Synopses & Reviews
Every business is a software business, and every business can profit from improved software processes
Leadership, Teamwork, and Trust discusses the critical importance of knowledge work to the success of modern organizations. It explains concrete and necessary steps for reshaping the way in which software development, specifically, is conducted. A sequel to Humphrey’s influential Winning with Software, this book presents new and copious data to reinforce his widely adopted methods for transforming knowledge work into a significant and sustainable competitive advantage, thereby realizing remarkable returns. Humphrey addresses here the broader business community—executives and senior managers who must recognize that today, every business is a software business.
Review
“Watts Humphrey has always emphasized the importance of measurement in software development, and this theme has permeated his previous contributions in CMM, TSP, and PSP.
Leadership, Teamwork, and Trust continues this mantra and compiles valuable lessons into principles and patterns that are consumable by executives and leaders. Measured improvement is the differentiator of successful projects and market-leading software organizations. If you want to learn to steer such endeavors, this book will provide some valuable insights.”
—Walker Royce
Vice President, Chief Software Economist
IBM
“How to successfully manage knowledge workers is definitely the first of the really big business management challenges of the twenty-first century. Now Watts Humphrey and James Over are able to show how improving leadership, teamwork, and trust are at the heart of what needs to be done and to explain exactly how empowerment, productivity, and profitability are deeply intertwined. This book provides expert guidance on how to reliably bring knowledge work in on time, on budget, and to the correct specification—something that the software engineering industry has been grappling with for decades. There is a better way, and this is it!”
—Mark Smith
Global Director of Quality (2000 to 2010) and former Senior Executive, Global PSQ,
and Certifications Director, Accenture
“Read this book if you’re a team leader, manager, or executive responsible for knowledge-working teams. Benchmark your own principles and practices for team motivation, high product quality, and sustained competitive results against industry leaders. Based on their extensive software industry experience, Watts Humphrey and Jim Over present the techniques that empower self-directed knowledge-working teams to produce superior work, both predictably and at the lowest cost. Software organizations will be compelled to try the Team Software Process (TSP), as we did in Microsoft IT with great success.”
—Aiden Wayne
Information Solutions General Manager
Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division
“I want you to know that TSP is one of the most valuable innovations implemented in the Beckman Coulter product development process since I joined the company in 2002. Software has become increasingly important to the success of our instrument systems. And in our business, quality is the most important factor for success. TSP gives us a path to better development time to market and superior quality. We are true believers.”
—Scott Garrett
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
“Stock exchanges are businesses that have been shaken in recent years by new regulations and unprecedented competition driven by technology. The Mexican Stock Exchange is no exception and is currently immersed in its most important process of business and technological transformation since its creation in the nineteenth century. Understanding that the competitiveness of the exchange will come mostly from its technology platform, we have recognized the value of knowledge work and its management challenges. We adopted TSP/PSP, with coaching from the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon, for managing the execution of our most critical software projects. Results so far are very good, and we plan to gradually extend the TSP/PSP practice across the company.”
—Enrique Ibarra
Director, General Adjunto de Tecnologias del Grupo Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (Mexican Stock Exchange)
“Watts Humphrey has done more to advance the science of Software Quality Management than anyone I know. His work has had an immense, positive impact on how I lead software organizations. If you want software that is better quality, faster to the market, and cheaper to build, then Watts Humphrey and Jim Over have a tremendous amount of wisdom to share. Great stuff.”
—Michael J. Cullen
Vice President, Quality
Oracle Communications Global Business Unit
“I’m very impressed with the results of TSP in my organization. It is possible to see the difference made by applying these new knowledge-management methods. With TSP, you can adjust your processes, make them leaner, and obtain high-performance teams. This book is perfect guidance for all executives and managers who want to introduce those methods into their organizations.”
—Joao Barracose
Senior Manager, Development Systems
BBVA BANCOMER (Mexico)
“PSP and TSP have proved to be incredibly successful means for my engineering teams and managers to make and meet their business commitments. Getting high-quality automotive infotainment and head-unit software developed by geographically and culturally separated teams on increasingly tight schedules demands the disciplined engineering and management techniques outlined and referenced in this great new book!”
—Peter Abowd
President, Worldwide Automotive Business
Altia, Inc.
Synopsis
Every business is a software business, and every business can profit from improved software processes
Leadership, Teamwork, and Trust discusses the critical importance of knowledge work to the success of modern organizations. It explains concrete and necessary steps for reshaping the way in which software development, specifically, is conducted. A sequel to Humphrey’s influential Winning with Software, this book presents new and copious data to reinforce his widely adopted methods for transforming knowledge work into a significant and sustainable competitive advantage, thereby realizing remarkable returns. Humphrey addresses here the broader business community—executives and senior managers who must recognize that today, every business is a software business.
About the Author
Watts S. Humphrey (1927–2010) was a senior fellow at the SEI, following a long career as a manager and executive at IBM. He was the founder of the SEI’s Software Process Program and primary author of the SEI’s software process maturity model, which evolved into CMMI. He also led development of the Personal Software Process (PSP) and the Team Software Process (TSP). In 2005, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology—the highest honor given by the president of the United States to America’s leading innovators. Humphrey’s publications include thirteen books.
