Last week in the pm-clinic discussion forum was topic #34 - Getting started in leading teams.

This week: Leading the unleadable? Topic #35.

I lead a mixed team which includes developers, architects, testers and analysts. The majority of the team have been hand picked and are experienced, diligent and hard working. There is one fairly novice guy who has been given to me in order for him to learn and develop. The issue is that after 10 months he is still producing work of a very low quality and the rest of the team are constantly having to assist, advise, correct and improve his work.

Some members of the team and getting fed up with carrying the guy and I am very concerned that the team will lose focus. I have proactively tried to help the guy. We have had project reviews where the issues have been raised. We produced action lists for how to address the issues and yet things are no better. He is a stubborn kind of guy who comes from the “my way is always the best way” school of working an usually refuses to adapt or change.

Any advice, war stories, or recommendations for this kind of situation?

- Signed, leading the unleadable?

Posted in Management, Software/Web development | 7 Comments »

More reviews coming in - it’s fun to read these - hopefully I’ll see more:

“This is one of the more practical books on project management that I’ve had the chance to cover. The writing style is also less formal and a bit more “real life” than most. You actually feel like you’re talking with the author instead of being “talked to”
- From Duffberts Musings

“This is in fact a down-to-earth book about a tough job, the management of large, complex projects, with an emphasis on high tech and software… this eminently practical book will be of use to anybody who wants advice on approaching serious project management professionally.”
From Netsurfer Digest

“The book is very broad, and I think it would be reasonably useful for people involved in any team project situation, whether they’re a manager or a player”
- From Tim Hatch

“The book is imprinted by a very pragmatic view: you will learn the difficult art of getting things done, figthing a very wide range of different obstacles. The book is focused on young IT Managers, but can be a valuable help for team leaders and senior architects too. .. Rating: 8 of 10″
- From SIforge.org

“I often ask the question: ‘Have you read McConnell’s work?’ Those interviewees who do not know who McConnell is, or cannot even name the books are removed from the shortlist. I would like to think that one year from now I will be able to ask: ‘Have you read The Art of Project Management?’ Finally, we have a book that doesn’t just teach project management, it teaches the art of project management… it is a portable book of common sense – it should be required reading for those folks on a project and anybody who has interaction with the project team, e.g. upper management, sponsors, CEOs, CIOs, information providers and even customers. Overall book rating: 5/5″
From Craig Murphy, for Scottishdevelopers.com, See his full chapter by chapter review

There are also ten more reviews up now at amazon.com

Please let me know if you’ve seen other reviews out there, or if you’ve written your own.

Posted in The Art of PM book, artofpm reviews | 1 Comment »

Last week in the pm-clinic discussion forum: Topic #33 - Getting started in leading teams.

This week: Transitioning into managing others.

I am a project manager (PM) who is just starting to have direct reports. I’ve had enough bad managers throughout my career that for a long time I told myself I never would want to be a manager myself. Luckily, now I have a good manager, and I am being encouraged to take a broader leadership role on the team, including managing others directly. This is great, but I still feel that I have a lot to learn about delegating effectively and how to be a good manager to others in general. Any guidance or insight, or advice on avoiding traps on this transition would be most helpful!

Posted in Management, Software/Web development | 1 Comment »

This week in the pm-clinic discussion forum: Topic #32 - Fear of changing direction.

1. How do you get a team to stay productive when a big direction change is imminent?
2. If a competitor makes a change that forces you to respond, how do you decide what to do?

Posted in Management, Software/Web development | No Comments »

Ever have a manager you couldn’t stand or thought was incompotent? Then this essay is for you:

How to survive a bad manager.

I can’t guarantee that you’ll thrive, but the advice here should help deal with many “bad manager” situations.

Posted in Essays, On writing | 1 Comment »