Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly))

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The book makes an effort to recognize that processes should support the workers, not the other way around, so the topics are not obsessed with schedules and charts and the rigidity you find in most pm books.

The skills Berkun encourages go beyond one team member’s role, though–communicating well, meeting deadlines, and moving your piece of the project forward are the skills that make anyone the team’s MVP. Constraints are useful for finding ideas, but thinking outside the box is not necessarily the answer. Why was Humphrey Bogart's screen presence and persona so vital a factor for American morale during World War II?It might only be a few minutes, or from time to time during the week, but people often fall behind on their daily schedule (however, because denial is a great skill we humans have, I will understand if you refuse to admit that it applies to you). In all these situations you need to know how to present your unique set of skills and abilities to others. Offers a collection of essays on philosophies and strategies for defining, leading, and managing projects. Create a list of open problems to follow up with the questions that need resolution before the specifications are completed. Ideas morph into designs via conversations between different people with different types of expertise.

Scott also continues to go the extra mile by providing digital formats like PM Clinic with which to create a living PM experience that grows far beyond the pages of the book.

Each essay distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition now adds more value for leaders and managers of projects everywhere.