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Showing posts from January, 2010

Bashing the iPad - but will you purchase?

The question is not will the iPad do everything you or I wish it to, clearly Apple did not intend it to be the One Device to Rule Them All.  Apple's intent has been clear for several years.  Jobs stated the intent in a speech 9 years ago: The digital hub strategy. "The Mac," Jobs said, "can become the 'digital hub' of our emerging digital lifestyle, adding tremendous value to our other digital devices." "Jobs laid out a path of PC evolution that defined the early 80s as an initial 'golden age' of computing based on productivity software, which began to wane in the early 90s.  A 'second golden age' began in the mid-1990s with the rise of Internet; but it too began to lose its momentum by 2000.  Jobs said he believed a third age would focus on a digital lifestyle, driven by an 'explosion of digital devices.'" -- by Phil Simon The Age of the Platform Steve Jobs introduces the "Digital Hub... by HiltonRobb

Visible Progress the Best Motivator

Scrum uses a burn down graph to track progress. Turns out this is a powerful motivator. An article in Harvard Business Review discusses a survey of 600 managers on motivation in the workplace.  The number one motivator from manager's perception is recognition for good work .  However a multi-year study tracking workers has a very different finding.  Contrary to manager's belief workers define that progress is the top motivator. "On days when workers have the sense they're making headway in their jobs, or when they receive support that helps them overcome obstacles, their emotions are most positive and their drive to succeed is at its peak." Note the removal of impediments in the quote above. The article supports the Scrum practices of tracking progress every day, of removing impediments, and of celebration of progress toward the companies goals. An interesting TED video is Dan Pink's talk ' The surprising science of motivation '.  Where h