Successful Project Management: The Top 260 Things that Every Great Project Manager Should Know and Practice Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a great book. I found its concise, easy-to-read format to be very effective. Moreover, I found the content to be very relevant in today's work environment.

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This book was written as a reference tool for project managers of all kinds. It seeks to provide guidance and inspiration to those interested in expanding upon their current skill set. The book was structured for projects lasting up to one year in duration, or 260 work days. As such, this book is intended to be read (and re-read) one page a day for each day of the project. The objective of this approach is a steady information flow of actionable concepts that can be implemented immediately by the project manager.

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Goal Directed Project Management: Effective Techniques and Strategies Review

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(More customer reviews)GDPM is the best tool for planning organisational change projects. It is not suitable for technical projects. GDPM is both a philosophy and a method and exactly that is what makes it so powerfull. Apart from adressing the five pitfalls in the beginning of the book it introduces layered planning. GDPM is about planning the WHAT and making people responsible (the WHO) for results before the project starts. After that the planning of the HOW is a cascade. In an organisational change project you can't plan activity 216 at the beginning of the project. You should only plan the activities of the first 3-5 milestones. GDPM forces you to organise your communication as well and makes sure you communicate (the 2way street) and not inform (the 1way street). The nice thing is that you need only two A4 forms to plan your project which makes it not only an effective method but also an efficient one.

Buy it, use it and get hooked to it.

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Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) is a unique methodology that has been developed and refined by the authors over a period of more than 20 years. In this time, organizations all over the world have adopted it as a standard approach. The central focus of GDPM is to develop understanding, commitment and involvement while managing successful and lasting change. The authors emphasize the need for a 'PSO' (People, System and Organization) perspective that goes beyond the technical aspects dealt with by most project management literature. Goal Directed Project Management gives detailed and practical guidance on how to plan, organize and control these PSO projects effectively, presenting methods and tools that will increase significantly the probability of project success. This fourth edition addresses the financial control of projects in a new chapter, presenting a pragmatic approach - based on GDPM methods - to this aspect of project management.

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Communications Skills for Project Managers Review

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(More customer reviews)If you work in a large, complex organization that routinely handles expensive interdepartmental projects, this book is for you. Michael Campbell presents the basics of communications theory with techniques that can improve the interplay among project team members and their stakeholders. Unfortunately, Campbell built the book around a long, detailed case study threaded through the narrative. The hypothetical tale is a noble attempt to personalize methodical project management guidance, but as readers follow the people and job titles in the account, it tends to bog down in jargon, predictability and plodding detail. Indeed, without the case study, the book would still be useful and far more concise. getAbstract recommends this text to serious students of project management's intricate details and to novice project managers, who will learn necessary strategic lessons about communicating during a complicated, ongoing project.

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According to the Project Management Institute, over 80 percent of a project manager's job is communication yet most project management books hardly discuss it. "Communications Skills for Project Managers" provides practical advice and strategies for ensuring success, even in the face of shifting organizational priorities, constantly evolving expectations, and leadership turnover. This important guidebook gives readers the practical strategies they need to keep everyone including themselves in the loop. Even a project that is brought in on time and on budget can be considered a failure if those outside a project team haven't been clearly communicated with throughout the project lifespan. This book provides readers with the skills they need for ensured project success, every time.

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Napoleon on Project Management: Timeless Lessons in Planning, Execution, and Leadership Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent insight and valuable lessons into project management with an inspirational tour of Napoleons life an achievements.I am a history buff and like war stories.This books was very interesting and explains the soft skills required for project management.

It lays out leadership qualities required for a project manager and ties them very well with Napoleon's achievements with great stories.Most important, book explains the mistake a project manager should avoid that led to debacle of Napoleon.

This books helps you to improve your soft skills of project management - leadership, communication...This book does not teach you the hard skills or formuals like schedule variance or Estimated time to completion.

