The Project Management Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-ups, and How to Cut Them off at the Pass Review

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(More customer reviews)The Project Manager Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass is an excellent read for both new and experienced project managers alike.Pacelli shares his experiences gained from a combined 20+ years at two premier, project-oriented organizations; Accenture and Microsoft.Although geared more toward technology-oriented projects, Pacelli provides examples outside of technology including his own prepared food service business and the lessons learned from these experiences can be applied to almost any type or size of project.

If you are about to initiate a project and are lucky enough to be the designated project lead or are just a team member the title alone entices you to find out what you can do to avoid the most common pitfalls. Alternatively, if you are currently knee-deep in a program curiosity begs you to check your own project for what Pacelli calls the "warning signs".He takes a potentially dry topic and makes it engaging and light to read.

New project managers will find the Advisor easy to navigate making it easy to refer to again and again.The "screw-ups" profiled loosely follow the chronology of a typical project life-cycle from not "addressing the right problem" through not "reporting project progress" to "tripping at the finish line". Each of the 18 chapters highlights a different screw-up and gives the reader ways to identify the traps, how to read the warning signs and what to do to turn it around.The key takeaways are conveniently summarized at the end of each chapter.This organization makes it a great airplane read which is where I initially read the book.

Most of the big failure traps are covered such as lack of sponsorship, scope creep, limited user involvement, project cost, poor communication and inadequate testing.Less attributed traps, but sometimes just as inevitable, are also covered including poor teaming, inadequate risk management, ineffective customer training and no contingency.Even the topic of "pulling the plug" on your project is addressed... one of hardest to actually execute.Many of these issues will be familiar to experienced project managers.But what's different about this guide from the generic, theoretical, "Project Management 101" handbooks is that Pacelli describes his real-world experiences of the subtle warning signs (or obvious ones as the in the case of the project sponsor that doesn't return phone calls) that are often overlooked when you are in the "heat of battle".He combines these warning signs with innovative, but practical, techniques for mitigating these issues.For example, to address the issue of "designing the wrong thing" he suggests clearly defining scope along multiple dimensions (functional, geographic and organizational) including defining exceptions to scope.

I was intrigued with the description of getting the right Sponsorship where Pacelli suggests continuously clarifying expectations, right-sizing your time with the project sponsor, and being explicit on what you need from the sponsor are all ways to help ensure your sponsor is engaged.It resonated as one of the toughest areas to address and Pacelli covers off on the topic with easy-to-follow, common sense approaches.Another chapter I found especially insightful was Screw-Up #10 "The project cost much more than expected" which doesn't focus on cost management techniques but probably more important techniques in managing through the problems including use of contingency fund, tradeoffs on remaining work and requesting additional funding.

Seasoned project managers will sympathize with Pacelli as he chronicles some of his own "failures" and war stories including poking fun at himself in the role of the "overzealous project manager".Pacelli carries the "have some fun" theme throughout the book especially in his chapter on "The team didn't gel" which includes the advice of playing the occasional practical joke and "Go out for a milkshake".

Sprinkled throughout the Advisor are also some sample deliverables that he has used and refined in his own experience running projects as consultant, project manager and business owner.Readers will find excellent updated versions of the standard "project progress report" and "communication plan" that have more relevance in today's corporate environment where competition is keen for management attention but yet so critical for success.

Although it's great flight-time reading, I found myself continually coming back to the Advisor reflecting on my own projects.At a minimum, this book is an excellent quick-reference prior to beginning a project as well as a periodic refresher during the project.However, many readers will find the Advisor a required checklist and invaluable practical, experienced-based resource to organize a project for success.

Pacelli also offers up additional resources and templates for project success that will be maintained on his website to supplement the book.Pacelli also gives an opportunity to share your own "screw-ups".I'm looking forward to this supplement to the Advisor.

So, before you start your project be sure to pick up a copy of The Project Manager Advisor: 18 Major Project Screw-ups and How to Cut Them Off at the Pass.You will certainly learn about what to avoid. And it's a fun read.

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Product Description:

This is your complete, hands-on guide to saving projects in trouble.


Drawing on 20 years of frontline project management experience, Lonnie Pacelli identifies the 18 most pervasive causes of project failure: their causes, early warning signs, and how to fix them before it's too late.


Here's just some of what you'll learn...

...how to focus on the right problem, find and keep the right sponsors, realistically determine scope, uncover hidden risks, write more effective project plans...
...involve the right people, get your whole team on the same page...
...deal with vendors who don't deliver... manage and minimize cost overruns...
...communicate more effectively...test right, train right...
...streamline that last, endless 10% and finish strong...
...and more...
...a whole lot more.

If you're a working project manager, consultant, or team leader, this book is your secret weapon. It's fast. Relevant. Practical. Easy to read. Easy to use. Above all: it works.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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