Managing the Unmanageable

出版者:Addison-Wesley Professional

作者:Mantle, Mickey W.; Lichty, Ron;

页数:464

出版时间:2012-10

价格:$ 45.19

装帧:Paperback

isbn号码:9780321822031

具体描述

"Mantle and Lichty have assembled a guide that will help you hire, motivate, and mentor a software development team that functions at the highest level. Their rules of thumb and coaching advice are great blueprints for new and experienced software engineering managers alike." -Tom Conrad, CTO, Pandora "I wish I'd had this material available years ago. I see lots and lots of 'meat' in here that I'll use over and over again as I try to become a better manager. The writing style is right on, and I love the personal anecdotes." -Steve Johnson, VP, Custom Solutions, DigitalFish All too often, software development is deemed unmanageable. The news is filled with stories of projects that have run catastrophically over schedule and budget. Although adding some formal discipline to the development process has improved the situation, it has by no means solved the problem. How can it be, with so much time and money spent to get software development under control, that it remains so unmanageable? In Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools, and Insights for Managing Software People and Teams, Mickey W. Mantle and Ron Lichty answer that persistent question with a simple observation: You first must make programmers and software teams manageable. That is, you need to begin by understanding your people-how to hire them, motivate them, and lead them to develop and deliver great products. Drawing on their combined seventy years of software development and management experience, and highlighting the insights and wisdom of other successful managers, Mantle and Lichty provide the guidance you need to manage people and teams in order to deliver software successfully. Whether you are new to software management, or have already been working in that role, you will appreciate the real-world knowledge and practical tools packed into this guide.

作者简介

Mickey W. Mantle has been developing software for over 40 years, creating hardware and software products and managing development teams. After graduating from the University of Utah (where he was contemporary with computer industry notables such as the founders of WordPerfect, Silicon Graphics, Netscape, Adobe Systems, and Pixar), Mickey had his first job in 1971 developing the overall control software and real-time robotic controls for a six-acre aircraft rework facility for the U.S. Navy at Kenway Engineering (later Eaton-Kenway). He thereafter joined 3-D computer graphics pioneer Evans & Sutherland (E&S) where he coauthored the original 3-D graphics library that paved the way for Silicon Graphics’s GL, which has since become OpenGL. At E&S he was a contributor to many notable computer graphics products and first started managing programmers and programming teams.

After leaving E&S in 1984, Mickey joined Formative Technologies, a spin-off from Carnegie Mellon University, where he worked with the industry’s first workstations (PERQ and Sun Microsystems) dealing with largescale bit-mapped graphics for mapping and CAD applications. But his heart was in 3-D graphics, and he was hired by Pixar shortly after it was bought by Steve Jobs and spun out of Lucasfilm Ltd. in 1986. At Pixar, Mickey managed the development of all of the software for their external products, including the Pixar Image Computer, the Pixar Medical Imaging System, and RenderMan. RenderMan is the gold standard of 3-D photorealistic rendering software and by 2010 had been used on every Visual Effects Academy Award Winner for the past 15 years; 47 out of the last 50 nominees for Visual Effects had chosen Pixar’s RenderMan.

Mickey left Pixar in 1991, as their focus shifted to making feature-length 3-D animated films and away from external software products, and was recruited to Brøderbund Software as Vice President of Engineering/CTO. At Brøderbund he managed a vast development organization including applications and system programming, art and animation, sound design and music composition, and quality assurance that produced numerous award-winning PC/Mac games such as Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Kid Pix, Myst, and Living Books.

In late 1997 Mickey joined International Microcomputer Software, Inc., as Vice President of R&D/CTO, where he managed on-site and offshore development and support for numerous Windows/Mac applications such as MasterClips and professional-level products such as TurboCAD.

In 1999 Mickey joined Gracenote where he was Senior Vice President of Development (since 2008 Gracenote has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony). At Gracenote he managed all development, operations, and professional services associated with the pioneering Web-based CDDB music information service that enables digital music player applications such as iTunes, WinAmp, Sonic Stage, and hundreds of others. Gracenote’s products utilize technology ranging from Web services and relational databases to embedded systems and mobile applications, giving him a unique perspective on the wide-ranging needs of the various types of software developed today. He retired from Gracenote in early 2011 to finish this book, develop mobile/tablet applications, and consult with a variety of companies and organizations regarding the management of software people and teams.

His experience includes directing R&D teams around the world and managing multidisciplinary teams working 24/7 to deliver successful products. With experience in selecting, establishing, and managing offshore development organizations in India, Russia, Canada, and Japan, he brings insight into the challenges of managing software development using diverse staff and teams that are hours and oceans apart.

