The rational project manager : a thinking team's guide to getting work done

225 Pages·2005·0.789 MB·English

by  Andrew Longman, James Mullins

The
Rational
Project
Manager
A THINKING TEAM’S GUIDE
TO GETTING WORK DONE
Andrew Longman
Jim Mullins
K -T , I .
EPNER REGOE NC
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Copyright © 2005 by Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Longman, Andrew, 1959–
The rational project manager : a thinking team’s guide to getting work
done / Andrew Longman, James Mullins.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-471-72146-8 (cloth)
1. Project management. I. Mullins, James, 1973– II. Title.
HD69.P75.L66 2005
658.4′04—dc22
2004027083
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Acknowledgments
Plain and simple, this book could not have been written without the
pioneering work of Jim Schlick. As Kepner-Tregoe’s head of Product
Development in the mid-1980s, Jim surveyed the project management
landscape and saw it littered with tools and methods: network dia-
grams, critical paths, Gantt charts, resource allocation, earned value
analysis. What was missing, Jim found, was a simple, systematic, ra-
tional approach to defining, planning, and implementing projects.
Jim researched the best project management tools, charted the
thinking processes behind successful projects, and assembled the re-
sults into a rational methodology. This process approach continues to
be a distinction and strength today, as Jim Schlick still consults for
Kepner-Tregoe as a partner and project management expert. He has
served as a mentor to the authors in their professional endeavors, and
his ideas form the core of the book.
The book also relied on sound editing, proofing, formatting, and
project management expertise from many others. Specific thanks go
out to Matt Holt of John Wiley, for embracing this book from the out-
set, Christabel Nazareth for her keen literary eye and objective cri-
tique, Dale Corey, who persevered through several drafts, and Judie
Morello and Irene Worek, who prepared the manuscript for consider-
ation. We would also like to acknowledge Ben Tregoe, who introduced
us to a conscious approach of clear thinking and effective action; Dan
Lochmann of DaimlerChrylser, formally of Kepner-Tregoe, who
helped to shape the method closer to what it is today; and the hun-
dreds of clients and learners who, while we were helping them, taught
us something about how project work really gets done.
v
vi Acknowledgments
And where would we be without our literary agent, friend, and
mentor? Peter Tobia of Market Access is the force behind the publi-
cation of The Rational Project Manager,and we thank him sincerely.
Andrew Longman would also like to thank: my parents, who
taught me at a young age the benefit of planning and organization dur-
ing our many family camping trips; my wife, Chrysanthe, herself a
mother and master project manager and source of support and inspi-
ration; and my brother Phillip, the author, for the role model and ad-
vice he provided.
Jim Mullins adds his thanks to Jen and Kira, for loving me despite
my demand for obsessive planning; my mom, who taught me the value
of extreme dedication through her work with special needs children;
and my brother and sister, Mike and Colleen, for always being there
for me, no matter what.
About the Authors
Andrew Longman is a partner in Kepner-Tregoe, Inc. He is also
director of marketing and product development, responsible for the
design, development, and delivery of Kepner-Tregoe’s service prod-
ucts as well as the worldwide promotion of the company’s brand and
consultants.
Mr. Longman helped design and implement eThink®, Kepner-
Tregoe’s critical-thinking support software, and its project manage-
ment software, Project Logic®. He has also been instrumental in the
design of a Web-based version of Kepner-Tregoe’s Problem Solving
and Decision Making®.
His clients include American Honda, DRS, Kimberly-Clark,
Lockheed-Martin, Daimler-Chrysler, Procter & Gamble, and TRW.
With a bachelor of science in psychology and philosophy from
Northern Michigan University, Mr. Longman is certified by the Proj-
ect Management Institute as a project management professional
(PMP).
Jim Mullinsis Kepner-Tregoe, Inc.’s worldwide product manager for
eThink®, a software system that supports the use of problem-solving
and decision-making skills to resolve project issues and capture
lessons learned.
Mr. Mullins consults with Pfizer, Masterfoods USA, GAF Corp.,
Interbake Foods, Brunswick Corporation, and many other clients in a
vii
viii About the Authors
variety of industries, analyzing and structuring clients’ performance
systems to improve project results, transferring critical-thinking
skills, and installing project management. His work with clients has
led to their solution of numerous high-priority issues, resulting in
savings of millions of dollars.
Holding a bachelor of arts degree from the College of the Holy
Cross, Mr. Mullins is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
Contents
1 The Missing Pieces of the Project
Management Puzzle 1
Project Management as the New Imperative 3
Project Management Unplugged 5
Project Management in Action 6
The Stuff of Projects 8
Today’s Projects: What Makes Them Different? 9
Today’s Game Is Speed 10
Disembodied Goals 11
The Ebb and Flow of Today’s Teams 12
The Competition for Resources 12
The Revolving Door 13
The Penchant for Complexity 13
Projects Aren’t Going Away 14
The Missing Pieces of the Project Management Puzzle 14
What’s Ahead 17
2 Project Definition 19
Why Are We Doing This Project? 22
State the Project 23
Develop Objectives 26
Develop the Work Breakdown Structure 33
Identify Resource Requirements 40
Additional Definition Topics 49
ix
x Contents
3 Project Planning 55
Assign Responsibility 58
Sequence Deliverables 64
Schedule Deliverables 72
Schedule Resources 76
Protect and Enhance the Plan 82
Enhance the Plan 89
Additional Planning Topics 90
Planning Summary 95
4 Project Implementation 97
Are You Ready to Do the Work? 99
Start to Implement 100
Monitor the Project 107
Modify the Project 115
Closeout and Evaluate 119
Additional Implementation Topic 123
Implementation Summary 127
5 Managing People in Projects 129
Influencing People 133
The Performance System 133
Involving People 149
Communicating with People 156
Meetings and Communication 164
Summary 171
6 Project Decision Making and Problem Solving 173
Situation Appraisal 176
Decision Analysis 181
Problem Analysis 190
Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Summary 195
Contents xi
7 Installing Project Management within
an Organization 197
Ensuring Systematic Use of Project Management 199
Installing Project Management 203
How Should You Install Project Management in
Your Organization? 211
A Final Word on Project Management 213
Index 215
The
Rational
Project
Manager