In the updated edition of this criticallyacclaimed and bestselling book, Microsoft project veteran Scott Berkun offers acollection of essays on field-tested philosophies and strategies for defining,leading, and managing projects. Each essay distills complex concepts andchallenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition nowadds more value for leaders and managers of projects everywhere.
Based on his nine years of experience as a program manager for InternetExplorer, and lead program manager for Windows and MSN, Berkun explains totechnical and non-technical readers alike what it takes to get through a largesoftware or web development project. Making Things Happen doesn't cite specificmethods, but focuses on philosophy and strategy. Unlike other projectmanagement books, Berkun offers personal essays in a comfortable style and easytone that emulate the relationship of a wise project manager who gives good,entertaining and passionate advice to those who ask.
Topics in this new edition include:
How to make things happen
Making good decisions
Specifications and requirements
Ideas and what to do with them
How not to annoy people
Leadership and trust
The truth about making dates
What to do when things go wrong
Complete with a new forwardfrom the author and a discussion guide for forming reading groups/teams, MakingThings Happen offers in-depth exercises to help you apply lessons from the bookto your job. It is inspiring, funny, honest, and compelling, and definitely theone book that you and your team need to have within arm's reach throughout thelife of your project.
Coming from the rare perspective of someone who fought difficult battles onMicrosoft's biggest projects and taught project design and management for MSTE,Microsoft's internal best practices group, this is valuable advice indeed. Itwill serve you well with your current work, and on future projects to come.
