Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

This book is one of the few focused specifically on how to manage projects and teams of knowledge-workers. It teaches the reader how management might retain workers and their essential skills instead of treating them like cattle. It treats the central problem of management is sociology and not technology. Keeping knowledge-workers happy and productive requires humanity and not scorched-earth policies.

The book, in its third edition, is organized into 39 short chapters each with its own focus. As with most management books, its lessons are absorbed in the industry practice. Nonetheless, it is nice to read the thinking and research behind contemporary practice.

Management of people should focus not merely on the goals/objectives of a show more project but upon the people involved. This is a lesson which is sometimes forgotten by management. The person who works on a project/team is a knowledge worker with feelings, experience, knowledge, and wisdom. One must not only navigate the objectives of a project but also the care of a person. People work best when they are happy and not actively stressed by poor management. show less

A little dated in some ways but still extremely topical in most others. Really nice thinking about how people can work best and what keeps them from doing so.

The problems we face in building effective teams and effective software are primarily sociological in nature, and attacking them with the same toolbox we use to overcome technological problems is folly at best and completely destructive at worst. The authors break down a host of topics, from pathologies in leadership, to the basic ingredients needed for team gel, to the important factors in a working environment that supports all modes of work for creative workers.

This book is a must for anyone who guides the process of creative work, especially in a technology-driven environment. I know I would benefit from an annual ritual to read and absorb its wisdom.

I am fairly certain I read (or at least started to read) an earlier edition of this show more book 15 years ago when I was last “leading” a “team” at [REDACTED]. It definitely made an impression on me, but it did not speak to me the way this most recent reading did. show less

Probably ground-breaking in its time, but the notions of taking care of employees, "gelling" teams and reducing interruptions are pretty much a standard for modern advice on management. A bit dated.

A good, but painful read, about why companies, teams and individuals sometimes get in the way of success, what to watch for, and some ways to fix it. The truth can be painful sometimes, but it's sometimes good to hear other people have a name for that pain.

As I sometimes do for professional development books, I have written a more detailed review than am posting here.

Peopleware was interesting although, as a non-manager, perhaps not as ground breaking and insightful as many people seem to think that it is. This was largely because I had heard most of the points that are relevant to individual software engineers in other books that cited this one. That said, I am glad I read it; I may have to come back to it on that future day when I am a team lead or otherwise in a leadership position.

At times, the book seemed dated, but that is what I get for not realizing that there was a new edition when I bought my used copy. It still contained much that still rings true.

The book is organized into show more five sections of related essays. Instead of discussing each essay in detail, I will discuss the high level themes pertaining to each section.

The first section is titled "Managing the human resource". The main point of this section is that employees are not modular resources. Section two is "The office environment". This section describes why offices can be the hardest place to get things done and how that can be changed. Part three, "The right people", discusses the importance of hiring the right people and gives some tips on how to get them. DeMarco and Lister believe that managers should get the right people, make sure they are happy enough to not leave, and then turn them loose.

In part four, "Growing productive teams", we learn that having the right people is not enough and sometimes some effort is necessary to make a group of good people into a functioning team. A good team, a jelled team, is more productive than the sum of the individual contributors. The final section of the book, "It's supposed to be fun to work here", provides a much needed reminder that work should be satisfying and fun and this is good for both the employees and the company. It is within the power of managers to encourage an environment that will be both fun and productive.

As I said in the beginning, this is overall an interesting book that does not, I think, have as much relevance to me now as it will in the future. That said, I am glad I read it, and I am looking forward to rereading it in the future. show less

A timeless classic on managing an IT organisation and even IT projects filled with several short chapters and war stories. The amount of wisdom and insight presented here is tremendous and trendsetting.