The practicality of agile development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The practicality of agile development - Essay Example They are being compared by the Agile method too. It’s been more than a decade, since agile development is being used for software development. It came as a result to the conventional and traditional software development processes and was an effort to improve the ways of software development. In general, agile means quick and fast, agile development set asides the conventional ways of software development, but still it is not necessary that agile is a solution to all the problems that is being faced by the development team. The agile manifesto focused mainly on customer satisfaction. It suggests the collaboration and cooperation with customer and manager through out the development process and also emphasize on the unity and teamwork by all the members of the team. Team must be self organizing and should be autonomous in a way that it can take decisions but must be in contact with the customer. Though it is suitable for only certain kinds of software but still it could be adopted by the developers and they can follow the manifesto to provide their customers good quality software on the time due. Agile team must be able keep its pace with the changes that are in the industry, so that they can come up with the work that is suitable per the market standards. Though if we read its principles that are being defined by The Agile Alliance, it gives us an idea that it could be the best methodology for the software development. The principles states that customer should be satisfied and his demands must be fulfilled throughout the project, and also the project must be submitted on time. Changes should be welcomed throughout this time and developers, managers and customers must be in contact with each other. The developers involved in the projects must be competent and cooperative and the team environment should be peaceful and comfortable for all team members. Good software should be chosen for development, design of the