I would recommend this for a Project Manager who needs to improve leadership capabilities and soft skills required for project management.

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What is it about Napoleon Bonaparte that has led recognized leaders such as General George S. Patton to study his principles-and countless books on management and leadership to quote his maxims?What lessons can today's project managers and leaders learn from Napoleon's successes and failures?Napoleon on Project Management explores the key principles behind Napoleon's successes, the triggers that led to his downfall, and the lessons to be learned from his ultimate demise-and applies these lessons to modern-day project management and leadership at all levels.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this book for a course I took on Project Management. It definitely covers all of the technical aspects of project management, although in a very dry and uninteresting manner.
There is no coverage for specifictypes of projects, only the principles of project management that covermost projects most of the time and the PMI says as much in the book.
Thebook also doesn't cover anything about handling difficult people ormanageing different personality types on a project, that's too much of asoft area for this book.
I would recomment this only as a text book for acourse on PM. In that roll, it fits very nicely and makes sure that nothinggets missed, while the teacher can fill in the softer material that isabsolutely necessary.
If you're looking for a book that will tell youinteresting anecdotes and statistics on projects done well versus thosedone poorly and general pertinent guidlines for people on asoftware/construction/human resources project, this isn't what you want.

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The Handbook of Project Management: A Practical Guide to Effective Policies and Procedures Review

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(More customer reviews)Regardless of your level of experience and knowledge you'll benefit from this book.At 256 pages this is a relatively short book that is unique in that it provides both techniques for successful project management and how to integrate them into governing policies and procedures.
In addition to a structured approach to project initiation, planning, control and shutdown, this book also provides an incredible array us useful checklists, tables and other project artifacts that can be used as guidelines for your own standardized project forms. While a previous reviewer understandably lamented that these should have also been provided in electronic format on a CD ROM or accompanying website, even in paper format these will give you practical models which can be easily replicated in any word processing program or HTML for sharing on a company intranet.
This book closely follows the UK project management standard called PRINCE2, but also aligns nicely with the US standard that is embodied in the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge.More importantly, the process flow and associated policy and procedure guidelines can be used independently of any project management standard, and if followed will assure a high project success rate.This is because the author focuses on key critical success factors, such as defined roles and responsibilities, breaking projects into stages, and good estimating and control techniques.I especially like the emphasis on project change management and the importance placed on properly shutting down a project, both of which are critical success factors in my opinion.

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The Handbook of Project Management is written specifically to help project managers improve their performance using tried and tested techniques. The package comprises a book plus free CD ROM containing a collection of tools, templates, and procedures which support the methodology used in the book. Written by an experiences practitioner, it will be particularly useful for those looking to develop project management skills, starting a new project, wishing to acquire new skills, or training others in project management skills. Packed with concepts, processes, tools, and presentation materials, this comprehensive handbook will assist anyone responsible for converting strategy into reality.

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Value-Driven Project Management (The IIL/Wiley Series in Project Management) Review

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(More customer reviews)Interesting Premise, that discredits the use of the triple constraint as thebasis for measuring project sucess. It uses the examples of notorious projects(Denver airport, Sydney Opera house) that we pilloried at the time and the PM fired. with the perception of them now. Although there is no doubt that the authors are on to something,I think however that there is a missing element here. The tendency is for pople to optimise locally - consequently having spent more time and money than expected on a project - we have to find values to justify it - The unanswered question would be, if we could go back to the pro ject inception and explain the "Values" that these projects are actually percieved to have today, would we commit to the expenditure?

