Books reviews, current events, and other musings

Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister's Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams is the classic book about managing software development. The central theme of the book is the importance of treating employees well and providing an environment in which they can be productive. Peopleware contains a great deal of reasonable and well-researched advice, which most companies continue to ignore.

The physical work environment is one important issue. DeMarco and Lister argue that developers need a quiet workplace in which they can concentrate: an office with a door instead of a cubicle. Then engineers are much more likely to get into the flow and be productive at their intellectual tasks. Giving each person sufficient physical space and reducing interruptions also have a significant impact.

Peopleware provides a lot of common-sense advice and observations. When people work overtime, they tend to become less productive and morale weakens. Imposing a strict methodology from above makes people less effective and motivated. A team that jells is dramatically more successful, and factors such as bureaucracy, physical separation, lower product quality, and phony deadlines prevent teams from jelling. Human capital is a company's greatest asset, making high turnover and layoffs very destructive.

Peopleware reinforces some of my prior impressions and makes some interesting suggestions. Its conclusions would apply to any information-focused workplace.