Archive for the 'books' Category

Don't you just love Industry Week? Whether you work in manufacturing or you do projects for manufacturers you gotta pay attention to IW stories. In the December 2007 issue there was a sidebar on careers. IW quoted from John M. McKee's book, Career Wisdom: 101 Proven Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success. McKee offered these 10 ways to get yourself fired:

1. Don't have a clear life plan.
2. Don't keep your skill set current.
3. Never deliver results.
4. Confuse efficiency with effectiveness.

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LPSThe Last Planner System® is a lean approach to planning and delivering projects. It is based on a hierarchy of planning: should, can, will, and did. LPS is not a computer system. It is a set of protocols corresponding with the four above items: pull planning, look-ahead planning, task planning, and daily coordination. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute. Last Planner SystemThe Last Planner System® is a lean approach to planning and delivering projects. It is based on a hierarchy of planning: should, can, will, and did. LPS is not a computer system. It is a set of protocols corresponding with the four above items: pull planning, look-ahead planning, task planning, and daily coordination. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute.

This is not a book review. That will come later. I'm only sharing the news that there is a new Shigeo Shingo book: kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking. Norman Bodek gave me the chance to review an early version of the book. I'm quite impressed. I've wondered for quite some time if there is a systematic behind Toyota's success other than PDCA. We now all know the answer. Shingo developed an approach that helps everyone to be more creative. And that approach is readily learned.

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Authors and their publicists regularly offer me books in hope I'll write a good review. I usually do write good reviews. If I can't find something good to say, then I don't write anything. (I think I've only written one negative review.) Today, I'm offering a review of a book that neither the author nor the publicist offered me. And you guessed it…it's a positive review.

Christine Comford-Lynch's Rules for Renegades is a good-read.

You'll be inspired by Christine's example.

Christine is a character. She's fully expressing herself in print just like she has in life. I'm not saying Rules for Renegades will alter your view on reality. But it just might inspire you. Christine unabashedly shares her triumphs — building one company after another and dating both Bill Gates and Larry Ellison — and her flops — embarking on becoming a geisha after getting dumped by Bill Gates.

Christine claims to have been involved in 36 company start-ups. "Of those 36, not a single one (author's emphasis) has executed its original business plan." Sounds like successful projects. Christine shares her acquired wisdom in the following 10 rules.

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We often discount great accomplishments by saying people were just lucky. The luncheon speaker at the TWI Summit says otherwise. Luncheon speakers are about as good as the conference budget allows. I wasn't expecting much at the TWI Summit. It's the first of its kind conference. While it was the largest meeting of TWI proponents in over 50 years, it was only about 135 people. Boy was I surprised by the luncheon speaker on the first day. Jim Swartz spoke about finding and seizing great opportunities. His talk was based on his book Seeing David in the Stone, by James and Joseph Swartz.

Due to significant Florida weather delays, I had the opportunity to read and finish Seeing David in the Stone in one setting. I am impressed. Very impressed. I shouldn't be. Norman Bodek introduced Jim to me calling him a genius. After listening to his speech, being in a private conversation and reading the book I can see that Norman is right. Not only is he a genius, he's written an easy-to-read and engaging book.

The book is based on many years of private research into what makes the great ones successful. They studied 70 great people to discover what was common among them. In addition to Gates and Einstein, the authors studied Galileo, Edison, Michaelangelo, DaVinci, Pasteur, Curie, Eisenhower, and Walton. The authors identified three groups of behaviors with a total of 12 actions. Here they are:

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I frequently say to myself, "I've got to read this book again." But I usually don't make the time to do it. That's not the case with The Dip, by Seth Godin. I have to admit that not only have I been waiting for the book, I would be anticipating any book by Seth. Call me a groupie. I'm ok with that. This guy has an uncanny way of bringing an idea from the edge to mainstream. But still I was surprised. While Seth promoted his book about quitting, the book is really about mastery.

For my money, there's no better book about mastery than George Leonard's Mastery. He describes both his journey to embracing mastery and the nature and practices of mastery. However, Seth presents the choice we have of mastery. You can quit or you can stick, it's your choice. The earlier you decide the better.

Seth's examples are palpable. Read the rest of this entry ¶

Vince Lombardi was wrong when he said, "Winners never quit and quitters never win." Do I have your attention? That's how Seth Godin opened his presentation this morning in Philadelphia. It's the first stop on his book tour to promote The Dip. I've been asked many times, "Why does a project management guy write about a marketing guy." Seth is not just a marketing guy. He's strung together one best-selling book on marketing one-after-another. Seth describes himself as a guy committed to spreading the best ideas. His book Purple Cow on doing work that stands out is great advice for individuals and teams.