James W. Over is manager of the SEI’s TSP Initiative and a senior member of the technical staff. Over has led the TSP Initiative since its inception and has received the SEI Director’s Award for Excellence, the SEI Software Engineering Process Management Director’s award for Quality Innovation, and an award from Boeing Corporation for innovation and leadership in software process improvement. He has more than thirty-five years of technical and management experience.
Table of Contents
Preface xv Acknowledgments xxi
Chapter 1: Creative Destruction 1
Corporate Churn 1
Knowledge Work 3
The Urgency of Change 4
The Softtek Story 8
The Softtek Experience 9
What Next? 11
Summary and Conclusions 12
References 13
Chapter 2: The Bureaucracy 15
Why Organizations Need a Bureaucracy 15
The Software Crisis 16
The Quarksoft Story 18
The Quarksoft Management System 20
The Quarksoft Executive Team 23
Managing the Bureaucracy 26
Summary and Conclusions 27
Chapter 3: Knowledge Work 29
The Nature of Knowledge Work 30
Why Knowledge Work Is Troublesome 31
Why Customers Tolerate Shoddy Software Work 32
Why Software’s Problems Persist 34
Is There a Better Way? 34
A Knowledge-Working Team 35
Team Accomplishments 40
The Future of Knowledge Work 42
Summary and Conclusions 43
References 44
Chapter 4: Managing Knowledge Work 45
Taylor’s Management Principles 46
The Modern Technical Workplace 48
Modern Technical Work 49
Modern Technical Workers 50
The Principles of Managing Knowledge Work 51
Trusting Knowledge Workers 53
The Blame Culture 56
The Need for Trust 57
Trustworthy Knowledge-Working Teams 58
Using Facts and Data 59
Quality Must Be the Top Priority 60
Team Leadership and Support 61
Summary and Conclusions 61
References 62
Chapter 5: Motivating Knowledge Workers 65
Management and Worker Objectives 65
The Nature of Team Motivation 66
The Knowledge-Working Culture 68
The Elements of Trust 69
The Start-Up Problem 70
Self-Management Tasks 71
Making Cost, Schedule, and Quality Plans 72
Recording Data 75
Using an Operational Process 76
Tracking and Reporting Progress 79
Self-Management Training 84
Overcoming Skepticism 85
Summary and Conclusions 86
References 87
Chapter 6: Motivating Knowledge-Working Teams 89
Beckman Coulter 89
Beckman Coulter’s First TSP Team 90
Team Commitment 92
Management Behavior 95
Building Self-Directed Teams 97
Management Issues 98
Management Style 100
Summary and Conclusions 104
Chapter 7: Managing with Facts and Data 107
Auditable Data 107
Auditing TSP Data 111
Using TSP Data 112
Communicating with Data 120
Summary and Conclusions 122
References 124
Chapter 8: Managing Quality 125
Make Quality the Top Priority 125
The Software Quality Problem 128
The Testing Problem 132
Software Quality Economics 136
The Quality Transformation 139
The Beckman Coulter Team 141
Summary and Conclusions 142
References 143
Chapter 9: Leadership 145
Goals 147
Support 152
Motivation 155
Standards of Excellence 156
Execution 157
Summary and Conclusions 158
References 160
Appendix A: Will the TSP Work in My Organization? 161
Appendix A Overview 162
Who Is Using the TSP? 164
What Types of Applications Have Been Developed with the TSP? 167
Will the TSP Support Our Projects and Teams? 168
What Will It Cost to Implement the TSP? 169
TSP Return on Investment 171
How Long Will It Take to Implement the TSP? 174
How Do I Get Started? 176
Conclusion 185
References 185
Appendix B: Getting Started 187
Appendix B Overview 187
The TSP Introduction Strategy 188
The Principles of Change Management 190
Establishing the TSP Implementation Team 194
Building a Strong Coaching Team 199
The TSP Pilot Programs 201
Implementing the TSP for a Project Team 205
Training 211
The TSP Launch Process 214
Management’s Role in the TSP Process 218
Summary 229
References 230
Appendix C: Expanding TSP Use 231
The Overall Implementation Strategy 232
The Overall Rollout Plan 232
Building Local Sponsorship 237
Developing the Local Implementation Plan 239
Building Coaching Capability 240
Other Capability Requirements 244
When and Where to Use the TSP 245
Summary 255
References 255
Appendix D: Using the TSP to Manage Programs 257
The Program Management Problem 258
Establishing Aggressive but Realistic Plans 259
Monitoring Program Status 266
Identifying and Resolving Issues 270
Managing Quality 275
Dealing with the Customer 281
Management’s Continuing Responsibilities 283
Summary 285
References 286
Appendix E: Sustaining the TSP 287
Why Continuous Improvement Is Important 287
Improvement Examples 288
Improvement Risks 291
The Principles of Lasting Improvement 293
Executive Financial Reviews 295
The Executive Quality Review 298
The Executive Role in Continuous Improvement 301
References 305
About the Authors 307
Index 311