Is reading too many management books too early for me?

Question

I do not yet have 3 years of experience in development, and I have been reading management books by people such as Michael Lopp, Joel Spolsky, the Art of Project Management, and Rapid Development by Steve McConnell and others.

I love to read these books since I feel I am in an organization where managers are as evil as depicted in some of these books. But, at the same time, I am moving away from the hardcore technical books I used to frequently read before!

Has anyone experienced this? Am I moving down the management path too early?

Answer 1

I don't think there's a certain time you're supposed to read management books. If you like management, you should read the books. All the time.

Answer 2

I would say Yes and No.

I would say that to really get the benifit of a book, you need to apply whats in it. If you're not in position to modify how you work based on these books, they wont be of much good. Some parts of them may apply to your PERSONAL management/organization skills, which can lead to better TEAM management skills later on.

When I was only one year into professional coding, I read the pragmatic programmer. I thought it was great. But then I read it again after 10 years and realized I missed half of what the book was trying to tell me when I first read it.

Answer 3

Why would it be too early? You can read whatever you like. Its how you apply that knowledge that counts, and if you take to heart some of the management styles, you can apply it in your everyday work ethic/process.

Answer 4

I didn't experience that at all but I think that if you're really interested in a topic you can get very good at it. Since you seem to be interested in software development management a log, why not go that path? Do whatever interests you most!

Not all managers are evil, are they *g*? If you think they're all evil, why not get the first one being not evil?

Answer 5

The thing is that you are already a manager...of yourself.

The problem that some managers run into is that they are woefully unprepared for a management role when they are thrust into it. If you have that as a goal, prepare for it now.

Also, if it interests you, read about it, you never know when a topic you are covering will be handy. Then again, I have ADD, so that's probably not a valid point.

Answer 6

It's never too early, however, it'll probably be a while before you are in a position to move up to a management position (although it varies, depending on your skills and job). Understanding how management things and being able to talk to them on their level only makes you a better software engineer.

Also, Steve McConnell's Rapid Development is required reading in a third-year undergraduate course at my university.

Answer 7

To me, there's no reason to think it's "too early".

• If you want to go into management, then I don't think it hurts to be reading these books now.
• If you just want to understand management - at least an idealized management - then reading these books should help with that. If, as you say, your management is bad, then these readings may help you to "manage up" (of course, you have to do this carefully, so that may lead to more reading! :).
• If you just enjoy reading them, then just enjoy! :)

To me, the biggest risk is that you could become (further) disenchanted with your workplace by reading some of the books which describe an idealized environment. E.g. if you read something like Peopleware, you may get disappointed in your current workplace. Just keep in mind that books like this describe an ideal, and IIRC even in Peopleware, the authors say that just implementing one of their ideas would be a big success and should lead to improvement. However, you can mentally guard against that ... and it sounds like you're already somewhat disenchanted anyway.

Answer 8

While it's never to early to start reading, I'm just not sure reading many management books is a good idea.

What I would recommend ... and having learned the hard way by reading way too many management books ... is that you are better off reading a couple of the classics or highly rated books on the topic of your choice. After you read them once, read them again, and then again.

As one author said ...

There is very much sound sense in the remark of a writer in the Quarterly Review many years back. "Give us the one dear book, cheaply picked from the stall by the price of the dinner, thumbed and dog-eared, cracked in the back and broken in the corner, noted on the fly-leaf and scrawled on the margin, sullied and scorched, torn and worn, smoothed in the pocket and grimed on the hearth, damped by the grass and dusted among the cinders, over which you have dreamed in the grove and dozed before the embers, but read again, again, and again, from cover to cover. It is by this one book, and its three or four single successors, that more real cultivation has been imparted than by all the myriads which bear down the mile-long, bulging, bending shelves of the Bodleian."

Just my opinion ... good luck!

Answer 9

Keep reading what you're interested in reading.

The books you're reading provide valuable insight for engineers as well as managers. A well-versed engineer knows more than just technical details - he knows how to manage projects and interact with decision makers.

