Slashdot Mirror
Managing Humans
Kylar writes "For those of you who have already discovered Michael 'Rands' Lopp's blog Rands In Repose, I congratulate you, as you are clearly an intelligent audience. For those of you who haven't, or for the less discerning (or, perhaps less blog-oriented), this book provides an excellent entry into the writings of Rands. Containing edited selections from his blog as well as new material, Rands uses many anecdotes and stories to convey a startling amount of deep wisdom into the facets of the Silicon Valley programmer, and a bevy of tools that are helpful in attempting to herd, er, manage them." Read below for Tom's review.
Managing Humans
author
Michael Lopp
pages
209
publisher
Apress
rating
8/10
reviewer
Tom Byrne
ISBN
978-1590598443
summary
34 Anecdotes that give insight into silicon valley management and programmers.
I've read most of this book 3 times, the first when I discovered Rands' blog, (and, like few others, captivated me enough to start at the beginning and read his entire oeuvre), Once upon purchase of the book, and again, recently over the course of a few weeks, taking the stories out of order, and enjoying each for it's viewpoint, humor, and insight. The book is broken down into 3 major sections, 34 chapters, and each chapter is a small chunk, easily readable in a few minutes. It really feels like a blog, you can dip into it for a few minutes here and there and pick up a good point or two from each entry.
Know how many people I manage? Over a dozen, on a weekly basis. Know how many people report to me? None. So, why did I read it? Because I sit in a lot of meetings. I have to manage expectations. I have to write specs and reports for other people. Unless you work in almost complete isolation, receiving uber-detailed software specs and churning out code to match those exact specifications, the likelyhood is that you have to deal with other people. A lot. Every time you deal with someone else in a technical workplace, you run into other people. Their motives are not the same as yours, nor do they communicate the same way. In the first section of the book, "The Management Quiver", Lopp recounts 12 anecdotes, and two specific ones stood out. 'Agenda Detection' gives some points on how to figure out who the important people are in a meeting, and 3 tips on when to bail. 'Avoiding The Fez' points the spotlight on the guy who wrote that one system that no-one understands, but also calls out that too many people (and I find myself in this group) let their knowledge stagnate, instead of constantly learning and expanding.
The second section of the book, "The Process Is The Product", is, in my opinion where the book really starts to shine. "1.0" will be a familiar story for anyone who's ever tried to ship a product, as well as Rands' view on the 4 key things that it will take. "Taking Time To Think" and "The Soak" talk about absorbing ideas and planning, and he touches on ways to convey and disseminate information in "Capturing Context". This last one was another that I found informative — by getting a closer understanding of what kind of information the other party was expecting, and in what way they will be receptive to it.
In the third section, "Versions Of You", you'll see the people you work with, and Rands divides them out in lots of different ways (it struck me very much as almost a myers-briggs Nerd Scale). Are they Incrementalists or Completionist? Organic or Mechanic? Inward or Outwards? (For the record, I'm an OIC, An organic inward completionist.) And once you've identified someone, it makes communicating with them and identifying their motivations and reactions much better.
So, who should read this book? Managers. Technical Managers. Technical Peons. Programmers who are managed. Anyone who works with someone technical. Anyone named Fez. Odds are, if you're reading this review, you're in the target audience. Even when you look at a book like this and think "I don't need this, I'm not a manager." Odds are that you're being managed, and managing others, even if they don't report to you.
So, ultimately, why should you read this? I think that this book has a fair amount to offer just about anyone in a role in or dealing with technical talent. Does it answer everything? Of course not — but there are a lot of little nuggets hiding here, and above all, it is entertaining. More entertaining than The Mythical Man Month, and more applicable to my daily job than "SOA Is Dead, An Anthology".
This book has several Pros: I found it very relevant, and I was able to identify ways to improve my own communication, by understanding what the other person was expecting, and how to present it. Cons: Most of it is available free on Rands' blog.