Common Barriers to Communication

Common Barriers to Communication There are many barriers that occur every single day that cause ineffective communication. Not many people are aware of these barriers. Studies have shown that not everyone is aware of their behavior when speaking or listening. Habits are hard to kick but it is not impossible. Some of these barriers can be avoided, some cannot, but that does not mean that there is no solution for it. Without putting the effort into avoiding some of these common communication barriers, miscommunications might occur. One should always be sincere when holding a conversation with someone therefore, these are some of the common communication barriers one should take note of. One of the most common communication barriers is language. Not everyone’s first language is the same, so trying to bring a message across could be difficult. It would of course be easier if both parties could speak the same language but if otherwise, then there could be other solutions for the problem. For example, during intern ational business meetings, they could hire a translator. Another alternative would be to make the effort to learn a bit of the other party’s language to show sincerity in wanting to understand them better, and to avoid language barriers. Another scenario would be if a customer is not local and does not speak the native language, then we could try to find other ways to understand them. Most people have five senses, and if we don’t understand them, we could try other senses like seeing, which would mean, to ‘act’ it out for them. These could be some of the ways to communicate with someone who does not speak the same language as us. â€Å"However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. †(http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html#ixzz2x2ZuJjfh) Another common communication barrier is having poor listening skills. â€Å"We retain only about 50 percent of a ten-minute oral presentation immediately after we hear it, and about 25 percent of the same message after 48 hours† (Day Rasberry, 1980, Page 43) Some barriers that could cause poor listening skills are, â€Å"laziness, disinterest, closed-mindedness, insincerity, boredom, etc.† (S. Golen, 1990 Page 25 to 35) and also, â€Å"Sometimes a listener and speaker experience communication problems due to effects of the thinking-speaking time differential. This differential results from the fact that the average person talks at a rate of about 125 words per minute, while a listener can process information at approximately 450 words per minute.† (Nixon West, 1989) Because of this, we have time to think about other things and therefore get distracted and are not focused on wha t the speaker has to say. In some cases, there are people who often interrupt when someone is talking. â€Å"Interruptions are usually the result of a listener’s ego involvement or impatience with the speaker or the topic.† (Deborah Q. Gaut Eileen M. Perrigo, 1998 Page 40) A reason behind this could be that the interrupter feels more knowledgeable and feels the need to correct others when he or she feels that the other party is wrong. Another reason could be that the interrupter feels comfortable with the person he or she is talking to and thinks that it is okay to do so. Some of the characteristics of poor listeners are impatience, lack of direct eye contact, constant fidgeting, etc. Body language is very important and is a key strategy to read a person. An example would be, the listener keeps looking at the time, keeps fiddling with things or does not look at the speaker in the eyes. This would give the speaker the impression that whatever he or she has to say is no t important and it would also be showing that the listener is not showing any respect towards the speaker. There are also, cultural barriers. Different people have different beliefs and not everyone is knowledgeable of other cultures. Several barriers to intercultural communication have been identified, like â€Å"linguistic, physical, perceptual, experiential, verbal, etc† (Bell, 1992 ; Treece Kleen, 1997) There is also an â€Å"Important but not often recognized or visible barrier to intercultural communication: that of stress. Stress often accompanies communication between people of different cultural backgrounds because of the high degree of uncertainty, unfamiliarity and threat involved in the process.† (Pedersen and Pedersen, 1985) It is because of the short period of time you have with that certain person of a different culture to talk or discuss about something, which creates a high level of pressure to want to leave a good impression especially if it is about business or working together. Sometimes both parties could be speaking the same language but because of cultural differences, it could be hard to understand it in their accent so it would be extremely embarrassing for him or her to repeat several times just for the other person to try and understand the message that the speaker is trying to put across. A stereotype is defined as A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image (www.dictonary.com) It is common to be misunderstood by other people but it can also be very frustrating. †When an individual has a preconception about another individual, it makes it difficult for the individual not to view the other individuals communication with prejudice.† (http://www.studymode.com/essays/Barriers-To-Effective-Communication-77841.html) There are so many types of stereotypes. For example, â€Å"Someone working in an insubordinate position might be deemed to be uneducated with little to offer, when in fact, this is not true and employers can lose out on valuable opportunities by not communicating with them, and including those in the lower-level positions in the creative process.† (http://www.ehow.com/facts_6832310_stereotyping-affect-communication-work_.html#ixzz2x3RPpVd9) In addition, there are also gender stereotypes. â€Å"Gender roles typi cally call for men to be the more authoritative, in-control worker, with women as more emotional. This stereotype can adversely affect a womans role in the workplace, especially in senior management positions. Gender stereotypes prevent those with true, leadership and management capabilities from getting ahead. This adversely affects both the women and men in the workplace and their ability to communicate for the better of the company.† (http://www.ehow.com/facts_6832310_stereotyping-affect-communication-work_.html#ixzz2x3akKCJu) â€Å"Stereotypes based on race and ethnicity is not only morally wrong, but legally wrong as well, and can alienate employees. If employees are not communicating based on preconceived notions, they are not engaged in the same goals for the company and this will ultimately reflect in the companys failures.† (http://www.ehow.com/facts_6832310_stereotyping-affect-communication-work_.html#ixzz2x3bmP1xG) Everyone has been stereotyped by someone and /or has stereotyped someone before. It is one of the greatest communication barriers but yet it cannot be helped sometimes. It paints a picture of someone or something that may or may not be true, and instantly causes judgments without having to get to know the person, which is unfair. There are other barriers like noise that affect effective communications. Noise could affect our hearing and we may not understand the message the speaker was trying to put across. That way, misunderstanding could occur. Especially if someone wanted instructions to be carried out but the person who is supposed to execute it, heard it differently. â€Å"For instance, you may assume that because people are nodding while you speak, they understand and agree with what you are saying. Similarly, if you invite questions about your message and get none, it would be easy to assume therearenone.The truth is, few people will risk the potential embarrassment of being the only one who doesn’t agree with or understand your message or doesn’t know what to ask. To assume they do would be a mistake.† (http://gwynteatro.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/4-barriers-to-effective-communication-what-to-do-about-them/) In some cases, assumptions could be accurate, but if it is not, then it cou ld lead to a communication breakdown. â€Å"We all use selective perception in composing and interpreting information† (Irene F. H. Wong and Michael D. Connor and Ulrike M. Murfett, 2006, Page 12) In conclusion, there are many barriers that cause ineffective communications. These are barriers that people should take into consideration in order to avoid misunderstandings and misjudgments. Being a good listener has its advantages. It helps us understand messages, instructions, etc better and understanding the message or instruction that is put across to us would help us perform better and/or meet customers’ expectations. But first of all, one must be willing to listen and be focused on the topic. A good listener should also respond appropriately. â€Å"Communication is two-way. A response is called for. It may be no more than applause – or even silence. But it is still a response, which will in turn be interpreted by the speaker.† (John Adair, 2009, Page 92 ) Being an effective speaker also has its advantages. When speaking, it has to be clear, simple, vivid and natural so that the message can be broad across clearly and that the listener understands. Overall, being a good listener and a good speaker affects effective communications. It works both ways.

Five Pillars of Islam Essay -- Islam Religion Essays

The Five Pillars of Islam   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After watching The Five Pillars of Islam it has made me rather interested in the history and origin of the Islamic religion. So often today we see the Islam as a religion of terrorism, and war. We see it as a religion of people that have nothing in their heart but bad. The truth is that Islam was started on principles very different from what we see in the news or hear on the radio. Islam rather has a long rich history that is full of some of the same principles and morals of Christianity that are seen in the western world as the foundation of good. Islam has what it calls The Five Pillars that are in purpose much like the Christian Ten Commandments. They are a set of rules that are the foundation of the Islam as a whole. The Five Pillars are: Shahadah, Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shahadah is the first pillar that is the act of believing and saying the words â€Å"There is no god worthy of worship except god and Muhammad is his messenger†. This is at the very heart of Islam. Before Muhammad and his message the Islamic people worshiped many gods. They had a different god for everything, and gave sacrifices to these gods to keep them happy. After Muhammad brought his message people were to only believe in one god and that no other god was worthy of ones worship. This is identical to the first commandment of the Christian church that says â€Å"You shall have no other God before me†, and the second commandment that says "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the child ren to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Commandments." Both of these commandments are identical to that of the First pillar in that they both set up the fact that there is only one god and that his followers shall only worship him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Salah is the second pillar that is requires all Islamic people to pray five times a day. These prayers are not just any old prayer they are rather set prayers that are expected of a good Islamic person to pray. They are very ritualistic and must be done in a very ordere... ...ammad had said, â€Å"A person who performs Hajj properly will return as a newly born baby (free of all sins)†. The pilgrimage also enables Muslims from all around the world, of different colors, languages, races, and ethnicities, to come together in a spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood to worship their god together. In much the same way Christians have revivals where they come together and worship with other believers at a central event. Although there is a definite difference between revivals of the Christian church and the trip to Mecca for the Muslim people the idea is the same, worship your god with your fellow brothers and sisters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After watching The Five Pillars of Islam and looking into the beliefs of Islam, it occurs to me that the Christian and Islamic faiths have a lot in common. The Islamic faith is very different than what we see on TV and here in the news. We often times only allow our selves to see the bad and look over the good. After watching this movie I believe we as people of the western world need to look at The Five Pillars and realize truly what the Islamic faith is based on, and not what we have been led to believe from the news and media.

