idiots guide to project management

433 Pages·2009·9.78 MB·English

Project
Management
Second Edition
by Sunny and Kim Baker
A Pearson Education Company
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290
Copyright © 2000 by Sunny and Kim Baker
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Pearson Education, Inc.
International Standard Book Number: 0-02-863920-0
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: Available upon request.
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Contents at a Glance
Part 1: Project Management Power 1
1 Projects, Projects Everywhere 3
Identify the projects in your enterprise that need better
management.
2 The Processes That Work 13
Discover how the project management processes and the
project lifecycle come together for triumph.
3 The Rules of the Project Game 25
Understand what it takes to meet your project goals.
4 You? A Project Manager? 35
Learn what it takes to succeed as a project manager.
Part 2: The Project Initiation Processes 45
5 Identifying Stakeholders and Defining Their Roles 47
Identify the stakeholders and how you’ll work with them.
6 Selecting the Projects That Are Worth Doing 55
How to select and prioritize worthwhile projects for your
enterprise.
7 Scoping Out the Goals for a Project 63
Identify the results you want to achieve and reach consen-
sus to proceed with the project.
8 Understanding Risks and Constraints 77
Understand how to anticipate and manage the things that
can get in your way on a project.
Part 3: The Project Planning Processes 87
9 The Breakdown of Tasks: What Really Needs to Be Done? 89
Describe the actual chunks of work that make up your
project.
10 The Network Diagram: A Map for Your Project 103
Develop a map of tasks for getting successfully from the
beginning to end of your project.
11 Getting What You Need: Supplies, Equipment, and
Other Stuff 121
Get the best resources, materials, and supplies to complete
your project.
12 Building a Winning Implementation Team 129
Finding people with the right skills and experience to bring
your project in as planned.
13 Project Start to Finish—Establishing the Time to Get
Things Done 147
Turn time estimates into realistic start and finish dates.
14 The Steps to the Critical Path and a Balanced Schedule 165
Learn why you need to find the critical path and how it
affects your schedule.
15 Budgeting Options for Your Project 181
Getting all the money you need to get things done.
16 Putting It All Together: The Approved Plan 195
How to assemble a complete project plan and get it
approved.
Part 4: The Executing Processes 209
17 Getting Started on the Right Track 211
The first steps are often the most important ones in proj-
ect success.
18 Leadership and You: Taking the Bull by the Horns 221
Assume your leadership role as project manager and guide
the team in the right direction.
19 What an Organization! 231
Organize your project team for productivity and communi-
cation.
20 Operating Guidelines: Setting Up to Get Things Done 245
Master the processes and procedures necessary for project
success.
21 Making Your Communications Count 259
How to let people know what’s going on as the project pro-
gresses.
Part 5: The Controlling Processes 269
22 Monitoring and Control: Keeping on Top of Schedules
and Expenses 271
Techniques to stay on top of schedules, work, people, and
expenses.
23 Conflicts: Resolving and Benefiting from Them 285
Ways to keep things positive in spite of personal differ-
ences.
24 Changes, Changes, and More Changes 295
Balancing the project priorities to stay on track.
25 When Push Comes to Shove, You Can Always Negotiate 309
Turn project differences into consensus.
26 Common Project Problems: Get Them Before They
Get You 317
Solve the most predictable project problems before they
start.
Part 6: The Closing Processes 327
27 Will the Last One Out Please Turn Off the Lights … 329
Bring your project to a smooth conclusion.
28 The Final Evaluation: The Short and Long of It 339
Analyze and learn from your experience in the final proj-
ect report.
Part 7: The Organization and Tools to Make Project
Management Prosper 349
29 The Project-Enabled Organization 351
Focusing your business culture on project success.
30 Software for All Projects Great and Small 361
How to choose the best project management software for
any project or organization.
