Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management
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Product Description
Product Description
In the updated edition of this critically acclaimed and bestselling book, Microsoft project veteran Scott Berkun offers a collection of essays on field-tested philosophies and strategies for defining, leading, and managing projects. Each essay distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition now adds more value for leaders and managers of projects everywhere.
Based on his nine years of experience as a program manager for Internet Explorer, and lead program manager for Windows and MSN, Berkun explains to technical and non-technical readers alike what it takes to get through a large software or web development project. Making Things Happen doesn't cite specific methods, but focuses on philosophy and strategy. Unlike other project management books, Berkun offers personal essays in a comfortable style and easy tone that emulate the relationship of a wise project manager who gives good, entertaining and passionate advice to those who ask.
Topics in this new edition include:
- How to make things happen
- Making good decisions
- Specifications and requirements
- Ideas and what to do with them
- How not to annoy people
- Leadership and trust
- The truth about making dates
- What to do when things go wrong
Coming from the rare perspective of someone who fought difficult battles on Microsoft's biggest projects and taught project design and management for MSTE, Microsoft's internal best practices group, this is valuable advice indeed. It will serve you well with your current work, and on future projects to come.
About the Author
Scott Berkun worked on the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft from 1994-1999 and left the company in 2003 with the goal of writing enough books to fill a shelf. The Myths of Innovation is his second book: he wrote the best seller, The Art of Project Management (O'Reilly 2005). He makes a living writing, teaching and speaking. He teaches a graduate course in creative thinking at the University of Washington, runs the sacred places architecture tour at NYC's GEL conference, and writes about innovation, design and management at www.scottberkun.com.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've had a decent dive into project management theory as far as software is concerned. In all honesty, I found "Making Things Happen" to be one of the most useful books I have ever read.
These are the 5 reasons why it stands out in the crowd:
1. It's sensible
As opposed to hard-core computer science, project management inevitably confronts you with the fact that reality (unlike an if statement) is unstructured, human and has more to do with circumstances than we'd like to think. Most management books and classes that I've been to generally focus on providing you with fixed recipes - which are in fact no more than algorithms that happen to have worked a couple of times. I have always had a hard time linking those with the actual situations that I found myself in. While reading this book, I had the feeling of "these are the principles, these are the mechanisms that drive them - now go adapt this to whatever you have in your back yard." And that's what really makes it useful after you put it down and go to work.
2. It teaches you to judge for yourself
Along the same lines of "all around down to earth stuff" I like the fact that the book considers alternatives when tackling some of the major topics - such as how to do your planning. Sure, the advice is to the point and decisive, but at no time does it leave the impression that the author holds the absolute truth or even that there is an absolute truth. It leaves room for "customization" depending on the situation that the reader finds himself in, the size of the project, the level of the team etc. And that's a really strong point.
3. It's very well documented
A distinctive thing about this book is the you can clearly see the crazy amounts of research and documentation that went into it. The fabulous thing is that all the quotes and references open up a whole palette of opportunities for any reader to further expand his knowledge.
4. It shows you the overall picture
One of the reasons why I hold this book and not another one in high esteem is because it looks at processes, teams and skills from a bird's eye perspective. The point is not just to know how to write a good spec. The point is to also understand why you are writing it and how the poor thing fits into the overall picture - what happens before the spec and after the spec is just as important for a project's success.
5. It's backed by experience
Last but not least, the most valuable thing that a skilled project manager can share is... his experience. That being said, I loved the war stories - they are the juiciest part of the book. They simply say "I've been there with you, guys. I know what you're feeling right now - I'm not just preaching for the sake of the art". At the end of the day, I found that these were the bits that made me set aside my ego and openly consider my mistakes and challenges.
On top of all that, it's seductively witty and easy to read, thus making it the first book I recommend to anybody that needs to "make things happen" in the software business.
These are the 5 reasons why it stands out in the crowd:
1. It's sensible
As opposed to hard-core computer science, project management inevitably confronts you with the fact that reality (unlike an if statement) is unstructured, human and has more to do with circumstances than we'd like to think. Most management books and classes that I've been to generally focus on providing you with fixed recipes - which are in fact no more than algorithms that happen to have worked a couple of times. I have always had a hard time linking those with the actual situations that I found myself in. While reading this book, I had the feeling of "these are the principles, these are the mechanisms that drive them - now go adapt this to whatever you have in your back yard." And that's what really makes it useful after you put it down and go to work.
2. It teaches you to judge for yourself
Along the same lines of "all around down to earth stuff" I like the fact that the book considers alternatives when tackling some of the major topics - such as how to do your planning. Sure, the advice is to the point and decisive, but at no time does it leave the impression that the author holds the absolute truth or even that there is an absolute truth. It leaves room for "customization" depending on the situation that the reader finds himself in, the size of the project, the level of the team etc. And that's a really strong point.
3. It's very well documented
A distinctive thing about this book is the you can clearly see the crazy amounts of research and documentation that went into it. The fabulous thing is that all the quotes and references open up a whole palette of opportunities for any reader to further expand his knowledge.
4. It shows you the overall picture
One of the reasons why I hold this book and not another one in high esteem is because it looks at processes, teams and skills from a bird's eye perspective. The point is not just to know how to write a good spec. The point is to also understand why you are writing it and how the poor thing fits into the overall picture - what happens before the spec and after the spec is just as important for a project's success.
5. It's backed by experience
Last but not least, the most valuable thing that a skilled project manager can share is... his experience. That being said, I loved the war stories - they are the juiciest part of the book. They simply say "I've been there with you, guys. I know what you're feeling right now - I'm not just preaching for the sake of the art". At the end of the day, I found that these were the bits that made me set aside my ego and openly consider my mistakes and challenges.
On top of all that, it's seductively witty and easy to read, thus making it the first book I recommend to anybody that needs to "make things happen" in the software business.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a brilliant Project Management guide.I do Project Management for a living. I am always interested in learning from others so I can do a better job.
This book is very practical - it has so much sound practical advice - and it is readable!
Recommend for anyone involved in management as well as projects.
Here is just one of hundreds of points chosen at random: (about a Project Manager) "his value is determined by how well he can apply his brilliance to the project through other people" and Scott goes on to discuss and suggest how. Another suggestion for a PM to ask " "What can I do to help you do your best work?" "
Inspirational!
This book is very practical - it has so much sound practical advice - and it is readable!
Recommend for anyone involved in management as well as projects.
Here is just one of hundreds of points chosen at random: (about a Project Manager) "his value is determined by how well he can apply his brilliance to the project through other people" and Scott goes on to discuss and suggest how. Another suggestion for a PM to ask " "What can I do to help you do your best work?" "
Inspirational!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not Bad
There are too many of these types of books - you can probably get all these tips off the internet for free. There is no replacement for hard work and long hours unfortunately!
Published 17 months ago by statuescher
People make the difference...........and the relationships you build
Great Book, for insight and reference.A PM bible that gives real insight into the other side of all the process & procedure driven aspects of PM, the relationships with people and... Read more
Published 23 months ago by BIG G
Outstanding book for beginners
Although I have not finished the book I want to make this review to enhance other people like me to purchase it, as myself did last month encouraged by a colleague. Read more
Published on 9 April 2010 by Sergio Diaz Sanchez
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