Raven's Brain v1.0: Lists

Blog list: PM & Biz Blogs I read

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:10:21 GMT

PM & Biz Blogs I read

Controlling Chaos, The Podcast
A podcast dedicated to Project Management in the Real World.
Project Shrink: The Blog
PM Blog by Bas de Baar, author of Surprise! Now You're a Software Project Manager
Software Project Management
By Pawel Brodzinski - A blog about software development lifecycle.
Better Projects
Craig Brown - Notes and discussions on Project Management and Business Analysis
A Girl's Guide To Managing Projects
from Elizabeth Harrin, author of Project Management in The Real World - Trying to stay OTOBOS
Aligning technology, strategy, people and projects
Blog by Eric D. Brown - Trying to solve the puzzle of how to best align technology, strategy, people and projects
Undocumented Features
from Stacey Douglas - Manage your projects. Don’t let them manage you.
Outside of the Triangle
From David Daly - Thoughts on software development management
Eclectic Bill
from Bill Brantley- About (but not limited to) project managment, knowledge management, change management, learning organizations, mental models, and Theory of Constraints as applied to government, non-profits, and higher education.
Reforming Project Management
from Hal Macomber - The magazine for the project age.
EQ4PM
A Project Manager's Guide to Emotional Intelligence (EQ), from author Anthony Mersino
Project management 2.0
Analysis of how Enterprise 2.0 technologies influence project management
NOOP: Management of Software Development
About managing software development teams, applying the theory and practice of complex systems and software engineering. Jurgen Appelo is CIO of ISM eCompany, the fastest growing technology company in The Netherlands.
Better Projects
Notes and discussions on Project Management and Business Analysis
Scope Crêpe
Tasty travels into the terrain of Project Management.
ESI International - PM Training & Online Resources
Project management, business analysis, & programme management on-site training, e-training, assessments & business consulting. Classroom courses in London. Free resources include articles & whitepapers, event listings, , podcasts, webinars, & case studies.
LeadershipTurn
Leaders DO—and it's your turn!
Berkun blog
From Scott Berkun, Author of "The Art of Project Management"
Journyx Project Management Blog
A solid, project management focused blog
Reforming Project Management
The site says it's "The magazine for the project age".
4PM Project Management Blog
"A discussion of ideas on project and program management as well as nightmare projects." - a Project management blog from Dick Billows, PMP, GCA
Prakash's Repository
Solid PM blog with other software/tech entries.
McGee's Musings
"Most of what I think and write about here has to do with knowledge work, knowledge workers, learning, design, and how organizations are dealing with changes triggered in large part by technology."
Project Management Blog - Connecting Developers, Building Worlds
Just what it says!
Frank Patrick's Focused Performance Blog
A "business management blog" with some project management content
Project Portfolio Management Blog
A good blog for anyone interested in Project Portfolio Management (PPM).
Management Craft Blog
A great business and management blog, run by autho Lisa Haneberg
Managing Product Development
Johanna Rothman's blog. She's author of "managing behind closed doors" a great PM book for IT/IS folks. Her blog has great Agile, Leadership and Project Mangement insights.
Joel On Software
Joel runs a great blog with a focus on "software development, management, business, and the Internet". Great stuff!
Agile Project Planning
Thoughts on agile project planning and software development by Dave Churchville
PMThink! Project Management Thought Leadership
A great project and portfolio management blog. Solid stuff!
Project Management Source
A project management blog with other posts on leadership, software and more.
Project Steps
Tips, hints, links and helpful information related to the discipline of Project Management.
Project Blog: Project Management, Software, Training...
Good stuff from Jack Dahlgren on Project Management, MS project, PMI & PMP and so much more!
Bud Bilanich | The Common Sense Guy
Common Sense Solutions to Tough Business Problems. Good stuff on business and leadership, other resources as well.
The Practice of Leadership
It’s only in the practice of leadership that we influence our world… Good stuff on leadship, management, strategy, communication, etc.
Slow Leadership
Real leadership isn't an instant activity any more than a healthy diet is a hamburger, fries and a large soda... An excellent leadership blog!!
Herding Cats
Blog with an Agile Development focus, from the site "Ideas, comments, and references about project management, tools, processes and field experiences"
Project Management Blogs I Love
A list dedicated to excellent project management blogs

