Scott Berkun - Making Things Happen

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Something crazy happened with the first edition of this book. It sold lots of copies. It made several bestseller lists, was nominated for awards, and earned enough attention to send its author around the world to talk about ideas from the book. Then something crazier happened: the books title needed to change.

Taking this as an opportunity, the folks at OReilly and I agreed we should add more value to the book if it was going to have a second life with a new name. First published as The Art of Project Management , this text has been cleaned-up, enhanced, updated, and expanded for your pleasure. You may wonder why the title was changed. Here are some possibilities:

Whatever the reason, here we are. Ive done my best to improve this book without pulling a George Lucas Star Wars fiasco. Heres the birds-eye view of what has changed:

If you are new to this book in any form, the Preface will fill you in on everything you need to know.

Since the first edition was published two years ago, Ive been busy. I wrote another book called The Myths of Innovation ; created various essays, podcasts, and videos; and I continue to run a popular blog on creativity and management. Its all up at www.scottberkun.com; I hope youll stop by, as your purchase of this book helps make the many free things I produce possible.

Cheers and best wishes,

Scott Berkun

Redmond, WA

March 2008

My favorite word in the English language is how. How does this work? How was this made? How did they do this? Whenever I see something interesting happen, Im filled with questions that involve this small but powerful little word. And most of the answers I find center on how people apply their own intelligence and wisdom, rather than their knowledge of specific technologies or theories.

Over years of building things and comparing my experiences to those of other managers, programmers, and designers, Ive learned how to manage projects well. This book is a summation of those ideas. It includes approaches for leading teams, working with ideas, organizing projects, managing schedules, dealing with politics, and making things happeneven in the face of great challenges and unfair situations.

Despite the broad title of this book, most of my working experience comes from the tech sector, and in particular, Microsoft Corporation. I worked there from 1994 to 2003, leading teams of people on projects such as Internet Explorer, Microsoft Windows, and MSN. For a few years I worked in Microsofts engineering excellence group. While there, I was responsible for teaching and consulting with teams across the company, and was often asked to lecture at public conferences, corporations, and universities. Most of the advice, lessons, and stories in this book come from those experiences.

Although I come from a software and web development background, Ive written this book broadly and inclusively, calling on references and techniques from outside the engineering and management domains. There is great value here for people in the general business world. Im convinced that the challenges of organizing, leading, designing, and delivering work have much in common, regardless of the domain. The processes involved in making toaster ovens, skyscrapers, automobiles, web sites, and software products share many of the same challenges, and this book is primarily about overcoming those challenges.

Unlike some other books on how to lead projects, this book doesnt ascribe to any grand theory or presumptively innovative philosophy. Instead, Ive placed my bet on practicality and diversity. Projects result in good things when the right combination of people, skills, attitudes, and tactics is applied, regardless of their origin or (lack of) pedigree. The structure of this book is the most sensible one I found: focus on the core situations and provide advice on how to handle them well. Ive wagered heavily on picking the right topics and giving good advice over all other considerations. I hope you find that Ive made the right choice.