Opis: Managing the Unmanageable - Ron Lichty, Mickey Mantle

"Mantle and Lichty have assembled a guide that will help you hire, motivate, and mentor a software development team that functions at the highest level. Their rules of thumb and coaching advice are great blueprints for new and experienced software engineering managers alike." -Tom Conrad, CTO, Pandora "I wish I'd had this material available years ago. I see lots and lots of 'meat' in here that I'll use over and over again as I try to become a better manager. The writing style is right on, and I love the personal anecdotes." -Steve Johnson, VP, Custom Solutions, DigitalFish All too often, software development is deemed unmanageable. The news is filled with stories of projects that have run catastrophically over schedule and budget. Although adding some formal discipline to the development process has improved the situation, it has by no means solved the problem. How can it be, with so much time and money spent to get software development under control, that it remains so unmanageable? In Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools, and Insights for Managing Software People and Teams, Mickey W. Mantle and Ron Lichty answer that persistent question with a simple observation: You first must make programmers and software teams manageable. That is, you need to begin by understanding your people-how to hire them, motivate them, and lead them to develop and deliver great products. Drawing on their combined seventy years of software development and management experience, and highlighting the insights and wisdom of other successful managers, Mantle and Lichty provide the guidance you need to manage people and teams in order to deliver software successfully. Whether you are new to software management, or have already been working in that role, you will appreciate the real-world knowledge and practical tools packed into this guide. "Managing the Unmanageable is a well-written, must-have reference book for anyone serious about building sustainable software teams that consistently deliver high-quality solutions that meet expectations. It is loaded with incredibly useful and practical tips and tricks to deal with real-life situations commonly encountered by software managers anywhere in the world. It tearlessly peels back the onion layers of the process of managing software developers-whether a handful of co-located programmers or thousands dispersed across the world-through a balance of battle-tested approaches and keen understanding of the various personalities and backgrounds of software team members. Finally, a book on software engineering that focuses on the manager's dilemma of making a team of programmers work efficiently together. Every single software manager should have it on their bookshelf." -Phac Le Tuan, CTO, Reepeet, and CEO, PaceWorks "Becoming a great engineering leader requires more than technical know-how; Ron and Mickey's book provides a practical cookbook for the important softer side of engineering leadership, which can be applied to any software development organization." -Paul Melmon, VP of Engineering, NICE Systems "EXCELLENT. Well-structured, logical, filled with great personal color and many little gems. You guys have done a great job here. Terrific balance between theory and practice, rich with info." -Joe Kleinschmidt, CTO and cofounder, Leverage Software "I started reading the nuggets section and it took fewer than four pages to improve my thinking. What struck me about the nuggets was that I could sense the genesis of this book: two masters of their craft learning from each other. Most books feel like a teacher describing a sterile version of what 'ought to be done' that leaves you wondering, 'Will this work in the "real world"?' Reading the nuggets felt like the sort of guidance that I would get from a trusted mentor. A mentor who I not only trusted, but one who trusted me to take the wisdom, understand its limits, and apply it correctly. It's concentrated like a Reader's Digest for technical management wisdom." -Mike Fauzy, President and CTO, 1stMediCall LLC "Managing the Unmanageable is a great collection of sometimes-obvious and sometimes-not-obvious guidance for software managers. I wish that I had had this book when I first started managing teams, and it still is illuminating. For programmers who step into management, the hardest thing is to learn the soft skills. Ron and Mickey do a great job of illustrating not just the why but also the how." -Bill Hofmann, Vice President of Engineering, Klamr.to "Unique dialogue around the human aspects of software development that is very much overdue." -Mark Friedman, CEO and founder, GreenAxle Solutions "... [W]hat to do on the new employee's first day of work seems unique and very helpful!" -Steven Flannes, Ph.D., Principal, Flannes & Associates "The book provides insight to a unique group of people: programmers. Companies around the planet have and are still struggling with how to best develop software products. Managing programmers is at the heart of developing software products successfully. Many project and organization leaders are ill-equipped to deal with programmers and software development in general. I think this book can bring insight to leaders of software organizations and help them understand and even get inside the head of programmers and therefore be more effective leaders." -Michael Maitland, CEO (geek-in-charge), WhereTheGeeksRoam "I have enjoyed reading the book