(Part 3) Top products from r/projectmanagement

I think it's possible to communicate without rapport (e.g., documentation, plans, emails). That said, in a team environment, this will only get you so far. Rapport is often what determines how/if people listen to you and how they're geared to respond. I think you're quite right to call it out as its own competency.

IME, the most effective PMs (at least in terms of building relationships) have been:

• Warm (friendly, agreeable, empathetic, and openly enthusiastic about others' strengths and successes)
  
• Trustworthy and sincere
  
• A little vulnerable
  
• Inquisitive, but also perceptive
  
• Knowledgeable
  
• Direct and honest, especially about hard topics
  
• Admirable in their own rights
  
  Some people are naturals at all of it, due to biology and/or nurture. If you're not, you can try to learn new behaviors. It's a non-trivial effort, of course: in some cases, it might mean changing deeply ingrained communication patterns. As a first step, becoming conscious of the ways you're not being the list above can help you focus on what you want to change.
  
  Here are a few related reads that I've learned from:
  
  

1. Fierce Conversations (book)
   
2. The Dynamics of Warmth and Competence Judgments
   
3. 7 things really amazing communicators do
   
4. How to build rapport with clients
   
5. Active listening in practice
   
   Hope this helps!

Hi skunk,

Since everyone is remaining quiet I might as well give this a shot. I'm from a technical background but currently studying PM in my spare time in the hope that I can progress in this direction within my industry.

PMP

It seems like the global standard is the PMP with PMI which requires:

> A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree, or the global equivalent) with at least five years of project management experience, with 7,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.

> OR

> A four-year degree (bachelor’s degree or the global equivalent) and at least three years of project management experience, with 4,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education.

I'm currently studying towards this. I've taken recommendations from this subreddit (and /r/pmp) and bought:

• Rita Mulcahy's PMP Exam Prep, Eighth Edition
  
  and
  
  
• PMI's PMBOK, Fifth Edition
  
  In order to obtain the required 35 contact hours, I bought one of several cheap Groupons for $99. I'm not going to link the course because I don't necessarily recommend it - it should be easy enough to find and people have linked to these in previous posts. It doesn't really matter anyway because it's just so I can "tick that box", as I've learnt everything I need to know from the books.
  
  The exam however will have to be sat in person. I have yet to do this so can't give you any pointers.
  
  CAPM
  
  If you don't match the above criteria, you can always opt for the lower qualification of CAPM (also with PMI) and work your way up.
  For this I reccommend CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification, Third Edition and the previously mentioned online course.
  
  Please note that you can potentially pitch anything as a project in the right light, even washing the dishes. Aim high and try to get the hours for PMP if possible.
  
  PRINCE2 & SIX SIGMA
  
  What else? Well, if I'm successful with the PMP and still enjoy PM after the blood, sweat and tears, I'm looking at these two qualifications.
  
  I've already added a few books to my Amazon wishlist but have yet to seriously look into these with enough detail to commit.
  
  
• Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2
  
• PRINCE2 Study Guide
  
• PRINCE2 For Dummies
  
  I know that the exam for the PRINCE2 foundation level (and possibly practitioner level?) can be sat online with a webcam.
  
  
• Six Sigma for Dummies
  
• Six Sigma Workbook for Dummies
  
  Six Sigma I know very little about except that several colleagues have mentioned it and my industry takes it seriously. However, I don't believe you can do these Six Sigma "belts" online.
  
  Sorry for the serious wall of text but I just thought I'd share everything I know about PM accreditation. This isn't a comprehensive list but I'm planning on doing 90% online so I'm in a similar situation to yourself.
  
  I would be grateful for any feedback myself from experienced PMs on my plans going forward.

If you're interested in Scrum (it's not an acronym) then an easy way to get started is to take training as a CSM (Certified Scrum Master). It's a 2-day course with a fairly easy multiple-choice exam.

If you're already a Product Manager, you could also look at the CSPO (Certified Scrum Product Owner) which will help you understand the differences in the way requirements are treated.

Scrum isn't the be-all and end-all of Agile methods, so do keep your mind open after the training! But it will help you to get your foot in the door.

After that, try looking for local Agile or Scrum groups; most big cities have them. Look out for Agile conferences too; even if you can't make it, a lot of them post the talks online.

If you do end up as a PM and you're struggling to understand something, don't be afraid to hire an Agile Coach for a few days. They'll help to mentor you, explain how Agile works, and fine-tune your processes.

The most important thing to remember about Agile methods is that they're there to help handle uncertainty. For anything you do that's new, and you've never done before, it's useful to make discoveries early rather than later and to get feedback quickly on those discoveries. In Waterfall we made sure we we're getting it right. In Agile, we assume we can't know everything up front and will inevitably get some of it wrong.

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention Kanban, which is related to Agile and originally derived from the Lean techniques used at Toyota, and Cynefin (my blog, the Wikipedia page is also good). Mike Cohn's books are a pretty good first stop for basic Scrum, but Kanban and Cynefin will help you to see beyond that.

Finally, if you get stuck, http://pm.stackexchange.com is your friend. You can also shout out on Twitter; there's always people willing to help and pass you links and ideas.

(Oh, and don't worry too much about the formality. I work as a Lean / Kanban and Agile consultant, have no formal qualifications in it, and am internationally recognized. Doing it and having the metrics and stories to show that you've done it is more important than a qualification.)

David Anderson's book is where it probably starts, but I'd add two books to that list:

• Mike Burrows, Kanban from the inside
  
• Mattias Skarin Real World Kanban
  
  I found I learnt the most from these two. Add to that the David Anderson book you already have and you will have a great basis to build on. If you want to look deeper into the enterprise level kanban, take a look at what the Lean Kanban University provide.
  
  I've also heard good things about Klaus Leopold's Kanban Change Leadership but I have not read it yet.

The Project Manager's Absolute Beginner's Guide, 4th Edition, 448 pages, is recommended by several folks I respect. I've also heard good things about Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager at 256 pages. Both are available on Kindle.

Good project management books tend to have a high thump factor. Not all of them, obviously, but if you decide to do this for a living, invest in a comfortable chair.

Working with emotional intelligence: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Emotional-Intelligence-Daniel-Goleman/dp/0553378589

and

Mind and heart of the Negotiator :https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Heart-Negotiator-5th/dp/0132543869

Before transitioning into my current PM role I worked for a PR company. The CEO strongly recommended this book for general writing. It's not tech-focused, more general purpose but still a great resource.

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-30th-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0060891548

This one is pretty good https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Project-Management-WorkSmart-Heagney/dp/0814417485

I've been told this is the best book on leadership.

One of the people who edited this book had a class with me, and I've heard it recommended by others. Maybe it would fit the bill.

Can I suggest Deadline by Tom DeMarco?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0932633390

From my point of view, this book has all of the basics and the format of the book makes reading very interesting and enjoyable.

Though this is mostly about software development and it was written in 1997 - some of the things could be a little out of date - but the basics are still here.

I haven't read either of these books so I can't vouch for them personally, but my understanding is that Peopleware and Mythical Man Month are classics.

Take a look at the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) and pick up Wiegers' book on Software Requirements.