cover of the book: Managing the Unmanageable The Book: Managing the Unmanageable

Other-Language Editions
     Chinese Traditional
     Chinese Simplified
     Polish
     Russian (in progress)

pointer to Ron's & Mickey's video training Video Training: Managing Software People and Teams

Now in English and Chinese!

Managing the Unmanageable:

Rules, Tools, and Insights for
Managing Software People and Teams

by Mickey W. Mantle and Ron Lichty

Addison Wesley, publishers
Paperback: 450 pages
order from Amazon

Translation into Chinese Traditional

The Chinese Traditional translation of Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools, and Insights for Managing Software People and Teams was released in September 2013. Those of you who read the traditional Chinese characters can order now!

front cover: Managing the Unmanageable, translated into traditional Chinese
back cover: Managing the Unmanageable, translated into simplified Chinese
     back cover: Managing the Unmanageable, translated into simplified Chinese

The front cover text in English

Managing the Unmanageable cover annotated for translation from Chinese Traditional

Top left annotated oval:
Are software development projects really so hard to MANAGE?
If you understand well the element of PEOPLE, you've got half of your SUCCESS!

Annotated circle just to the right:
[Clever Plots in the Brocade Pouch for successful managers]
Experience and Rules of Management
Lists of Management Tools
Quotations of Wisdom from the Famous

Bottom annotated oval:
If you don't understand your Programmers
you won't be able to manage them no matter how hard you try!

The back cover text in English

back cover: Managing the Unmanageable, translated into traditional Chinese

The three levels of the pyramid, in English:
                             Concept
         Integration   Quality   (Communication)
Schedule   Risk   Purchase   (Human Resource)   Cost

red comment on the highlighted two items says:
both pyramid pieces are related to people

The middle paragraph:
"Software Development is considered hard to manage" is a widespread opinion. To answer this, the author "pokes out blood with just one needle" [idiom], pointing out that Software Development/Project Managers and IT Directors must learn the skill of how to manage programmers and project development teams, i.e. must try to understand the subordinates, including how to employ them, inspire them, and lead them to complete the products the projects need to deliver in the end, and at the same time must also make an effort to set up the work environment and organizational culture suitable for project development teams to survive.

The group of six circles, each leading to the next:
Advertising for acquiring talent --> Face to face interview and testing --> Acceptance and reporting to work --> Review on how to utilize --> Managing style taylored to the individual --> Performance Review

The three lines at bottom:
a. Managing programmers is like training cats!
b. This line points out the bloody truth how difficult it is to manage programmers
c. You've got a way to rid your pain now! Follow this book and master once for all the management skills of capturing people's hearts

-- Translations kindly provided by Jin Meng

Co-author Mickey Mantle perusing the newly translated traditional Chinese edition of Managing the Unmanageable

order the traditional Chinese edition of Managing the Unmanageable