April book review: Collaboration Explained

When I started this column in January 2008, I wanted to share my book recommendations with a wider audience and solicit feedback from our blog readers. Let me first say that I am very happy and grateful for all your insightful questions and suggestions. Thank you for subscribing to our blog and reading books featured in our monthly column!

Based on your comments, the books that are going to be discussed over the next several months are closely related to the books already reviewed in 2008 and 2009. This month, we will continue the theme of collaboration culture and facilitative leadership started in February: "Facilitate with Ease!" by Ingrid Bens.

Jean Tabaka
Collaboration Explained. Facilitation Skills for Software Project Leaders.

In this book, Jean Tabaka describes the benefits of a consensus-based leadership approach and participatory decision-making. She explains how we can usefully share ideas, information, and decisions among project team members and demonstrates organizing tools and techniques for many project events. Jean offers guidelines and practical advice to project leaders and agile practitioners on how to manage complex team dynamics and foster and maintain collaboration in their teams.

What makes this book different from Ingrid Berns' Facilitate with Ease! is the context of agile software development projects. Jean provides detailed advice and even includes sample agendas for many relevant project meetings:

Generic Project

  • Status Meeting
  • Strategic Action Planning
  • Process Change Workshop
  • Project Start-up Meeting
  • Project Retrospective

Scrum

  • Scrum Planning
  • Daily Scrum
  • Sprint Demo and Review

XP

  • Project Chartering
  • Release Planning
  • Iteration Planning
  • Daily Stand-up
  • Iteration Demo and Review
  • Release Retrospective

Crystal Clear

  • Methodology Shaping
  • Blitz Planning
  • Reflection Workshop

Having read this book cover to cover, I often find myself referring to Jean's sample agendas when preparing for a meeting. I believe you will find this book valuable as well.

Happy reading!

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