Blog list: Random Posts

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 19:26:01 GMT

Random Posts

Custom List: Hobbies & Interests

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:59:55 GMT

Hobbies & Interests

Drumming
I have my kit set up in the basement, but I'm sad to say it's not getting much use lately. I played in a few bands in Southern California before we moved in '98 & then jammed with various folks in pierce county before moving to West Seattle two years ago.
Watching Movies
From scary movies to foreign films - I love them. Gimme a bad action movie, or any B, C or D movie and I'll be happy! I'll take an independent, horror or foreign film over a Hollywood blockbuster, any day.
Video Games
I love games/series like Halo, Metroid Prime, Burn Out, Need for speed, Splinter Cell, and fun Wii games - really too many games and so little time!!
Reading
I've always been a bookworm. Lately I've been reading way too many technical and professional books. I have a box full of Patterson books to catch up on as well as some Koontz, Grisham, Cornwell, Crichton, Robert Jordan and whatever else I've neglected..
My Zoo
Grace is a 5 yr dane/collie mix & 155 lbs of love. Olive is a 3yr yellow lab, she's chunky but spunky. Moose is 16 lbs of kitty love, Nikki is 7 lbs of spitfire and Big Ben is our new kitten - we still love and miss Luna!. The lint brush is my friend!
Listening to music
I love anything with a good beat or groove - rap, blues, rock, pop, alternative, etc. I'm into classic rock lately- Hendrix, Big Brother/Joplin, Doors, Stones, Zep, Floyd, Skynard, Ramones and sooo much more! Last CD I bought - Rocky Horror Soundtrack..
Riding my motorcyle
I've been riding motorcycles since I was a little girl, well ok - those were dirt bikes but around age 18 I bought my first bike and have been riding for almost as many years now!
Blogging
I'm currently using Bloglines for my feed search, to manage blog subscriptions & as a news reader. This means I go to one website and get updated content from all the PM, Management and Business blogs I subscribe to. Keeps me updated & energized each day!

Custom List: Online Management & Business Tips

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:34:26 GMT

Online Management & Business Tips

14 (+1) Conference Call Tips
From Lyndsay Swinton, Owner, Management for the Rest of Us, www.mftrou.com. Article is also available as PDF at site.
21 Tips for Successful Leadership from AMA - American ManagementAssociation
A page from the AMA website that provides 21 useful tips to helpyou become a successful leader.
32 Steps to Being an Outstanding Communicator
A page from the AMA website that offers 32 steps to make you an"outstanding" communicator. It's a great resource on communication and the tips are easy to understand and use in your every day conversations.
7 tips for giving positive feedback
From Lyndsay Swinton, 'Management for the rest of us' (link to www.mftrou.com) Become an experienced manager, overnight! Also available in pdf at the site.
25 Project Management Tips from AMA - American Management Association
A page from the AMA website listing 25 tips to help you manage aproject. This would make a great checklist for a new PM and can also serve as a useful reminder for us veterans.
20 Key Project Manager Actions and Results
The 20 Key Project Manager Actions are organized according to their support of the Five Essential Project Management Processes: initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Another resource from http://www.michaelgreer.com
Job Performance Feedback: 7 Tips For Receiving Feedback Gracefully
Lyndsay Swinton (Owner, Management for the Rest of Us www.mftrou.com) discusses 7 tips for receiving feedback gracefully, allowing you to learn from it and quickly move on. Article is also available as PDF via her site
80 Tips for Business Success from AMA - American Management Association
A page from the AMA website lists 80 interesting and useful tipsfor being successful in the business world. This one's worth printing out and postin!
Staff Induction Plans: 7 top tips for getting new employees up to speed fast
Another from Lyndsay Swinton at www.mftrou.com - "Staff induction plans can range from pitiful, or downright boring, to effective ways to harness the enthusiasm & energy of your new employee." This is a great article!!
25 Training Tips from AMA - American Management Association
This links to a PDF file from the AMA Website. The PDF includes25 useful tips for employee training.
14 Key Principles for PM Success
This web-published article by Michael Greer is an excerpt from "Chapter 6: Planning and Managing Human Performance Technology Projects," Handbook of Human Performance Technology, San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1999