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Jeffrey Liker has a new book on Toyota, Toyota Talent, Developing Your People the Toyota Way. I've got my copy. I'll be reading it closely this week while traveling to SFO.

One of the reasons for trouble on projects is that people say Yes when asked to take on a task when they really should be saying No. This results in others who depend on the completion of that task to start their task failing to do so. Like dominoes toppling, the project schedule falls apart.

The Power of a Positive No, by William Ury is a primer in how to have a positive conversation where the result is No. In Ury's essay How I Got to No, he recounts his insight after meeting with Warren Buffett. The Oracle of Omaha said he says NO to a thousand investment opportunities before finding just the right one to say Yes to. Read the rest of this entry ¶

The vast majority of projects involve a few people and take a few months. PMI and Prince seem to ignore that majority…but not Ron Rosenhead. Ron offers project management consulting and advice for accountants, attorney, librarians, and other professionals. He offers an approach based on a stripped-down version of Prince. Still, it may be more than these people need.

"Soft" is what makes projects successful.

Ron makes it easy for the motivated service professional to be successful with projects. He offers introductory material, a course-by-email, and an eBook, Deliver that Project. I've just finished reviewing the eBook. Attorneys and accountants will find it to be comprehensive. Most projects don't need more than Ron is advising.

I found one thing missing. Projects of all sizes and complexity depend on successful conversations for coordination. We act like conversations are the soft stuff of projects. For some reason "soft" is not important. Too bad. In my experience, "soft" is what makes projects successful. For those of you who are open to exploring the "soft" side of projects, have a look at these project meeting protocols. And, subscribe to Ron's email course while you're at it.

Innovation can seem like such a big idea…just out of the reach of every person on your team. Matthew May wrote a book and a ChangeThis manifesto of the same name where he shares another of "Toyota's (lean) secrets." Everyday innovation is not only available to every team, it is the skill and practice that will separate you from your competitors. Read Elegant Solutions manifesto; share it with your team; and begin your own practice of innovation on your project.

 … or read the book.

I do a lot of business reading along with other non-fiction reading. People regularly ask how I read so much. While I did learn speed reading, I got better advice from a teacher that maps nicely with these two articles How to Read a Business Book, by Slacker Manager and How to Read Fast, by Roman's miles. Both courtesy of Lifehack. Enjoy!

Projects are wonderful settings for learning and innovation. The challenges of a project along with the diversity of people on the project team lend to breakthrough opportunities for individuals, the team, and the client. Unfortunately, too many projects are taxing for the participants. With a dose of determination that can change.

kaizen is the habit of easing our life.

The kaizen approach can make a big difference for you and your project team. kaizen is about making small improvements (changes) to make ones work easier, to improve quality, and to bring more value for the customer, the team, and the firm. The big challenge is getting in the kaizen habit.

I've started reading a book by Susan and Larry Terkel, Small Change. I've only read the first 40 pages, but I've scanned the whole book. I like the whole-life approach the authors take. They cover everything from a healthy lifestyle to a successful work life. Many people don't consider this to be kaizen. For me, kaizen is the habit of easing our life. It's time we all got in the habit. I'll write again about the book.

Awhile back I got a book in the mail with a polite request to review it. This happens about once a month. While I was curious about the title, Rainbows & Ratholes, I kept shuttling the book from bedside table to briefcase to the corner of my desk and back to my briefcase. As luck would have it, a 3-hour flight-delay coincided with the book being in my briefcase. I finished the book. Dan M. Kothari wrote the book as he says, "…to bridge the gap between theory and practice." It seems to be a common theme.

There is much to like in the book, starting with the introduction.

"Successful organizations embrace a projectized culture that is founded on the principles of customer focus, committed sponsorship, trusting relationships, outstanding teamwork, and continuous improvement."

Kothari offers good advice and distinctive perspectives throughout his book

I was struck that Kothari didn't speak about WBS, ROI, CPM, and risk management. But I didn't have to read far before that stood out in his writing. Kothari bounces back and forth from writing an introductory book explaining WBS, etc. to offering real insights on the five issues raised in his Introduction.