Answer 10

It's hard to maintain a sense of joy moving from development to any management. As a result, many senior developers that were moved to management aren't very good managers.

In my opinion, it's either one or the other.

Be a manager and make more money, some people won't like you because of what you have to do. It's a hard job. But you primarily have to deal with people (manage them) and secondarily deal with the product. Yet, you get to make the decisions about the product.

Be a developer and solve code problems, which can be pretty fun. But you don't get to make the final decisions, and you get paid less. Also the managers won't ever know as much as you do about the product, because frankly, you made it.

You'll have to decide for yourself which is more fun.

Answer 11

Assuming: (1) You want to remain a developer for the next few years before the jump into management and (2) You are not becoming a business analyst or starting your own business within a few months- I think it is okay to read some management books now BUT to spend most of your time with technical books. Here are three reasons:

1. You are better suited enhancing your technical skills now and concentrate on manangement books when you are close to becoming a project lead (like in your 5th year). There is no point to loading your head with management skills no one will pay you to do. This is especially true if your bread-and-butter technical skills are not great.

2. By the time you go into management, the theories you learn MAY be obsolete and considered bad practice.

3. Technical skills can help you get into management by something related to but not exactly the Peter Principle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter%5FPrinciple). The more technical you are the more likely someone will give you a project lead which can lead into management. But knowing a lot about management but lacking technical skills at your current stage will harm you if my assumptions are true

Answer 12

It is too early. The best background for a technical manager is strong technical knowledge. Use this time to really hone your technical skills and become the best damn programmer that you can. In three or four more years, after you have greater breadth and depth of experience, make the switch.

You can't excel at both technical and management aspects at the same time.

Answer 13

Are you spending too much time in books that life is passing you by? That would be a concern from my view if you get too much into books and forget to enjoy life. Get out and have some fun, which for most is not reading a book I believe.

"David Logan on Tribal Leadership" has some interesting ideas around leadership that may be worth reviewing. Have you thought of your own managing style? What philosophical ideals you'd want to bring into a workplace?

"Sources of Insight" may have some interesting reading for you. Particularly the You 2.0 e-book and see where are you, where do you want to be, and start thinking of how to get there from where you are. If you have good skills, there may be recruiters that would like to talk to you that may place some managerial positions.

Answer 14

No knowledge is ever wasted.

I think if you're actually enjoying the books - go ahead and keep reading! I don't think any knowledge is useless, and the tips and tricks from the management books might come in handy in ways you aren't expecting. I read quite a few of these sorts of books myself, and often find myself using the concepts in my non-work life -- volunteer work, and hobbies. And trying out people skills in a low risk space is always a win.

Also - it can greatly depend on your company how ahead of the curve you are. Some companies may have low level management work or high-responsibility individual contributor work for someone with 3 years of experience.

My only caveats would be:

• Don't get too far from the technical too fast. As a manager (ie, someone who does not get time to do technical work every day), you can rely on your people for a lot of day to day technical stuff, but if you haven't had full lifecycle experience doing a variety of different engineering jobs, it will be hard to have real cred with your team.
• Don't believe everything the books tell you. Chances are, most books are right in most relevant cases, but there's always factors involved in the real world that the books don't account for. Consider book advice the same way you'd consider the advice of a fairly smart friend.
• Don't read too many management books back to back. The risk of scary management jargon sneaking into your regular vocabulary is very high. I'd suggest alternating management books with something (anything) else - fiction, sci fi, tech books, or some other topic. Just to keep the management stuff from eating your brain entirely.

Answer 15

I think, regardless of your current position or where you want to go in the future, reading books (on any topic, including management) can never be a bad thing! Also, you're probably interested in management for a reason. In the "worse case," you'll just learn something new. As long as you feel that you've got the time to spend on it and that you can use what you learn in one way or another, it's time well spent in my opinion! Just sort your shelf by interest and start at the top :)