Custom List: Agile Resources

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 01:32:59 GMT

Agile Resources

Extreme Programming Intro
A gentle introduction to Extreme Programming.
Jason Yip's web log
Jason Yip's web log about XP, Agile, Java, software development and other things
Feature Driven Development
The portal for all things FDD.
Kevin rutherford on Agile Development
This blog is primarily about agile software development and related topics such as lean thinking and the theory of constraints.
C2's Wiki on Agile Processes
Business Agile
Discussions about implementing agile practices from a business and management perspective.
AgileKiwi
Overview of Agile Software Development
Scrum Log Jeff Sutherland
Scrum is an Agile Software Development Process that Certified ScrumMaster Trainer Jeff Sutherland invented at Easel Corporation in 1993.
Agile Advice
Thoughts and experiences for practitioners following the Middle Way to Excellence.
Agile Project Planning
Thoughts on agile project planning and software development by Dave Churchville
Agile Planet
Xprogramming.com
An Agile Software Development Resource
AGILE IN ACTION
Collaboration, Innovation, Adaptation
agile software development
Manifesto for Agile Software Development
Agile Alliance
The Agile Alliance is a non-profit organization that supports individuals and organizations who use agile approaches to develop software.
Agile Project Leadership Network
pliantalliance.org
Think. Evaluate. Change.
Scrum For Team Systems
a great bank of SCRUM resources: Scrum Basics, Preparation, Scrum Roles, Processes, SCRUM Artefacts/Tools, SCRUM FAQs, and more.
Scrum Basics
Scrum Roles
SCRUM Artefacts/Tools
SCRUM FAQs
Agile Management Blog
a great place to learn more about agile. In addition to posts on his experience with and thoughts on agile, David J. Anderson also has lists of Agile PM Bloggers & Resources
Scrum Alliance
Our mission is to promote increased awareness and understanding of Scrum, provide resources to individuals and organizations using Scrum, and support the iterative improvement of the software development profession.
Control Chaos
Scrum Website with overview and certification info.
Scrum-Master Website
Experts in Agile and Scrum. Getting started, case studies, agile questionanaire, events and resources, etc.

