Artful Making – Rob Austin & Lee Devin

 “A theatre company consistently delivers a valuable, innovative product under the pressure of a very firm deadline (opening night). That product, a play, executes with great precision, incorporating significant innovations every time, but finishing within 30 seconds of the same length every time.”

Wish your project teams could do this?

Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas - Mary Lynn Manns and Linda Rising

As a developer, analyst, and designer I have seen the rise of patterns that recognize common behaviors and advance learning of the craft.  I was therefore curious about this book; Fearless Change, Patterns for Introducing New Ideas by Mary Lynn Manns and Linda Rising.  Then after meeting Linda at a recent conference I was hooked and bought the book.

Stand Back and Deliver - Pollyanna Pixton, Niel Nickolaisen, Todd Little, Kent McDonald

Differentiating, Partner, Parity, Who Cares.  Where does your project fall, and what might you do differently because of that? Is your project a Bull, a Colt, a Cow or a Sheep Dog?  Even just the names give you an idea that you are in for a different ride with each of these projects.  Using straightforward models and a good dose of common sense, Stand Back and Deliver will change how you view projects and help you utilize your organization’s resources to deliver just what is needed.

As a developer I learned early that the best solutions to complex problems are generally the simplest ones. There is a certain eloquence in simplicity. The eloquence of this book is its straight forward presentation of a simple set of tools through real-world examples of their worth and utility. Starting with a framework to show the interrelation between value-based decision making, purpose alignment, collaboration, and delivery, the authors share their considerable experience to help you invest the right resources in the right projects.

The Software Project Manager's Bridge to Agility - Michele Sliger and Stacia Broderick

Co-authors Michele Sliger and Stacia Broderick do a great job of making agility more accessible to traditionally trained project managers.  Both PMPs and CSTs, Michele and Stacia have solid roots in both the traditional and agile worlds that serve as the foundation of this work.