Project management for beginners

Scott Berkun gives his 3 (ok 6) steps for getting started:

1. I’d recommend talking to your team, individually, about what things on the project are most frustrating or could be improved.
2. In each conversation ask for their advice on what you can do, and also what they are willing to do or try.
3. Based on your conversations, propose one simple change that has the best odds of both being accepted, and improving things. If the team has lots of conflicts, pick something very small. If there is too much dissension, pick something you can do with just one or two others.
4. Then make the change.
5. If things go poorly go back to #1.
6. If things go well, propose the next thing from #3.

But without talking to your team, and without establishing credibility and leadership, no book, degree, or IQ, will be of any use to you as a project manager. Start with your team first and earn their trust.