Literature recommendations
Traditional Project Management
Here you can find literature for building up and consolidating your knowledge of classic project management. The books and guides presented here will help you to prepare for the certification examinations as Certified Junior Project Manager (IAPM), Certified Project Manager (IAPM), and Certified Senior Project Manager (IAPM).
We advise you to read the Project Managers' Guide (IAPM) in any case, since this forms the certification basis at IAPM for classic project management and gives an overview of all the relevant theme areas.
Guideline
IAPM International Association of Project Managers
Project Managers' Guide (IAPM)
The IAPM's traditional project management baseline
The contents of the Project Managers' Guide (IAPM) cover all aspects of theoretical knowledge that are necessary in order to implement a project. From project check to project close-out, it provides project managers with a comprehensive summary of all the knowledge that they need to perform their everyday project activities. The Project Managers' Guide (IAPM) is the basis for the IAPM certification programme and it defines all the knowledge elements that are necessary to pass the certification examinations for each level.
Stress management
DeMarco, Tom
Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency
Tom DeMarco isn’t a conventional textbook author. Slack is one of his best books to date, so it’s definitely a worthwhile read. DeMarco explains how to increase organisational agility in his book, which coaches readers on how to integrate and thoughtfully use slack in their workday and corporate culture. Slack is a book that should be on every manager’s shelf and an absolute must for all (stressed) project managers.
Project budgets
Hesse, Dirk; Kukla, Markus; Schmidt, Udo
Fit for Projects
Mastering budget compliance by the success criteria of the projectPROFIT-Method.
This workbook provides practical guidelines on how to meet your project budgets.
Chapters 1 to 3 describe the background and development of the projectPROFiT-Method. The method itself is presented in chapter 4.
Chapter 5 demonstrates how to work with the method. The Fitness Test, is the core element of the method, is included in chapter 6 as a working document. You will find 19 coloured templates to assess your project. The further pages of this chapter will assist you derive target-oriented actions from your assessment. Chapter 7 offers practical suggestions on implementing.
The success stories in chapter 8 provide additional proposals on how to optimize projects. An index helps you find key terms.
We have designed this book with the practitioner in mind. A guidance system takes you through the process to manage the execution maturity of your projects.
Beginners
Ottmann, Roland
The Naked Project Manager
Is it a novel? A comic? A text book? A how-to manual? "The Naked Project Manager" is all those things and much more. Step-by-step, it guides the reader through the complex maze of project management, from project check to project follow-up. Author, Roland Ottmann, explains project management interrelationships in an entertaining and informative style, points out the common hidden pitfalls and provides useful tips and advice that project managers will benefit from in their everyday work.
The book is suitable for project management novices and for readers with project management experience who want to extend their knowledge.
Soft factors
Rogell, Leif
Psychological Project Management
Project management is often associated with methods, analyses or planning. Of course, it is essential that a project manager knows how to conduct a stakeholder or risk analysis – but equally important is the right way to deal with the people involved in the project. Starting from team building and motivation to conflicts and disruptions in project teams, there are a lot of aspects to consider. In his book "Psychological Project Management", Leif Rogell deals with the psychological aspects that play an important role while working in a team – and in doing so he addresses not only project managers but also leaders in general.
Standard textbook
Schelle, Heinz; Ottmann, Roland.; Pfeiffer, Astrid
Project Manager
This comprehensive standard reference work on project management provides a solid knowledge base to students of project management and serves as a reference tool for experienced project managers whose projects are stuck in a rut.
The taxonomy allows the reader to assess his or her own project management knowledge and experience. The self-assessment can be performed any number of times. For example, it can be used before and after going through the text book to directly measure learning performance.
Use ProjectManager as a textbook when preparing for certification or for reference purposes in your current project.
