From programmer to project manager: everyone is a manager
It's a huge leap from programmer to project manager. It is generally considered a normal thing for a new project manager to have no sense of project management. Does this mean that you have to wait until you become a project manager to learn project management? Do you have to smash a project to grow into a qualified project manager? In fact, not necessarily, the qualities and skills required for project management are not unique secrets, but are used in life and can be exercised everywhere. Programmers can learn and practice project management knowledge as long as they have the heart. Each of us is a manager in some way.
1. Management is a function, not a position
Peter Drucker, the father of management, once said: "Anyone who makes a decision has the same nature of work as a chairman, and an executive leader. Even if his jurisdiction is limited, even his function or his name , not in the organizational system, and the office doesn't even have a dedicated line, but he is indeed a manager."
It can be seen that management is not the monopoly of managers and bosses, and management is not a position, but a function. No matter what position you are in, or whether you have subordinates or not, as long as you need to make decisions and be responsible for the results, then you are a manager. From this perspective, each of us is a manager, because everyone needs to be responsible for their own life and work, and to make trade-offs and decisions when encountering problems, but the content of the decisions is different.
Programmers obviously also need to make decisions about work. When accepting a task, the programmer needs to evaluate the workload, work difficulty, and time limit to determine whether the project manager's goal can be achieved; when developing a function point, we need to think about which implementation methods, which development speed, running Efficiency and resource occupancy are comprehensively optimal; when the most progress lags behind, do you have to work overtime to come back, or adjust your working methods to improve development efficiency... Aren't these all decision-making processes? At every decision point, programmers can play their subjective initiative like a real project manager, take the initiative to manage, and ensure that tasks are completed quickly and well. Our management skills are gradually accumulated and improved in the decision-making process.
Management is just a function that anyone can perform anytime, anywhere. It's a pity that many people don't realize this and give up this work that can and should be done unconsciously. This cannot be said to be a "dereliction of duty".
2. Self-management is the foundation of all management
There is a popular definition of management called "managing people and directors". Since it is to manage people, it must be managed by someone. Some people say that I don't have a subordinate, I'm just a "bare commander". If I'm a manager, who am I in charge of?
In fact, as long as there is no real bare commander in the society, you do not necessarily manage subordinates. Everyone you need to deal with, including your leaders, is your management object. Taking a step back, even if you don't have to deal with anyone, you can and must take care of one person - yourself.
Peter Drucker said, "People with great achievements have always been good at self-management. However, after all, these people are rare. But today, even people with mediocre qualifications must learn to manage themselves." How can a person who can't take care of himself can take care of others? Not to mention managing a large team.
So what about self-management? Mr. Li Ka-shing once said: "Self-management is a kind of static management, a basic skill for cultivating rational strength, and a catalyst for people to transform knowledge and experience into ability." If we put it more bluntly, self-management is actually a process of self-cultivation. It is a process of self-discipline, self-discipline, and self-improvement. As an ordinary person, what aspects need to be tempered and refined? I think it is nothing more than two aspects of a person's body and mind and quality skills. Correspondingly, the content of self-management should also include physical and mental management and personal quality and skills management.
(1) Physical and mental management: including different levels of body, mentality, emotions, world outlook, outlook on life, values, life goals, career goals, etc.;
(2) Quality and skill management: including learning management, time management, etc. Among them, time management is a very important part of self-management, because it is directly intertwined with project management, enterprise management and so on. To be an effective manager, it starts with being able to manage your time.
Figure Self-management is the foundation of other management
Since self-management is a kind of self-cultivation, it can be said that self-management is the foundation of all other management, because no matter what management is, it is inseparable from the manager's own body, mind and skills. All management work in an enterprise, in terms of the objects of management, can be divided into several levels: the manager himself, the people and things in the enterprise, the enterprise organization itself, and the strategic direction of the enterprise. Among them, managing oneself belongs to the most basic level. A person who can manage himself well can only have the ability and energy to manage others well, handle complex affairs well, and be able to understand human nature, grasp the laws of the organization and the market, and become a truly outstanding manager.
3. Every development task is a micro-project
As a programmer, you may never consider yourself from the perspective of a project manager, but in fact, you are not only a programmer, but also a project manager, because every time you accept a development task, the actual Above is to accept a small project.
A development task that also has the typical characteristics of a project: ad hoc, unique, and progressive. Temporary is obvious, because each development task has a development time limit, rather than repeating the endless work, when the goal is reached, the task is over. At the same time, each development task is unique. There is always one difference in time, place, completion person, results, project environment, etc., which is its uniqueness. The more you develop later, the more specific the grasp of the details, which is gradually detailed.
It can be seen that a development task is a real micro-project. It's just that this project is only done by you alone. In the process of completing the task, planning, timing, deviation control, and leadership (self-leadership) are also required as in project management.
Only programmers who regard themselves as project managers can become really good programmers. A good programmer is also easier to grow into a good project manager, because he has been responsible for developing countless micro-projects before being officially appointed as a project manager.
from http://developer.51cto.com/art/201211/364725.htm