Change Done Well
Last updated on 2014-09-13
About the Book
Change Done Well is the ninth volume in the highly acclaimed Quality Software series. In it, renowned author, Gerald M. Weinberg, illustrates how to create a supportive environment for improving software engineering —an environment in which your organization can realize long-lasting gains in quality and productivity by learning how to manage change.
The history of software engineering is riddled with failed attempts to improve quality and productivity without first creating a supportive environment. Many managers spend their money on tools, methodologies, outsourcing, training, and application packages, but these managers rarely spend anything to improve the way in which these hoped-for improvements are adopted and used correctly.
From systems thinking to project management to technology transfer to the interaction of culture and process, Change Done Well analyzes transformation from a broad range of perspectives, providing a breadth of awareness essential for successful transformation to high-quality software creation.
Topics include:
• Starting Projects Correctly
• Sustaining Projects Correctly
• Terminating Projects Properly
• Building Faster By Building Smaller
• Protecting Information Assets
• Managing Design
• Introducing Technology
• The Diagram of Effects
• The Software Engineering Cultural Patterns
• The Satir Interaction Model
• Control Models
• The Three Observer Positions
• and much more
Table of Contents
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Change Done Well
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Chapter 1. Starting Projects Correctly
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1.1 Project Prerequisites
- 1.1.2 Congruence and risk analysis
- 1.1.3 Win/win negotiation
- 1.2.1 Phrases to listen for
- 1.2.2 Actions to take
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1.3 Guidelines
- 1.3.1 Phrases to listen for
- 1.3.2 Actions to take
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1.4 Resources
- 1.4.1 Phrases to listen for
- 1.4.2 Actions to take
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1.5 Accountability
- 1.5.1 Phrases to listen for
- 1.5.2 Actions to take
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1.6 Consequences
- 1.6.1 Phrases to listen for
- 1.6.2 Actions to take
- 1.6.3 The Hudson’s Bay Start
- 1.7 Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- 1.8 Summary
- 1.9 Practice
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1.1 Project Prerequisites
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Chapter 2. Sustaining Projects Correctly
- 2.1 The Waterfall Model
- 2.2 The Cascade Model
- 2.3 Iterative Enhancement
- 2.4 Reusable Code
- 2.5 Prototyping
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2.6 Replanning
- 2.6.1 New information
- 2.6.2 Slack
- 2.6.3 Mixing methodologies
- 2.7 Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- 2.8 Summary
- 2.9 Practice
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Chapter 3. Terminating Projects Properly
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3.1 Testing
- 3.1.1 Two kinds of testing
- 3.1.2 Phrases to listen for
- 3.1.3 Actions to take
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3.2 Testing versus Hacking
- 3.2.1 Loops in process diagrams: the Downfall Model
- 3.2.2 Unrolling loops
- 3.2.3 No loops
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3.3 Ways to Know When a Project Is Failing
- 3.3.1 Phrases to listen for
- 3.3.2 Actions to take
- 3.3.3 The earliest sign
- 3.3.4 The latest sign
- 3.3.5 Morale deterioration
- 3.4 Rebirthing a Project
- 3.5 Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- 3.6 Summary
- 3.7 Practice
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3.1 Testing
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Chapter 4. Building Faster By Building Smaller
- 4.1 What Does Smaller Mean?
- 4.2 Reduce the Scope of the Specification
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4.3 Eliminate The Worst Part
- 4.3.1 Error-prone modules
- 4.3.2 Effects of reduction on fault location time
- 4.3.3 Eliminate what hasn’t been finished
- 4.3.4 Eliminate the least valuable part
- 4.3.5 Deliver with faults
- 4.3.6 Deliver with features
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4.4 Eliminate As Early As Possible
- 4.4.1 Prepare people for the reduction
- 4.4.2 Extend the schedule
- 4.4.3 Be realistic and be courageous
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4.5 Manage Late-Arriving Requirements
- 4.5.1 Trading time for requirements
- 4.5.2 Making a business case
- 4.6 Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- 4.7 Summary
- 4.8 Practice
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Chapter 5. Protecting Information Assets
- 5.1 Code Libraries
- 5.2 Data Dictionaries
- 5.3 Standards
- 5.4 Designs
- 5.5 Test Libraries and Histories
- 5.6 Other Documents
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5.7 Improving Asset Protection
- 5.7.1 Measuring cost and value
- 5.7.2 Controlling the inputs
- 5.7.3 Controlling the outputs
- 5.7.4 Controlling the process
- 5.8 Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- 5.9 Summary
- 5.10 Practice
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Chapter 6. Managing Design
- 6.1 The Life Cycle of a Design Innovation
- 6.2 Design Dynamics
- 6.3 The Sir Edmund Hillary School
- 6.4 The Frank Lloyd Wright Syndrome
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6.5 The Ted Williams Theory
- 6.5.1 Do it right the first time
- 6.5.2 Don’t be greedy
- 6.5.3 Create slack
- 6.5.4 Keep it simple
- 6.6 Too Many Cooks
- 6.7 Oops!