Custom List: Online PM Resources: Templates, Articles, Tools, Assessments & more

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 20:00:13 GMT

Online PM Resources: Templates, Articles, Tools, Assessments & more

allPM.com - The Project Managers Homepage
Lots of free info, membership is free. Website is easy to navigate and is updated regulary. Contains articles, tips, white papers, templates, a PM glossary, job section and more. All most 30k registered users, from over 90 countries.
PM FORUM -- Connecting the World of Project Management
From their site "PMFORUM is a resource for information on international project management affairs. The PMFORUM supports the development, international cooperation, promotion and advancement of a professional and worldwide project management discipline."
PMI.Org
PMI has become the global leader in setting standards from Project Management and their PMP certification is the certification more and more employers are asking for. Their website also contains info, tips, tools, etc. for the practicing project manager.
Projects@Work
Project management resources, tools and training for professional project managers. Site is updated regularly and contains Case studies, interviews, news, tools, and a lot more.
Max Wideman's Project Management Website
Good little site with a healthy PM Glossary, Tip of the month, good articles and more. Go to the sitemap to see all the useful info or check out 'Issacons', 'Max's Musings', or 'Papers and Books'.
Project Management Knowledge Base
Info on topics like Business Strategy/Planning, General ProjectManagement, Portfolio Management/ppm, Project Implementation, Project Leadership, Project Lifecycle, PM Methodologies and a lot of other useful stuff. White papers, Blogs and other IT info.
Mind Tools -- Essential skills for an excellent career
This is links to Mind Tools Project Planning and Management Tools area but there are other worthy sections: Time Management, Stress Management, Memory Improvement, Information Skills, Communication Skills, Leadership SKills, Problem Solving & more. Nice!
Extreme Programming:A gentle introduction.
If you're a software development pm and want to learn about XP,or Extreme Programming, this site should help.
How to Write a Request for Proposal for a Web Project
A good article by Bruce Morris "Probably the biggest source of confusion and cause for problems between clients and Internet development companies is a poorly written Request for Proposal (RFP)." Solid info for any PM doing RFPs
4PM - Project Management Tools & Techniques
PM Resources on WBS, Planning, Project Close out, Status & more.They have a great article on "The Five Dumbest Things A Project Manager Can Say".
Women in Project Management Specific Interest Group PMI
If you're a PMI member and WPMSIG member, you'll find this website useful. If you're not a member, check it out - you might want to join.
IT Toolkit-Project Management
Tons of templates and tools. Purchase an entire project management bundle or buy SOW, Risk, Disaser recovery and other kits. Lots of tools for setting standards in your organization.
PM Boulevard - online resources for Project, Program and Portfolio managers
PM Boulevard is home to the most robust knowledge library for PMprofessionals and delivers useful tools and capabilities to help PM professionals succeed. Also Rich community functionality allows members to stay informed and to collaborate.
ProjectConnections.com - Know-how for people managing projects and teams
Templates, PM subject index, community, papers, presentations and more. Free15 day trial and access to tons of resources and tools.
Software Program Managers Network - www.spmn.com
This links to the SPMN Guidebooks page, where you can download guidebook files in .pdf format. Great stuff. Check out the rest of the site if you are a program/project manager in the software industry.
Chief Project Officer (CPO) - The Resource for Managing Portfolios of Projects
I found this link at WIPMSIG.org site. The site has Articles, News and a Resources section, as well as various links and PM product recommendations.
The Project Management Page from Developer.com
From Developer.com this page dedicated to project management andincludes links to the "Newest Project Management Articles" and "Highlighted Project Management Tutorials". The site also includes a lot of white papers, technical docs, articles & other info.
Project Management Glossary - from Max Wideman
I have Max's site on my resource list but so many people find his PM glossary useful, I wanted to highlight it seperately.
Project Management Checklists (and More!)
From http://commercial-solutions.com. This page contains links to various checklists, including Project Productivity Checklist, PM Software Reviews Checklist, Team Excellence Checklist, High Yield Training Checklist, Meet Leadership Checklist, etc.
Project Management Articles & Handouts for Any Organization
From Michael Greer's website http://www.michaelgreer.com/. Sitecontains a few interesting articles like: 10 Guaranteed Ways to Screw Up Any Project, 14 Key Principles for Project Success and more. Check it out.
PMThink! Project Management Thought Leadership
The Latest Word in Project and Portfolio Management.
ProjectMagazine.com (listed on PMI's knowledge and wisdom center)
Project management content: team building, Processes, Business Awareness, Software & good stuff like Leadership Skills, Time management and Free Templates and downloads
gantthead.com - the online community for IT project managers
This links to their templates section but there are many other Project Management & other useful resources at this site for the technical/IT PM.
Project Reference, formerly a Columbia University Project Management reference center
So much GREAT info! Resources: Sample MS-Project Plans & other MSP Resources, Sampes SOW and Charters, Project Methodology, Tons of samples and templates, Scheduling & Estimating, Requirements, Risk Management, Portfolio Management & MORE. Check it out.
PM Connection
"Connecting the project management world". PM centric newsletter, Research Center, New Websites List, PM Event Calendar, PM "research" Links (articles, posts, white papers, etc). Newer project management site but growing.
ITProjectTemplates.com
Many different project management templates available for purchase. Current PMI Members get access for free! Check out the bottom link in the navigation pane on left.