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In the traditional view of project management, if a project manager completed a project and had adhered to the triple constraints of time, cost, and performance, the project was considered a success. Today, in the eyes of the customer and the parent or sponsoring company, if a completed project did not deliver its anticipated value, it would be seen as a failure.Today's changing economic climate, marked by an increasingly competitive global environment, is driving project managers to become more business oriented. Projects must now be viewed from a strategic perspective within the context of a business or enterprise that needs to provide value to both the customer and the organization itself. As a result, project managers are now required to possess the skills to complete a project within certain specifications, and also know how to create and deliver value.
Responding to the needs of today's project managers, Value-Driven Project Management begins by changing the paradigm of project management. Rather than judge the success of a project from the perspectives of time, budget, and quality, the authors demonstrate why success is only achieved when planned business values are met, including:

Internal value

Financial value

Future value

Customer-related value

The authors also offer best practices that allow you and your organization to create additional value in efficiency, customer satisfaction, and enhanced products and services. Finally, the book helps you incorporate value into clearly defined business objectives and "sell" the value-driven process to executives.
Throughout the book, helpful illustrations clarify complex concepts and processes.
Assigning valuable resources to projects that don't provide some tangible form of value to the organization and to the client is poor management and poor decision-making. On the other hand, selecting and implementing projects that will deliver value and an acceptable return on investment is effective management and decision-making, but is very challenging, especially when a project may not provide its target value for years to come. With Value-Driven Project Management in hand, you'll discover the tools you need to ensure that projects deliver true value upon their completion.

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eXtreme Project Management: Using Leadership, Principles, and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility Review

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(More customer reviews)What DeCarlo describes is not in any way an extreme project management approach but a common sense process of dealing with the insanity of the expectations for many contemporary projects. DeCarlo has great insight and sound advice on how people and processes must adapt to the business and technical requirements of modern projects.

Unfortunately, he overly chides and unceremoniously puts down the traditional "Newtonians" and their traditional planning and change aversion but somewhat begrudgingly recognizes their proper place in the long history and wide spectrum of projects, i.e., "you don't use eXtreme project management to shutdown a nuclear power plant for maintenance."

I think DeCarlo could have make his points without some of the denigrating remarks about traditional project management and managers, particularly, PMPs. He is certainly not unique with this tact among other non-traditional project management authors in the agile software development camp. Leading both traditional and extreme projects and even some which have both concurrent elements, I have found projects dictate their own approach as DeCarlo suggests in the final chapter.

His section on leadership and self-mastery is the keystone and guiding light of the book, a book which DeCarlo confesses is not about project management but about making a difference in an eXtreme world. This section alone is worth the price of the book. This book is really about leading people not managing projects.

One disappointment is DeCarlo's simplified two step prescription for the organizational transition from the traditional to the eXtreme process. He seems to abandon his own protocol on how to plan and execute the transition which should be the first eXtreme project to be undertaken. He seems to take the "Nike" approach to "just do it" by just adopting the Flexible Project Model and applying JIT project management to a few real projects. I have never worked in an organization, traditional or extreme, where it is this simple to implement fundamental changes without getting the buy-in that DeCarlo emphasizes throughout his book. Perhaps, in the next edition, DeCarlo will expand this section and give us some additional insights of how to make the organizational transition using the eXtreme project management approach.

Overall, DeCarlo has written a witty, insightful and common sense approach to eXtreme projects that just may work if you achieve self mastery, demonstrate courage and convince stakeholders to go along. It should be required reading for all students and practioneers of project management and others who are charged with constructively changing themselves and eventually the world.

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Today's new breed, eXtreme projects are different. They feature high speed, high change, high complexity, high risk, and high stress. While traditional projects follow the classic model of ready, aim, fire, eXtreme project managers succeed by shooting the gun and then redirecting the bullet while not loosing sight of their moving target.eXtreme Project Management provides a practical guide for leaders working under high risk and high pressure while producing the desired bottom-line results. Based on Doug DeCarlo's extensive experience in working with more than 250 project teams, his eXtreme project management model is built around an integrated set of principles, values, skills, tools, and practices proven to consistently work under conditions of rapid change and uncertainty.eXtreme project management is based on the premise that you don't manage the unknown the same way you manage the known. It's a people-centric approach to high performance that makes quality of life a fundamental part of the project venture.

