Keeping up with IT is a tough business. There is always something new, and the current Big Thing is liable to be the next Old Thing (Old Hat?) fast enough to make your head spin. Sometimes it feels like it is almost impossible to keep up.

The statistics I have seen recently give me a euphoric feeling about the pace of Agile adoption. However, I feel that most of the so-called "Agile projects" are just the "water-Scrum-fall," which no one is willing to admit. I could list various reasons behind the failure, but one thing that stands out clearly is a poor Agile adoption strategy.

A while back, I was talking to an IT executive about a recent downsizing exercise that his company had gone through. As a result of an early buyout, the IT organization had persuaded 100+ people to take early retirement, which was roughly 10% of the IT group's full-time employees.

 As business professionals we're trained (or born) to value data and analysis. Despite a plentitude of data and analysis, however, many decisions do not result in the desired outcome. The problem, as I'll describe in this Executive Update, is not about the volume of data or days of analysis; it is the data and analysis mindset itself.

Depending on their maturity (as determined by the Social Media Maturity Model we describe in Measuring the ROI of Social Media and Social Media Analysis Investments, companies can leverage the advantages of social media using the 4C strategy, which consists of Content, Communication, Community, and Collaboration (see Table 1):

Depending on their maturity (as determined by the Social Media Maturity Model we describe in Measuring the ROI of Social Media and Social Media Analysis Investments, companies can leverage the advantages of social media using the 4C strategy, which consists of Content, Communication, Community, and Collaboration (see Table 1):

This Executive Report suggests temporary fixes that can be adapted by project managers constrained by traditional models when facing Agile projects. These fixes include: management reserve, a bundled change-request process, and integrated release strategies. The report also provides an enterprise-level permanent solution for the effective management of Agile and other complex projects.

Today there are still many project managers trapped in traditional linear project management models such as the standard waterfall or rapid development waterfall. When these managers encounter complex projects using these models, they put project success in harm's way. They try to force fit these complex projects into their linear models with marginal results. If you are a project manager facing this situation, what can you do?

Most current IT managers and enterprise architects have come up through the ranks of traditional programming, systems design, and systems analysis.

Most current IT managers and enterprise architects have come up through the ranks of traditional programming, systems design, and systems analysis.

By looking closely at both the current year's data and the historical changes, we have an opportunity to gain insight into what really matters to our survey respondents, where they want to go, and how they intend to get there.

In this edition of Cutter IT Journal, we offer opinions and perspectives on how an Agile architecture increases the value teams deliver to their organizations. We also seek insight on the possible challenges and risks faced by project teams working within an Agile architecture framework, as well as specific practices that can ensure your team's Agile transformation executes smoothly.

In this article, we present lessons learned about the characteristics of an Agile architecture that enabled an organization to develop its architecture in an Agile manner and continue to rapidly deliver features when more stringent quality attribute requirements emerged.

Agile teams rally around the theme of "eliminating waste." DevOps teams rally around the theme of "breaking down organizational pillars." In both, freeing up resources to do work that delivers value to users/customers is paramount. The benefits (and limitations) of the practices that result from these themes need to be understood to execute the practices successfully. In this article, we focus on one aspect: applying automation. Automation is an obvious way to free up resources and increase agility, because it replaces the need for humans to perform certain repetitive tasks, it is not a constrained resource in the way that headcount is, and it typically executes tasks faster and more repeatably than humans can.

If what you mean by "Agile architecture" is software architecture compatible with Agile development methodologies, then you'll likely end up with higher-quality software, but it won't be any better able to support the organization's agility requirements than any other software. For that you need a new architecture paradigm.

Say "42" to any geek, and they will know immediately what you mean.

Traditional performance management rarely assesses a person's actual performance. Most managers focus instead on one's behaviors and skills. In addition, managers rarely evaluate outcomes achieved by an individual or team member -- such as monetary results or quantifiable validated learning, however the team defines them -- which would instead ensure that individuals be accountable to each other and their teams' commitments.

 Negotiating within relationships is difficult. The importance of the relationship causes you to want to give in to the other party, making it harder to negotiate effectively for your own needs. Your own preconceptions, narratives, fears, and emotions also impact these negotiations, causing difficulties in thinking clearly and behaving strategically. Indeed, to be effective, you must prepare extensively, listen for the other person’s needs, and manage your emotions in real time. This Executive Report outlines how to take these steps, so you can negotiate effectively to meet your interests while simultaneously maintaining and building your relationships.

In negotiations, there is always a tension between trying to achieve the most effective outcomes for your side of the table and trying to build and maintain relationships with the other parties.

Over the past decade those associated with EA frameworks have become familiar with the common components: business architecture, data (information) architecture, application architecture, and technology.

In this Update, we examine what leading architects use to manage effective communication regarding enterprise architecture. We start by looking at the factors needed to create a good Architecture Communication Framework.

Risk management is central to the concept of resilience, and the ability to manage risk has grown significantly through the increasing sophistication of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) systems.

Risk management is central to the concept of resilience, and the ability to manage risk has grown significantly through the increasing sophistication of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) systems.