Custom List: Grrrl Power

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 01:05:25 GMT

Grrrl Power

Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious MistakesWomen Make That Sabotage Their Careers. A great book that teaches you how to get out of your own way and get ahead in the business world. Great Book!
Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman : What Men Know About Successthat Women Need to Learn
Another great book! If you're a woman and have ever wondered whymen react diferently in business situations, or if you tend to take stuff at work too personal - You MUST read this book. No matter your experiences, you will find your perspective enhanced.
How to Say It For Women: Communicating with Confidence and PowerUsing the Language of Success
Good stuff! Learn to negotiate without giving in, losing your cool, getting emotional and still get respect!
WomensMedia.com- the site for working women
Lots of fresh articles to help an overworked girl get in chargeof her life. Tips for getting organized, beating stress and other strategies for improving your life. There's also a newsletter, a discussion area and more. Check it out.
WITI Personal Growth Articles
Great articles for reducing stress, balancing life and work, time management and more. Other great resources include the WITI Women Section under WITI Wire category.
Avoiding the dreaded B-word
A brief read - How women executives can stand up for themselves without being labeled uncooperative, or worse.
Women - Are you bold enough?
A quick, six question quiz. The executives on our Most Powerful Women list got where they are by making gutsy moves. Do you have the nerve to succeed?
Avoiding Overwhelm
Article: Have you noticed how busy everyone seems today? Many of the people I talk to feel overloaded with commitments and activities, and demands on their time and energy. It seems that there is always too much to do and too little time.
Don't Let A Fear Of Failure Derail You
Article: You're stuck. Frozen. Can't seem to move forward. What's stopping you? Is it because you're afraid you might fail? Here are some ways to blast through the blockage and get on with it.
How to Handle Those Negative Emotions
Every single feeling you feel is valid and legitimate. It may not always be appropriate, but the fact remains that you are feeling it, and that makes it legal. We often do more harm by trying to not feel negative emotions than by allowing them expression
How Do You Feel About Yourself?- Recognizing Signs of High and Low Self-Esteem
Article: everyone knows the meaning and importance of self-esteem—that happiness, self-empowerment, satisfaction in work, good relationships and success are all built on a foundation of healthy self-esteem.
Boost Your Self Confidence
Article: Here is what I know to be true: 1) Everyone feels inadequate at least some of the time 2) Everyone is afraid at least some of the time
How to Get Out of Your Own Way - 5 Strategies for Thinking Outside the Box
There are plenty of challenges in our lives, however some of them are of our own making. We undermine ourselves, make assumptions about what's possible that restrict our choices, and let our fears stop us from even trying to reach our goals and dreams.
The 3 P’s: Perfectionism, Procrastination, and Paralysis
Perfectionism, procrastination & paralysis, one often leads to the next, in a vicious cycle, especially on large, long-term projects with no clear deadlines. Review each part of this cycle & explore some concrete STEPS that you can take to DISRUPT it.
Excellent Article: Five Ways to Get More Confidence at Work
Blog post on an excellent article by CareerBuilder.com editor Kate Lorenz titled Five Ways to Get More Confidence at Work. It discusses ways to boost your confidence, gain assurance and more.
how to help build, boost, and develop self-confidence and assertiveness
Post: great questions to help explain what being "assertive" means, what to strive for, what to avoid and even provides some assertiveness and self-confidence methods and techniques
Post on Article: The 10 Habits of Confident Women from Mary K. Moore & Rose Martelli
You know this woman. When she walks into a room, people take notice. They listen to her. They laugh at her jokes (even the dumb ones). So what makes her so special? Was she born under a lucky sign? Or is there something else that separates "she who gets
Post on Article: There is No Crying in Business by Linda M. Poverny and Susan Picascia
Discusses crying at work & provides solid tips for controlling your tears. Talks about taboo of crying at work & how we can "alter the crying response to many situations by un-learning, re-learning or strengthening our emotional & behavioral repertoire"

