Comments on: The Art of Project Management, by Scott Berkun http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/ Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:12:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist || Mastery || May || 2007 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/comment-page-1/#comment-47498 Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist || Mastery || May || 2007 Thu, 24 May 2007 11:09:00 +0000 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/#comment-47498 [...] yesterday on How to stay motivated. I really like Berkun’s writing, like his previous book on The Art of Project Management, so I wanted to give a shout-out about his new book on The Myths of Innovation, which is winging [...] [...] yesterday on How to stay motivated. I really like Berkun’s writing, like his previous book on The Art of Project Management, so I wanted to give a shout-out about his new book on The Myths of Innovation, which is winging [...]

]]> By: Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist || Competition || November || 2006 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/comment-page-1/#comment-11390 Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist || Competition || November || 2006 Tue, 14 Nov 2006 04:01:40 +0000 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/#comment-11390 [...] A story I really like, I think from The Art of Project Management, is that a certain factory was performing poorly, with its production not matching other factories in the company. The company’s president visited the factory to find out what was going on. He poked around a bit, didn’t see anything obviously wrong with the factory. He told the plant foreman that he was going to increase productivity, but he needed a piece of chalk. The foreman quizzically gave him chalk. He then asked the night shift, which was leaving, how many widgets they had made on their shift. They said 6. He drew a big 6 on the wall in chalk. The day shift came in, saw the big 6, and asked what it meant. When they finished their shift, they erased the 6 and put up a 7. The night shift came back with an 8. Soon the factory, once a laggard, was exceeding other factories in productivity. Competition. [...] [...] A story I really like, I think from The Art of Project Management, is that a certain factory was performing poorly, with its production not matching other factories in the company. The company’s president visited the factory to find out what was going on. He poked around a bit, didn’t see anything obviously wrong with the factory. He told the plant foreman that he was going to increase productivity, but he needed a piece of chalk. The foreman quizzically gave him chalk. He then asked the night shift, which was leaving, how many widgets they had made on their shift. They said 6. He drew a big 6 on the wall in chalk. The day shift came in, saw the big 6, and asked what it meant. When they finished their shift, they erased the 6 and put up a 7. The night shift came back with an 8. Soon the factory, once a laggard, was exceeding other factories in productivity. Competition. [...]

]]> By: Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist || Evaluating quality of construction || June || 2006 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/comment-page-1/#comment-2938 Eric Nehrlich, Unrepentant Generalist || Evaluating quality of construction || June || 2006 Sun, 18 Jun 2006 23:57:10 +0000 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/#comment-2938 [...] The Art of Project Management, by Scott Berkun [...] [...] The Art of Project Management, by Scott Berkun [...]

]]> By: Eric http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/comment-page-1/#comment-2135 Eric Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:33:22 +0000 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/#comment-2135 I actually found it pretty helpful even as somebody who's never managed a project. I've been on enough projects that I recognized most of the symptoms that he was discussing, so I could see how his strategies would help, even though I hadn't been in charge of those projects. But it would be less useful for somebody straight out of school - it takes having been mired in bad projects for a while to understand that things that sound basic get screwed up all the time and really matter. And I agree that it won't help people who need a formula. But that's what I liked about it. Life's too complex for a formula to work. I actually found it pretty helpful even as somebody who’s never managed a project. I’ve been on enough projects that I recognized most of the symptoms that he was discussing, so I could see how his strategies would help, even though I hadn’t been in charge of those projects. But it would be less useful for somebody straight out of school – it takes having been mired in bad projects for a while to understand that things that sound basic get screwed up all the time and really matter.

And I agree that it won’t help people who need a formula. But that’s what I liked about it. Life’s too complex for a formula to work.

]]> By: Anca http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/comment-page-1/#comment-2127 Anca Tue, 06 Jun 2006 00:52:12 +0000 http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2006/06/04/the-art-of-project-management-by-scott-berkun/#comment-2127 I got a copy of this at eTech (and I guess I owe O'Reilly a review of it). I'm about 1/3 of the way through, and I'm having a similar reaction. However, I almost feel like it's a book for someone who's already been on several projects. It won't help a novice project manager. It will also not help someone who can't work without a formula (i.e. 75% of the project managers that I encounter day to day as an IT consultant for large organizations). I got a copy of this at eTech (and I guess I owe O’Reilly a review of it). I’m about 1/3 of the way through, and I’m having a similar reaction.

However, I almost feel like it’s a book for someone who’s already been on several projects. It won’t help a novice project manager.

It will also not help someone who can’t work without a formula (i.e. 75% of the project managers that I encounter day to day as an IT consultant for large organizations).

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