Guideline
Weisz, Hamutal; Zitter, Daniel
Being a Project Manager
A Different Book on Project Management
"Being a Project Manager" is, as the cover suggests, a companion. Not for baking, but for successfully managing projects. It deals with the basic components of "planning, control and communication". The book gives you simple and easy to implement tools for project management, which can be of great use for the next project. All information is written in an easy to understand way and the book is enriched with good illustrations. This makes it particularly interesting for beginners in project management, but it is also aimed at experts
Agile Project Management (Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming)
Here you can find literature for building up and consolidating your knowledge of agile project management. The books and guides presented here will help you to prepare for the certification examinations as Certified Agile Project Manager (IAPM) and Certified Senior Agile Project Manager (IAPM).
We advise you to read the Agile Project Managers' Guide (IAPM) in any case, since this forms the certification basis at IAPM for agile project management and gives an overview of all the relevant theme areas.
Guideline
IAPM International Association of Project Managers
Agile Project Managers' Guide (IAPM)
Scrum/Kanban, Extreme Programming
In an agile project with a Scrum framework, you will be Product Owner, Scrum Master or member of a Scrum Team working towards the successful conclusion of your project with your colleagues. Dynamic and flexible projects can also be managed with the Kanban method or in combination with the scrum method. Extreme Programming - another agile method - is often used in conjunction with these two agile project management techniques. Whether you are involved in pure Scrum or mixed method projects, you need specific skills and knowledge to perform all the different roles effectively.
Kanban
Anderson, David J.
Kanban
Successful Evolutionary Change for your Technology Business
The author, David J. Anderson, drew on his own experiences as Microsoft manager when the company introduced Kanban to write this book. He asks and answers many questions relating to both the introduction and everyday use of Kanban methods. It’s both a practical guide for people who are starting out with Kanban, and for people who want to adapt the system for advanced needs[MSOffice1] .
The book is rounded off with a report by Markus Andrezak, who organised mobile.international GmbH’s portfolio management with the help of Kanban. “Kanban: Successful Evolutionary Change for your Technology Business” is a clearly written book with flowing texts that expertly guides the reader through the concept of Kanban.
Extreme Programming
Beck, Kent
Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change, 2nd Edition (The XP Series)
“In this second edition of Extreme Programming Explained, Kent Beck organizes and presents five years’ worth of experiences, growth, and change revolving around XP. If you are seriously interested in understanding how you and your team can start down the path of improvement with XP, you must read this book.”
Extreme Programming
Beck, Kent; Fowler, Martin
Planning Extreme Programming
The key XP philosophy: Planning is not a one-time event, but a constant process of reevaluation and course-correction throughout the lifecycle of the project. This short sentence points out the gist of this book, written by acknowledged XP authorities Kent Beck and Martin Fowler. Planning Extreme Programming presents the approaches, methods, and advice needed to plan and track a successful Extreme Programming project.
Kanban
Leopold, Dr. Klaus; Kaltenecker, Dr. Siegfried
Kanban change leadership
Creating a continuous improvement
The objective of Dr Klaus Leopold and Dr Siegfried Kaltenecker in writing this much-acclaimed book was to introduce the reader to Kanban and the associated opportunities for successful long-term change processes.
The first section focuses on the foundations of Kanban. In the second section, the authors explain the context of Kanban change management - the options for change, how they can be set in motion, and their consequences for a business. The third section takes the topics from the previous sections and relates them to the social system of business. Many consider this to be a standard publication that provides useful practical advice and encourages the reader to consider and try new approaches.
Contract Design
Opelt, Andreas; Gloger, Boris; Pfarl, Wolfgang; Mittermayr, Ralf
Agile Contracts
Creating and Managing Successful Projects with Scrum
Agile methods are becoming increasingly popular in IT projects. Traditional contracts are often unsuitable for agile IT projects because these kinds of projects need contracts that unite a fixed cost framework with flexible agile development methods. This book is dedicated to agile contracts. It explains how to reconcile contractor and customer interests in a cooperative model that permits a partnership-like collaboration. This book is highly recommended to all readers with an interest in agile project contracts.
