Tag Archives: management
Middle Management
Corporate management notices that the monthly output from the Troy plant has been slowly but steadily dropping. The workers must be slacking off. They send in a new plant manager to shake things up and whip those losers into shape. … Continue reading
Management Q&A #1
Dear Bob: What would you say about a consulting project manager who says to a member of his team, “stop talking because what you are saying doesn’t make any sense,” in front of the entire team and the clients on … Continue reading
In The Beginning…Jim McCarthy’s Dynamics of Software Development
The history of software engineering is marked by recurring crises of complexity, cost overruns, and failed deliveries. In response, management philosophies have evolved from rigid, plan-driven models toward more adaptive and human-centered approaches. Jim McCarthy’s Dynamics of Software Development (1995) … Continue reading
Toxic Management Culture
A toxic management culture is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and values that create a negative and harmful work environment for employees. Toxic managers are often abusive, manipulative, dishonest, unethical, incompetent, or indifferent to the well-being of their subordinates. They … Continue reading
Faster Horses
This article at Ars Technica about Microsoft’s continued failure in emerging non-Windows-centric markets is a prime illustration of a pattern that should seem familiar to anyone who has followed the technology business for any length of time. A company is … Continue reading
Teaching Developers to Lie
I have been at this for over twenty-five years and it amazes me that the same dysfunctional interactions between management and development teams continues to play itself out over and over again wherever I go. It never fails. Management asks … Continue reading