Ask HN: What books do you wish your manager would read?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11297015

by a3n • 10 years ago

50 55 10 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Non-technical, technical, technical management, people management, perspective, insight.

What books or other resources do you believe would make your life better, if your present and future managers read them and lived their lessons?

jakozaur• 10 years ago

https://www.theeffectiveengineer.com/book

jlhonora2• 10 years ago

Although the testimonies sound great, the landing page gives me mixed feelings about the book. Perhaps too much salesmanship. Could you tell us a bit more?

jlhonora2• 10 years ago

Peopleware has great insights for both managers and programmers. Recommended read for both.

Tcepsa• 10 years ago

I am both a manager and a programmer and just read it last month. I fully agree that it has valuable insights for both.

SixSigma• 10 years ago

Everyone Needs a Mentor - David Clutterbuck [1]

Flat Army - Dan Pontefract [2]

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Needs-Mentor-David-Clutterbuc...

[2] http://www.danpontefract.com/the-book/

Ysx• 10 years ago

Flat Army summary: https://www.ebscohost.com/uploads/corpLearn/pdf/Flat-Army.pd...

mbubb• 10 years ago

"The Phoenix Project" http://itrevolution.com/books/phoenix-project-devops-book/

is good for understanding Devops and constant refocus on business objectives.

SideburnsOfDoom• 10 years ago

"The Phoenix Project" and an earlier one, "The Goal" by Goldratt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goal_(novel)

jbob20003• 10 years ago

It would be great if my manager read anything at all. Having been through a few managers; the good ones read, the bad ones don't read. It doesn't matter what they read, the last good one I had pretty much only read WW2 novels.

That being said, I think Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is an important read for anyone in technology. It changed how I approach and appreciate technology.

nibnib• 10 years ago

Just curious how you came to this conclusion, were you asking about reading habits? I have no idea what my managers are/were reading, unless they mention it or make a recommendation.

jbob20003• 10 years ago

No, but you get to know someone when you work closely with them, you pick up these kinds of things through conversation; "What did you do last night?" "Oh, I stayed up to finish this book, I've read the whole series". As opposed to "Oh, I watched the last season of breaking bad again".

minikites3• 10 years ago

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is amazing and I happened to read it at just the right time in my life where it shaped a lot of how I think about technology and the different ways to approach it.

mrfusion2• 10 years ago

Care to explain? I didn't really get anything like that from the book.

bjornsing• 10 years ago

the good ones read, the bad ones don't read

Interesting observation! Note that you're describing a correlational study though (and not a randomized controlled trial), so even if you're right it might not help to get your non-reading manager to read... :P

mrfusion2• 10 years ago

How did it change how you think about technology?

jbob20003• 10 years ago

I used to be a first adopter, very fervent about certain technologies and brands, always wanted to stay on the cutting edge. I used to spend huge amounts of time on my computer, like frequent 12 hour sprints.

When I started reading the book, it seemed like it was going to justify that lifestyle to me. It's good to tinker and be mechanically aware, you know? I wanted to be like the narrator, he seemed like the pinnacle engineer.

But I just started missing out on things and ignoring people. It clicked for me when I got my first car and when I got in my first accident. I spent so much time keeping this thing in perfect shape, all to be destroyed by some dumb ass maneuver I pulled. After that, I wanted to be more like John. A car is just something to make life happen, it's not a reason to live. Same thing with computers, they're just there to help you out a little, not something to give up your life for.

I guess it was the car accident that really changed how I think about things, but reading the book gave me the language/vocabulary to understand how I felt.

GFischer• 10 years ago

I second that observation. I wish the manager at my day job read ANYTHING, at the very least some informercial-laden industry publication.

In my case, I'd like him to read Fred Brooks' "The Mythical Man-Month", to make him understand how a programming system costs a lot more than a simple module.

Summary: http://javatroopers.com/Mythical_Man_Month.html

In second place, I'd place "Peopleware", so he'd understand the importance of communications, and how the current office arrangement is losing the company a lot of money:

Summary: http://javatroopers.com/Peopleware.html

Amazon link to both:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mythical-Man-Month-Engineering-Ann...

http://www.amazon.com/Peopleware-Productive-Projects-Second-...

maxaf• 10 years ago

But of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influen...