Sprint & Release Planning
Patton, Jeff; Economy, Peter
User Story Mapping
Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product
Jeff Patton’s user story mapping methods are based on the original idea of user stories in agile development, which bring the customer and developer together, and expands upon it. Product developers focus on the user’s journey by documenting it and illustrating it in story maps. User story maps help the customer, developer and user to understand each other better in the product development process and stop them from getting bogged down in arguments about unimportant details.
This is an exciting book with lots of interesting content that is already a best seller in the USA.
Documentation
Rüping, Andreas
Agile Documentation
A Pattern Guide to Producing Lightweight Documents for Software Projects
Andreas Rüping is a freelance IT consultant and his book deals with the frequently neglected subject of project documentation. 28 documentation methods are explained in a structured way, each with reference to real-world examples in software development. Rüping also sets out how good project documentation can be extremely useful in subsequent projects, and in knowledge sharing.
This book ‘lifts the veil’ on the subject of documentation, focusing on how easy and useful it is.
Scrum
Sutherland, Jeff; van Solingen, Rini; Rustenburg, Eelco
The Power of Scrum
The Power of Scrum is a fictional narrative that weaves a compelling human story around the teaching moments of a Scrum project management how-to. It is a well-written, fluid book that makes perfect after-work reading.
This book is excellent reading material for beginners and people with some agile experience who want to freshen up their knowledge or are looking for inspiration.
The authors have done a great job in describing both the mechanics of scrum and the philosophy behind it.
International Project Management
Here you can find literature for building up and consolidating your knowledge of international project management. The books and guides presented here will help you to prepare for the certification examinations as Certified International Project Manager (IAPM).
We advise you to read the International PM Guide 2.0 in any case, since this forms the certification basis at IAPM for international project management and gives an overview of all the relevant theme areas.
Guideline
IAPM International Association of Project Managers
International PM Guide 2.0
Internationale Projekte leiten ist mehr als Projektmanagement in englischer Sprache. Der Projektmanager muss sich auf eine neue Kultur einstellen, auf eine neue Umgebung, andere Verhaltensweisen und möglicherweise auch auf eine andere Art, Projektmanagement zu betreiben.
Im „International PM Guide 2.0“ werden die Anforderungen an einen Projektmanager im internationalen Projekt ebenso dargestellt wie Unternehmensstrukturen in internationalen Unternehmen.
Society
Hall, Edward T.
Beyond Culture
Edward Twitchell Hall († 20 July 2009 in Santa Fe, New Mexico) was an US anthropologist who was considered to be the founding father of intercultural communication as an academic area of study. His book, “Beyond Culture“ is a must-have for anyone seeking in-depth information about societal structures and cultural differences. Hall explains how various cultures develop the values that permit intercultural cooperation.
Bestseller
Hofstede, Geert; Hofstede, Gert Jan; Minkov, Michael
Cultures and Organizations
Software of the mind
This book provides an overview of intercultural communication theory and practice. It summarises Hofstede’s theories on how cultures in different societies have their own characteristics and dimensions. It allows the reader to embrace a variety of elements of cultures and organizations across different nations and spheres of life
Guide
Morrison, Terri; Conaway, Wayne A.
Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands
2nd edition
This book is an excellent guide to proper international business protocol in more than 60 countries. It provides invaluable information about how to handle business interactions in foreign cultures. “Kiss, bow, or shake hands“ is full of useful advice plus do’s and don’ts for business travellers and an interesting read for anyone interested in the practices, customs, and philosophies of other countries.
Guideline
Trompenaars, Fons; Hampden-Turner, Charles
Riding the Waves of Culture
Understanding Diversity in Global Business
Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Business was first published almost 20 years ago. Today, it is the standard guide to effective leadership in an international business context. Now in its third edition, the book takes the reader beyond cross-cultural awareness and issues to take strategic advantage of the cultural differences in the business environment.
