Quality Software Management: Congruent Action

by Gerald M. Weinberg, Dorset House

Overview

How to Attain Managerial Excellence Using Congruent Action!

To produce high-quality software, we need high-quality, effective managers. Becoming such a manager is the subject of this third stand-alone volume in Gerald Weinberg's highly acclaimed series.

To be effective, managers must act congruently. That is, managers must not only understand the concepts of good software engineering, but also practice them, which sounds easier than it is in practice. Standing in the way is a lot of emotional baggage that we all carry, the author asserts, and congruence is the way to cope with our emotional baggage.

Congruence has the sense of "fitting" — in this case simultaneously fitting your own needs, the needs of the other people involved, and the contextual needs (in business, for example, the business needs). Examples, diagrams, and tools such as the Myers-Briggs indicator fortify the author's recommendations.

Internationally respected for his innovative thinking on both human and technical issues, GERALD M. WEINBERG focuses on ways to help people improve their productivity. A highly influential author, lecturer, and consultant, he draws on experiences gained in all three roles, as well as from a long technical career as a software developer, researcher, and consultant.

Gerald M. Weinberg has written on topics ranging from computer systems and programming to education and problem solving. He is author or coauthor of thirteen Dorset House books.

His most recent title is The Psychology of Computer Programming: Silver Anniversary Edition, released in October 1998.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780932633286
Publisher:	Dorset House Publishing
Publication date:	06/01/1994
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.00(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ..... iv
Preface ..... xi
I Managing Yourself ..... 1
1 Why Congruence Is Essential to Managing ..... 3

1.1 Knowing versus Doing ..... 4
1.2 Law of Requisite Variety ..... 6
1.3 The Importance of Congruent Management ..... 6
1.4 The Number One Random Process Element ..... 7
1.5 The Road Ahead ..... 9
1.6 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 10
1.7 Summary ..... 10
1.8 Practice ..... 11

2 Choosing Management ..... 13

2.1 Where the Payoff Is ..... 14
2.2 The One-Dimensional Selection Model of Management ..... 14
2.3 Effects of Applying the Model ..... 17
2.4 Choice and Congruence ..... 20
2.5 The Vision Behind the Choice ..... 20
2.6 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 21
2.7 Summary ..... 23
2.8 Practice ..... 24

3 Styles of Coping ..... 26

3.1 Coping Congruently: The Self, Other, and Context ..... 27
3.2 Blaming ..... 28
3.3 Placating ..... 29
3.4 Superreasonable ..... 32
3.5 Loving/Hating ..... 33
3.6 Irrelevant ..... 35
3.7 The Role of Self-Esteem ..... 36
3.8 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 39
3.9 Summary ..... 39
3.10 Practice ..... 40

4 Transforming Incongruence into Congruence ..... 42

4.1 Congruent Behavior ..... 42
4.2 Transforming Blaming into Assertive Behavior ..... 45
4.3 Transforming Placating into Caring or Yielding Behavior ..... 46
4.4 Turning Superreasonable into Focused and Reasonable Behavior ..... 48
4.5 Changing Lovers/Haters into Beneficial Alliances or Friendly Rivalries ..... 49
4.6 Transforming Irrelevance into Funny or Creative Behavior ..... 49
4.7 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 50
4.8 Summary ..... 51
4.9 Practice ..... 52

5 Moving Toward Congruence ..... 54

5.1 Reframing Internal Messages ..... 55
5.2 Dealing with Strong Feelings ..... 57
5.3 Steps Toward Congruence ..... 60
5.4 What Congruence Means to a Manager ..... 63
5.5 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 64
5.6 Summary ..... 66
5.7 Practice ..... 67

II Managing Others ..... 69
6 Analyzing the Manager's Job ..... 71

6.1 Deciding and Appointing ..... 72
6.2 Listening ..... 75
6.3 Fouowing Up ..... 76
6.4 Evaluating Quality ..... 76
6.5 Personnel Decisions ..... 77
6.6 Administering ..... 78
6.7 What Congruent Managers Do ..... 80
6.8 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 81
6.9 Summary ..... 82
6.10 Practice ..... 83

7 Recognizing Preference Differences ..... 85

7.1 Same or Equal? ..... 85
7.2 Preferences ..... 86
7.3 The Myers-Briggs Preferences ..... 87
7.4 Getting Energy ..... 88
7.5 Obtaining Information ..... 89
7.6 Making Decisions ..... 90
7.7 Taking Action ..... 92
7.8 Why MBTI? ..... 94
7.9 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 95
7.10 Summary ..... 96
7.11 Practice ..... 97

8 Temperament Differences ..... 98

8.1 Four Kinds of Control ..... 99
8.2 Understanding the Four Temperaments ..... 101
8.3 Temperaments in Action ..... 105
8.4 Temperaments As Tools for Understanding ..... 109
8.5 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 109
8.6 Summary ..... 110
8.7 Practice ..... 112

9 Recognizing Differences As Assets ..... 113

9.1 Why Differences Are Assets ..... 113
9.2 Management by Selection Model ..... 114
9.3 Management by Systematic Improvement Model ..... 117
9.4 Cultures ..... 118
9.5 Females and Males ..... 119
9.6 Other Significant Differences ..... 121
9.7 Helpful Hints and Suggestions ..... 124
9.8 Summary ..... 125
9.9 Practice ..... 126

10 Patterns of Incongruence ..... 128

10.1 where Does the Time Go? ..... 128

What People are Saying About This

Tom Adams

The former star programmer who now struggles with the challenges of management will find, in Weinberg, a mentor with more than two decades of experience helping programmers, team leaders, and managers grow in the psychological and social dimensions of their professions. This book will probably make you think twice about some decisions you currently make by reflex. That alone makes it worth reading.

— (Tom Adams, IEEE Software)

Editorial Reviews

The third of what was to be a three-volume treatise--but a fourth volume is now projected--deals with the ability to act appropriately in difficult interpersonal situations, an essential ability for successful software development management. The author draws on his 40 years of work in the industry to discuss various styles of coping, especially under stress; selection of the best managers; the role of self-esteem; how to transform incongruence into effective actions; addictive behaviors; and how to create and manage productive teams. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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