IT Project Management - life on the front line

Done? To call a story 'Done-Done' we should refer to two things: the acceptance criteria for each story the team’s Definition of Done The DoD is defined by the team and should be updated whenever it seems appropriate e.g if there's a big change in the team or the work; or the team simply sees the need for a change. If you have project based teams, it's something to agree before timebox 1 kicks off. If you're more product based and continuously working through an ever growing backlog, slot it into a timebox kick-off, a retro (if that's where it was discussed) or just grab 10 minutes after the daily stand-up. An Example: Here's a basic example created by a team I was working with: ---------------------------------------------------------- A. Dev done ---- Code review done ---- Unit Tests written and passing ---- Integration tests written and passing B. Test complete ---- Manual Testing complete – Acceptance Met ---- Automation Tests written and ...

Who doesn't enjoy the warm glow of validation that comes from having others strongly agree with their opinions? It's a great feeling; it's encouraging,  and a gentle massage to our self-confidence. Without this experience, all but the most arrogant of us would soon be wracked with self-doubt, so it's certainly not a bad thing. But... everything in moderation! At time-of-writing I'm in the position of having a team who are incredibly comfortable in voicing their opinion.  Whether they're just brutal or a little further along the spectrum than the average developer I can't be certain, but I do know I can rely on hearing their opinions. Not a great environment if you're sensitive, but it does force me to challenge my views, thoughts, and actions on a regular basis.  And on the assumption that I'm not always correct, which my wife assures me is the case, that's a great thing! Why? Because living inside your comfort zone 24/7 can only re...