- 6.8 Helpful Hints and Suggestions
- 6.9 Summary
- 6.10 Practice
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Chapter 7. Introducing Technology
- 7.1 Surveying the Tool Culture
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7.2 Technology and Culture
- 7.2.1 Oblivious (Pattern 0)
- 7.2.2 Variable (Pattern 1)
- 7.2.3 Routine (Pattern 2)
- 7.2.4 Steering (Pattern 3)
- 7.2.5 Anticipating (Pattern 4)
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7.3 The Laws of Technology Transfer
- 7.3.1 The First Law of Technology Transfer
- 7.3.2 Temperament and the Second Law of Technology Transfer
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7.4 From Crisis to Calm Configuration Control
- 7.4.1 Benefits
- 7.4.2 A simple test of configuration control
- 7.4.3 An old-fashioned configuration control system
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7.5 The Ten Commandments of Technology Transfer
- 7.5.1 Thou shalt have a plan to lead thee out of the wilderness
- 7.5.2 Thou shalt not worship thy plan.
- 7.5.3 Thou shalt ask for no person in vain.
- 7.5.4 Thou shalt not work seven days a week.
- 7.5.5 Thou shalt honor thy users and listen to them.
- 7.5.6 Thou shalt not kill support for change.
- 7.5.7 Thou shalt not adulterate the work.
- 7.5.8 Thou shalt not steal resources from the work.
- 7.5.9 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy plan.
- 7.5.10 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s optimal technology.
- 7.6 The Eleventh Commandment
- 7.7 Helpful Hints and Variations
- 7.8 Summary
- 7.9 Practice
- Epilogue
- Appendix A: The Diagram of Effects
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Appendix B: The Software Engineering Cultural Patterns
- Pattern 0. Oblivious Process
- Pattern 1: Variable Process
- Pattern 2: Routine Process
- Pattern 3: Steering Process
- Pattern 4: Anticipating Process
- Pattern 5: Congruent Process
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Appendix C. The Satir Interaction Model
- Intake.
- Meaning.
- Significance.
- Response.
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Appendix D. Control Models
- D.1. The Aggregate Control Model
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D.2. Cybernetic Control Models
- D.2.1 The system to be controlled (the focus of Patterns 0 and 1)
- D.2.2 The controller (the focus of Pattern 2)
- D.2.3 Feedback control (the focus of Pattern 3)
- Appendix E. The Three Observer Positions
- What Next?
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Chapter 1. Starting Projects Correctly
Bundles that include this book
About the Author
I've always been interested in helping smart people be happy and productive. To that end, I've published books on human behavior, including Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method, The Psychology of Computer Programming, Perfect Software and Other Fallacies, and an Introduction to General Systems Thinking. I've also written books on leadership including Becoming a Technical Leader, The Secrets of Consulting (Foreword by Virginia Satir), More Secrets of Consulting, and the nine-volume Quality Software series.
I try to incorporate my knowledge of science, engineering, and human behavior into all of my writing and consulting work (with writers, hi-tech researchers, software engineers, and people whose life-situation could require the use of a service dog). I write novels about such people, including The Aremac Project, Aremac Power, Jigglers, First Stringers, Second Stringers, The Hands of God, Freshman Murders, Where There's a Will There's a Murder, Earth's Endless Effort, and Mistress of Molecules—all about how my brilliant protagonists produce quality work and learn to be happy. My books that are not yet on Leanpub may be found as eBooks at <http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JerryWeinberg>; on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B000AP8TZ8; and at Barnes and Noble bookstore: http://tinyurl.com/4eudqk5.
Early in my career, I was the architect for the Project Mercury's space tracking network and designer of the world's first multiprogrammed operating system. I won the Warnier Prize, the Stevens Award, and the first Software Testing Professionals' Luminary Award, all for my writing on software quality. I was also elected a charter member of the Computing Hall of Fame in San Diego and chosen for the University of Nebraska Hall of Fame.
But the "award" I'm most proud of is the book, The Gift of Time (Fiona Charles, ed.) written by my student and readers for my 75th birthday. Their stories make me feel that I've been at least partially successful at helping smart people be happy.
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