very much, and I wish I had it ten years ago-probably would have saved me from making certain mistakes. A lot of what I read is not new to me, but I have never seen so much relevant material assembled in one book. The book was just what I needed. I already feel that I've benefited from it." -David Vydra, Continuous Delivery Advocate and Software Craftsman, TestDriven.com "I am finding the reading helpful to me right now-it has heightened my sensitivity to staff, even having managed for decades." -Margo Kannenberg, Assistant Director, Application Development, HighWire Press "Mickey was my manager in my first role as programming manager. His real-world, pragmatic, hands-on guidance was a profound positive influence on everything I've ever done with management since. His is still my go-to advice as I develop and mentor managers. I'm pleased that he's taken the time to canonize it in this book so that many more new and experienced managers can benefit from it." -H.B. Siegel, CTO, IMDB.com (a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon) "I just wish that I had this book when I started as a first-time manager five years ago!" -Kinnar Vora, VP, Product Development & Operations, Sequoia Retail Systems "Mantle and Lichty cut through abstract principles and present proven techniques that can increase the effectiveness of software development organizations. It deserves a place on the real (or virtual) bookshelf of every software manager who wants to build an outstanding development team and create a culture where everyone enjoys coming to work. It's especially valuable in telling managers what not to do, and how to address the inevitable problems that affect all organizations." -Anthony I. (Tony) Wasserman, Professor of Software Management Practice, Carnegie Mellon University-Silicon Valley; ACM Fellow; and IEEE Life Fellow "Mickey was there on Long Island in the mid-1970s when the group now known as Pixar first formed, delivering successful software products then, and was still doing so, as manager, almost two decades later at Pixar itself. He knows what he's talking about." -Alvy Ray Smith, cofounder of Pixar "Ron and Mickey clearly understand how important it is for programmers to work on projects that make a difference and how essential it is for managers to create and foster a unique and innovative culture." -Kathy Baldanza, VPE, Perforce Software "This book is a treasure trove of real-world experiences that will make you a more effective software development manager." -Chris Richardson, founder of the original CloudFoundry.com, aPreface xxi About the Authors xxvii Chapter 1: Why Programmers Seem Unmanageable 1 What Do Programmers Do? 3 Why Is Becoming a Successful Programming Manager Hard? 7 Chapter 2: Understanding Programmers 9 Programming Disciplines 10 Types of Programmers 13 Domain Expertise 16 Programmer Job Requirements and Abilities 17 Proximity and Relationship 20 Generational Styles 25 Personality Styles 27 Summary 33 Tools 34 Chapter 3: Finding and Hiring Great Programmers 35 Determining What Kind of Programmer to Hire 37 Writing the Job Description 39 Selling the Hire 45 Recruiting Full-Time Employees (FTEs) 46 Recruiting Contractors 56 Reviewing Resumes 57 Narrowing the Field 59 Preparing to Interview 60 Interviewing 67 Making the Decision to Hire a Programmer 72 Making the Right Offer to a Programmer 76 Follow Up Until the Programmer Accepts 82 Summary 83 Tools 83 Chapter 4: Getting New Programmers Started Off Right 84 Get Them on Board Early 85 Preparing for Their Arrival 86 First-Day Musts 87 Introductions 91 Ensuring Success 92 Initial Expectations 95 Summary 98 Tools 98 Chapter 5: Becoming an Effective Programming Manager: Managing Down 99 Earning Technical Respect 100 Hire Great Programmers 105 Turbocharge the Team You Have 105 Managing Different Types of Programmers 106 Facilitation 111 Protection 111 Judging and Improving Performance 113 Organizational Thinking 123 Deliver Results and Celebrate Success 141 Summary 142 Tools 142 RULES OF THUMB AND NUGGETS OF WISDOM 143 The Challenges of Managing 147 Managing People 173 Managing Teams to Deliver Successfully 203 Chapter 6: Becoming an Effective Programming Manager: Managing Up, Out, and Yourself 227 Managing Up 228 Managing Out 234 Managing Yourself 250 Summary 268 Tools 268 Chapter 7: Motivating Programmers 269 Motivational Theories 269 Motivational Factors as Applied to Programmers 274 Putting Theory into Practice 279 Foundational Factors-Causes of Dissatisfaction (When Lacking) 280 Key Motivating Factors 303 Personal Commitment 312 Technology Offense and Defense 314 Understanding Your Programmers' Motivations Begins on Day One 316 Summary 317 Chapter 8: Establishing a Successful Programming Culture 318 Defining "Successful" 319 The Programming Culture 319 Company Culture 320 Characteristics of a Successful Programming Culture 327 Summary 346 Tools 346 Chapter 9: Managing Successful Software Delivery 347 Defining the Project 348 Planning the Work 358 Kicking Off the Plan 370 Executing the Work 376 Running the End Game 391 Delivering the Software 396 Summary 401 Tools 402 TOOLS 403 Index 407

Szczegóły: Managing the Unmanageable - Ron Lichty, Mickey Mantle

Tytuł: Managing the Unmanageable
Autor: Ron Lichty, Mickey Mantle
Producent: Addison Wesley Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780321822031
Rok produkcji: 2012
Ilość stron: 464
Oprawa: Miękka
Waga: 0.73 kg

Recenzje: Managing the Unmanageable - Ron Lichty, Mickey Mantle