Working Harder, Not Smarter

Jon Kale

Working Harder, Not Smarter: New advances in enterprise software delivery methodologies discusses how the world's biggest consulting organizations and systems integrators have overcome the skills crisis.

The specific approach considered is the use of stochastic and Monte Carlo techniques to enable architects, developers and testers of all levels of skill to contribute to a project's success through a process colloquially known as "tossing crap at the wall and seeing what sticks." Customer satisfaction is enhanced through an approach I characterize as "rampant presentee-ism"; when combined with a completely reactive process to change management which prioritizes immediate activity, the customer can feel that he is the boss of his software delivery and that all possible efforts are being made to make his software delivery a success.

While this technique can often lead to great success on its own, it can be synergistically enhanced through the deployment of the Hot Potato program management methodology to deliver increased levels of promotion to the majority of stakeholders in a project delivery; the Hot Potato methodology, often seen in organizations which combine an up-or-out approach to career management with practicing 360-degree reviews, allows hermetically-sealed bubbles of incompetence to float up a hierarchy by the simple expedient of never being left holding the delivery baby. Basic and advanced techniques that enable attendees to avoid baby-holding will be discussed in the post-session workshop.