Features and Benefits
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Fun, easy-to-read, and practical: the perfect tutorial and reference for every first-time project manager!
# Teaches crucial concepts and techniques new project managers can utilize with any project, in any environment, using any tool
# The closest thing to having one's own personal project management mentor and coach!
# Includes an all-new section on accelerating the learning curve: techniques, tools, scenarios, and hot topics for becoming an effective project manager even faster
Table of Contents
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Introduction
1
About This Book
1
Who Should Read This Book?
3
How This Book Is Organized
3
Conventions Used in This Book
4
PART I
PROJECT MANAGEMENT JUMPSTART
5
Chapter 1
Project Management Overview
7
What Is Project Management...Exactly?
8
What Is the Value of Project Management?
12
Why Are Projects Challenging?
13
Growing Demand for Effective Project Managers?
15
Trends in Project Management
16
Chapter 2
The Project Manager
21
One Title, Many Roles
22
Key Skills of Project Managers
23
Qualities of Successful Project Managers
25
15 Common Mistakes of Project Managers
27
Chapter 3
Essential Elements for Any Successful Project
29
What Exactly Is a "Successful" Project?
30
Learning from Troubled Projects
31
Learning from Successful Projects
34
Essential Project Manager Toolkit
36
PART II
PROJECT PLANNING
41
Chapter 4
Defining a Project
43
Setting the Stage for Success
44
How Does Defining a Project Relate to Project Planning?
44
Project Definition Document
45
Project Definition Checklist
49
Chapter 5
Planning a Project
55
Key Project Planning Principles
56
Important Questions Project Planning Should Answer
58
Building a Project Plan
59
Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components
66
Project Plan Checklist
69
Chapter 6
Developing the Work Breakdown Structure
71
What Is a WBS Exactly?
72
Why Is the WBS Important?
78
The Process of Building a WBS
79
Chapter 7
Estimating the Work
85
Next Step in the Schedule Development Process
86
Managing the Risk, Managing the Estimates
88
Reasons for Estimating Woes
88
Powerful Estimating Techniques and Methods
90
Best Practices
92
Chapter 8
Developing the Project Schedule
97
The Impact of the Project Schedule
98
The Goal of the Schedule Development Process
100
Key Inputs for Building a Schedule
101
Creating a Schedule
102
Chapter 9
Determining the Project Budget
113
The Impact of the Project Budget
114
Principles of an Effective Budget
115
Creating a Project Budget
116
Common Budget Challenges
120
PART III
PROJECT CONTROL
123
Chapter 10
Controlling a Project
125
What Is Project Control?
126
Management Fundamentals for Project Control
129
Powerful Techniques for Project Control
130
Performance Reporting
133
Variance Responses
135
Leveraging Earned Value Management Concepts
136
Common Project Control Challenges
139
Lessons from Project Recoveries
141
Chapter 11
Managing Project Changes
145
What Exactly Is a Project Change and What's the
Big Deal Anyway?
146
Fundamentals for Managing Project Change
149
What Causes Unplanned Scope Changes?
150
Essential Elements of a Project Change Control System
151
Powerful Techniques for Minimizing Project Changes
154
Common Project Change Control Challenges
156
Chapter 12
Managing Project Deliverables
159
"Managing Project Deliverables" Means What Exactly?
160
Why Do This? It's Too Much Work
161
Identify, Protect, and Track: The Principles of Managing
Work Products
162
Best Practices
163
Configuration Management Plan
167
Common Challenges and Pitfalls
169
Chapter 13
Managing Project Issues
171
The Goals, Objectives, and Principles of Project Issue Management
172
Key Features of Issue Management System
173
Options for Issue Log
175
Best Practices
176
Some Special Situations
178
Chapter 14
Managing Project Risks
181
Key Risk Management Principles
182
The Essential Process for Managing Project Risks
183
The Common Sources of Project Risk
187
Typical Problems
190
Powerful Risk Control Strategies
192
Are You Sure It's a Risk?
193
Chapter 15
Managing Project Quality
197
What Is "Project Quality"?
198
Unique Aspects of Managing Project Quality
199
Principles of Managing Project Quality
199
Powerful Tools and Techniques for Project Quality
201
Powerful Quality Strategies
203
Typical Quality-Related Challenges
205
PART IV
PROJECT EXECUTION
209
Chapter 16
Leading a Project
211
More Than Managing
212
Where Is Leadership Needed on a Project?
214
Twelve Keys to Better Project Leadership
215
Power of Servant Leadership Approach
218
Chapter 17
Managing Project Communications
223
What Are Project Communications?
224
The Importance of Project Communications
225
Why Communicating Can Be Tough
226
Seven Powerful Principles
227
Best Practices of Effective Project Communicators
230
Chapter 18
Managing Expectations
239
Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management
240
Critical Aspects of Expectations
240
Seven Master Principles of Expectation Management
245
Essential Elements of Managing Expectations
246
Chapter 19
Keys to Better Project Team Performance
255
High-Performing Teams
256
Ten Key Principles
256
Proven Techniques
259
Special Situations
263
Chapter 20
Managing Differences
267
Five Key Principles
268
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects
271
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects
273
Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects
274
Chapter 21
Managing Vendors
279
First, Let's Clarify a Few Terms
280
Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management
280
Twelve Tips for Buyers
283
Seven Tips for Sellers
285
Twelve Key Project Management Skills for Better
Vendor Management
286
Stuff You Need to Know About Contracts
286
Chapter 22
Ending a Project
293
Three Key Principles
294
Project End Checklist-13 Important Steps
294
Common Project Closing Challenges
296
Methods for Ending a Contract or a Project
297
PART V
ACCELERATING THE LEARNING CURVE...EVEN MORE
301
Chapter 23
Making Better Use of Microsoft Project
303
Understand This ...and It All Becomes Easier
304
Need-to-Know Features
306
New Project Best Practices
313
Keys to Making Resource Leveling Work
316
Powerful Reporting Secrets
318
More Insights to a Better Project Schedule
323
Chapter 24
When Reality Happens
327
What If I'm in a Project Management "Lite" Culture?
