Too many technical managers think that if they assign people to good work and leave them alone, people will be happy. It’s true that people need challenging and interesting work. And it’s true that micromanagement or other interference is not helpful. But people, even the most introverted people, need a relationship with their manager […]
This one hooks me all the time. I certainly try to be my best at all times. And, when I’ve worked for companies, I want to make them the best, too. But here’s the sad truth: you don’t have to be the best. You just need to be better than your competition. That said,
I’m crazy-busy with the finishing of Behind Closed Doors, so I’m starting another series of blog posts, this time about management myths. (When I’m in a series of posts, it’s easier for me to stay focused on writing a post every or every other day.) I’ve worked with many managers and teams who think
Esther and I have finally integrated all of our reviewer comments for Behind Closed Doors. We’re looking forward to final publisher (that’s Andy and Dave) comments, and copyediting, and then yippee, the book is ready for printing. We think the printing is about 6 weeks away — very fast for a book. Some of
I need some help with my blog template. Now that I’ve moved to each-entry-is-its-own-page, the individual entries are vertically centered on a page. That means you need to page down to see the entry. I’d prefer to have the entry at the top. I thought I had a “valign” somewhere, but I can’t see it.
I taught a project management workshop earlier this week. I include a small project as part of the workshop, so participants can practice planning, organizing, and a little steering of a project in a safe setting. One of the project teams thought they were going to implement their project (a mobile), with an assembly
I’m catching up on my blog reading, and Udi Dahan’s Programmers don’t make projects fail is a keeper. Make sure you read to this part: My philosophy is followed with an operative task: If you ever have to do more than 2 hours of overtime in a week, let me know. I understand the 2
I’m in Albuquerque this week at a debriefing workshop. When I teach, I don’t just read PowerPoint slides. I do use handouts (and frequently PPT) to guide what I’m going to say. However, I add lots of stories, and use interactive activities to drive specific points home to the workshop participants. The way to extract
My Stickyminds column, What’s on Your Not-to-do List? is posted. Please do leave comments there (or here if you like). This column is based on one of the ideas in Behind Closed Doors.
We talk blithely about the “crisis” in software development or IT. But most of the time, that’s just projects over schedule, over budget, and under featured. Real project crises are about people. I heard that one of my clients died today. She was a young-ish project manager. I’d never met her in person (she