Custom List: Online Business Self Assessments

Tue, 16 May 2006 21:01:15 GMT

Online Business Self Assessments

What’s Your Communication Style?
From the AMA website: "Our accomplishments in the workplace often depend on how well we can communicate our needs & objectives to others. Truly effective communication requires an understanding of our own style as well as that of other people."
How motivated are you to lead?
Are you motivated to lead? This assessment helps you find the answer. Great self assessment from Mind Tools (http://www.mindtools.com)
How Well Do You Delegate?
10 question assessment from the AMA website followed by 5 tips to help you be a better delegator.
Are You Assertive Enough?
A short quiz from The Instant Manager at the AMA Website.Being assertive is not the same as being aggressive. Find out where you stand with this self assessment.

Book List: Management & Leadership Books

Tue, 16 May 2006 20:54:00 GMT

Management & Leadership Books

Donald C. Gause, Gerald M. Weinberg: Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really Is
An excellent tool to help you look at your problems from different and unexpected angles.
Micki Holliday: Coaching, Mentoring, and Managing: Breakthrough Strategies to Solve Performance Problems and Build Winning Teams
What an excellent book! It's chock full of useful information, tools and nuggets of info for managers of any level.
Dianna Booher: Communicate With Confidence!
If you've been at project management long, you understand just how important communication is to our job. This book provides both practical tips and useful advice you can use right away.
Roger Von Oech: Creative Whack Pack
Amazon.com review "The Creative Wack Pack consists of 64 cardseach focusing on a different creativity principle. The cards are divided into 4-16 card suits: Explorer/Artist/Judge/ Warrior which represent the 4 ways to look at the creative process.
Richard Carlson: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work : Simple Ways to Minimize Stress & Conflict While Bringing Out the Best in Yourself & Others
Great book! First sentence of the book reads "Many people don'tallow themselves the luxury of being enthusiastic, light-hearted, inspired, relaxed, or happy-especially at work." Learn how to ease stress and be the person you want to be at work!
Roger Fisher, William L. Ury,: Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Nice read on negotiation. It's older but also interesting to seehow negotiation is broken down and provides real tactics for getting agreement without a migraine.
William Poundstone: How Would You Move Mount Fuji? Microsoft's Cult of the Puzzle -How the World's Smartest Company Selects the Most Creative Think
Puzzles kill me! I consider myself a very creative, out-of-the-box type thinker, yet certain mind teasers baffle me. This book teaches you how to approach the varied mind teasers out there - fun and interesting.
Roger Von Oech: Innovative Whack Pack
These cards are similar to Von Oech's "Creative Whack Pack" andprovide ways to stimulate your creativity. Also check out Von Oech's books - Whack on the side of the head, Kick in the seat of the pants, etc. All good stuff for brainstorming!
Arbinger Institute: Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box
My girlfriend's director gave her this book and I couldn't read it fast enough. Talk about thinking outside the box! As a manager this book really opens your eyes and gets you to see how your actions and attitude affects others. Highly recommend!!
Ken Blanchard, William, Jr. Oncken, Hal Burrows: The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey
A great tool to teach you how to recognize when you're worryingabout other peoples problems or "monkeys".
Dennis P. Slevin: The Whole Manager
This is an older book but one that contains great info. I found it referenced in a book in the late 90's and bought it used via amazon. Good read for managers of all levels.
Michael Michalko: Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity)
An excellent tool for brainstorming with groups and individual idea generation. You won't believe how many useful techniques, like SCAMPER, you'll be able to put to use immediately.
Michael Michalko: Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck
This takes the techniques laid out in Michalko's "Thinkertoys" and puts it in a handy deck. Great for meetings and casual conversations. If you found the book useful, you'll love the extension of Thinkpak
Sam Horn: Tongue Fu! : How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict
This links to my blog entry on Tongue Fu! Sam Horn says the bookhelps us to deal with difficult people without becoming one ourselves. Good read for sure!