Essay on A memorable day Essay

India is a country of different communities belonging to different religions. So almost every day we see a festival being celebrated with joy and fun. The festivals make our life colourful and charming. There are some religious festivals, some are based on seasons and some are of national importance. They are celebrated with great joy and fun. The Indian religious festivals are Deepawali and Dussehra, Id-ul- Fitr and Id-ul Zuha. X’mas day and the New Year’s day, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Jayanti, Guru Nanak’s Birthday etc. Though these festivals are marked by different communities, yet they are celebrated by all without any ill-will and communal hatred. Festivals promote the feelings of com ­munal harmony. Holi, Baisakhi and Basant are important seasonal festivals. Basant declares the arrival of spring season. Holi is a festival of colours. It marks the end of the winter season. Baisakhi is the seasonal festival of the Punjab. It is celebrated at the end of harvesting season. The Independence Day, the Republic Day and the Gandhi Jayanti are national festivals. These are celebrated with great joy by all the communities throughout the country. The Independence Day is cel ­ebrated on 15th August, 1947 on this day we got freedom from the British Empire. The Prime Minister hoists the national flag on the Red Fort on this great historic day. The Republic Day is celebrated on 26th January. On this day a colourful parade starts from Vijay Chowk which ends at the Red Fort. Gandhi Jayanti (Oct. 2) is the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi-the father of nation. Thus we find that the festivals bring a new charm in the life of Indians.

Dead Poet Society Essay

Is living a crime? Is choice unacceptable? Is suicide typical? Reading this is so simple but going through it is much harder than we think. Forgetting your best friend who suicided, having your close relative killed and been alone was Charlie’s life. â€Å"The perk of being a wallflower† directed by Stephen Chbosky is an astonishing film which involves youngster entering the world of adulthood. Beginning a new year of high school here Charlie finally befriends Sam and Patrick and through this we explore the themes of self-realisation and loneliness. Self-realisation and loneliness is conveyed in both films; Directed by Peter Weir Dead Poet society is a story of a teacher called Mr Keating who makes his students releases the ability they have in them. The film â€Å"Perk of being a wallflower† definitely reinforces the themes in â€Å"Dead poet Society†. Loneliness is deeply attached and expressed early in Charlie’s life. It is shown by him not participating in any class activities. The camera angel that supports this statement is an eye-level shot where Charlie is sitting in class backed down on his chair. This symbolises that he is too afraid to speak out. The body language is dull with a lower self-esteem. Similarly, in Dead Poet Society Todd a shy and insecure guy who is too afraid to come out of his shell. The camera shot used is close-up where Todd’s facial expression is conveyed by tension and fear. So, therefore both films definitely share a similar theme. â€Å"Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody. † Being intensely devoted to his past Charlie stopped realising who he really is. Every step he took he remembered the past, and that past has stopped his life in one motion; stress and alone. Fortunately, with help from his friend Sam he realises that life is full of happiness and freedom. The Camera Angle used is Medium shot where Charlie is standing on the truck bed, with his hands open, he learns that he can go on with life without being scared, because he is more than a wallflower. Furthermore, Self-realisation in Dead Poet Society is shown by Todd at the end of the film where he is confident and fearless. He seizes the day by standing on his desk as a symbol of his respect to Mr Keating. The camera Angle used is low angle shot of Todd which makes him look powerful and full of dignity. Confident, happiness and self-realisation taught both Todd and Charlie that life keeps going so. So, therefore, again the perk of being a wallflower has expressed similar themes as Dead poet society. To conclude, both films had similarities and differences but overall the same themes; Themes of self-realisation and loneliness. The perk of being a wallflower and Dead poet society show us lives of teenagers that are sometimes unseen and the way they overcome each obstacle. So, what would you do if you were in this situation? Because in life people like Mr Keating or Sam aren’t always there. So my friends seize the day your own way.