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The Accidental Project Manager: Surviving the Transition from Techie to Manager
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  • Wiley

More About This Title The Accidental Project Manager: Surviving the Transition from Techie to Manager

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Why do so many software projects fail? The reality is that many of these projects are led by programmers or developers thrown into the role of project manager without the necessary skills or training to see a project through successfully. Patricia Ensworth has written a hands-on survival guide designed to rescue the "accidental project manager" and help them to quickly ramp up on all key areas involved in software project management. This book provides a no-nonsense, jargon-free approach to getting the job done. With the help of useful templates, checklists, and sample forms, as well as pointers to essential resources, Ensworth gives concise, easy-to-understand advice on everything needed to hit the ground running--including phases of project development, role assignment in the development team, the tools of the trade, and criteria for success.
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PATRICIA ENSWORTH is a vice president of Systems Development and manager of Software Quality Assurance at Moody's Investors Services. Over the course of her 20-year career in software development, she has worked as a project manager, systems analyst, system administrator, product manager, developer, tester, technical writer, and trainer, and has participated in development projects for products ranging from mainframe applications to Internet e-commerce systems.
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About the Author.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

BEFORE CODING BEGINS.

Exploring the Elephant.

On Blueprints and Leaps of Faith.

Who's on First.

DURING DEVELOPMENT.

A View of the Forest.

Governor and Legislator.

Artisans in Their Workshop.

AT ROLLOUT.

Step Right Up, Ladies and Gentlemen...

The Conductor Taps the Baton.

All Hands on Deck!

AFTER THE RELEASE.

Battlefield Reconnaissance.

At Cruising Altitude.

Back in Base Camp.

Index.
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English

Advance Praise for Accidental Project Manager "I found much to admire in The Accidental Project Manager, Patricia Enworth's book of useful and always gentle advice for the novice manager."--Tom DeMarco Author of Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency

"In an engaging style, Ensworth poses hundreds of thought-provoking questions that will help both new and seasoned project managers get a solid grip on the myriad aspects of a complex software project. The book includes a wealth of sound recommendations drawn from software development best practices, combined with the experience of a savvy manager who understands both the technical and the human aspects of success project leadership."--Karl Wiegers Process Impact

"Her book fills a gap between books like *Winning at Project Management* and other introductory management tomes that focus heavily on the technical aspects of generic project management and books like *Software Project Survival Guide* that focus on key practices and processes of software development projects. I commend her focus on team dynamics and intergroup politics--the hardest topics and the ones that get less ink than they deserve--along with the practical, from-the-trenches introduction to the software development experience from the project manager's point of view. While management styles will differ for seasoned pros, the overwhelmed new manager can use her book as a point of departure. More importantly, fresh managers can use Ms. Ensworth's advice to avoid finding themselves "Peter Principled" on their first projects. I wish I'd had this book when I started as a project manager 15 years ago, and I can think of some project managers on recent engagements that could have used this book to lessen the pain and, in one case, avoid some of the fatal pitfalls Ms. Ensworth describes well in her book."--Rex Black President and Principal Consultant,Rex Black Consulting Services Author, Managing the Testing Process

"An excellent buffet of practical and proven tools and techniques for newly appointed software project managers, and a compact refresher course for veterans. Patricia Ensworth cuts to the heart and gets you up the learning curve fast."--Doug DeCarlo Principal, The Doug DeCarlo Group

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