5 Essential Books That Will Help You In The Project Management Caree

When it comes to project management, learning and improving skills is crucial for success. While nothing beats knowledge you can gather from experience, it is also important to brush up on theory once in a while. Luckily, there is a lot of books regarding this theme you can benefit from. The key is selecting the right one. In the case of the project management, you have to find a reading which is up to date, reflects the latest standards and best practices, while presented in an interesting way.

The book that is relating to the whole PM process, focused on a single one, or something in between. A specific guideline that offers not only practical tools and tips but also has the potential to give the readers a fresh perspective and open new views on how to become more resourceful and creative.

Also, the author of the book should be as relevant to the industry as the content in it. The person who has “walk the walk” and has the ability to pass on its useful experiences and findings in an inspiring way.

In the sea of similar titles, it can be quite difficult to find project management books with real value.

The List of Essential Reads for Project Managers

Since we are aware of that fact, we decided to help you in your search and make a list of the best reads related to project management. It took a lot of internet research, visiting bookstores, reading reviews on various site and asking the other project managers for recommendations.

It took a lot of effort, but we can present to you a comprehensive list of the 5 essential books for project managers, each of them representing the different segments of the managing process.

The list looks like this:

1. Alpha Project Managers (Andy Crowe)

2. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team (Patrick Lencioni)

3. Risk Up Front: Managing Projects in a Complex World (Adam Josephs & Brad Rubenstein)

4. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Project Management Institute)

5. Getting Things Done (David Allen)

“Alpha Project Managers” by Andy Crowe

If you are bursting in ambition and desire to move up the corporate ladder, this is the reading with a lot of great insights.

Andy Crowe based its book on the survey of 860 project managers. Their answers helped him to break down all the key traits of best managers who always want to achieve more and the drive behind their ambition.

By comparing the features of the top project managers with their less successful colleagues, Crowe reveals what it takes to become the best in this industry.

However, the author's research doesn’t include only one side of the coin. To pinpoint the exact treats of the top performers, Crown also interviewed 4,398 clients, team members, and senior management. All of the survey participants worked with these project managers at some point.

The result is an objective reading with a comprehensive view of the project manager’s performance.

“The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni

The focus of Patrick Lencioni's compelling book is the mistakes that lead to team failure. Through an engaging story following the history of one Silicon Valley company, he manages to highlight five common areas where teams fail.

With great storytelling skills, Lencioni offers helpful insights for improving the productivity of the team. It is a quick read, but the one that can help you understand where the glitches in coworking usually occur. And the tips on how to correct them.

Each of the best leadership books on the market is pointing out that a smooth and functional team dynamic is crucial for any business. Especially in the project management area.

“Risk Up Front: Managing Projects in a Complex World” by Adam Josephs & Brad Rubenstein

This book is the result of a collaboration between a talented designer, Brad Rubenstein, and a sophisticated project manager, Adam Josephs.

Besides sharing their extensive experiences, authors offer something quite unique in this book - two different views on the processes taking place in this industry.

It contains plenty of very useful tips on how to deal with minor issues timely to prevent them from transforming into serious troubles. Hence, a real risk management guide.

Additionally, Rubenstein and Josephs point out another crucial thing for a successful project development process – the importance of proper team management. In their opinion, paying attention to the development team’s attitude to work and managing the personal tasks of each member are the critical points that determine the successful execution of any project.

“A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge” by the Project Management Institute

Better known as “PMBOK”, this reading is one of the most useful college student books for anyone studying for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam.

The leading industry standards setter, Project Management Institute (PMI) is behind this edition. As you can see, it is an academic book, and with over 600 pages it’s a quite dense one. However, it is completely worthy of your time since it represents the most comprehensive guide regarding this subject.

It is not just recommendable, but also essential reading for the ones preparing to take the PMP exam or improve their project management knowledge.

“Getting Things Done” by David Allen

Managing projects can be very stressful. Especially when there is some hold-up, close deadline or lack of organization. In his book, David Allen emphasizes the importance of getting the tasks out of your head and breaking them down into an organized system.

Trying to manage tasks in your head is what causes people to stress out. Thinking about them all the time will make you overwhelmed. When you’re under such pressure, there’s no room for creativity and making up with problem solutions.

Alan’s book presents practical guidance on how to prioritize and set up effective task lists. Implementation of his tips and structures might help you feel less stressed and much more organized.

Remember that nothing kills the creative process faster than stress. Unwinding and figuring out the ways to organize your daily tasks will give you a chance to take a break and let the fresh ideas to pop to your mind.

Summary

Any of these books offer insights into the very core of the project management industry. They might help you expand your horizons and take a different approach to problem-solving. Constantly improving your knowledge in the area that is changing fast is important and it is a necessary step towards the next level in your career.

Even if you think that you can’t learn anything new, it doesn’t hurt to take a glance at some of these titles. After all, they are written in an interesting and engaging way and represent the real experiences of the most renowned industry experts.

Kristina Vujadinović is a freelance SEO content writer with the flair for creating engaging and relevant online content on behalf of Nifty Project Management. As a published writer with years of experience, she believes that great writer has the power to make even uninspiring themes into an interesting read.