Putt's Law and the Successful Technocrat

"Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand." —Putt's Law Early Praise for Putt's Law and the Successful Technocrat: "This is management writing the way it ought to be. Think Dilbert, but with a very big brain. Read it and weep. Or laugh, depending on your current job situation." —Spectral Lines, IEEE Spectrum, April 2006 "It's a classic. It reads at first like humor, but one eventually realizes that it's all true. The first edition changed my life. I loaned my copy to a subordinate at IBM, and he didn't return it to me until he was my boss." —Dave Thompson, PhD, IBM Fellow (retired), Member National Academy of Engineering, and IEEE Fellow "Putt's humor ranges from sharp to whimsical and is always on target. Readers will be reminded of many personal experiences and of lessons in life they wish they had learned earlier in their careers." —Eric Herz, former IEEE executive director and general manager "Anyone who thinks 'engineering management' is an oxymoron needs to read this terrific book — then they will know." —Norman R. Augustine, author of Augustine's Laws and retired Chairman & CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation Putt's Law is as true today as it was when techno-everyman Archibald Putt first stated it. Now, in Putt's Law and the Successful Technocrat: How to Win in the Information Age, Putt is back with the unvarnished truth about success in the modern, technology-driven organization. As you learn the real rules of the technology world, you'll meet such characters as the successful technocrat, Dr. I. M. Sharp. You'll find out how he wrangles career victories from corporate failures, nearly bankrupting the firm with his projects while somehow emerging the hero. You'll also meet such unfortunates as Roger Proofsworthy, top-level perfectionist yet low in the hierarchy, and come to understand how he assiduously preserves his spot near the bottom of the totem pole. Whether you work in business, IT, or are a freelance technocrat, you'll want to study Putt's hard-won wisdom and laugh—all the way to the bank!

Preface Part One: Putt’s Primer Putt’s Law and Corollary 3 Two Laws of Crises 11 The Law of Failure and Putt’s Ploy 19 Three Laws of Innovation 25 Exuberance 33 Part Two: The Successful Technocrat Innovation 39 Success 45 A Lucky Engineer 49 Genesis of a Manager 53 Ph.D.-itis 55 Jargonese 59 Acknowledgments 63 Publish and Perish 67 Where the Money Is 71 Tools of the Trade 75 Thank You, Dr. Sharp 79 Part Three: Basic Putt Laws of Innovation Management 87 Four Laws of Advice 93 The Consultant’s Law 99 Five Laws of Decision Making 105 Laws of Communication 113 Laws of the Information Age 117 Information Technology Laws 121 Part Four: Advanced Topics Project Selection 131 Survival 135 Evaluating Ideas 139 Punishment and Reward 145 Can Putt’s Law Be Broken? 149 Putt’s Corollary to Murphy’s Law 153 Part Five: Putt’s Canon Putt’s Primer 159 Basic Putt 163 Advanced Topics 169