The Bookshelf
I am not a big book reader but every once in awhile I go through a season of reading. It is usually precipitated by some roadblock or impasse that I find myself in either at work or at home. When the season hits I will tend to read a lot in a particular area. For example when I realized I was going to live in Japan for a few years I began to read anything on Japan I could get my hands on; modern history, ancient history, fiction. Heck I even started watching Kurosawa films! Out of this “deep dive” a few nuggets will inevitably rise to the top and will be added to the permanent part of my bookshelf. Here are a few of my nuggets in the areas of project management, change management, process improvement, business analysis, and systems thinking.
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ADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government and Our CommunityAuthor: Jeffrey M. Hiatt After more than 14 years of research with corporate change, the ADKAR model has emerged as a holistic approach that brings together the collection of change management work into a simple, results oriented model. This model ties together all aspects of change management including readiness assessments, sponsorship, communications, coaching, training and resistance management. All of these activities are placed into a framework that is oriented on the required phases for realizing change with individuals and the organization. ISBN-10: 1930885504 |
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A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) Third Edition + Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide: Second EditionAuthor: International Institute of Business Analysis (Corporate Author) A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK Guide) is the only globally recognized standard of practice for business analysis. Developed through a rigorous consensus-driven standards process, the BABOK Guide incorporates the collective wisdom and experience of experts in the field from around the world. Previous editions have guided hundreds of thousands of professionals in their work, and it has been adopted by hundreds of enterprises as the basis of their business analysis practice. This latest version of the guide extends its scope beyond business analysis in projects to address agile development, business process management, business intelligence, and business architecture. The Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide (Agile Extension) version 2 describes the benefits, activities, tasks, skills, and practices required for effective agile business analysis with a constant focus on delivering business value. ISBN-10: 1927584027 ISBN-10: 1927584086 |
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A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Fifth EditionAuthor: Project Management Institute (Corporate Author) The PMBOK is focused on the theory of project management. It is chalked full of common principles for project management which are very handy as reference material if one is creating a project management methodology or improving an existing one. So while the PMBOK can’t be the only material on project management on your bookshelf it certainly should not be missing. ISBN-10: 1935589679 |
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A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Sixth EditionAuthor: Project Management Institute (Corporate Author) The PMBOK is focused on the theory of project management. It is chalked full of common principles for project management which are very handy as reference material if one is creating a project management methodology or improving an existing one. So while the PMBOK can’t be the only material on project management on your bookshelf it certainly should not be missing. ISBN-10: 9781628251845 |
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A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Seventh EditionAuthor: Project Management Institute (Corporate Author) The PMBOK is focused on the theory of project management. It is chalked full of common principles for project management which are very handy as reference material if one is creating a project management methodology or improving an existing one. So while the PMBOK can’t be the only material on project management on your bookshelf it certainly should not be missing. ISBN-10: 1628256648 |
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Change Management: The People Side of ChangeAuthors: Jeffrey Hiatt, Timothy Creasey Change Management: the people side of change is an introduction to change management for managers and executives. Project leaders and consultants can use this book with their organizations and clients to introduce change management to front-line managers and top-level executives involved in change. Specifically, managers and executives will understand the broader perspective around change management and understand their role in the process. ISBN-10: 1930885180 |
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Critical ChainAuthor: Eliyahu M. Goldratt So…I have been a big fan of The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt ever since Jeff Audette recommended it to me way back in the day. Imagine my surprise to find out in 2023 that Eliyahu had also written a book on project management! Again, it follows a novel format which is his trademark approach. I wouldn’t say it is as profound as The Goal but any project manager who is familiar with the critical path concept will readily be able to understand Critical Chain concepts. Definitely worth the read. ISBN-10: 9780884271536 |
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EPIC Change: How to Lead Change in the Global AgeAuthor: Timothy R. Clark Most technology projects are in fact not true technology projects but 95% business process redesign, also known as change. The PMBoK does a great job focusing on the nuts and bolts of projects but what it really misses is the people side, the change side. EPIC change is a method proposed by Tim Clark to approaching change. It is a four-phase waterfall type methodology comprised of evaluating, planning, implementing and consolidating. I think every project manager should read this book, while I suggest every change leader read the PMBoK. ISBN-10: 0470182555 |
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Out of the CrisisAuthor: Dr. W. Edwards Deming Dr. W. Edwards Deming (1900-1993) was an American statistician, professor, author, lecturer and consultant. Dr. Deming spent a few years in Japan following the Pacific War where he trained many Japanese in the arts of statistical control and quality improvement. Deming focused on the responsibility of management to improve the system in which employees work by focusing on four parts of a system of profound knowledge (Appreciation of a system, knowledge of variation, theory of knowledge and knowledge of psychology). Out of the Crisis is Deming’s call to America to change lest they be left behind. It is a MUST READ for anyone interested in quality control and improvement. ISBN-10: 0262541157 |
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The Goal: A Process of Ongoing ImprovementAuthor: Eliyahu M. Goldratt The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Alex Cox is very interesting book on process improvement and introduces the theory of constraints. It is told as a novel surrounding the life of Alex Rogo, the manager of a small town manufacturing plant and has been given 3 months to turn around the operation around or everyone will lose their jobs. On a side note, Tim Clark from EPIC Change would say that survival is a very strong motivator for change…lol. All kidding a side, I really enjoyed this book as it, like many other books in this collection, asks questions more than it gives you answers. It points you in the direction it doesn’t force you there. A highly recommended book on process improvement. ISBN-10: 9780884271956 |
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The Toyota WayAuthor: Jeffrey Liker I love this book because it really dives into what makes Toyota “tick” (the management philosophy). One of the big takeaways is that Toyota has a very long term outlook. They are not chasing short term profits which leads to many companies going down the wrong road. In addition, one of the maxims I have brought into my own life is: “The right process will produce the right results”. Whether I am building project methodology, leading organizational change or improving a process I bring this thinking into all of them. ISBN-10: 0071392319 |
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The Toyota Way to Healthcare Excellence: Increase Efficiency and Improve Quality with LeanAuthors: John Black & David Miller This book chronicles how a Seattle based hospital embarked on a journey to answer a controversial question: “Could the Toyota Production System (the philosophy of lean manufacturing, zero waste, just-in-time stock, quality improvement etc.) be adapted to health care?”. The answer is absolutely YES but wholly dependent on having some key elements in place…1) strong leadership willing to stake their careers and their credibility to achieve excellence and 2) a crisis which is so dire it leaves no other course but to change. ISBN-10: 1567932932 |
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Transforming Health Care: Virginia Mason Medical Center’s Pursuit of the Perfect Patient ExperienceAuthor: Charles Kenney Virginia Mason has been on their process improvement journey for 10 years…but how are they doing really? This book seeks to answer that question and the more important one…can the success of the Virginia Mason Production System be reproduced in other hospitals/countries? I really enjoyed this follow up book as I was curious to see how successful Virginia Mason would be. It was a good read with some excellent nuggets regarding the paramount importance of good leadership in change. Whether you are a clinician or not this book will get you thinking about the right types of questions to be asking. ISBN-10: 1563273756 |