Overview

“Watts Humphrey is best known for software engineering approaches that formalize and systematize software development. But I personally have found Watts to be most inspiring when he is discussing the interpersonal, human side of the software equation. The selections in this book emphasize Watts’s deep experience and deep insights into human dynamics and offer a valuable counterpoint to more programmatic writings for which he is better known.”Steve McConnellAuthor ofCode CompleteandSoftware Estimation “Watts Humphrey is doing for the software industry what W. Edwards Deming did with TQM for the automobile industry. For the software executive reading this book, it is my belief that Watts has developed a real weapon for beating your competition: a reliable, repeatable way to create software that has excellent qualityandreduces the time to deliver it to your customerandlowers the cost of the entire software life cycleandimproves employee morale. All at the same time! For the software engineer or developer reading this book, it is my belief that you are on your way to making your job more productive, satisfying, and fun.”Michael J. CullenVice President, Quality, Oracle Communications Global Business Unit “Software development is a daily collision between code, the most black-and-white of technologies, and organizations, the most idiosyncratic of human experiences. Here is the guidebook–the GPS–to success in navigating the fault line between science and art, between code and human experience. Sharing his knowledge with his characteristic style of analytics and anecdotes, Watts Humphrey imparts timeless wisdom on teams, teamwork, and creating complex software successfully and reliably.”Scott D. CookFounder & Chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit Inc. “Fledgling project managers often ask me if there isonebook they should read; it was often difficult for me to resist the temptation to recommend Machiavelli’sThe Prince. But now I have a better, and far more positive, recommendation: Watts Humphrey’sReflections on Management–a collection of management gems, organized into eight broad themes, that reflect his deep insights and leadership in the field.”Ed YourdonConsultant and Author “I’ve followed Watts Humphrey’s work for as long as I can remember. I recall, in my youth, thinking that he was asking too much. Now that I’m suddenly about his age, I realize how many things he has gotten right. This collection from his most important writings should bring these ideas to the attention of a new audience: I urge them to listen better than I did.”Ron Jeffrieswww.XProgramming.com “You will enjoy this collection for its down-to-earth, accessible prose, its pragmatism, its optimism and, above all, Watts’s demonstration that software quality improvement is vitally important and very achievable. Your software team can realize its full potential by applying Watts’s methods. Oursdid, and yours can, too.”Aidan WaineInformation Solutions General Manager, Microsoft Entertainment & Devices Division “Software development is a team sport. Watts understands this, and better yet, he knows how to express his understanding so that others can learn from his insight. A good coach knows how to make players and other coaches more successful. Watts is one of the software profession’s great coaches.”Walker RoyceVice President, Chief Software Economist, IBM “Watts Humphrey brings legendary experience and insight to developing great software. Whether you are in a startup or Fortune 500 company; are a developer, development manager, or CEO; use agile, lean, waterfall, or other methodology–if software and quality are important to you, you should read and pay attention to Watts’s reflections.”Bill IhrieSoftware Leader/Mentor/Entrepreneur; Former SVP & CTO, Intuit “The software engineering world owes a great debt to Watts Humphrey. His pioneering work in transforming software development practices from random and chaotic to disciplined and effective has saved billions of dollars that might otherwise have been wasted on failed projects. Bill Thomas has assembled kernels of writing by Watts drawn from his previous books and publications. The original books are all excellent, but this summation is valuable in its own right. It provides a very useful overview of Watts’s thinking and the practices he has developed.”Capers JonesChairman and Founder, Software Productivity Research “Watts Humphrey’s contributions to professional software project management are numerous and range from CMM to Personal Software Process (PSP) and Team Software Process (TSP) practices. This book summarizes all his experiences and represents a unique body of knowledge in the area of project management. It should be the premier choice of reference for all project managers.”Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter RombachExecutive Director, Fraunhofer IESE, Kaiserslautern, Germany “Watts Humphrey has been the intellectual leader and driving force behind the movement to apply process improvement to software for the last quarter century. He has a deep understanding of management based on years of personal experience, both as an executive and as an advisor to managers and executives of major corporations developing software systems. His keen insight, acquired from helping the international software community apply disciplined management processes, has been captured in his previous books and articles from which this work is derived. His advice is not limited to managers of software systems and certainly will be valuable to managers at all levels.”Larry E. Druffel, Ph.D.Director Emeritus and Visiting Scientist, Software Engineering Institute “Watts Humphrey shares his deep and personal understanding of what goes on in the hearts and minds of software professionals–from engineers to top managers. Watts translates this understanding into software development and management practices for producing the high-quality software products these professions innately want to produce, incorporating personal- and team-level growth, learning, and improvement. This book is certainly a collection of the best-of-the-best guidance Watts has imparted to the industry in this regard. This collection is sure to be a classic.”Laurie WilliamsAssociate Professor, North Carolina State University “Reflections on Managementis a prescription for leading people inlargescale knowledge work. The management themes of commitment, planning,measuring, learning, leading, and teamwork are skillfully echoed throughoutthe book as mutually reinforcing tiles in a mosaic serving to lock inthe vision from every dimension. The book manages to accomplish this ina succinct and easily readable format.”Don O’NeillFormer President 2005-2008, Center for National Software Studies “Watts Humphrey, who has written so much that has changed how software is managed and developed, has written another book. And once again he has written an easy-to-read, well-informed, and practical-to-use book that should help almost anyone who has worked on a software project. To say I highly recommend it is probably not saying enough. Buy it. Read it. Use it.”Ron RadicePrincipal Partner, Software Technology Transition “Watts Humphrey has made a major contribution to the understanding of software quality and how to control and improve it. Since software is the major player in contemporary computer systems, software engineers and managers will benefit significantly by following his guidelines. I particularly liked his advice that quality is a never-ending journey and his emphasis on continuous improvement of both product and process. This is important because software may last for decades. Organizations seldom discard software. They enhance and reuse it in perpetuity. Thus, software quality must be a lifecycle journey.”Norman SchneidewindProfessor Emeritus of Information Sciences, Naval Postgraduate School “Watts Humphrey’sReflections on Managementis a treasure trove of insights and...