Product Description

Change is inherently dangerous. Moreover, change becomes even more dangerous when we don't know what we're doing. Attempts to change software organizations commonly fail because of inadequate understanding of change dynamics -- the same reason the organizations got into crisis in the first place.

Jerry Weinberg concludes his series of four stand-alone volumes with this pragmatic, comprehensive testament on the fundamentals of change management.

From systems thinking to project management to technology transfer to the interaction of culture and process, this volume analyzes change from a broad range of perspectives, spanning the spectrum of sources of organizational change. Such breadth of awareness is essential for successful management of system evolution.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101449 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 480 pages

Review
"I doubt if many of us can read backwards (literally) and make much sense, but if you mean, 'Can I read Volume N before some earlier volume?' the answer is certainly yes. I've worked hard to make that possible, and different people have told me it works for them. The whole process is a cycle, so it's rather arbitrary where you start--and different folks have different preferences for where they start the series."

Customer Reviews

Best of the series
This book is the best of the quality software series. Save yourself sometime and start with it and if you find it useful, go back to the previous 3 (I found them best in the following order 2,3,1). The chapter on managing requirements is one of best tools I have ever found for convincing management that we must get a handle on our processes. Be warned however, that none of these books are as readable as "The Secrets of Consulting" or "The Pyschology of Computer Programming." Which I view as Weinberg's best works.

Good book on organizational change emphasising SW management
The first half of this book is useful for anyone contemplating changing an organization. The second half is directed specifically at project managers. Not a step-by-step guide, but a lot of good concepts and models. Very thought-provoking. If you wonder why you haven't been able to change your organization, this is well worth reading.

Lengthy, but good for managers who want to enable change
Well, it's for managers who want to enable change *and* have a lot of free time. This book is fairly long for the amount of information in it, and drags on, even if you're a speed reader. Still, there are some great ideas early on about change agents, how they work, and the environment they require to succeed. It's worth reading at least that part of the book, if you're a manager. However, as a technical leader or 'change agent' yourself, there's not much in this book for you.