Ron Lichty has been developing software for 30 years, over 20 of them as a Development Manager, Director of Engineering, and Vice President of Engineering. This followed his first career as a writer in New York, Wyoming, and California, during which he wrote hundreds of articles, published scores of photographs, and authored two books. His software development career began at Softwest in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, coding word-processing products, programming compiler code generators, crafting embedded microcontroller devices like SmartCard-based postage meters and magnetic-keycard hotel locking systems, and designing and developing the computer animation demo that Apple used to launch and promote a new line of personal computers. He was awarded software patents for compression algorithms and wrote two widely used programming texts.

Recruited to Apple in 1988, Ron product-managed Apple’s development tools, then led the Finder and Applications groups for the Apple II and Macintosh product lines, managing delivery of Apple’s “special sauce,” its user interface.

In 1994 Berkeley Systems recruited Ron to direct development of the then most widely used consumer software in the world, the After Dark screen saver line, to make engineering predictable and repeatable for the seven development teams creating its entertainment products. Brought into Fujitsu to make sense of its long-overdue WorldsAway entertainment product, he lopped off six months of overengineering to take it live in just 11 weeks.

Ron then led software development of the first investor tools on Schwab .com, part of remaking a bricks-and-mortar discount brokerage into the premier name in online financial services. He was promoted to Schwab Vice President while leading his CIO’s three-year technology initiative to migrate software development across all business units from any-language-goes to a single, cost-effective platform company-wide.

Since Schwab, he has been a Vice President of Engineering and Vice President of Products both as an employee and as a consultant, and he has continued to focus on making software development “hum.” He headed technology for the California offices of Avenue A Razorfish, the largest Internet professional services organization in the world; products and development for Forensic Logic, the crime detection and prevention company; engineering for Socialtext, the first commercial wiki company; engineering of the consumer ZoneAlarm line for Check Point; and publisher services for HighWire, the largest Internet provider for scholarly publishing. In consulting engagements in America and Europe, he has helped development groups overcome roadblocks, untangle organizational knots, and become more productive.

Ron’s developer conference and professional group talks and webinars include implementing Agile and Scrum; the importance of user groups, teamwork, and community; and transforming software development from chaos to clarity. He has been an adviser to a half-dozen start-ups. He cochairs SVForum’s Emerging Technology SIG; founded its Software Architecture SIG; chaired East Bay Innovation Group’s Software Management Best Practices SIG; and was a member of the board of SVForum, Silicon Valley’s largest and oldest developer organization.

目录信息

Preface xxi
About the Authors xxvii

Chapter 1: Why Programmers Seem Unmanageable 1
What Do Programmers Do? 3
Why Is Becoming a Successful Programming Manager Hard? 7

Chapter 2: Understanding Programmers 9
Programming Disciplines 10
Types of Programmers 13
Domain Expertise 16
Programmer Job Requirements and Abilities 17
Proximity and Relationship 20
Generational Styles 25
Personality Styles 27
Summary 33
Tools 34

Chapter 3: Finding and Hiring Great Programmers 35
Determining What Kind of Programmer to Hire 37
Writing the Job Description 39
Selling the Hire 45
Recruiting Full-Time Employees (FTEs) 46
Recruiting Contractors 56
Reviewing Résumés 57
Narrowing the Field 59
Preparing to Interview 60
Interviewing 67
Making the Decision to Hire a Programmer 72
Making the Right Offer to a Programmer 76
Follow Up Until the Programmer Accepts 82
Summary 83
Tools 83

Chapter 4: Getting New Programmers Started Off Right 84
Get Them on Board Early 85
Preparing for Their Arrival 86
First-Day Musts 87
Introductions 91
Ensuring Success 92
Initial Expectations 95
Summary 98
Tools 98

Chapter 5: Becoming an Effective Programming Manager: Managing Down 99
Earning Technical Respect 100
Hire Great Programmers 105
Turbocharge the Team You Have 105
Managing Different Types of Programmers 106
Facilitation 111
Protection 111
Judging and Improving Performance 113
Organizational Thinking 123
Deliver Results and Celebrate Success 141
Summary 142
Tools 142

RULES OF THUMB AND NUGGETS OF WISDOM 143
The Challenges of Managing 147
Managing People 173
Managing Teams to Deliver Successfully 203

Chapter 6: Becoming an Effective Programming Manager: Managing Up, Out, and Yourself 227
Managing Up 228
Managing Out 234
Managing Yourself 250
Summary 268
Tools 268

