Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In the updated edition of this critically acclaimed and bestselling book, Microsoft project veteran Scott Berkun offers a collection of essays on field-tested philosophies and strategies for defining, leading, and managing projects. Each essay distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition now adds more value for leaders and managers of projects everywhere.



Based on his nine years of experience as a program manager for Internet Explorer, and lead program manager for Windows and MSN, Berkun explains to technical and non-technical readers alike what it takes to get through a large software or web development project. Making Things Happen doesn't cite specific methods, but focuses on philosophy and strategy. Unlike other project management books, Berkun offers personal essays in a comfortable style and easy tone that emulate the relationship of a wise project manager who gives good, entertaining and passionate advice to those who ask.



Topics in this new edition include: How to make things happen Making good decisions Specifications and requirements Ideas and what to do with them How not to annoy people Leadership and trust The truth about making dates What to do when things go wrong Complete with a new forward from the author and a discussion guide for forming reading groups/teams, Making Things Happen offers in-depth exercises to help you apply lessons from the book to your job. It is inspiring, funny, honest, and compelling, and definitely the one book that you and your team need to have within arm's reach throughout the life of your project.



Coming from the rare perspective of someone who fought difficult battles on Microsoft's biggest projects and taught project design and management for MSTE, Microsoft's internal best practices group, this is valuable advice indeed. It will serve you well with your current work, and on future projects to come.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword
• Preface
• Who should read this book
• Assumptions I've made about you in writing this book
• How to use this book
• How to contact us
• Safaria" Books Online
• Chapter 1 A brief history of project management (and why you should care)
• 1.1 Using history
• 1.2 Web development, kitchens, and emergency rooms
• 1.3 The role of project management
• 1.4 Program and project management at Microsoft
• 1.5 The balancing act of project management
• 1.6 Pressure and distraction
• 1.7 The right kind of involvement
• 1.8 Summary
• 1.9 Exercises
• Part 1 One Plans
• Chapter 2 The truth about schedules
• 2.1 Schedules have three purposes
• 2.2 Silver bullets and methodologies
• 2.3 What schedules look like
• 2.4 Why schedules fail
• 2.5 What must happen for schedules to work
• 2.6 Summary
• 2.7 Exercises
• Chapter 3 How to figure out what to do
• 3.1 Software planning demystified
• 3.2 Approaching plans: the three perspectives
• 3.3 The magical interdisciplinary view
• 3.4 Asking the right questions
• 3.5 Catalog of common bad ways to decide what to do
• 3.6 The process of planning
• 3.7 Customer research and its abuses
• 3.8 Bringing it all together: requirements
• 3.9 Summary
• 3.10 Exercises
• Chapter 4 Writing the good vision
• 4.1 The value of writing things down
• 4.2 How much vision do you need?
• 4.3 The five qualities of good visions
• 4.4 The key points to cover
• 4.5 On writing well
• 4.6 Drafting, reviewing, and revising
• 4.7 A catalog of lame vision statements (which should be avoided)
• 4.8 Examples of visions and goals
• 4.9 Visions should be visual
• 4.10 The vision sanity check: daily worship
• 4.11 Summary
• 4.12 Exercises
• Chapter 5 Where ideas come from
• 5.1 The gap from requirements to solutions
• 5.2 There are bad ideas
• 5.3 Thinking in and out of boxes is OK
• 5.4 Good questions attract good ideas
• 5.5 Bad ideas lead to good ideas
• 5.6 Perspective and improvisation
• 5.7 The customer experience starts the design
• 5.8 A design is a series of conversations
• 5.9 Summary
• 5.10 Exercises
• Chapter 6 What to do with ideas once you have them
• 6.1
• 6.2
• 6.3
• 6.4
• 6.5
• 6.6
• 6.7
• 6.8
• 6.9
• Part 2 Skills
• Chapter 7 Writing good specifications
• 7.1 What specifications can and cannot do
• 7.2

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Berkun's ten years at Microsoft working on products such as Internet Explorer and Windows provide a wealth of fodder for this book, which is a revised edition of the 2005 best seller The Art of Project Management. In this three-part work ("Plans," "Skills," and "Management"), Berkun guides the reader through the factors necessary for project success. Although the informal writing style makes this 16-chapter book easily read from start to finish, each chapter can readily serve as a stand-alone resource. Major topics are summarized in straightforward lists that bring focus to subjects such as generating ideas, reviewing decisions, or handling difficult situations. Chapters include informative footnotes, summaries, and insightful exercises that serve to make the reader think. Reading this book is like visiting with a respected mentor when "war stories" are shared, lessons learned are remembered, and advice is freely given. Though written from the perspective of managing a large, technical project, its advice is scalable for projects of any size and type. An index, annotated bibliography, Web site, and appendix for project management discussion groups make nice additions. Anyone participating in a project should consider this book a must have. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers/libraries. A. J. Marsh University of Arkansas at Monticello

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Scott Berkun worked on the Internet Explorer team at Microsoft from 1994-1999 and left the company in 2003 with the goal of writing enough books to fill a shelf. The Myths of Innovation is his second book: he wrote the best seller, The Art of Project Management (O'Reilly 2005). He makes a living writing, teaching and speaking. He teaches a graduate course in creative thinking at the University of Washington, runs the sacred places architecture tour at NYC's GEL conference, and writes about innovation, design and management at www.scottberkun.com.