Getting Started
When people think "Project Management" they most often think about some really arduous and tedious process. Well, as Tom Peters shows us, it doesn't have to be that way. Yes, there is a lot of work involved if you want to make a project successful, but you can have a lot of fun in the process, if you focus on the stuff that matters. So, as a warm-up to the subject read:
- Project 50: Fifty Ways to Transform Every 'Task' into a Project That Matters!, by Tom Peters
- This is what we can call "classical" Tom Peters. The book is written to resemble his seminars. Lots of good advice packed into a small pocketbook size format. Only read it if you intend to keep at least some of his advice, otherwise you will come back to it and feel guilty that you didn't do what he told you so clearly that it is worth doing.
Specific About Software Projects
- Managing the Software Process by Watts Humphrey
- There is no success in a software project without sound software project management. As Watts Humphrey points out in his now classic book, you must take control of your projects before you can take control of anything else in your process.
- Software Project Management: A Unified Framework, by Walker Royce
- A very good book on modern software project management techniques. Summarizes lots of ideas and gives enough detail that you can immediately implement the ones that fit your situation.
- Surviving Object-Oriented Projects: A Manager's Guide by Alistair Cockburn
- Alistair speaks from many years of experience working on and managing OO Projects. Read his report on The Impact of Object-Orientation on Application Development in the IBM Systems Journal, Turning Points issue.
- The Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks
- This classic is really a must read for all who work in software.
- Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister
- There is an overwhelming tendency by most participants in a software project to focus on the technologyical aspects of software projects. But ignoring the people side of the project can cause a lot of unnecessary arguments and delays on a project. Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister give a lot of good stories about the people side of this technology intensive business.
- Software Project Survival Guide by Steve McConnell
- Steve McConnell has put together a good book on software project management essentials.
- Rapid Development by Steve McConnell
- Rapid development is only possible if you go down the shortest path toward your goal. This doesn't mean that you won't have any detours. It just means that you will notice much faster that you are on a detour and make the necessary course correction to get back on track.
Ignore These At Your Own Risk
- The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management by Tom DeMarco
- Tom DeMarco wrote this book in form of a novel. Mr. Webster Tompkins, the main character of the book, is assigned to a project in some far off place. He has the opportunity to run three projects concurrently, working on the same product, but employing different software project managment techniques. As the project goes on, he writes down interesting conclusions into his notebook every day. Well known people, somewhat diguised, come to give him advice from time to time. As you read the book see if you can recognize who the real people might be. It is fun.
- Death March by Ed Yourdon
- Well, nobody wants to do it, but this is what most of the projects end up doing anyway. Read the book and see if you recognize some of the things that go wrong on your project and start making improvement to the way you run them, participate in them, plan them.
The Mandatory Reading
The list couldn't be complete without mentioning what is a required reading for all who want to take any project work seriously: The PMBOK, or Project Management Body of Knowledge. For the details on this please visit the Project Management Institute website @ www.pmi.org.