Chapter 7: Motivating Programmers 269
Motivational Theories 269
Motivational Factors as Applied to Programmers 274
Putting Theory into Practice 279
Foundational Factors—Causes of Dissatisfaction (When Lacking) 280
Key Motivating Factors 303
Personal Commitment 312
Technology Offense and Defense 314
Understanding Your Programmers’ Motivations
Begins on Day One 316
Summary 317

Chapter 8: Establishing a Successful Programming Culture 318
Defining “Successful” 319
The Programming Culture 319
Company Culture 320
Characteristics of a Successful Programming Culture 327
Summary 346
Tools 346

Chapter 9: Managing Successful Software Delivery 347
Defining the Project 348
Planning the Work 358
Kicking Off the Plan 370
Executing the Work 376
Running the End Game 391
Delivering the Software 396
Summary 401
Tools 402

TOOLS 403

Index 407
· · · · · · (收起)

读后感

干货相当多，对招人的理解更加深入了，看了书，马上就结合了公司现有情况，对于人事部门的工作进行了梳理和排查，把招人作为了日常工作的一个部分。 对于远程管理团队，因为业务在新加坡，研发团队在成都，所以非常能够体验到作者的感受，虽然没有时间差，但是无法实时与同时进...  

IT人才难以管理，这恐怕是众所周知的世界性难题。我遇到过的一位公司老板就说：IT嘛，去招50个实习生来当码农，一个礼拜不睡觉，系统就做出来了。虽然这话看起来比较极端，也反映出大家面对IT人才管理的困境。因为没有明确的、通用的办法，所以干脆“釜底抽薪”，用最极端的手...  

干货相当多，对招人的理解更加深入了，看了书，马上就结合了公司现有情况，对于人事部门的工作进行了梳理和排查，把招人作为了日常工作的一个部分。 对于远程管理团队，因为业务在新加坡，研发团队在成都，所以非常能够体验到作者的感受，虽然没有时间差，但是无法实时与同时进...  

干货相当多，对招人的理解更加深入了，看了书，马上就结合了公司现有情况，对于人事部门的工作进行了梳理和排查，把招人作为了日常工作的一个部分。 对于远程管理团队，因为业务在新加坡，研发团队在成都，所以非常能够体验到作者的感受，虽然没有时间差，但是无法实时与同时进...  

IT人才难以管理，这恐怕是众所周知的世界性难题。我遇到过的一位公司老板就说：IT嘛，去招50个实习生来当码农，一个礼拜不睡觉，系统就做出来了。虽然这话看起来比较极端，也反映出大家面对IT人才管理的困境。因为没有明确的、通用的办法，所以干脆“釜底抽薪”，用最极端的手...  

用户评价

当我开始阅读《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书时，我正经历着职业生涯中一段非常艰难的时期。团队成员之间存在着严重的信任危机，沟通渠道几乎被堵死，项目进展也进入了停滞不前的状态。这本书的书名，犹如一束光，照亮了我当时迷茫的内心。它没有给我提供任何“魔法棒”，而是用一种非常冷静和理性的方式，帮我剖析了问题出现的根源。作者在书中反复强调了“透明度”的重要性。他认为，管理者应该尽可能地向团队成员公开信息，让他们了解公司的战略、项目的进展以及面临的挑战。这种透明度能够有效地消除猜疑和不信任，建立起一种更加开放和诚实的沟通氛围。我开始有意识地在团队会议中分享更多信息，坦诚地讨论我们面临的困难，并鼓励大家提出自己的看法和建议。这个过程虽然充满挑战，但效果是显著的。团队成员之间的隔阂逐渐减少，取而代之的是一种共同面对困难、共同解决问题的积极态度。

《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书，与其说是一本管理指南，不如说是一本关于人性的深刻洞察。它没有给出任何“一劳永逸”的解决方案，而是通过一系列生动的案例和深入的分析，揭示了管理过程中那些看似复杂实则源于人性深处的问题。我尤其欣赏作者在书中对于“不确定性”的探讨。在当今快速变化的商业环境中，我们常常会面临各种无法预测的状况，而管理者往往需要在这种不确定性中做出决策。这本书并没有回避这种挑战，而是鼓励管理者拥抱不确定性，并将其视为一种机遇。它提供了一种思维模式，教我们如何在模糊和混乱中找到秩序，如何在压力下保持清醒的头脑，并做出明智的选择。书中对于“赋权”的讨论也让我受益匪浅。我过去常常习惯于“亲力亲为”，认为只有自己才能把事情做好。但这本书让我意识到，过度集权不仅会削弱团队的积极性，也会让自己不堪重负。作者倡导的赋权，是建立在信任和清晰的沟通基础上的，它能够激发团队成员的自主性和创造力，让他们感受到被重视和被信任。这不仅仅是对团队的赋能，更是对管理者自身的解放。

