done.
As a family we like going to the beach too, especially on a Sunday morning. We do the usual stuff: take a walk, perhaps kick a football around ("no, I refuse to call it a soccer ball- it's a ball and you kick it!"), and possibly, if we're feeling adventurous and it's not too windy, play Frisbee. We used to do this on a regular basis when we were in Scotland and have kept up the habit since moving to the Bay Area.
And this past Sunday was no different.
We started to throw the Frisbee around like we had done many times before. We had been doing this for maybe 10 minutes when my 5 year old daughter threw the Frisbee at an awkward angle and it spun off towards the rocks. I bounded over to pick it up and as I bent down to collect the disk I realised there was someone lying reading a book just a few meters away. At first I was surprised I hadn't noticed him before.
"Good morning", I said slightly embarrassed as he looked up from his book.
The reason for my embarrassment was because this person was stark naked - not what I was expecting. I waved the Frisbee feebly as if to offer up some explanation of why I was standing a few feet away looking a bit vague, and quickly shuffled back to where my family was waiting for my return.
"Do you realise that man has not clothes on" I said to my wife Alex, trying to be discreet.
"What man?", she said spinning around.
"I think we should move down to the other end of the beach" I said nodding towards the girls.
The girls were none the wiser as Alex suggested we move down the beach where there was ‘more space’. Jodie started to rock climb under Alex's supervision while Holly and I continued to throw the Frisbee around. We had been doing this for a few minutes when Holly turned visibly pink.
"What is it?", I asked slightly concerned.
"Behind you Dad, looook!" she said with her eyes widening. I turned to look as another naked man passed by.
"Good morning" he said as he strolled past.
I turned back to Holly who was trying hard not to giggle.
"Yes, Holly", I said. "That is a naked man, and yes, it would appear we are playing Frisbee on a nudist beach".
I can honestly say that nothing like this ever happened when I stayed in the north east of Scotland, at least not in November.
As a family we like going to the beach too, especially on a Sunday morning. We do the usual stuff: take a walk, perhaps kick a football around ("no, I refuse to call it a soccer ball- it's a ball and you kick it!"), and possibly, if we're feeling adventurous and it's not too windy, play Frisbee. We used to do this on a regular basis when we were in Scotland and have kept up the habit since moving to the Bay Area.
And this past Sunday was no different.
We started to throw the Frisbee around like we had done many times before. We had been doing this for maybe 10 minutes when my 5 year old daughter threw the Frisbee at an awkward angle and it spun off towards the rocks. I bounded over to pick it up and as I bent down to collect the disk I realised there was someone lying reading a book just a few meters away. At first I was surprised I hadn't noticed him before.
"Good morning", I said slightly embarrassed as he looked up from his book.
The reason for my embarrassment was because this person was stark naked - not what I was expecting. I waved the Frisbee feebly as if to offer up some explanation of why I was standing a few feet away looking a bit vague, and quickly shuffled back to where my family was waiting for my return.
"Do you realise that man has not clothes on" I said to my wife Alex, trying to be discreet.
"What man?", she said spinning around.
"I think we should move down to the other end of the beach" I said nodding towards the girls.
The girls were none the wiser as Alex suggested we move down the beach where there was ‘more space’. Jodie started to rock climb under Alex's supervision while Holly and I continued to throw the Frisbee around. We had been doing this for a few minutes when Holly turned visibly pink.
"What is it?", I asked slightly concerned.
"Behind you Dad, looook!" she said with her eyes widening. I turned to look as another naked man passed by.
"Good morning" he said as he strolled past.
I turned back to Holly who was trying hard not to giggle.
"Yes, Holly", I said. "That is a naked man, and yes, it would appear we are playing Frisbee on a nudist beach".
I can honestly say that nothing like this ever happened when I stayed in the north east of Scotland, at least not in November.
Postings from America
I've recently moved with my familiy from the UK to sunny San Francisco. My intention is to use this blog to record my experiences and observations of a strange and yet familiar country which for the forceable future I will call home.
I also intend to use this blog space for airing ideas on work related interests ... but more of that later.
I also intend to use this blog space for airing ideas on work related interests ... but more of that later.
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