Steve Neiderhauser

How to Refactor Software

In software, refactoring software means that the developer rewrites software to make it more flexible and easier to maintain.

Here's a great description of refactor software. I like the various tips and techniques for splitting refactors.

Silence is a Skill

Dave, an Agile coach, asks the developer a powerful question, then waits in silence. A few short seconds later a product owner interrupts the silence and says, “Give him a clue. What’s the answer?”

The product owner never saw Dave practicing the invisible skill of silence. Silence gives the developer an opportunity to search for the answer. Dave ignores the impatient product owner. The developer answers the question in a way that enlightens his solution to a problem.

Two keys to Agile coaching: Asking powerful questions and listening at a deep level.

Seven Ways to Revitalize Your Retrospectives

Esther Derby provides seven ways to pump life into your sprint retrospective.

If you're on a Scrum team you may notice your retrospective sounds like a frozen record -- What worked well? What could we improve on?

So I used a new set of questions last week by playing Actions for Retrospectives. The Scrum team said the four questions helped them generate more ideas, and they want to play the game again.