最近一段时间，我一直沉浸在《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书所构建的思考框架中。坦白说，在读这本书之前，我对“管理”这个概念的理解还比较片面，更多的是关注效率和成果，而忽略了人本身的情感和需求。这本书让我深刻认识到，真正的管理，是关于如何与人协同工作，如何激发团队的潜力，而不是简单地发号施令。它并没有给我提供一套僵化的管理流程，而是像一位睿智的导师，引导我去探索适合自己团队的管理哲学。书中的一个观点令我印象深刻：很多时候，我们认为“难以管理”的人，其实只是在用自己的方式表达对某种状况的不满。这让我回想起我团队中曾经有过一位表现不佳的成员，我曾经尝试了各种方法，但都没有得到根本性的改善。读完这本书后，我重新审视了那段经历，我意识到我当时过于关注表面的问题，而没有去深入了解他行为背后的原因。这本书也强调了“情商”在管理中的重要性，它鼓励管理者要具备同理心、自我认知和情绪调节能力。这对我来说是一个巨大的启发。我开始有意识地去观察和理解团队成员的情绪，学习如何在压力下保持冷静，以及如何有效地与不同性格的人沟通。这种学习过程是持续的，也是充满挑战的，但这本书无疑为我指明了方向，让我不再感到迷茫。

我必须承认，《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书的内容，远远超出了我最初的预期。我原本以为它会是一本专注于处理“问题员工”的书籍，但实际阅读下来，它更像是一本关于人性、沟通和组织行为的百科全书。作者以一种非常坦诚和直白的语言，剖析了我们在管理过程中常常遇到的那些“灰色地带”。他并没有回避管理中的困难和挑战，反而鼓励我们去直面它们，并从中学习。书中关于“冲突管理”的章节，对我来说尤其具有启发性。我过去常常试图避免与团队成员发生冲突，认为冲突是破坏团队和谐的元凶。但作者指出，适度的冲突，如果能够得到妥善的处理，反而能够激发新的思想，推动问题的解决。他提供了一系列非常实用的冲突化解技巧，让我认识到，关键不在于避免冲突，而在于如何以一种建设性的方式来处理冲突。此外，这本书还强调了“愿景”在管理中的作用。作者认为，一个清晰而鼓舞人心的愿景，能够成为团队成员共同努力的方向，并让他们在面对困难时依然能够保持积极性。这让我开始思考，我是否为我的团队描绘了一个足够清晰和有吸引力的未来。

《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书，是一本关于如何在复杂环境中实现有效管理的著作。它没有提供标准化的模板，而是强调根据具体情况灵活运用各种管理策略。我尤其欣赏作者在书中对于“授权”的深入探讨。他认为，授权不仅仅是将任务交给下属，更重要的是赋予他们完成任务所需的资源、信息和决策权。我过去常常害怕放权，担心会失控，但这本书让我意识到，恰恰是过度的控制，才更容易导致效率低下和团队士气低落。作者通过分享一些成功的授权案例，让我看到了授权的巨大潜力。他鼓励管理者要信任自己的团队成员，并相信他们有能力承担责任。通过有选择性地授权，不仅能够提升团队成员的工作能力和积极性，也能够让自己从繁琐的事务中解放出来，有更多的时间和精力去关注更具战略意义的工作。这本书让我对管理工作有了全新的认识，也让我更加期待在实践中运用所学到的知识。

《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书，正如它的书名所暗示的那样，它探讨的是在管理过程中那些最令人头疼、最棘手的问题。然而，它并没有提供什么“快速修复”的药方，而是通过一系列深刻的洞察和实用的策略，引导我们去理解这些“难以管理”的现象背后真正的原因。这本书让我重新审视了我与团队成员之间的关系。我曾一度认为，如果团队成员表现不佳，那一定是他们的能力问题。但这本书让我意识到，很多时候，问题可能出在管理方式上，出在沟通的渠道上，甚至出在组织文化上。作者在书中详细阐述了“授权”的重要性，他认为，管理者应该将权力下放给值得信赖的团队成员，让他们有机会承担责任，并在这个过程中不断成长。这对我来说是一个巨大的提醒。我过去总是担心授权后会出现失控的情况，因此不愿意放权。但这本书让我明白，真正的领导力，恰恰在于培养和赋能他人，而不是自己单打独斗。通过赋予团队成员更大的自主权，不仅能够提升他们的积极性和责任感，也能够让我自己从繁琐的事务中解脱出来，有更多的时间和精力去思考更长远的问题。

