Quick update on PMFH2

I’m really excited to share that Project Management for Humans, Second Edition is officially fully edited and now out with technical reviewers.

It's an exciting milestone, but also slightly nerve-racking. But I'm almost done!

Once reviews are wrapped up and incorporated, the book is basically ready to go. After years of thinking about updates, rewriting chapters, reworking ideas, and figuring out how to evolve the book without losing what made people connect with it in the first place, it finally feels real.

One thing I’m especially excited to share is that Crystal Richards is writing the foreword for the book.

Crystal is a keynote speaker, trainer, and the author of PMP Exam Prep For Dummies, and she’s someone I’ve gotten to know over the years, initially through the Digital PM Summit. We’ve podcasted together, had countless conversations about project management, leadership, and the reality of the work, and while we come from very different PM worlds, we think about the work in remarkably similar ways.

She’s smart, thoughtful, practical, and deeply human-centered in her approach to project management, which makes her a perfect fit for this book. I’m honestly honored she said yes!

We’ve also re-engaged Deb Aoki, who illustrated the first edition, to update existing illustrations and create new ones for the second edition. I’m currently waiting on the first round of sketches, which is incredibly exciting.

Fun fact: during a recent Zoom call, Deb asked if we should update the cartoon version of me throughout the book since I’ve lost weight since the first edition. Not necessary! But there will be some really fun additions this time around, including a new appearance from my daughter Sylvie. Juliet made it into the first book, and over the years, that somehow became a little family milestone, so I’m excited that Sylvie gets her own Deb Aoki cartoon debut in this edition, too.

Launching the book

At this point, we’re getting very close to publishing. It sounds like we'll have a book in hand in Fall 2026, which means I’m starting to think more seriously about how I want to launch and share the book. I’ll probably start posting more behind-the-scenes content, previews, thoughts, and updates over on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and here on the blog as things move forward.

I’m also planning to launch another Project Management for Humans Book Club cohort this fall, where we’ll work through the book chapter by chapter with live discussions, workshops, and interactive conversations about how these ideas actually show up in the real world. After doing this a few times with groups and individuals, and updating the book, I'm excited to redesign each session. If that sounds interesting to you, feel free to reach out. I’ll share more details soon.

In the meantime, I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

If you read the first edition, what stuck with you?
What would you love to see expanded or updated?
What conversations around project management feel most important right now?
And honestly, if you have ideas for how I should engage people around the launch of the book, I’m all ears.

This book has always been shaped by conversations with other people doing the work. That’s still true now.

T L ; D R - Project Management for Humans, Second Edition is fully edited and out for technical review. Crystal Richards is writing the foreword, Deb Aoki is back with new illustrations, and we’re getting very close to launch.