Synopses & Reviews
To Manage Effectively, Understand and Manage Yourself Becoming an effective manager is the subject of this third standalone volume in Gerald M. Weinberg's highly acclaimed series, Quality Software Management. To be effective, managers must act congruently. That is, managers must not only understand the concepts of good software engineering, but also practice them. Effective managers need to know what to do, say what they will do, and act accordingly. Their thoughts and feelings need to match their words and behaviors. Congruence has the sense of "fitting"--in this case, simultaneously fitting your own needs, the needs of the other people involved, and the contextual, or business, needs. Managers themselves must take responsibility for improving the quality of management and for changing their own attitudes and thinking patterns before they try to impose changes on everyone else. As the author advises, "If you cannot manage yourself, you have no business managing others." This book offers practical advice on how to act and manage others congruently. Examples, diagrams, and tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) fortify the author's recommendations. Topics include: identifying the various styles of coping, especially under stress - selecting the best managers - understanding the role of self-esteem - and much more.