Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management

by Horine, Greg

• ISBN13: 9780789731975
• ISBN10: 0789731975
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-01
• Publisher: Que

Summary

One-stop guide to effectively managing and leading successful projects the first time.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(2)
Who Should Read This Book?	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	4	(1)
I Project Management Jumpstart	5	(32)
Project Management Overview	7	(12)
What Is Project Management...Exactly?	8	(4)
What Is the Value of Project Management?	12	(1)
Why Are Projects Challenging?	13	(2)
Growing Demand for Effective Project Managers?	15	(1)
Trends in Project Management	16	(3)
The Project Manager	19	(8)
One Title, Many Roles	20	(1)
Key Skills of Project Managers	21	(2)
Qualities of Successful Project Managers	23	(1)
15 Common Mistakes of Project Managers	24	(3)
Essential Elements for Any Successful Project	27	(10)
What Exactly Is a ``Successful'' Project?	28	(1)
Learning from Troubled Projects	29	(3)
Learning from Successful Projects	32	(1)
Essential Project Manager Toolkit	33	(4)
II Project Planning	37	(80)
Defining a Project	39	(10)
Setting the Stage for Success	40	(1)
How Does Defining a Project Relate to Project Planning?	40	(2)
Project Definition Document	42	(3)
Project Definition Checklist	45	(4)
Planning a Project	49	(16)
Key Project Planning Principles	50	(2)
Important Questions Project Planning Should Answer	52	(1)
Building a Project Plan	53	(7)
Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components	60	(2)
Project Plan Checklist	62	(3)
Developing the Work Breakdown Structure	65	(14)
What Is a WBS Exactly?	66	(6)
Why Is the WBS Important?	72	(1)
The Process of Building a WBS	73	(6)
Estimating the Work	79	(12)
Next Step in the Schedule Development Process	80	(2)
Managing the Risk, Managing the Estimates	82	(1)
Reasons for Estimating Woes	82	(2)
Powerful Estimating Techniques and Methods	84	(2)
Best Practices	86	(5)
Developing the Project Schedule	91	(16)
The Impact of the Project Schedule	92	(2)
The Goal of the Schedule Development Process	94	(1)
Key Inputs for Building a Schedule	95	(1)
Creating a Schedule	96	(11)
Determining the Project Budget	107	(10)
The Impact of the Project Budget	108	(1)
Principles of an Effective Budget	109	(1)
Creating a Project Budget	110	(4)
Common Budget Challenges	114	(3)
III Project Control	117	(82)
Controlling a Project	119	(18)
What Is Project Control?	120	(3)
Management Fundamentals for Project Control	123	(1)
Powerful Techniques for Project Control	124	(3)
Performance Reporting	127	(2)
Variance Responses	129	(1)
Leveraging Earned Value Management Concepts	130	(2)
Common Project Control Challenges	132	(2)
Lessons from Project Recoveries	134	(3)
Managing Project Changes	137	(14)
What Exactly Is a Project Change and What's the Big Deal Anyway?	138	(3)
Fundamentals for Managing Project Change	141	(1)
What Causes Unplanned Scope Changes?	142	(1)
Essential Elements of a Project Change Control System	143	(3)
Powerful Techniques for Minimizing Project Changes	146	(2)
Common Project Change Control Challenges	148	(3)
Managing Project Deliverables	151	(12)
``Managing Project Deliverables'' Means What Exactly?	152	(1)
Why Do This? It's Too Much Work	153	(1)
Identify, Protect, and Track: The Principles of Managing Work Products	154	(1)
Best Practices	155	(4)
Configuration Management Plan	159	(2)
Common Challenges and Pitfalls	161	(2)
Managing Project Issues	163	(10)
The Goals, Objectives, and Principles of Project Issue Management	164	(1)
Key Features of Issue Management System	165	(2)
Options for Issue Log	167	(1)
Best Practices	168	(2)
Some Special Situations	170	(3)
Managing Project Risks	173	(14)
Key Risk Management Principles	174	(1)
The Essential Process for Managing Project Risks	175	(3)
The Common Sources of Project Risk	178	(4)
Typical Problems	182	(1)
Powerful Risk Control Strategies	183	(1)
Are You Sure It's a Risk?	184	(3)
Managing Project Quality	187	(12)
What Is ``Project Quality''?	188	(1)
Unique Aspects of Managing Project Quality	189	(1)
Principles of Managing Project Quality	189	(2)
Powerful Tools and Techniques for Project Quality	191	(2)
Powerful Quality Strategies	193	(1)
Typical Quality-Related Challenges	194	(5)
IV Project Execution	199	(90)
Leading a Project	201	(12)
More Than Managing	202	(2)
Where Is Leadership Needed on a Project?	204	(2)
Twelve Keys to Better Project Leadership	206	(2)
Power of Servant Leadership Approach	208	(5)
Managing Project Communications	213	(14)
What Are Project Communications?	214	(1)
The Importance of Project Communications	215	(1)
Why Communicating Can Be Tough	216	(1)
Seven Powerful Principles	217	(2)
Best Practices of Effective Project Communicators	219	(8)
Managing Expectations	227	(16)
Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management	228	(1)
Critical Aspects of Expectations	228	(5)
Seven Master Principles of Expectation Management	233	(2)
Essential Elements of Managing Expectations	235	(8)
Keys to Better Project Team Performance	243	(12)
High-Performing Teams	244	(1)
Ten Key Principles	244	(3)
Proven Techniques	247	(3)
Special Situations	250	(5)
Managing Differences	255	(12)
Five Key Principles	256	(2)
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects	258	(3)
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects	261	(1)
Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects	262	(5)
Managing Vendors	267	(14)
First, Let's Clarify a Few Terms	268	(1)
Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management	268	(3)
Twelve Tips for Buyers	271	(2)
Seven Tips for Sellers	273	(1)
Twelve Key Project Management Skills for Better Vendor Management	274	(1)
Stuff You Need to Know About Contracts	275	(6)
Ending a Project	281	(8)
Three Key Principles	282	(1)
Project End Checklist---13 Important Steps	282	(2)
Common Project Closing Challenges	284	(1)
Methods for Ending a Contract or a Project	285	(4)
Index	289

Excerpts

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