I’m Kayla, and I run messy, real projects. Product launches. A school play. A website rebuild that went live at 2 a.m. I’ve read a lot of books with coffee stains and sticky tabs. Some helped. Some just looked pretty on my desk. These are the ones that earned their keep.
For a quick-reference version of this roundup, I also posted it on PMO Network right here.
By the way, I like books that give clear steps, real stories, and stuff I can try the same day. Charts are nice. Checklists are better. And a joke or two doesn’t hurt.
1) Making Things Happen — Scott Berkun
This one feels like a calm coach in your ear. No fluff. Just how projects move, and how they break.
Explore the official page for “Making Things Happen” by Scott Berkun.
- Where it helped: I led a city festival website redo. I used his trick of keeping an “open issues” list on a big whiteboard. It squeaked every time I wrote on it, which people teased me about. But it worked. When someone said “We’ll handle it,” I’d ask, “Who? By when?” That simple push saved our schedule twice.
- What I loved: Clear stories, strong ideas on risk, and how to talk to people when stuff gets weird.
- What bugged me: No big set of templates. I made my own in Google Docs.
- Who should read: Leads who wrangle many teams, and anyone who hates buzzwords.
2) Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time — Jeff Sutherland
Yes, bold title. But the core habits? They helped my support team breathe. I first tasted this intense, iterative pace during a project management boot camp and the lessons carried straight into every sprint we run.
- Where it helped: Our bug queue was a swamp. We set two-week sprints, daily standups at 9:12 a.m. (odd times are funny and people show up), and a tidy board in Jira. After two sprints, our “oldest bug” age dropped from 63 days to 11. Folks smiled more. That part surprised me.
- What I loved: Short cycles, fast feedback, clear roles.
- What bugged me: Sprint pace can tire folks out. We added one “recovery day” each sprint for cleanup. Morale went up.
- Who should read: Tech teams, and non-tech teams that need to ship in chunks.
3) Project Management Absolute Beginner’s Guide — Greg Horine
This is your sturdy, no-drama manual. It’s not flashy. It’s useful.
- Where it helped: We moved offices across town. I made a list of tasks (a work breakdown), then a simple who-does-what chart. That chart caught a missed step: city permits for the elevator. We would’ve been stuck on the sidewalk without it.
- What I loved: Straight steps. Clear terms. Good for someone who’s new or rusty.
- What bugged me: Dry tone at times. I read it with a highlighter and coffee.
- Who should read: Anyone who wants basics that actually stick.
4) The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management — Eric Verzuh
Big book. Big checklists. It feels like a tool box, not a story.
- Where it helped: A health app launch with five vendors and one stubborn deadline. We built a one-page charter with goals, scope, and “what’s not in.” When a new feature tried to sneak in, I pointed to that page. We saved the date and our sanity.
- What I loved: Stakeholder maps, stage gates, and risk plans that don’t feel scary.
- What bugged me: It can feel heavy. I used only the parts I needed.
- Who should read: Leads with many moving parts and lots of sponsors.
5) Measure What Matters — John Doerr
This is the OKR book. Goals and key results. Sounds fancy. It’s not, if you keep it simple.
- Where it helped: Our nonprofit ran a spring fundraiser. We set one goal: “Raise $120k by May 30.” Key results were clear: pledge calls, site visits booked, and average gift size. We tracked it in a shared Google Sheet and a tiny dashboard in Notion. We hit $131k. I cried in my car, just a little.
- What I loved: Focus. Numbers. No guessing on progress.
- What bugged me: If you make too many goals, nothing moves. Keep three max per team.
- Who should read: Teams that need to pull the same way and show proof.
6) The Phoenix Project — Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
It’s a novel about work. I know. But I used it in real life.
- Where it helped: Our data team had constant fire drills. I set a Kanban board with “To Do, Doing, Done,” plus a “Blocked” lane. We cut work-in-progress to three per person. The noise dropped fast. People had time to think.
- What I loved: It shows why limits help. And why “urgent” can’t rule every day.
- What bugged me: Some folks don’t like story style. I gave them the summary notes.
- Who should read: IT, ops, and anyone stuck in chaos.
7) Getting Things Done — David Allen
This saved my brain, more than once.
- Where it helped: Friday afternoons, I do a weekly review. I sweep my notes, Slack DMs, and scribbles into a trusted list. Next actions only. Not “Plan event.” Instead, “Email venue about insurance form.” That tiny shift moved a school play from stuck to staged.
- What I loved: Clear mind, clear lists, fewer 3 a.m. “oh no” moments.
- What bugged me: It can get heavy. I keep it light with tags and two main lists.
- Who should read: Any PM who’s juggling ten balls and a cat.
8) Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager — Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, James Wood
This one is kind. It’s for people who lead without the title.
- Where it helped: A volunteer team for a school carnival. No one had time. I used their simple steps: define success, set roles, meet weekly for 20 minutes. We built a wall chart with names on sticky notes. The cotton candy machine showed up. That felt like magic.
- What I loved: Friendly tone. Action first. Great for peers and volunteers.
- What bugged me: Light on deep tools, but that’s the point.
- Who should read: New leads and “accidental PMs.”
Quick Picks by Situation
- New to PM? Start with Horine. Then try Verzuh’s checklists.
- Too many bugs and chaos? Read Sutherland and Phoenix.
- Need calm focus? Try GTD. Then add OKRs from Doerr.
- Leading without a title? Go with Kogon’s book. It lands well.
Small Extras That Helped Me
- Tools I pair with these books: Jira or Trello for boards, Asana for tasks, Notion for docs and light dashboards, Slack for quick updates, and plain Google Sheets for numbers.
- Meetings that work: 15-minute daily standups, weekly risk review (yes, even a quick one), and a short retro after big milestones. Add snacks. People talk more when there are snacks.
- One-page wonders: A simple charter and a RACI (who does what) save so many headaches. I keep both taped near my screen. If you’re more of a big-picture planner, my deep dive into project cycle management training shows how that framework slots neatly alongside these templates.
- When teams are remote and craving a bit of spontaneous social glue, I sometimes schedule a five-minute “random hello” break. Two teammates who rarely cross paths hop into a quick video chat just to talk about anything but the task list—like a digital hallway bump-in. To spark ideas, I’ve even pointed folks to Gay Chat Roulette, where the spin-the-wheel format demonstrates how inclusive, serendipitous conversations can energize people and remind them that a dash of fun (and LGBTQ+-friendly space) can break down silos fast. On one especially cheeky Friday retro, someone pointed out that even adult-industry platforms illustrate the power of reviews and shared vocab: check out Erotic Monkey Raleigh for a rated-R example of how a transparent board plus user comments drives faster decisions; you'll come away with fresh insight into why clear, crowd-sourced data matters—whatever product you’re shipping.
If I’m hunting for fresh templates or a sanity check, I jump into the discussions on PMO Network to see how other project leads tackle similar hurdles.
Final Take
These books didn’t fix my