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Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (Pragmatic Programmers)

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Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (Pragmatic Programmers) (Paperback)

by Johanna Rothman (Author), Esther Derby (Author)

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Great management is difficult to see as it occurs. It's possible to see the results of great management, but it's not easy to see how managers achieve those results. Great management happens in one-on-one meetings and with other managers---all in private. It's hard to learn management by example when you can't see it.

You can learn to be a better manager---even a great manager---with this guide. You'll follow along as Sam, a manager just brought on board, learns the ropes and deals with his new team over the course of his first eight weeks on the job. From scheduling and managing resources to helping team members grow and prosper, you'll be there as Sam makes it happen. You'll find powerful tips covering:

Delegating effectively
Using feedback and goal-setting
Developing influence
Handling one-on-one meetings
Coaching and mentoring
Deciding what work to do---and what not to do
...and more.

Full of tips and practical advice on the most important aspects of management, this is one of those books that can make a lasting and immediate impact on your career.

About the Author
Johanna Rothman helps leaders solve problems and seize opportunities. She consults, speaks, and writes on managing high-technology product development. She enables managers, teams, and organizations to become more effective by applying her pragmatic approaches to the issues of project management, risk management, and people management. Johanna publishes The Pragmatic Manager, a monthly email newsletter and podcast, and writes two blogs: Managing Product Development and Hiring Technical People. She is the author of several books: - Manage It! Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management - Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (with Esther Derby) - Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People - Corrective Action for the Software Industry (with Denise Robitaille).

Product Details

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Pragmatic Bookshelf; illustrated edition edition (September 19, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0976694026
ISBN-13: 978-0976694021
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #117,079 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#67 in Books > Computers & Internet > Project Management > PMP Exam

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1 book cites this book:

More About Software Requirements: Thorny Issues and Practical Advice by Karl E. Wiegers in Front Matter

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	82% buy the item featured on this page: Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management (Pragmatic Programmers) 4.3 out of 5 stars (32) $16.47
	5% buy Manage It!: Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management 4.5 out of 5 stars (13) $23.07
	4% buy Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware (Pragmatic Programmers) 4.6 out of 5 stars (37) $23.07
	4% buy Practices of an Agile Developer: Working in the Real World (Pragmatic Programmers) 4.5 out of 5 stars (32) $19.77

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Customer Reviews

32 Reviews

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book about line management of knowledge work, September 26, 2005

By	Matthew Heusser (Allegan, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book about line management of knowledge work - Programmers, Graphic Artists, CAD Drafters, Chemists, Engineers, Physicists, etc. This kind of management is a relatively new invention, and stands in stark contrast to manufacturing management. Previously, you had to read a host of authors like Drucker, DeMarco, Deming, and Jim Collins and read between the lines. Now you have this short, practical guide by Rothman and Derby. "Behind Closed Doors" is a practical book - Do this, then do that. The writing is clear and tells the story of a newly hired director of software engineering who brings focus and direction to a floundering team.

The writing is not novel-quality, but it does provide real actionable guidance in a way that keeps you awake and thinking. That alone puts it above the typical management text, at least in my book. Plus, the book is small: You will actually remember the points it makes and know how to do them.

Because it is small, the authors focused on that one aspect of management. "Behind closed doors" does not contain a great deal of philosophy. Also, while Project Managers may find it helpful, they will want to use this book to round out a library, not start one.

I give "Behind Closed Doors" five stars, because it does what it says and does it well. All of the other books I know in this space have some painful weakness: They are vague, theoretical, boring, try to cover too wide a subject, etc.

Bottom Line: If you are a direct manager of technical people, you can't go wrong. If you -are- a knowledge worker, buy it for your boss!

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pragmatic Advice on Management, October 6, 2005

By	Nicole Clark (Colorado) - See all my reviews

Behind Closed Doors confronts the unspoken myth that star individual, technical performers will naturally want to be and, conversely, know how to be star managers. Technically-skilled folks don't transform into gifted managers on their own. They need help. This is an excellent book full of specific tips and pragmatic advice on the most fundamental and key aspects of management. I'd recommend this book to any first-time managers, managers new to a department, anyone managing by the seat of their pants, or anyone thinking of making the leap from technical to management.

I found the narrative style helpful in that it shows managers just how to hold a meeting or discussion with their direct reports. There is plenty of specific advice that can be implemented today, without delay. And should you want to dig deeper into a topic, the bibliographies at the end of each chapter make it easy to find additional resources.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, ultra clear, and covers the basics!!, November 12, 2005

By	Mr. Mark S. Jones "markpup" (Torrance, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have 25 years of IS experience - some as a developer or analyst and some as an IS manager and certainly when I started out as a manager, this book would have been invaluable!!

Perhaps my only issue is glossing over some of the gnarlier situations I believe most IS managers have to confront eventually - for instance what happens when you give negative feedback and the person doesn't relate in any way what you're telling them or perhaps agrees but thinks the issue is unimportant? To me the easy case is when you give feedback and the person agrees or at least comes up with some cogent reasons why they think I'm wrong. At this point I know the person thinks I'm the pointy haired manager and I'm totally certain I'm not the only manager that experienced this. The book says such a person will "not change" - no kidding but where do you go from here?

I actually have a longer list than this - but the point is I think there are a lot of real and challenging situations especially for IT and technical management not covered. OTOH, the suggestions the book does comes up with are mostly excellent well explained and easy to implement and I think anyone with any level of management experience will pick up priceless suggestions from this book - and I'm usually extremely cynical about new management methodologies!!

Maybe a later more intermediate/advanced book will cover some of the more difficult situations? If there's a website, blog, set of seminars etc available I'd be interested in hearing about it!!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent at best
This book is a "by example" style book. It makes up a fake manager in a fake office with fake situations and tries to use that to emphasize its points. Read more

Published 12 days ago by Kevin Berridge

3.0 out of 5 stars Stolen book
Sir:
My only review is that the book that I ordered...someone stole it somewhere in mailing to me. Fortunately the seller contacted me to refund my money. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Michael G. Levendofske

5.0 out of 5 stars Rothman & Derby are reliable guides

Rothman and Derby won't steer you wrong. This is one of the best basic management books you can buy. Read more

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5.0 out of 5 stars Single best "management" book out there
Behind Closed Doors is the single best book on management out there. It covers the breadth of what you'll need to deal with in an extremely accessible style, uses sidebars and... Read more

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