If there's a single book I wish everyone had read - not just managers - it would be this. I'd market it as "manual for human beings". You learn how to deal with them, as well as how to be one.

minikites3• 10 years ago

Not a book, but a particular podcast episode: http://5by5.tv/b2w/17. Skip to 1:05:00 (an hour and 5 minutes in) and listen for 2-3 minutes.

You'll hear something many managers need to hear about the difference between a "priority" and just something you need to do and the resources you need to be putting behind something to really show that it's a priority (owner, budget, deadline).

a3n3• 10 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month

jrochkind1• 10 years ago

I'll just be the first to mention The Mythical Man Month by Fred Brooks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month

jeremysmyth• 10 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peopleware:_Productive_Project...

That page doesn't do it justice, sadly. This book just gets it about working in teams and larger organizations.

pkhamre• 10 years ago

Who Moved My Cheese?

http://www.amazon.com/Who-Moved-My-Cheese-Amazing/dp/0399144...

askyourmother• 10 years ago

The childrens book "Maisy makes gingerbread", it might help the aspiring manager understand that often there is a simple, well understood series of steps to follow, and if we do follow them, we deliver something of value.

If we choose to bog down the process, add unnecessary steps, or shortcut some steps, the end result is perhaps less rewarding.

Fede_V• 10 years ago

Necronomicon.

cphuntington97• 10 years ago

anything by W. Edwards Deming

hencq• 10 years ago

I actually left a copy of Four Days With Dr Deming [1] lying around in our office, which is not by him, but follows one of his seminars quite closely. I hoped it would inspire my manager to take a peek, but so far I don't think it's happened.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Dr-Deming-Management/dp/0201...

DanBC• 10 years ago

I tried leaving Dilbert cartoons around. People don't recognise themselves, even though everyone else can see it clear as day.

niHiggim• 10 years ago

Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering (http://www.amazon.com/Facts-Fallacies-Software-Engineering-R...). It may be starting to get a little dated, so it's hard to say that all the referenced research is still applicable in the same way. But it's a good antidote to a common problem everywhere I've worked: the idea that our team is in some way special or unique in a way that implies reasonable standards of software engineering practice don't apply. It's almost always part of a rationalization cycle that justifies the way things have always been done or some kind of Taylorist management practice.

staggler• 10 years ago

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Team-Succeed-Thinking-Enemy/dp/046...

Phenomenal modern look into the practice of alternative analysis

pearjuice• 10 years ago

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

dizzystar• 10 years ago

Making Things Happen;

Unfortunately, I read this book when it was too late for me, but definitely something to read if you ever get into management. The politics section itself is worth the price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596517718

koja86• 10 years ago

In context of software development these books (and other works by same people) might be interesting. I have not read them all yet but have been recommended by a colleague. My perspective is defined by being a developer in circa 100 people company.

* The Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month

* Facts and fallacies of software engineering by Robert L. Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Glass

* Lessons learned from 25 years of process improvement: The Rise and Fall of the NASA Software Engineering Laboratory https://www.cs.umd.edu/users/basili/publications/proceedings...

xchaotic• 10 years ago

Rework.

poseid• 10 years ago

A basic understanding of JavaScript technologies, as described in my book http://pipefishbook.com/

lisivka• 10 years ago

Gemba Kaizen: A Commonsense Approach to a Continuous Improvement Strategy http://www.amazon.com/Gemba-Kaizen-Commonsense-Continuous-Im...

paulclinger• 10 years ago

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. It's an old, but a good one.

imdsm• 10 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule

kill_dang• 10 years ago

Atlas Shrugged, but he's not the 'reading books' type of guy.

Atlas Shrugged's Taggart Transcontinental is the company I wish I could work for. I hate the nitpicking and bad attitude that I currently deal with. I took this job to write code and make money, why do I have to go to all these stupid meetings, read these stupid e-mails, use Slack, answer this stupid desk-phone etc?

'Going to work' is what is killing my work, and nothing I say or do seems to matter. I just want to actually get some work done, seemingly unlike the rest of this entire corp.

Give me my keyboard, my editor, and my coffee. That's all I need and I'll write up what I did at the end of the day, talk to me then.

a3n3• 10 years ago

I took this job to write code and make money, why do I have to go to all these stupid meetings, read these stupid e-mails, use Slack, answer this stupid desk-phone etc?

I call that work about work. Most of it's needless.

They say it's to help us get better results, etc, but I think it's really about adding meaning to their work life. Or just to their life.

serpix• 10 years ago

By definition if you know what your manager should be doing you're in the wrong position.

a3n3• 10 years ago

Could you expand on that?