I really like the structure of the book. Read the rest of this entry ¶

How many project management books are there? 1,000? 2,000? Would you believe 16,199? That's the number of unique results (use quotation marks around the term) I got at Amazon at 8:52 PM EDT last night. So how does anyone find a good book among that bunch? One way is to look at the sales rankings. The top book on the list is Scott Berkun's The Art of Project Management. It's a good book that I've reviewed on this weblog. Somewhere down the list is a book I read on the plane two weeks ago, Just Enough Project Management, by Curtis R. Cook.

"You do not need (the PMP®) credentials to successfully manage the vast majority of projects."

Cook writes a primer targeted to the vast majority of people doing projects. Most projects involve no more than three people. They take anywhere from a few days to a few months. They don't require CPM schedules, let alone work breakdown structures. Project controls is what happens when we just can't seem to get traction on the project. That is Cook's audience…quite a big audience. He claims that projects need just enough project management…no more. Unfortunately, there's just not enough targeted at that audience.

I really like Cook's introduction. He puts the work of projects in perspective. He closes the introduction this way, "You do not need (the PMP®) credentials to successfully manage the vast majority of projects." I couldn't agree more. He then goes on to describe the just enough world in four steps:

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Whether you are doing construction projects, software projects, or any type, current common sense about succeeding at projects suggests going through a PMI certification process to learn the best practices. The agilists and leanies might disagree. However, there's one guy who offers recommendations — 15 of them — that just might produce better project results. His name is David Schmaltz, True North pgs, Inc. You might know him as the author of the fine book, The Blind Men and the Elephant, Mastering Project Work. David is not your ordinary guy. His views on projects — and life — are unconventional. And those views will help you succeed on your projects.

In 1993 David wrote a little book(let) where he shares his best advice. He titled it, This Isn't a Cookbook, The Elements of Project Style. I'll introduce you to the basic ideas. But don't stop with my commentary. Get his book; it's a gem.

"If you can't manage yourself, what business do you have managing anyone or anything else?"

Create Tangible Boundaries

When the world (client) doesn't provide tangible project boundaries you'll need (want) to provide them for yourself.

ScheduleSpaceAlongWithTasks

We can't predict the future, so allow for some slack time to be able to respond responsibly to what happens.

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LPSThe Last Planner System® is a lean approach to planning and delivering projects. It is based on a hierarchy of planning: should, can, will, and did. LPS is not a computer system. It is a set of protocols corresponding with the four above items: pull planning, look-ahead planning, task planning, and daily coordination. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute. Last Planner SystemThe Last Planner System® is a lean approach to planning and delivering projects. It is based on a hierarchy of planning: should, can, will, and did. LPS is not a computer system. It is a set of protocols corresponding with the four above items: pull planning, look-ahead planning, task planning, and daily coordination. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute.

This month and next I will be speaking about the subject of my coming book. I start this week on a concall with project managers from Jones Lang LaSalle. Frankly, I'm a little intimidated. I've got so much I can speak about, but only one hour to do so. I really don't know what I'll do. Except, I had to submit slides last night. Won't they be surprised! I understand it will be taped. I'll share it if I'm able.

I can't read enough about Toyota. I first started in 1988 with one of the only books available at the time, A Study of the Toyota Production System from an Industrial Engineering Approach, by Shigeo Shingo. It was an impossible read. The translation wasn't good. Later, Andrew Dillon did another translation. The current version of that book is quite readable. Since then, Productivity Press published over 300 books on Japanese approaches to managing production, design, and the enterprise. One of the newest is Inside the Mind of Toyota, by Satoshi Hino, translated again by Andrew Dillon, with a foreword by Jeffrey Liker, author of The Toyota Way.

I've just opened the book — only skimming through it — but I was struck with the following passage from the Translator's Foreword. Dillon identifies three important lessons in Hino's text:

• Theory and principles matter.
• Documentation is critical.
• An organization's success is intimately linked to how its leaders think about work, people, and society.

This is not an ordinary book. It is a book written with a purpose. According to Dillon, that purpose is to learn enough about what is behind Toyota's success and then surpass them.

I get on an 6-hour flight today. I'll let you know more about the book on the other end.

Been stuck lately. I'm working on a book, but can't seem to make the progress I want to make. So on a whim I pulled out three trusty resources: UNSTUCK, by Keith Yamshita & Sandra Spataro, The Project 50, by Tom Peters, and One Hat at a Time momentum cards. I can't say any of them helped. I need a plan. A plan I can work with. I may also need some coaching.

For now, I've selected a hat that I've propped up on my desk. It's a beanie. The kind with a propeller on top. On the back of the card it reads:

The weekend is ahead. Let's see if the beanie helps. And maybe I just need to go to bed!