The Everything Project Management Book

by Mintzer, Rich

• ISBN13: 9781580625838
• ISBN10: 1580625835
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-02-01
• Publisher: Adams Media Corp

Summary

With over 4 million sold, our Everything "RM" books are just too good to pass up. Each book in the Everything "RM" series is packed with clear, concise information that is written in a fun, engaging style. The large trim-size, bright colors, and great price attract readers, and over 300 pages of unparalled content and two-color illustrations keep them reading!

Author Biography

Rich Mintzer is the author of The EverythingR Mutual Funds Book and The EverythingR Money Book, among others. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii
Introduction	ix
What Is Project Management?	1	(24)
So, You Have a Project	2	(1)
Where Do Projects Come From?	3	(1)
The Sponsor and the Stakeholders	4	(2)
Let's Talk Project Management	6	(5)
Is the Big Picture Big Enough?	11	(4)
Has It Ever Been Done?	15	(3)
So, It's Never Been Done	18	(2)
Have a Contingency Plan	20	(3)
Don't Just Wing It!	23	(2)
Setting the Wheels in Motion	25	(26)
Clear Vision	26	(1)
Is Everybody Happy?	26	(1)
Old Ways Versus New Ways	27	(1)
Competition	28	(1)
Are You Ready to Roll?	29	(1)
Rules of the Game	30	(1)
Do Your Homework	31	(3)
Your Attitude and People Skills	34	(2)
Decisions and Assumptions	36	(2)
Defining Specific Objectives	38	(1)
Defining Key Resources	39	(2)
The Sum of the Parts	41	(4)
Three Common Mistakes	45	(3)
Prioritize	48	(3)
Assembling the Best Project Team	51	(22)
Your Team's Core Members	52	(1)
Selecting Your Project Team	52	(2)
Assessing Skills	54	(2)
R-E-S-P-E-C-T	56	(2)
Where to Find Team Members	58	(2)
Getting It Down in Paper	60	(4)
But Will They Get Along?	64	(2)
Determining Availability	66	(1)
Ancillary Roles	67	(1)
Who Has the Authority?	68	(2)
Building Commitment	70	(1)
Finding the Right Mix	71	(2)
Effective Project Leadership	73	(12)
Team Huddle	74	(1)
What Kind of Leader Are You?	74	(2)
The Importance of Consistency	76	(1)
First-Rate Teams	77	(2)
Communication	79	(2)
Meetings	81	(3)
Can Everybody Hear Me?	84	(1)
The All-Important Budget	85	(14)
Ready, Set, Budget	86	(3)
Affecting the Bottom Line	89	(3)
Let the Budget Work for You	92	(2)
And the Project Goes On	94	(2)
A Juggling Act	96	(1)
Budget Busters	97	(2)
Creating the Schedule	99	(16)
In the Beginning	100	(1)
The Network Diagram	100	(6)
Verify Your Estimates	106	(1)
Absolute Completion Date	106	(2)
Cut Yourself Some Slack	108	(1)
Various Projects, Various Methods	108	(1)
The Famous Gantt Chart	109	(1)
Task Schedule or Matrix	110	(1)
Anticipating Pitfalls	111	(2)
And the Calendar Says	113	(2)
Monitoring Progress	115	(24)
Why Monitor?	116	(1)
How Often to Monitor	117	(4)
Performance Periods	121	(1)
Gathering Information	122	(1)
Monitoring at the Individual Level	123	(2)
Problems, Priorities, and Comments	125	(2)
Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back	127	(2)
Monitoring Expenditures	129	(3)
Project Evolution	132	(1)
Monitor Your Monitoring	133	(2)
Monitoring for the Sake of Others	135	(1)
Tools for Monitoring Your Project	136	(1)
Monitoring Intangibles	136	(3)
Software and Organizational Technologies	139	(18)
Using Software to Facilitate Your Project	140	(1)
Software Shopping	141	(3)
Popular Favorites	144	(1)
Various Software Products	145	(6)
High-End Users	151	(1)
Technology and Communications	151	(4)
Memos and Other Means of Communications	155	(2)
Risk Management	157	(26)
The Nature of Risk	158	(1)
Types of Project Risks	159	(1)
Assessing Risks	160	(1)
Dealing with Risks	161	(5)
Prioritizing Risks	166	(1)
Communicating Risks	167	(1)
Monitoring Every Step of the Way	168	(2)
Risk Hunting	170	(3)
Worth Your While	173	(2)
Risk Interactions and Magnification	175	(4)
Common Project Problems	179	(4)
Conflict Resolution and Handling Various Personalities	183	(22)
Cooperative Resolution	184	(1)
Identifying Key Characters	185	(1)
Assessing the Conflict Situation	186	(1)
Methods of Conflict Resolution	187	(6)
Taking the Initiative	193	(2)
Other Factors to Keep in Mind	195	(2)
Handling Various Personalities	197	(1)
Other Characters	198	(3)
The Art of Negotiating	201	(4)
Motivational Skills	205	(14)
What Motivates Us?	206	(1)
Motivational Theories	206	(3)
Lighting Their Fire	209	(3)
Motivational Seminars	212	(1)
It's the Little Things	213	(1)
Bridging the Gap	214	(1)
What Will It Take?	215	(1)
Keeping Yourself Motivated	216	(3)
Shifting Gears	219	(20)
Why Have a Contingency Plan?	220	(2)
Establishing a Contingency Plan	222	(2)
Whose Call Is It, Anyway?	224	(1)
Emergency Plans	225	(1)
The Ripple Effect	226	(3)
Plans Within the Plan	229	(1)
Contingency Planning List	230	(2)
Contingency Planning Matrix	232	(2)
Contingency Planning Outline	234	(1)
Backing Up Your Backup Plan	235	(1)
Monitoring Your Contingency Plan	236	(1)
Motivation, Round Two	237	(2)
Finishing the Project and Evaluating the Results	239	(23)
The End Is Near	240	(2)
Final Phase Responsibilities	242	(3)
Post-Project Evaluations	245	(8)
The Hand-Off	253	(2)
The Sign-Off	255	(1)
Disassembling the Team	256	(1)
Was It Good for You?	257	(4)
Down the Road	261	(1)
Appendix A Anatomy of a Project	262	(11)
Appendix B Resources and Guidelines for Successful Project Management	273	(4)
Appendix C Glossary	277	(2)
Index	279