Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager

I and a Flash Developer and stumbled across Rand's blog and read the nerd handbook. Man, he had be pegged on more things than I would like to admit. From there I explored some of his other popular articles and eventually I was sold on buying his book. I found his writing to be very insightful, educational, and witty. It was a pleasure to read and I feel that I am more prepared for my future business endeavors. If you have any doubt, please check out his blog. Many of the chapters can be found there.

"Managing Humans" is a very funny but insightful view of managing software engineers in a high tech field, though I find the insights relevant even though I manage traditional IT in a non-technical industry. I kept seeing people I know, and, even worse, myself, in the scenarios he describes. Have recommended the book to my direct reports and hope they don't recognize me in it.

For "grizzled ancients" in the software development universe, it is a bit of commiserating joy. For the uninitiated, it is an entertaining book full of sage advice told with an ease that betrays the value of the words. If you're trying to decode the secrets of managing software, or if you think that managing a software development team is no different than any other management, this book will save you several years of trouble. If you've been there already, you'll spend your reading time nodding. Either way, you owe it to yourself to buy this book.

Managing people is difficult. Managing software engineers is something completely different. Michael Lopp brings his experience to bear in the book Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager. Wickedly funny, and dangerously accurate... Contents: Part 1 - Management Quiver: Don't Be A Prick; Managers Are Not Evil; The Monday Freakout; Agenda Detection; Mandate Dissection; Information Starvation; Subtlety, Subterfuge, And Silence; Managementese; Technicality; Avoiding The Fez; Your Resignation Checklist; Saying No Part 2 - The Process Is The Product: 1.0, Taking Time To Think; The Soak; Malcolm Events; Capturing Context; Status Reports 2.0; Trickle Theory Part 3 - Versions Of You: A Glimpse And A Hook; Nailing The Phone Screen; Ninety Days; Bellwethers; NADD; A Nerd In A Cave; Meeting Creatures; Incrementalists And Completionists; Organics And Mechanics; Inwards, Outwards, And Holistics; Free Electrons; Rules For The Reorg; Offshore Risk Factor; Joe; Secret Titles Glossary; Index Although the title would lead you to believe that the book is targeted for managers, that's not really the case. Yes, software managers will get a *lot* from these pages, but so will any other software professional being managed (that should cover everyone). Lopp, aka "Rands", has spent many years on the front lines of management, from larger companies to startups. In a "cut to the chase" fashion (with words you likely won't see in any other management book), he shares his insights and knowledge when it comes to dealing with the strange and often bizarre world of software development. You'll learn the underlying cause of the Monday morning "freakout", and what's really being said behind the emotional outburst. You'll understand what happens when your staff is starved for information (not a good thing). And something I've already used... figuring out the players in a meeting, and what the real agenda is. Much of part 1 is devoted to the management side, but parts 2 and 3 are more general in nature, and apply to your own well-being. The Soak is something that we often don't allow ourselves the luxury of, but it's critical to sorting through your thoughts and ideas. A Nerd In A Cave does a great job explaining why we set up our work area as we do. And if you've ever had an argument with someone over the merits of a particular solution to a problem, you'll immediately relate to Incrementalists and Completionists. I know that explains a lot about my approach to problem resolution... This is one of those reads that is both enjoyable and valuable. You'll either learn to manage better, or learn how to be managed better. You may even learn how to manage yourself while you're at it.

Rands cuts through the typical managementese B.S. and tells it like it is. Each chapter is composed of real stories (with names changed to protect the guilty) of office situations we've all experienced and try our best to avoid. Some of the stories read like "Office Space" in real life, but each is paired with insightful advice to resolve the situation and avoid similar ones in the future. I've already benefited from the knowledge just this week: - how to respond to Dingfelder's Monday Freakout. - when to break out of the meeting once it's no longer worth my time. A great read. Should be required for every manager, or anyone who has ever been "managed."