2 Steps Towards Productivity Bliss: Stop Procrastinating

By Magnus Nord

productivity

“It’s the job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish.
” Sam said in The Fellowship of the Ring.

I think that summarizes procrastination pretty well, which is the second way towards productivity: stop procrastinating.

In the previous post I wrote about setting up a system to get organized. Being organized doesn’t help much if you procrastinate though.

So, why do people procrastinate?

2 Steps Towards Productivity Bliss: Get Organized

By Magnus Nord

productivity

Ever wondered why some people seem to get more work done, and in less time, too?

Ever found yourself sitting at the desk with work piling up and 100+ emails in the inbox, not knowing where to start?

This series will help you get underway to become more productive and get work done in time for Friday night at the local pub.

How to Handle a Bad Career Move

By Magnus Nord

career

I recently talked to a friend that felt he had done a bad career move lately. When that happens it can be really frustrating, and it made me think about what to do in situations like that.

When lost in the wilderness, you might want to remember the STOP acronym which stands for Stop, Think, Observe and Plan.

As it turns out, this acronym works well in other contexts, too. Being lost in your career is no exception. Though some other tips like "make a fire" and "look for shelter" might not be relevant.

What Should a Software Testing Plan Include?

By Magnus Nord

vipA software testing plan provides the backbone of the entire software design, development and installation process. Carefully considering all the aspects of a testing plan will help ensure success when starting the software design process, giving a clear direction and path. The testing plan provides information as to how success is defined and how it will be achieved – these are key aspects to making sure the product designed will address the actual needs of the internal or external client.

Zen of Scrum: Product Backlog and The Story Behind

By Magnus Nord

yin-yang

The product backlog is the bucket from which you pull work. It’s a list of all items that potentially make it into the product. It’s the single source of requirements. That sounds easy enough. Perhaps it is, too. Yet sometimes it isn’t obvious what to put in the backlog, and how to select what items to work on next.

One challenge is to manage non-features such as technical items and bugs (in the rare case you have any, of course). People have different strategies to deal with the not-so-obvious stuff.

Zen of Scrum: Definition of Done

By Magnus Nord

yin-yangA common reason for disagreements is differing definitions. I once had a discussion with a friend about egoism and people’s ability to do truly altruistic acts. After an hour though, we suddenly couldn’t agree more. That was when we decided to define egoism.

Defining what done means is essential of exactly this reason. If you don't know what people mean by "done", how do you have meaningful conversations about progress and the state of work? How can you be confident when asking for estimates?

Three Tips for Effective Communication

By Magnus Nord

handshakeCommunicating is inevitable at work, and good communication skills are key to happiness and success.

Only one thing is more difficult than being good at giving constructive criticism: being good at receiving it.

Being able to say no is not always easy either. Have you ever accepted a deadline or yielded on a time estimate although you know it’s impossible?

Here are three techniques/mnemonic rules that can help you communicate more efficiently.