Bulldozer00's Blog

Check out the chapter names in part III of a brand spanking new “Project Manager‘s Handbook“:

So much for valuing “people and interactions over tools and processes“, no? The closest the book comes to mentioning people is that the word “staff” is mentioned once and “resources” twice. And no, the first two parts don’t emphasize the importance of people either:

So, aspiring young project manager, it’s obviously all about you. All ya gotta do to be successful is mechanistically follow the infallible recipe; dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Fuggedabout developing trusting, helpful, two-way relationships with the people who will be executing your project work. It’s not important or even necessary. All you have to do is: develop the plan, “acquire the resources”, and push the “go” button. 1-2-3.

To be semi-fair, I haven’t (and don’t plan to) read the book. The author may indeed address the thorny issues associated with monitoring progress and product quality, guiding the effort, and ensuring the well being of the people so that they’re willing to do their best – but I doubt it.