How to Manage a Great Project On budget. On target. On time.

by Clayton, Mike

• ISBN13: 9780273786368
• ISBN10: 0273786369
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-02-07
• Publisher: FT Press

Summary

So, you’ve been asked to manage a project. Not sure where to start?

 

Start here.

 

This is your ultimate one-stop, easy-going and very friendly guide to delivering any project of any size.

 

Even if you’re a first time, never-done-it-before, newbie project manager, How to Manage a Great Project will get you from start to finish on budget, on target and on time.

 

In just eight simple steps, you’ll learn to:

• Get things started: understand the what, why, where and who of your project
• Plan for success: co-ordinate what needs doing and who needs to do it
• Make it happen: get everything done – in order and on time
• Keep on track: monitor your progress to stay in total control
• Wind things up: review, report and enjoy the well-earned results

  How to Manage a Great Project is your roadmap to project perfection – first time, every time.

 

Author Biography

After years in the management, Mike Clayton is now a successful coach, trainer, speaker and author. He has been a Senior Manager at international consulting firm, Deloitte, a freelance trainer and coach, a company director, a school governor at two schools and a charity trustee.  He is now in demand as a public speaker and is the author of nine books.

Table of Contents

About the author

Acknowledgements

How to manage a great project

 

How managing a great project works

Defining what we are talking about

The project manager

How projects work

A guide to How to Manage a Great Project

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 1  What do you want?

Essential practices of Step 1

Before you start: Step Zero

What do you want?

How do you want it?

How much of it do you want?

What does it need to look like?

Putting it all together

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 2  Does it stack up?

Essential practices of Step 2

Balancing pros and cons

Documenting the rationale

Evaluating the pros

Evaluating the cons

Weighing the balance

Making the decision

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 3  Who cares?

Essential practices of Step 3

People matter

Governance

Stakeholders

Plan your communication

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 4  How will you get what you want?

Essential practices of Step 4

The Book of the Plan

Determine key points along the way

Break down your work into chunks

Arrange the chunks into a sequence

Schedule the chunks of work

Identify what you need to do the job

Planning for quality

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 5  Who will help?

Essential practices of Step 5

Why you need help

Planning your support

Sourcing your support

Managing

Leading

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 6  What if it goes wrong?

Essential practices of Step 6

Things go wrong

Prevention is better than cure

What could go wrong?

How serious is it?

What could we do about it?

Let’s act!

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 7  How is it going?

Essential practices of Step 7

Sitting on a sofa

Monitoring

Controlling

Reporting

Controlling change

Leading the project

Delivering what you promised

Lessons from the real world

 

Step 8  How did it go?

Essential practices of Step 8

Handover

We can’t seem to finish

Learning lessons

Closing down

Saying thank you

Project closure memo

Lessons from the real world

 

Learn the lingo

 

Good fortune!

 

Glossary

Who else needs to manage a great project?

Mike can help your team to manage a great project

Also by Mike Clayton

Index