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Five-phase Project Management: A Practical Planning And Implementation Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good entry level book for a class. Easy to read and has great graphics. Good starting point book for project management. Would like to see them update a little bit as it is 10 years old

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Starting and managing new projects in organizations requires creativity and teamwork. Project planning and implementation are often blocked by confusion and conflict over goals, methodologies, and communication bottlenecks. 5-Phase Project Management offers the best project management practices in a simple, easy-to-use format for all project managers. In this practical, step-by-step book, Joe Weiss and Bob Wysocki walk you through each phase of a complex project: definition, planning, implementation, management, and maintenance.

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Project Management: 24 Lessons to Help You Manage Any Project (Bgr24) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a down-to-earth, hands-on guide for new project managers as well as for those who are experienced, but still struggling with attaining successful implementaiton of projects in their organization.It provides a very "grounded" approach--the author's extensive "real life" experience was obvious.The book focuses largely on the technical aspects of projects, but also very nicely brings to light the key human elements (effective team leadership, stakeholder management and communication) that are critical for project success.I also liked how it mixed the strategic and tactical elements of project management into a kind of "best practices" guide to project managers.The layout and storyline are designed to be a quick, easy reference and a fun read.
From the perspective of both consulting and project management within my own firm, but also in my experience of working with clients who struggle with understanding and implementing successful projects, this is an excellent resource for them

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"Project Management" gives you proven guidance in both the science and art of becoming an effective project manager, from coordinating and documenting the work to leading people to developing (and trusting!) your own judgment. Filled with action steps, this practical guide helps you get comfortable with the tools of project planning as well as cultivate smooth working relationships with people inside and outside your organization in order to achieve your goals.You'll see how to: understand exactly what is required of you in your role; develop a logical plan of action; lead and motivate a team while actively managing your communication channels; make the best decisions for the project-and seek acceptable solutions rather than perfect ones; perform financial analyses and terminate unworthy projects in order to meet a bottom-line, long-term objective; and, manage all project stakeholders through consistent measuring against a pre-announced baseline for productivity. Effective project management isn't easy, but the payoff can be huge-both for you and for your organization. "Project Management" helps you develop the foundation you need to be successful in any project initiative.

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The Principles of Project Management (SitePoint: Project Management) Review

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(More customer reviews)disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book to review by the author, Meri Williams, who I met at SXSW 2006.

I really appreciated the checklists, examples, and warning notes; I've littered the book with post-it notes reminding me of things to do, or try, or at least ask questions about. For those managing actual teams, the advice on work styles and issue tracking seems quite useful.

I will quibble with the stand-up meeting suggestion, though. Stand-up meetings are harder than they sound, and require the same kind of focused facilitation as any other meeting.

One minor annoyance: at least two or three of the project phases are described as "most important" in the opening paragraphs of the related chapters. The writing also has a feel to it which I assume is either British or South African -- there isn't anything incomprehensible, but it does give an American a bit of a pause in places.

The section in Closing on handling a "total disconnect" was brief but encouraging, and as someone who's experienced a few, gave me some thoughts about how to handle future situations. The appendices have plenty of useful resources, including recaps of some of the tools mentioned in the main text.

Overall, I think it's a great introductory text, particularly for people who are moving from doing to managing, or who are working on larger projects by themselves. The tone is friendly, professional, and constantly encouraging, making for a slim volume of helpfulness.

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Project Management is one of the most important, though least talked about aspects of Web Development. Meri Williams brings her work experience to the table and lays out clear steps that anyone can follow to get projects done right, and delivered on time. This book covers: Why Project Management is important The 6 fundamental truths of project management Getting started: Discovering, Initiating, Planning and Resourcing a project Getting the Job Done: Executing and controlling Keeping it Smooth: Communication, collaboration and managing change Follow through: Ongoing support and maintainence, measuring operational successResources: Review of various tools, recommended reading, professional resources for project management
Short, and to the point, this book aims to do to provide a solid foundation for anyone who finds themselves responsible for managing a team and executing projects.