You can purchase Managing Humans from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
Know how many people I manage? Over a dozen, on a weekly basis. Know how many people report to me? None. So, why did I read it? Because I sit in a lot of meetings. I have to manage expectations. I have to write specs and reports for other people. Unless you work in almost complete isolation, receiving uber-detailed software specs and churning out code to match those exact specifications, the likelyhood is that you have to deal with other people. A lot. Every time you deal with someone else in a technical workplace, you run into other people. Their motives are not the same as yours, nor do they communicate the same way. In the first section of the book, "The Management Quiver", Lopp recounts 12 anecdotes, and two specific ones stood out. 'Agenda Detection' gives some points on how to figure out who the important people are in a meeting, and 3 tips on when to bail. 'Avoiding The Fez' points the spotlight on the guy who wrote that one system that no-one understands, but also calls out that too many people (and I find myself in this group) let their knowledge stagnate, instead of constantly learning and expanding.
The second section of the book, "The Process Is The Product", is, in my opinion where the book really starts to shine. "1.0" will be a familiar story for anyone who's ever tried to ship a product, as well as Rands' view on the 4 key things that it will take. "Taking Time To Think" and "The Soak" talk about absorbing ideas and planning, and he touches on ways to convey and disseminate information in "Capturing Context". This last one was another that I found informative — by getting a closer understanding of what kind of information the other party was expecting, and in what way they will be receptive to it.
In the third section, "Versions Of You", you'll see the people you work with, and Rands divides them out in lots of different ways (it struck me very much as almost a myers-briggs Nerd Scale). Are they Incrementalists or Completionist? Organic or Mechanic? Inward or Outwards? (For the record, I'm an OIC, An organic inward completionist.) And once you've identified someone, it makes communicating with them and identifying their motivations and reactions much better.
So, who should read this book? Managers. Technical Managers. Technical Peons. Programmers who are managed. Anyone who works with someone technical. Anyone named Fez. Odds are, if you're reading this review, you're in the target audience. Even when you look at a book like this and think "I don't need this, I'm not a manager." Odds are that you're being managed, and managing others, even if they don't report to you.
So, ultimately, why should you read this? I think that this book has a fair amount to offer just about anyone in a role in or dealing with technical talent. Does it answer everything? Of course not — but there are a lot of little nuggets hiding here, and above all, it is entertaining. More entertaining than The Mythical Man Month, and more applicable to my daily job than "SOA Is Dead, An Anthology".
This book has several Pros: I found it very relevant, and I was able to identify ways to improve my own communication, by understanding what the other person was expecting, and how to present it. Cons: Most of it is available free on Rands' blog.
You can purchase Managing Humans from amazon.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
AC writes
"For those of you who have already discovered Anonymous 'AC' Coward's blog AC In Repose, I congratulate you, as you are clearly an intelligent audience. For those of you who haven't, or for the less discerning (or, perhaps less blog-oriented), this frosty provides an excellent entry into the writings of lunatics. Containing edited selections from his goatse site as well as new material, AC uses many anecdotes and stories to convey a startling amount of deep wisdom into the facets of the Silicon Valley trolling effect, and a bevy of tools that are helpful in attempting to herd, er, manage them."
Buy the book, reward good writing.
Fleur de Sel
Is this anything like that time they tricked us with "To Serve Man"?
You can tell from the chapters on grass vs. corn feeding and the sections on dealing with downers.
Even if the points may be just as applicable to programmers, it is a cheat.
It's easy as a technical employee -- developer, architect, administrator -- to know your job much better than your boss. Once you've reached that point, it's equally tempting to believe you know *more* than your boss, and to question why they insist on continuing to waste your time.
This book is an excellent first step in explaining what it is managers are supposed to be doing, and what it is that management is supposed to accomplish with the standard management tricks -- meetings, one-on-ones, reviews -- that can seem like such a waste of time when all you want to do is write good code. Even if you never want to go into management yourself, but especially if you do, it's worth reading.
Plus, the book is an easy, engaging read that makes a lot of sense even the first time through.
Highly recommended.
We don't have that problem in my office.