Book List: Project Management Books in my library

Tue, 16 May 2006 20:52:15 GMT

Project Management Books in my library

PMBOK Guides (2004): A Guide To The Project Management Body Of Knowledge 3rd Edition
This is the 3rd edition from 2004. It's also available in electronic format and I received my CD free with last years PMI membership dues.
Ken Schwaber: Agile Project Management with Scrum (Microsoft Professional)
SCRUM is a popular Agile Programming method and Ken Schwaber is co-creator of the method, so obviously he knows the subject well. If you're interested in alternative agile development methods, SCRUM is worthy of your review.
Edward Yourdon: Death March: The Complete Software Developer's Guide to Surviving "Mission Impossible" Projects (Yourdon Computing Series)
If you chuckled when you read the title - you need to get this book!
Vijay K. Verma: Human Resource Skills for the Project Manager: The Human Aspects of Project Management, Volume 2
Project management is about more than the schedule. You can't get a project done without resources - the project team. This is a great book to help develop your HR skills.
Gary L. Chefetz: Implementing Enterprise Portfolio Management with Microsoft Project Server 2002
Project 2002 was replaced by 2003 but this book by Gary Chefetzwas truly invaluable in helping me implement MS Project Professional Server in a recent role as PM. Gary also posts to the Microsoft Project User Group Website - he's very nice, always helpful.
Tom Demarco, Timothy Lister: Peopleware : Productive Projects and Teams, 2nd Ed.
This book is a must read for anyone managing software projects, though it's relevant to other sectors as well. A great PM book that you'll also find referenced in a ton of other PM, Management and development books. Read it - you're missing out!
Jason Charvat: Project Management Nation: Goals for the New & Practicing IT Project Manager - Guidance, Tools, Templates & Techniques that work
A darn good book. Excellent tips, techniques and insight for thepracticing IT project manager.
Dragan Z. Milosevic: Project Management ToolBox : Tools and Techniques for the Practicing Project Manager
It's a little dry, but also contains some useful tools and tips.
Jared, Richardson: Ship It! A Practical Guide to Successful Software Projects
Excellent read on software projects from the Pragmatic Programmer series. One of several I'm juggling at the moment. I'll update with more useful info shortly.
Steve C McConnell: Software Project Survival Guide
This one's a winner and you'll find it in a lot of PM's bookshelves. Practical, interesting, tips on staged development and more.
Scott Berkun: The Art of Project Management
A great book, especially if you're thinking about becoming a Program Manager. The book talks about the project management process within the Microsoft environment and provides and interesting perspective on various project management tips, tools, etc.
Tom Demarco: The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management
A fictional novel revolving around project management. I found it interesting and amusing, though some complain that it's too unrealistic or simply a waste of time. Check out the comments on amazon and see what you think.
Eric Verzuh: The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management: Quick Tips, Speedy Solutions, and Cutting-Edge Ideas
Mr. Versuh runs a PM consulting company here in Seattle. His book provides excellent project management info and interesting insight on local companies and their unique project challenges. This links the 2nd edition of the FFMBA in PM. It's a solid read.

Book List: Program Management / Engineering Books

Tue, 16 May 2006 20:42:19 GMT

Program Management / Engineering Books

Johanna Rothman: Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management
An excellent book on "how to manage" released in 2005. One of several I'm currently reading.
Donald C. Gause, Gerald M. Weinberg: Exploring Requirements: Quality Before Design
Several peers recommended this book to me. I'm solid on my project management skills but wanted to write better design and functional specs - this book helped!
Jesse James Garrett: The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web
Quick little book about user experience and design strategy, from 2002. Doesn't get into Development how-to design, rather it teaches to ask the right questions. Still a worthy read
Frederick P. Brooks: The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, 20th Anniversary Edition
A very interesting read for tech managers. Some of the info is now outdated, but it's amazing how much of the content is still relevant today. The new edition includes extra chapters on the authors experiences since the initial run of the book.
Alistair Cockburn: Writing Effective Use Cases
A great little book on how to write good use cases - from casual to formal. I found it both informative and useful.