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Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams Review

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(More customer reviews)Terry takes a novel look at project management and delivers a book that provides a comprehensive approach to applying the principles of project theory across many industries.The importance of addressing projects from a strategic perspective, something most organizations fail to consider, is clearly demonstrated. The author does an excellent job in detailing a proven approach to completing simple and complex projects, along with showing the importance of managing the strategic action cycle and people dynamics.The Logical Framework, Systems Thinking Theory, the Four Critical Questions, and the Cycle-Logical Approach are clearly described and laid out in a manner that executives, functional management, and project managers at all maturity levels can find immediately useful.Terry provides a very structured yet practical and flexible way to improve project portfolio management.If you follow the steps outlined in this text, your ability to align project activities with higher-level goals and objectives will increase substantially.A wealth of tips, tools, resources, and helpful case studies are given throughout the book.If you see the need for a more structured project management approach, one that will reflect the mission of your organization, department, or personal life, then this book needs to be one of your most often referenced resources.

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When Fortune Magazine estimated that 70% of all strategies fail, it also noted that most of these strategies were basically sound, but could not be executed. The central premise of Strategic Project Management Made Simple is that most projects and strategies never get off the ground because of adhoc, haphazard, and obsolete methods used to turn their ideas into coherent and actionable plans. Strategic Project Management Made Simple is the first book to couple a step-by-step process with an interactive thinking tool that takes a strategic approach to designing projects and action initiatives. Strategic Project Management Made Simple builds a solid platform upon four critical questions that are vital for teams to intelligently answer in order to create their own strong, strategic foundation. These questions are:

1. What are we trying to accomplish and why?

2. How will we measure success?

3. What other conditions must exist?

4. How do we get there?

This fresh approach begins with clearly understanding the what and why of a project - comprehending the bigger picture goals that are often given only lip service or cursory reviews. The second and third questions clarify success measures and identify the risky assumptions that can later cause pain if not spotted early. The how questions - what are the activities, budgets, and schedules - comes last in our four-question system. By contrast, most project approaches prematurely concentrate on the how without first adequately addressing the three other questions. These four questions guide readers into fleshing out a simple, yet sophisticated, mental workbench called "the Logical Framework" - a Systems Thinking paradigm that lays out one's own project strategy in an easily accessible, interactive 4x4 matrix. The inclusion of memorable features and concepts (four critical questions, LogFrame matrix, If-then thinking, and Implementation Equation) make this book unique.

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The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (Portable Mba Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've purchased a number of books on Project Management.They run the gamut from dry, cryptic self-congratulatory works of academic vanity to the disorganized and insultingly simplistic (including anything with the word"idiot's" in the title).
This is the first book I've read thatI would consider appropriate for both seasoned PM's and those new to thediscipline.
The format is great.For someone new to Project Managementit has a logical, step by step flow backed up with relevant visuals andgreat case studies.For the more seasoned PM it is a treasure trove ofproblem-solving techniques, examples and formulas.It's not a book you'llbe willing to loan to your friends (my copy looks to become one of the more"dog-eared" in my collection).
I run a small company but manyof my clients are quite large (the companies, not the... nevermind). Theconcepts in "The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management" areadaptable to any size business and any size project; the case studies rangefrom the development of the Boeing 767-400 to how Seattle's Safeco Fieldkeeps their grass green.If the rest of "The Fast Forward MBA"series are as strong and results-oriented as this book, I may end upgetting the collection.

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This is one of the bestselling books ever published on the topic of project management. Now in a revised new third edition, it presents you with a wealth of proven techniques for managing projects-from establishing project objectives to building schedules to projecting costs. It includes all the basics on defining, planning, and tracking a project, as well as building stronger project teams. This new edition includes new chapters on Agile Project Management, PMI exam prep, and more.

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