The Tools
We list here the tools referenced in the chapters of our book, Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools, and Insights for Managing Software People and Teams. We have developed or collected these tools over many years, and have used them effectively in our own work to help manage programmers, programming teams, departments, and organizations. We encourage you to personalize the tools and adapt them for your own needs and environments. These tools are provided “as is” and the authors make no representations as to their accuracy, completeness, or validity.
The tools—Excel workbooks (one or more worksheets) and Word files—are organized by the chapter with which each is associated. Several (highlighted below) may be downloaded and used by anyone interested in sampling this valuable resource. The full set, however, may be downloaded and used only if you have purchased a copy of the book or access to the video course.
To unlock the rest, go to the Tools-downloads page and have your copy of book or video course slides handy—you’ll need it to access the files.
Chapter 1: Why Programmers Seem Unmanageable
- There are no tools for this chapter.
Chapter 2: Understanding Programmers
- Programmer Levels.xls (3 worksheets)
- Job Descriptions
- 🔒Frontend Programmers.doc
- 🔒Backend Programmers.doc
- 🔒Database Programmers.doc
- 🔒Independent Contractor Agreement.doc
- 🔒Roles and Ranking System.xls
Chapter 3: Finding and Hiring Great Programmers
- 🔒Job Description for Principal Software Engineer.doc
- Resume-Reading Checklist.xls
- 🔒Candidate-Screening Spreadsheet.xls (2 worksheets)
- 🔒Interview Schedule.xls
- 🔒Interview Questions.doc
- 🔒Interview Summary.xls
- Reference Checklist.xls
- 🔒Hiring Checklist.xls
Chapter 4: Getting New Programmers Started Off Right
- 🔒Hiring Follow-up Checklist.xls
- 🔒Need to Meet Checklist.xls
- 🔒Sample Contacts Checklist.xls
- 🔒New Hire’s First-Day Buddy Checklist.xls
- 🔒New Hire’s Career Mentor Checklist.xls
- First-Day Checklist.xls
- 🔒First-Day Agenda.xls
- 🔒Sample Welcome Message.doc
- 🔒Developer Skills Census and Inventory.xls (5 worksheets)
- 🔒Skill Sets and Capabilities Dashboard.xls
Chapter 5: Becoming an Effective Programming Manager: Managing Down
- Performance Management Tools
- Review Templates
- Self-Review Form.doc
- 🔒Programming Review Form.doc
- 🔒Nontechnical Review Form.doc
- 🔒Performance Review Summary.xls
- 🔒Performance Review Matrix Spreadsheet.xls
- Quarterly Objectives Workbook.xls
- 🔒Termination and Exit Checklist.xls
- Review Templates
- Managing Tools
- 🔒Sample Status Report.doc
- 🔒Training Log.xls (2 worksheets)
Chapter 6: Becoming an Effective Programming Manager: Managing Up, Out, and Yourself
- 🔒E-mail Etiquette.doc
- 🔒Meeting Planning.xls
Chapter 7: Motivating Programmers
- There are no tools for this chapter.
Chapter 8: Establishing a Successful Programming Culture
Chapter 9: Managing Successful Software Delivery
- Developing and Delivering Software Checklist.xls
- Basic Document Templates
- 🔒Requirements Definition.doc
- 🔒Functional Design.doc
- 🔒Technical Design.doc
- 🔒Test-Build Plan.doc
- 🔒Guide to Defining Done.ppt
- 🔒Project Workbook.xls (16 worksheets)
- Meeting Templates
- 🔒Check-in Meeting.xls
- 🔒Code Review Meeting.xls (4 worksheets)
Chapter 10: If You Are Agile, What Do Managers Do?
- (This chapter was added in the Second Edition, published December 2019)
- How managing roles change with agile.pdf (worksheet)
- 🔒How managing roles change with agile (scored).pdf (scored worksheet)