Not everyone is suited to, or wants to be a manager. That doesn't mean that we haven't learned about management in our careers. And I do think we all can learn from everyone around us.

cybette• 10 years ago

"Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" by Nir Eyal - I'm reading it myself. I think it's really useful for those doing product development/management and building user engagement.

http://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Product...

brnstz2• 10 years ago

* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-5

Software engineering in particular attracts some extreme personalities. There are elements of narcissism, OCD, borderline, avoidance, etc. in every organization, even if it would not necessarily warrant a diagnosis. People have irrational motivations. This is often ignored in the rational business of software.

talkingquickly• 10 years ago

Do you know of any more accessible books which might give people a feel for what they might encounter? DSM-5 is pretty heavy going for someone outside of the field but agree that some awareness of it could be really valuable.

brnstz2• 10 years ago

Good question. I don't know of any books, though they're probably out there. You could look at the table of contents and google most of the diagnoses and find more readable stuff online.

gvk• 10 years ago

All the obligatory books and references have already been mentioned, so I'll refrain from repeating.

I'm a recent developer-turned-manager [close to two years now] and have always been a voracious reader.

Apart from specialist books of the profession, as an introvert I find that a healthy dose of fiction helps me in my day-to-day dealings with people at the workplace - especially those who report to me.

[https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201401...] [https://open.buffer.com/reading-fiction/]

^^ As such, I'd recommend some well-written fiction. Try The Godfather - always thought it was the best "people management" book :-)

Fantasy [or novels with a touch of the fantastic] would also be good.

War books are also good. Try some interesting non-fiction - I'd recommend WW II books by Stephen Ambrose. All about teamwork and beats reading dry management books.

You should probably stay away from satire, lest your manager think you a d*ck ;)

Before you do any of this, you should probably find out if your manager is in the habit of reading.

And despite the best advice, what a reader gets from any book depends on what she brings to it...so don't be surprised if reading doesn't help your manager :D

bkirkby• 10 years ago

- Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek - Creativity Inc., Ed Catmull - Reinventing Organizations, Frederic Laloux - Joy at Work, Dennis W Bakke - Valve Employee Handbook, Valve Software

This list is heavily skewed toward self-organization because I work for a company (Zappos) that is currently transitioning to a self-organization model. I thought I'd answer the question about what books I wish my "manager" would read even though I don't have a manager because in a self-org environment, you do have leaders that emerge organically. The main difference between "manager" and "leader" is that managers influence their charges with coersion (even if subtle and unintentional) while a leaders ability to influence comes from the bottom-up and is more meritocratic based on perceived experience and ability by those being led.

Most companies hope to promote the leaders so their manager structure is reflective of the actual effective social leadership structure, but all companies get it wrong often.

jazzyb• 10 years ago

I think it's important to think about the effect technology has on culture (both positive and negative). To that end, I would recommend _Technopoly_ by Neil Postman. (And optionally _Amusing Ourselves to Death_ by the same author -- it's more accessible but slightly less applicable to the software industry.)

roymurdock• 10 years ago

Older Stuff: The Bible/Quran, The Republic (Plato), The Social Contract (Rousseau), Tao Te Ching (Laozi), Brothers Karamazov (Dostoevsky), History of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides)

Newer Stuff: Nine Stories (Salinger), The Razor's Edge (Maugham), Nausea (Sartre), Siddartha (Hesse), Road to Serfdom (Hayek), The Book (Watts), Design of Everyday Things (Norman), Atlas Shrugged (Rand), Invisible Man (Ellison), Debunking Economics (Keen), Blood Meridian (McCarthy), The Center Cannot Hold (Saks), This Time Is Different (Reinhart/Rogoff), Infinite Jest (Wallace), Calvin and Hobbes (Watterson)

All of these books are well written and have given me some perspective on interesting people/situations/ways of thinking.

alimnemonic• 10 years ago

Drive by Daniel Pink, looks at what motivates people in general. Explains why a guy that codes all day goes home to work on open source project...

Aij7eFae• 10 years ago

Basic math for dummies

I'm not great at math but I do at least know how to remove the tax from a number.

darkhorn• 10 years ago

If my manager read English (language book) I would'n try to explain why Git and unit tests are needed and how good it would be if we sell the app to foreign companies.

The second book would be Turkish. so that he wouldn.t wrte like ths in his Emails

Ask HN: What books do you wish your manager would read?

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