Description:

"The Art of Project Management' covers it all--from practical methods for making sure work gets done right and on time, to the mindset that can make you a great leader motivating your team to do their best. Reading this was like reading the blueprint for how the best projects are managed at Microsoft... I wish we always put these lessons into action!" --Joe Belfiore, General Manager, E-home Division, Microsoft Corporation

"Berkun has written a fast paced, jargon-free and witty guide to what he wisely refers to as the 'art' of project management. It's a great introduction to the discipline. Seasoned and new managers will benefit from Berkun's perspectives."
--Joe Mirza, Director, CNET Networks (Cnet.com)

"Most books with the words 'project management' in the title are dry tomes. If that's what you are expecting to hear from Berkun's book, you will be pleasantly surprised. Sure, it's about project management. But it's also about creativity, situational problem-solving, and leadership. If you're a team member, project manager, or even a non-technical stakeholder, Scott offers dozens of practical tools and techniques you can use, and questions you can ask, to ensure your projects succeed."
--Bill Bliss, Senior VP of product and customer experience, expedia.com

In The Art of Project Management, you'll learn from a veteran manager of software and web development how to plan, manage and lead projects. This personal account of hard lessons learned over a decade of work in the industry distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice. Inspiring, funny, honest, and compelling, this is the book you and your team need to have within arms reach. It will serve you well with your current work, and on future projects to come.

Topics 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

 

Table of Contents:

Chapter 0table of contents

Preface

1. A brief history of project management (and why you should care)

I. Plans

2. The truth about schedules

3. How to figure out what to do

4. Writing the good vision

5. Where ideas come from

6. What to do with ideas once you have them

II. Skills

7. Writing good specifications

8. How to make good decisions

9. Communication and relationships

10. How not to annoy people: process, email, and meetings

11. What to do when things go wrong

III. Management

12. Why leadership is based on trust

13. How to make things happen

14. Middle-game strategy

15. End-game strategy

16. Power and politics

Notes

Annotated bibliography

Acknowledgments

Photo credits

Index