在我翻开《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书之前，我对管理工作的理解，或许还停留在“管人”的层面，即如何让团队成员按照我的指令去完成任务。然而，这本书彻底颠覆了我这种狭隘的认知。它以一种更加宏大和深刻的视角，剖析了“管理”的本质，它关乎的是如何构建一个能够持续发展、充满活力的组织，而这一切，都离不开对“人”的深刻理解和尊重。作者在书中反复强调了“共赢”的重要性，他认为，有效的管理并非是零和博弈，而是要通过创造一个让所有人都受益的环境，来达成共同的目标。这让我反思了我在团队管理中，是否过于关注了部门利益，而忽略了公司整体的战略目标。书中对于“反馈”的重视，也给我留下了深刻的印象。作者认为，真诚、及时的反馈是提升团队绩效和个人成长的关键。他分享了许多关于如何给予和接受反馈的实用技巧，让我认识到，反馈不仅仅是指出问题，更重要的是帮助对方看到改进的方向和可能性。这种积极的反馈文化，能够极大地提升团队的凝聚力和解决问题的能力。

《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书，为我打开了一扇新的大门，让我对“管理”这个概念有了更深刻的认识。我过去常常认为，管理就是发号施令，就是控制流程，但这本书让我明白，真正的管理，是关于如何激发人的潜能，如何创造一个能够让大家发挥最大价值的环境。作者在书中对于“激励”的探讨，让我耳目一新。他认为，激励不仅仅是物质奖励，更重要的是精神层面的认可和赋能。他分享了许多关于如何通过赞扬、信任和机会来激励团队成员的案例，这些案例都非常具有说服力。我开始反思自己在激励团队成员时，是否过于依赖物质手段，而忽略了精神层面的需求。通过学习这本书，我开始有意识地去发现和表扬团队成员的优点，给予他们更多的挑战和机会，让他们在工作中感受到成就感和价值感。这种转变，让我的团队焕发出了新的活力，大家的工作热情也得到了极大的提升。

《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书，我在偶然的机会下翻阅到，当时正值我在工作中遇到一个棘手的项目，团队士气低落，各种沟通不畅，项目进度也一再拖延，让我感到力不从心，几乎想要放弃。这本书的书名立刻抓住了我的眼球——“Managing the Unmanageable”，它精准地概括了我当时所处的困境，让我仿佛找到了救星。拿到书后，我迫不及待地开始阅读。这本书并没有提供什么所谓的“万能药”或者“秘籍”，而是以一种非常接地气、循序渐进的方式，深入剖析了我们在管理过程中常常会遇到的各种“棘手”情况。它不仅仅是关于如何处理“难以管理”的员工，更重要的是，它引导我反思自身在管理中的不足，以及如何构建一个更健康、更高效的团队工作环境。作者的语言风格非常真实，夹杂着一些个人经历和案例，让我感觉就像在和一位经验丰富的前辈在交流。他并没有回避管理中的“不完美”，反而鼓励我们拥抱这种不完美，并从中找到解决问题的突破口。例如，书中关于如何处理“消极抵抗”的章节，让我茅塞顿开。我过去常常试图通过强制手段来解决问题，但结果往往适得其反。作者则提供了一种更具同理心的方法，从理解对方的立场出发，寻找共同点，并通过开放式的沟通来化解矛盾。这种改变，让我对团队成员的态度发生了根本性的转变，也让我看到了管理工作中的另一番天地。

《Managing the Unmanageable》这本书，与其说是一本技能手册，不如说是一场思维的革命。它没有给我提供一套固定的管理模式，而是引导我走出固有的思维定势，去探索更适合自己、更符合当下情境的管理方式。我尤其喜欢作者在书中对于“耐心”的强调。在快节奏的工作环境中，我们常常会忽视耐心的重要性，急于求成，结果反而适得其反。这本书让我认识到，很多“难以管理”的问题，都需要时间的沉淀和耐心的磨合才能得到解决。作者通过分享自己的一些失败经历，让我感到非常有共鸣，也让我认识到，管理者也需要有承认错误、不断学习和改进的勇气。书中关于“倾听”的探讨，更是让我受益匪浅。我过去常常急于表达自己的观点，而忽略了认真倾听团队成员的想法。作者指出，有效的倾听不仅仅是听到对方在说什么，更重要的是理解对方话语背后的含义和情感。通过主动倾听，我不仅能够更准确地把握问题的症结，也能够让团队成员感受到被尊重和被重视，这对于建立信任至关重要。