This weblog started to log the making and release of a book. Well, the book is out and doing well - But what to do here now?

Here’s the plan:

Weekly short pieces on:

• Management, teams and leadership.
• The making of good things.
• Design, technology and creativity.
• Highlights from the pmclinic and uxclinic discussion lists.

Monthly pieces on:

• As new book projects come together I’ll be writing about them here, bringing you into the process.
• Longer essays once a month will be posted here along with other book news, meetups or tour dates.

And as always, if if you’re willing to post it, I’ll write about anything people ask for .

Cheers.

Posted in Plans and goals | 5 Comments »

The author page in the back of The art of project management has this photo.

This represents a life goal: to write enough good books to fill the shelf. I’ve measured its width and according to my calculations I need to write 20-25 books to fill it. Since the artofpm took a year to write, working nearly full time at it, I expect to be working towards this goal for the rest of my life. I won’t publish anything I’m not proud of so I’m after quality too, not just volume. If I die with a half full shelf of good books, I’ll still be a happy man (as happy as a dead man can be).

I think this goal is as insane as you probably do - but when I quit Microsoft in 2003 I made a long list of possibilites: this was the least insane. Just like everything else, insanity is relative.

Writing forces many good things to happen for me: most interesting perhaps is that I have to confront my own bullshit. I can’t just complain about things I don’t like or handwave about how I’d make something better: instead I have to sit down and try to do it myself. And if I do it right, other people benefit from the effort.

I’ll be writing more on this blog about the goal and my approach. If this interests you let me know: if not I’ll keep most of it to myself :) Any encouragement is encouraged and thanks for reading so far.

Posted in On writing, Plans and goals | 5 Comments »

It’s been 3 months since I left Microsoft - I promised Jill a “Scott 2004 plan” and I finished it last night. 3 pages long. Plan was approved by Jill today (she almost said it was good - high praise indeed). I have marital support now - woohoo!

The primary goal is books. My life goal is to fill the bookshelf near my desk with books - one’s that I’ve written. Since committing to this plan I admit I’ve studied the shelf carefully - shelves are BIG. This particular shelf is 15-20 books wide. If it takes a year to write a book, it will take me nearly 3 decades to finish this commitment. (Unless I’m allowed to write in crayon, in big 50pt Hellvetica, with one or two letters per page. If that’s allowed I may be in good shape after all).

I have a long list of book ideas - but the London project is still the best place to start. As slow as it’s been going, it still makes the most sense for several reasons.

Posted in On writing, Plans and goals | No Comments »

Today was my last day at Microsoft. Several months (years?) of thinking about doing other things have ended. I am now unemployed. Handed in my badge and left building A. Stood outside for a good ten minutes looking at the building, laughing about how I couldn’t get back in even if I wanted to.

I have a few months to figure out what’s next. I’m proud of myself for doing something that scared the crap out of me.

Work history 1994-2003

Usability engineer, Various office products, IE 1.0
Program Mannager, IE 2.0-IE 5.0
Lead Program Manager, Windows
Training Manager, Engineering Excellence Group
Lead Program Manager, MSN
5 patents (So much for the patent process)
6 ship it awards (I may have lost some?)
10 managers
12 different offices
50 something specifications written
Zero confirmed HR violations

Posted in Microsoft, Plans and goals | 2 Comments »