David Putman

The ongoing inquiry into the Post Office Scandal[1] has recently brought to light disturbing evidence. It appears that Post Office investigators were incentivised with monetary bonuses for successful prosecutions and the confiscation of funds from sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses affected by the faulty Horizon software[2].  As discussed in Dan Pink's book on motivation, "Drive[3]," the repercussions of offering extrinsic rewards without adequate safeguards can be severe. People might exploit the system, ignoring long-term consequences for the sake of immediate gains. The effectiveness of rewards, such as bonuses and salary increases, in motivating and disciplining individuals has been a subject of ongoing debate. While some argue that extrinsic incentives can drive desired behaviors and outcomes, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting otherwise. Let's explore the limitations of relying on rewards in these contexts, emphasising the significance of intrins

In the face of groundbreaking technologies like AI, initial fears and uncertainties are not uncommon. However, history has shown that society often transitions from apprehension to wholehearted acceptance as the true potential of a technology unfolds.  When motor vehicles emerged in the late 19th century, society grappled with fear and uncertainty. Laws mandating a person carrying a red flag to precede each vehicle reflected public anxiety and attempts to mitigate potential accidents.  Similarly, society's current apprehension towards AI stems from fear of the unknown and its potential disruptive consequences. However, history shows that initial fears are often unfounded and subside with increased familiarity and understanding of new technologies. AI's capability to process vast amounts of data and identify complex patterns presents unprecedented opportunities for decision-making and efficiency. Organizations can unlock insights, make data-driven decisions, and optimize process

Integrating UI/UX design work into the Sprint and aligning it with your Scrum process can be challenging but not impossible. Here’s a few suggestions on how a Scrum Master can handle this situation : 1. Encourage close collaboration between the UI/UX designers, developers, and QA team members. Create an environment where they can work together and understand each other's perspectives. Encourage them to pair and/or mob to help bridge the gap between design and development. 2. Educate the team about the value of UI/UX design: Help the developers and QA team members understand the importance of good design and how it impacts the overall user experience. This will help them appreciate the design work and its role in creating a successful product. 3. Include design-related tasks in the Sprint: While design work may not be easily quantifiable in the same way as development tasks, you can still include design-related tasks in the Sprint backlog. These tasks could include activities

There is no denying that artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant strides over recent years, becoming more advanced and capable than ever before. With this progress, many have begun to wonder whether AI poses a threat to humanity, particularly our jobs, privacy, security, and overall well-being.  Some may argue that the rapid advancement of AI could lead to a dystopian world where machines rule supreme and humans become obsolete. However, it is important to remember that at its core, AI exists to serve us, not replace us. Instead of viewing AI as competition for human intelligence, we should consider it as an augmentation of our abilities.  This idea of 'Augmented Intelligence,' instead of Artificial Intelligence, highlights how powerful technology can enhance rather than impede human potential. Augmented Intelligence recognizes that humans and machines each possess their unique strengths, making them better together than apart. Humans excel in creativity, intuition, a

The winds of change blow fiercely, propelled by AI-driven virtual trainers, and I can't imagine for a minute that certification organisations have not already recognised the potential for a revolution in training. They may even already be preparing to embrace technology to reshape the Agile learning experience. Traditional face-to-face training and training organisations are on the verge of becoming obsolete as virtual tutors take the lead in guiding aspiring Agile practitioners through immersive digital experiences. The future of training and coaching lies in AI-driven virtual trainers and coaches. Trainers, powered by artificial intelligence engines such as ChatGPT, are set to revolutionise the learning experience. With AI-powered virtual trainers, learners can engage in immersive virtual environments, actively participate in simulations, collaborate with virtual team members, and tackle real-world scenarios. These trainers automatically analyse progress, provide instant feedback

Dynamic technologies and infrastructure allow server failures and network issues to be quickly addressed, easily mitigated and, in many cases, reliably predicted. As a result, there’s a new venue opening for IT: end-user telemetry, which enables IT to determine how its internal users are consuming business resources, what type of application issues they are experiencing and how it impacts business performance. Gartner suggests that infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders must change their approach and prioritize top-down business-oriented metrics. The research firm predicts that “60% of IT monitoring investments will include a focus on business-relevant metrics” by 2021, up from just 20% this year. Changing The Game Of course, it’s one thing to recognize the value of business-driven metrics and another to implement effective monitoring processes company-wide to overcome key barriers to effective digital transformation. The first step is understanding the fundamental shift requi

As a youngster one of my favourite authors was the American humorist, James Thurber. Of all the pieces of his I read, the one that I remember most concerned his English teacher′s obsession with the use of "the container for the thing contained" as a figure of speech. For example, we might say, "Today London elected a new mayor." Of course, London would do no such thing, it is an inanimate city of roads, parks and buildings and roads parks and buildings have not yet been given the vote. It is the people of London that elect mayors but the use of the container for the thing contained is a common trait with humans and everyone understands it. Another similar manifestation of this type of behavioural trait concerns certification. We imagine that the owner of a certificate possesses not just the knowledge originally required to gain the certificate but also the talent and skill to use that knowledge effectively. The fact that a standard exists also implies that the stand