A foundation you can build on
Understand how to define a project, estimate and plan the work, manage risks, and keep people informed. Practical guidance for building your skills and your confidence.
SECOND EDITION · JANUARY 2027
ProjectManagementfor Humans
Real strategies for real people in a changing world of work.
A practical guide to the foundations of project management, with people at the center.
Project Management for Humans grew out of my experience managing projects and building a community of people doing the same work. It gave us something to learn from, talk about, and put into practice together.
Now, the second edition builds on that foundation with new guidance on human-centered project management and navigating a changing world of work. Because knowing how to make a plan matters. Knowing how to help people deliver it matters, too.
Read Crystal Richards's foreword (free) ↗
WHY THIS BOOK, WHY NOW?The foundations still matter.
The foundations still matter.
The work keeps changing.
You still need to scope the work, build a realistic plan, communicate clearly, manage risks, and help a team get to the finish line. This book helps you develop those skills, whether project management is your job title or something that somehow became your responsibility.
But projects don’t happen in a vacuum. They happen between people, with competing priorities, different expectations, and the occasional “quick question” that changes everything.
The second edition brings those realities into sharper focus. Alongside the practical foundations, you’ll find new guidance on human-centered project management, AI, and adapting your approach as teams, tools, and expectations evolve.
The goal is to help you understand the work, support the people doing it, and make thoughtful decisions when the plan meets reality.
WHAT'S INSIDELearn the fundamentals.
Learn the fundamentals.
Make them work for your people.
Human-centered project management
Explore how trust, empathy, communication, and collaboration shape project outcomes. Learn to build an approach around the people involved and what they need to do good work.
Strategies for a changing workplace
Consider how AI, changing team structures, and evolving expectations affect the job, and where your judgment and relationships make the greatest difference.
Lessons from the messy middle
Real examples and perspectives that connect the ideas to everyday project challenges. Because projects rarely unfold as neatly as they do in a textbook.
ADVANCE PRAISEFor Project Management for Humans,
For Project Management for Humans,
Second Edition.
“What makes Project Management for Humans [Second Edition] so valuable is that Brett Harned treats project management as people work, not just process work.
“This edition keeps everything that made the original so valuable: practical guidance, generosity toward the messy reality of the work, and Brett’s calm voice offering help just when you need it.
“Brett's book reminds us that project management is really about people. Ten years from now, no one will remember your Jira tickets or Gantt charts, but they'll remember how you treated them.
Read more testimonials +
“Most PM books focus on frameworks and process. What sets this book apart is that Brett focuses on what determines whether a project succeeds: trust, empathy, and honest communication.”
“I have always argued that the heart of project management isn’t plans, processes or tools, it is about people. This book understands that and brings a refreshingly human, practical perspective to my profession.”
“For anyone working in the engine room of a business, this is a thoughtful, practical guide to doing the job well and bringing people with you.”
“Brett Harned is one of the great practitioners of our time, and we are fortunate beyond measure to have his latest work to lean on in our day-to-day PM journey.”
“We love these people, and Brett helps us understand why.”
LIVE ONLINE · WITH BRETT HARNED
Project Management
for HumansBook Club
Read it. Talk it through.
Build your own PM playbook.
February 2–April 6, 2027
10 weekly sessionsTuesdays, 12–1 p.m. ET15 people. That’s it.Learn directly with the author.
Register now $999 early bird through November 20 · $1,200 regular
Book sold separately.
LEARN WITH YOUR PEOPLEA book that brings
A book that brings
people together.
One of the best things to come out of Project Management for Humans has been the conversations.
Readers have brought their own experiences, questions, and challenges to the ideas in the book. Those conversations make the work feel a little less lonely and give all of us more ways to approach it.
The Book Club is a chance to keep that going.
Over 10 weeks, we’ll work through the second edition together, connect its ideas to your projects, and build your own Human-Centered PM Playbook. Expect honest discussion, shared experience, and time to figure out what you’ll actually use.
A FREE PREVIEW
Subscribe & read free ↗Meet the book through Crystal’s words.
Crystal Richards, PMP, wrote the foreword to the second edition. Read it free when you subscribe to my newsletter.
Yes, there’s an email involved. I make it worth your inbox space: practical ideas, honest stories, and the occasional strong opinion.
SECOND EDITIONBuild your skills.
Build your skills.
Find your people.
Manage better projects.
Whether you’re learning the foundations or bringing years of experience to the job, Project Management for Humans offers practical ways to strengthen how you plan, communicate, and work with others.