Book Review: Managing Humans

In his first chapter, Lopp tells us what kind of book he is looking to create. He describes a tavern where colleagues get together to resolve the problems of the universe. The tone is irreverent, engaging, and informative.

Lopp provides pointers about how to handle different situations, but his focus is on communicating attitudes and values more than on providing direct advice.

Some types of lessons are best learned by sharing stories. As in his popular blog, Lopp's anecdotes provide us with a career's worth of insight into what it takes to connect with and manage people.

Book Review: An Introduction to Project Management

Great PMBOK Textbook

Schwalbe has created a textbook for Project Management that is complete and well-written. There is a wealth of information in the text, and it covers most of the typical artifacts that practitioners are likely to see in the field.

This is a great book for project managers to keep in their library as a reference, and it is a great textbook.

This book focuses mostly on the sort and treatment of material one would expect from a reference or textbook. If experienced project managers are looking for a good book about motivating project teams, I recommend Berkun's "Making Things Happen."

Book Review: Team Geek

The authors have drawn on their extensive experience in the open source community to describe the characteristics of a strong software development team. Their framework of Humility, Respect and Trust is a sound foundation for the long-term success of any type of team.

Their comments about removing barriers to entry were spot on. "A first-time user usually isn't thinking about whether your software is more or less powerful than a competitor's; she just wants to get something done. Quickly." Good software environments need to be all about setting up an appropriate level of abstraction, and helping most users get work done quickly. (Better software environments provide the power user a way to pull back the curtain and play directly with the gears and cogs.)

Team Geek focuses on the importance of the end user experience, which is a mind-set that successful technical people need to develop. Businesses don't pay us to play with really cool technology. They pay us to help other people get their work done.

Their descriptions of team dynamics and organizational culture were also very helpful, especially for people who may not have been part of a well-functioning team previously. The anecdotes were engaging and pointed, and were well-chosen to illustrate the particular point that the authors were making.

Managing Meetings

There are two basic kinds of meetings that are worth having:

• Informational/Status Meetings
• Problem-Solving Meetings

These are two distinct types of meetings, and they need to be treated differently. But there are some things that are common to all meetings that are worth having:

• An agenda exists, and is distributed beforehand (even if the agenda is a question or a problem statement)
• Someone is in charge of the meeting and keeps it moving along.

For Status or Informational meetings, the purpose is to share information among the participants. If issues are mentioned, typically the people affected by those issues should schedule a breakout session or problem-solving meeting. Then the status on that issue will be updated in the next status meeting.

Problem-solving meetings are tougher. One key is to limit the participation to people who can actually help resolve the problem, or representatives of teams who would implement the solution. These meetings can easily run out of control, so it is important to try to focus the meeting while still allowing input from the participants. This can be a difficult balancing act.

Sometimes the role of the person running the meeting may be as a facilitator rather than a direct contributor. Write things on a whiteboard. Draft points for discussion, and keep the pace moving. People should be able to speak, but should not be allowed to take over. Sometimes a long-running monologue can be disrupted by asking a clarifying question that requires a yes or no answer, then asking another person in the room for their opinion on that answer.

Take Responsibility for Your Meetings

Make sure that your meetings are well-organized and focused:

• Only call meetings that are necessary, with a clearly stated purpose.
• Only invite people who need to be there.
• Provide an agenda before the meeting, with ample time for participants to request clarifications or changes to the agenda.
• Run the meeting professionally. This includes introducing participants (if needed), stating the purpose for the meeting, and laying down the ground rules before starting on the agenda. Participation should be encouraged, but the schedule should be kept. Breakout or follow-up meetings may be scheduled as needed. Minutes are distributed shortly after the meeting, including only critical issues and decisions addressed in the meeting.

From Techie to Boss: Transitioning to Leadership

My latest book, From Techie to Boss is scheduled for publication on April 24.

Let’s face it. Non-technical managers just don’t understand what we do for a living. The good ones try really hard and stand up for their team, but they just don’t feel it in their bones. If technology is not stamped into your DNA, you just don’t get it.

So that means that only technical people should manage technical people, right?

Here’s the problem: technical people frequently do not make good managers. It isn’t that they aren’t smart enough; usually the best technicians are the people who are asked to step into leadership roles. But the skills that make a good techie are not necessarily the skills that make a good leader.

When you become a leader, the focus shifts. It is no longer about what you can accomplish as an individual contributor. You will be judged by your team’s accomplishments.

Good technical people have developed good study habits, a sense of responsibility, and a solid work ethic. All of these are important, and can translate into skills that will help you be a good leader. But you will only be an effective leader when you inspire your team members to reach their potential.

Moving into a leadership role can be a bumpy ride. But it can also be hugely rewarding. Make sure to approach it from the right frame of mind. It isn’t about you anymore. It is about your team.

This book lays out some of the lessons I have learned during my own transition from a front-line techie to a manager.

I welcome your stories and your suggestions about how to make the transition to management an easier one!

Scott Cromar
St Augustine, FL
25 March 2013

PS:
A pre-release ebook is available from the Apress web site. Don't worry, updated versions can be downloaded from their web site during the production process.