Art of Project Management Redux
March 8th, 2006 by HalIn the last two weeks, three people have recommended Scott Berkun's The Art of Project Management to me. (They hadn't seen my posting the Art of Scott Berkun.) While I was impressed with the book when I read it last summer, I hadn't picked it up since. Now I have. I'm even more impressed.
Two years ago, Boston University said that the PMBoK® only represents 1/3 of what a project manager needs to know to succeed, Project Management: Art and Science. The art of project management is generally not taught and not well-described. 18 months later Scott's book filled that gap. The Art of Project Management is a handbook for developing yourself as a project leader. Notice my shift in terms from manager to leader. I'm taking my cue from comments Scott made in an online forum1, "It's what I wish someone had told me when I started leading projects." Of course there are management tasks on projects, but what people need most from us is leadership. Here are five chapter titles to give you a sense of what he means by leadership:
- How to figure out what to do
- Communication and relationships
- How not to annoy people: process, email, and meetings
- Why leadership is based on trust
- Power and politics
The book is written in an engaging conversational tone. As I read I noticed that I wanted to talk more with Scott. I wanted to ask follow-up questions. I wanted to share my experience with him. I expect you will too.
In my original post I said I wished I had thought to write on the art of project management. (I'm in the process of writing a different book.) Well, Scott has done something else that I wish I had done, The Art of PM: The Course. Scott will be teaching a two-day course in Vancouver on April 12 & 13, 2006. There are way too many PMP® prep courses available. This course fills an important void.
Now it's my turn to recommend that you read The Art of Project Management. If you still need more encouragement, then download this free chapter: How to Figure Out What to Do.
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