328
What If I Can't Develop a Detailed Schedule?
330
What If I Must Manage to a Hard Milestone Date?
331
What If I Have Difficult Resources?
333
What Can I Do About Turnover?
334
Tips for Managing a Selection Process
335
Tips for Managing a Testing Process
340
Chapter 25
Intriguing Project Management Concepts and Topics
345
Agile Approaches
346
Project Management Offices
348
Portfolio Project Management
351
Governance Processes
353
Critical Chain Project Management
353
Web-Based Project Management Software
356
Mind Mapping Tools
357
Value of Certifications
358
Project Management Training
359
Index
363
Preface
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Introduction
As organizations continue to move toward "project-based" management to get more done with fewer resources, and as the demand for effective project managers continues to grow, more and more individuals find themselves with the opportunity to manage projects for the first time.
In an ideal world, every new project manager candidate would complete certified project management training programs and serve as an apprentice before starting his or her first project manager opportunity, but...this is the real world. In many cases, a quicker, more accessible, and more economical alternative is needed to guide these candidates in managing projects successfully the first time.
The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management, Second Edition, is intended to provide this alternative with a helpful, fun, and informative style.
About This Book
Let's review the objectives and approach of this book.
Objectives
The objectives of this book include the following:
* To be an easy-to-use tutorial and reference resource for any person managing their first project(s).
* To teach the key concepts and fundamentals behind project management techniques. If these are understood, they can be applied effectively independent of toolset, environment, or industry.
* To reduce the "on-the-job" learning curve by sharing the traits of successful projects and "lessons learned" from less-than-successful projects.
* To balance the breadth of topics covered with adequate depth in specific areas to best prepare a new project manager.
* To review the skills and qualities of effective project managers.
* To emphasize the importance of project "leadership" versus just project "management."
Approach
Consistent with the Absolute Beginner's Guide series, this book uses a teaching style to review the essential techniques and skills needed to successfully manage a project. By teaching style, we intend the following:
* A mentoring, coaching style.
* A fun, easy-to-read, practical style.
* Assumes that the reader does not have previous hands-on experience with project management.
* Teaches the material as if an instructor were physically present.
* Task-oriented, logically ordered, self-contained lessons (chapters) that can be read and comprehended in a short period of time (15-30 minutes).
* Emphasis on understanding the principle behind the technique or practice.
* Teaches the material independent of specific tools and methodologies.
* Teaches the material with the assumption that the reader does not have access to organizational templates or methodologies.
* Provides a summary map of the main ideas covered at the end of each chapter. Research has shown that this type of "mind-map" approach can drive better memory recollection when compared to traditional linear summary approaches.
Out-of-Scope - The scope of this book is clearly outlined in the table of contents, but as we will cover later, it is always good to review what is out of scope to ensure understanding of the scope boundaries. Because the field of project management is extremely broad, and we needed to draw the line somewhere, this book focuses on the proper management of a single project. As a result, the following advanced project management subjects are not covered in this book:
* Program management
* Enterprise portfolio management
* Enterprise resource management
* Advanced project risk management topics
* Advanced project quality management topics
* Advanced project procurement management topics
Who Should Read This Book?
The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management, Second Edition, is recommended for any person who fits into one or more of the following categories:
* Individuals unsatisfied with other introductory project management books
* Individuals new to project management, such as
o Technologists
o Knowledge workers
o Students
o Functional managers
* Professionals taking a first project management assignment, such as
o Team leaders
o Project coordinators
o Project administrators
o Project support
o Functional managers
* Experienced project managers needing a refresher course
* Experienced project managers with limited formal project management education
How This Book Is Organized
This book has been divided into five parts:
* Part I, "Project Management Jumpstart," sets up the general framework for our project management discussion and accelerates your project management learning curve, including an insightful review of successful projects and project managers.
* Part II, "Project Planning," reviews the processes that establish the foundation for your project.
* Part III, "Project Control," reviews the processes that allow you to effectively monitor, track, correct, and protect your project's performance.
* Part IV, "Project Execution," reviews the key leadership and people-focused skills that you need to meet today's business demands.
* Part V, "Accelerating the Learning Curve...Even More," provides experienced insights and tips on making better use of MS Project, managing specific real-life project situations, and on many hot project management topics to further accelerate the knowledge base and skill level of the new project manager.
Conventions Used in This Book
* At the beginning of each chapter, you'll find a quick overview of the major topics that will be expounded upon as you read through the material that follows.
* The end of each chapter provides a list of key points along with a visual summary map.
* You will also find several special sidebars used throughout this book:
Note - These boxes highlight specific learning points or provide supporting information to the current topic.
Tip - These boxes highlight specific techniques or recommendations that could be helpful to most project managers.
Caution - These boxes highlight specific warnings that a project manager should be aware of.
© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
About the Authors
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Gregory M Horine (Indianapolis, IN) is a PMP/CCP-certified business technology and IT project management professional who has achieved nineteen years of successful results across multiple industries through the use of servant leadership principles. His primary areas of expertise and strength include project management and leadership; complex application development; enterprise solution development; business process analysis and improvement; data analysis and transformation; package implementation and integration; vendor and procurement management; regulatory and process compliance; and the effective use of project management tools. He is co-author of PMP Exam Cram 2.