Appendices
A Glossary of Project Terms 377
B Resources for Project Managers 385
Index 389
Contents
Part 1: Project Management Power 1
1 Projects, Projects Everywhere 3
Why You Need a New Project-Oriented Outlook ................4
All Projects Are Work, but Not All Work Is a Project ..........5
Above and Beyond the Ordinary Work................................5
If It’s Not a Project, It’s Just Plain Work ..............................6
Project Success: A Balance Among Time, Resources,
Results, and Perceptions ....................................................7
It’s Not Magic........................................................................8
They’re Not Always Created Equal ......................................9
How Many Projects Are You Responsible For? ....................9
All Projects Great and Small ..............................................10
The Next Step ....................................................................12
2 The Processes That Work 13
Why Do You Need to Learn About Project
Management?....................................................................14
What Is Project Management All About? ..........................14
Putting You In Charge ........................................................14
Okay, but Does It Really Work? ..........................................15
Tools for Modern Times......................................................16
All Projects Mundane and Marvelous ................................16
Can Project Management Help You? ................................16
The Five Processes of Project Management........................17
Project Initiating Process......................................................17
Project Planning Process ......................................................18
Project Executing Process ....................................................19
Project Controlling Process ..................................................19
Project Closing Process ........................................................20
A Rose by Any Other Name................................................20
How the Project Processes Work Together Over Time ......21
The Lifecycle of a Project ....................................................21
Different Names, Same Idea ................................................22
Project Lifecycles Versus Product Lifecycles ......................22
Not Just the Same Old Routine ..........................................23
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management, Second Edition
3 The Rules of the Project Game 25
Universal Project Success Criteria ......................................25
Project Failure—The Reasons Are Simple ..........................26
12 Golden Rules of Project Management Success..............26
Rule 1: Thou Shalt Gain Consensus on Project Outcomes ....27
Rule 2: Thou Shalt Build the Best Team You Can ................28
Rule 3: Thou Shalt Develop a Comprehensive, Viable
Plan and Keep It Up-to-Date..............................................28
Rule 4: Thou Shalt Determine How Much Stuff You
Really Need to Get Things Done ........................................29
Rule 5: Thou Shalt Have a Realistic Schedule ......................29
Rule 6: Thou Won’t Try to Do More than Can Be Done ......30
Rule 7: Thou Will Remember that People Count ..................30
Rule 8: Thou Will Gain the Formal and Ongoing Support
of Management and Stakeholders ......................................31
Rule 9: Thou Must Be Willing to Change ............................31
Rule 10: Thou Must Keep Others Informed of What
You’re Up To ....................................................................32
Rule 11: Thou Must Be Willing to Try New Things..............32
Rule 12: Thou Must Become a Leader..................................32
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize ..............................................33
4 You? A Project Manager? 35
The Accidental Project Manager ........................................35
Dealing with Dual Responsibilities ....................................36
What Do You Need to Do? ................................................37
Learn to Plan and Act ........................................................37
You Must Be a Manager and a Leader..................................38
Focus on the Project’s End ..................................................38
The Leadership Roles of the Project Manager....................38
Interpersonal Roles ..............................................................39
Informational Roles ............................................................39
Decisional Roles ..................................................................40
The Other Business Management Roles................................40
The Seven Traits of Good Project Managers ......................40
Trait 1: Enthusiasm for the Project ......................................40
Trait 2: The Ability to Manage Change Effectively ..............41
Trait 3: A Tolerant Attitude Toward Ambiguity....................41
Trait 4: Team Building and Negotiating Skills......................42
Trait 5: A Customer-First Orientation ..................................42
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Contents
Trait 6: Adherence to the Priorities of Business ....................42
Trait 7: Knowledge of the Industry or Technology ................43
Be the Best Leader You Can Be ..........................................43
Part 2: The Project Initiation Processes 45
5 Identifying Stakeholders and Defining
Their Roles 47
Start by Identifying the Stakeholders ................................47
The Stakeholder Roles ........................................................48
The Customer ....................................................................48
The Project Sponsor ............................................................49
Functional Management......................................................50
The Review and Approval Team ..........................................50
The Core Project Implementation Team ..............................51
The Other Implementation Team Members—
Who Are They? ................................................................52
Working Together: The Magic Success Formula ................52
6 Selecting the Projects That Are Worth Doing 55
The First Step in Project Initiation: Deciding
What to Do ......................................................................56
Telling Good from Bad ......................................................56
Eight Steps to Determine the Most
Important Projects ..............................................................56
The Project Charter Gets Things Going ............................61
So, How Will It All Get Done? ..........................................62
7 Scoping Out the Goals for a Project 63
Why Bother with the Goals? I Know What
I Want to Do! ......................................................................64
Clear Project Goals Make Sense to Everyone ....................65
The Primary Goals of Every Project ..................................66
Six Criteria for Setting Great Goals ....................................66
Criterion 1: Goals Must Be Specific......................................67
Criterion 2: Goals Must Be Realistic ....................................67
Criterion 3: Goals Must Have a Time Component................68
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