The SPaMCAST 589 features our essay on using clean language to refine requirements. Clean Language's pedigree is from psychotherapy and has found a home in coaching. It is also a valuable tool for discovering information about work products. As product managers, product owners, and stakeholders interact with the world and then describe a set of wants and needs they use metaphors. Clean language helps us unpack those metaphors.

We also have a visit from Susan Parente who brings her Not A Scrumdamentalist Column to the podcast. Susan delivers thoughts and ideas about virtual agile. Reach out to Susan at [email protected].

Re-Read Saturday News

This week we tackle Chapter 2 of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, Switzler. Chapter 2, titled Mastering Crucial Conversations: The Power of Dialogue. The chapter begins with a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that highlights the problem with staying silent. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

Week 1 - Logistics, Forewards, and Preface - http://bit.ly/2wls1Mq

Week 2 - Chapter 1: What's a crucial conversation? And who cares? - http://bit.ly/3a7Kivp

If you do not have a copy or have tossed it at someone during a crucial conversation, it is time to buy a copy. Please use the link https://amzn.to/34RuZ6V (using the link helps support the blog and podcast).

New side venture!

Jon M Quigley and I are starting an online book club to read and discuss the classic books that underpin the lean, quality and agile movements. The name is "Quality, Agile, and Lean Classic Books: Greatness in the Workplace". The first book is Out Of The Crisis by Deming (don't have a copy — https://amzn.to/32XAH81)

We are starting our dialog on Friday, April 10th and the event will run over 7 sessions (we will avoid as many religious and national holidays as possible). We are only opening 10 seats for each group of sessions. We are changing a one time fee of $3.13 which equates to 4.95 (ish) once Eventbrite factors in their fees to encourage people that sign up to show up.

Each session will be outlined in the supplemental material provided for the book club. The materials will include definitions of keywords and a series of questions to ponder for each chapter as you read through the book. We are limiting the book club to 10 participants to facilitate ease of discussion of the text and to allow interaction. Tom Cagley and Jon M Quigley will be your guides through the material, posing follow on questions that guide you through the exploration of the work.

Note, we will record each of the sessions in case everyone will not be able to attend every week.

Sign up at http://bit.ly/2IsPPkf

Next SPaMCAST

The SPaMCAST 590 will feature my interview with Nancy Kastl. Nacy and I discussed testing and the future of the testing profession. Is the future of testing purely automation and machine learning? You will find out next Sunday!