*insert sound of typing monkeys*
This reads like a really sleazy sales pitch, along the lines of "Did you know that top billionaires take my supplement to boost their brain power?"
I stopped reading right there. I think I'll apply this review directly to my forehead.
A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
And humble! Don't forget humble!
Read my blog.
I'm put off by the summary and the title - it makes it seem as if it's going to encourage managers to consider everyone underneath him just another part of the "herd".
That's the correct URL www.randsinrepose.com/
www.realdoll.com
Not human, but human-shaped.
HLAGH HLAGH HLAGH
(sorry, someone had to say it)
http://rocknerd.co.uk
First, labeling people and sorting them into categories is a problem. Not because it isn't useful, but because the audience here is much more likely to view those as absolutes than guidelines. Whenever people start arbitrarily dividing other people into groups, they are certain to be mislead to a degree. A person's demeanor and work habits are not necessarily a reflection on their inner nature. Assuming that one is the other is a bad plan. Use labels, prejudices, stereotypes, and categories as a starting point. But don't stay there. Just because someone is an "organic inward completionist" this week doesn't mean you might not find out later while they're on break talking about a problem they're working on that the approach they are using is radically different.
Secondly, managing people (and working with management) is a skillset that is very individualized. There is no right or wrong approach. There is only what succeeds, and what still needs work. This book is useful because it condenses experience in a format that other people can benefit from. But remember when you read the book to keep your critical thinking skill "shield" up. Take frequent breaks. Don't zombie on it for fourty pages. Especially not anything that mixes technology and people. Because it's too easy to internalize all this stuff without stopping to think: "Hey, that doesn't make sense..." And a lot of personal experience doesn't make sense. There are lessons to be learned here and there, but what your takeaway is will be different than mine, even if we are in the same situation, and have the same experiences.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
"The major problem -- one of the major problems, for there are several -- one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.
To summarize: it is a well-known fact that thoes people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themeslves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem."
---- Douglas Adams
That will be $14.95 please.....
I rarely read replies, it's my opinion and if you thought about your opinion a little more, I'm OK with that.
Thanks for the Douglas Adams quote. I always thought that was one of his most genius realizations.
I also liked the idea that the leader is actually there to distract people from realizing who is really in charge (big business).
music lover since 1969
Not really...
I can't believe you don't know what a Hasemalphaginnojinglanaporphomism is.
Ropes have always done the trick for me
anyone who is capable of getting themeslves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.
There's a very old observation that doing well at your current job gets you promoted into a different job, but doing poorly does not, and therefore people tend to get promoted repeatedly until they land in a position they are ill-suited for, where they are kept. Sad, so very sad, but so very true.
(short version, "most systems tend to promote people into positions of incompetence")
It's sort of an applied Murphy's Law.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
I meant the "President" or "King" or whatever figurehead that does not wield real power a la Zaphod Beeblebrox.
music lover since 1969
FYI, this is called the Peter Principle.
I stopped reading Rands when he said he was twittering while in meetings. Sorry, that's not appropriate and not someone I want to immitate.
Managing Humans? Quite simple. Learn how to manipulate and use PEOPLE, PROCESSES and TECHNOLOGIES.
I'd like to buy homeland for our 10 million people. http://twitter.com/mahadiga
This is just spam, besides the author/poster seems too full of himself.
Can Slashdot just remove this whole advertising please?
Not as anecdotal, but a free alternative here:
http://managementforengineers.com/
There's a free alternative here:
http://managementforengineers.com/
You can get it for $19.48 + Free Shipping at BetterWorldBooks.com
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/detail.aspx?ItemId=159059844X
Oodles of other used books in this category from ~$5-7
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/List.aspx?Category_ID=2637&&UserId=16025974&SessionId=1rSiPr61zs1dNNqPVpG8&z=4081929
and save the planet/$6M global literacy/good jobs
http://www.betterworldbooks.com/Info-Our-Impact-m-51.aspx :-)
There is a large difference between the skills needed to acquire power and the skills needed to excercize it