book

Project Management For Dummies®

Name: Project Management For Dummies®
Author: Stanley E. Portny
ISBN: 9780470049235

by Stanley E. Portny

December 2006

Beginner

384 pages

8h 19m

English

Wiley

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Copyright
About the Author
Dedication
Author's Acknowledgments
Introduction
About This BookConventions Used in This BookWhat You're Not to ReadFoolish AssumptionsHow This Book Is OrganizedPart I: Understanding Expectations (The Who, What, and Why of Your Project)Part II: Determining When and How MuchPart III: Putting Your Team TogetherPart IV: Steering the Ship: Managing Your Project to SuccessPart V: Taking Your Project Management to the Next LevelPart VI: The Part of TensIcons Used in This BookWhere to Go from Here
I. Understanding Expectations (The Who, What, and Why of Your Project)
In this part . . .
1. Project Management: The Key to Achieving Results
What Exactly Is a Project?Defining Project ManagementKnowing the Project Manager's RoleLooking at the project manager's tasksStaving off potential excusesConsidering the Life and Times of Your ProjectThe conceive phase: In the beginning . . .The define phase: Establish the planThe start phase: Get ready, get setThe perform phase: Go!The close phase: Stop!Anticipating the Most Common MistakesDo I Have What It Takes to Be an Effective Project Manager?
2. Clarifying What You're Trying to Accomplish — and Why
Defining Your Project with a Statement of WorkLooking at the Big Picture: How Your Project Fits InFiguring out why you're doing this projectIdentifying the initiatorRecognizing other people who may benefit from your projectDistinguishing the project championConsidering people who'll implement the results of your projectDetermining your project drivers' real expectations and needsAssuring that your project addresses people's needsUncovering other activities that relate to your projectEmphasizing the importance of your project to the organizationBeing exhaustive in your search for informationDrawing the line: Where your project starts and stopsDesigning your approach to project workSpecifying your project's objectivesMaking your objectives clear and specificProbing for all types of objectivesAnticipating resistance to clearly defined objectivesMarking the BoundariesWorking within limitationsUnderstanding the types of limitationsLooking for project limitationsAddressing limitations in your planDealing with needsFacing the Unknowns When Planning
3. Knowing Your Project's Audience: Involving the Right People
Understanding Your Project's AudiencesDeveloping an Audience ListEnsuring your audience list is complete and up‐to‐dateMaking an audience list templateIdentifying the Drivers, Supporters, and Observers in Your AudienceDeciding when to involve themDriversSupportersObserversUsing different methods to keep them involvedGetting People with Sufficient Authority
4. Developing Your Game Plan: Getting from Here to There
Dividing and Conquering: Working on Your Project in Manageable ChunksThinking in detailThinking of hierarchyAsking three key questionsMaking assumptions to clarify planned workUsing action verbs at the lowest levels of detailUsing a Work Breakdown Structure for large and small projectsDealing with special situationsRepresenting a conditionally repeating activityHandling an activity with no obvious break pointsPlanning a long‐term projectCreating and Displaying Your Work Breakdown StructureConsidering different hierarchal schemes for classifying activitiesDeveloping your WBSTop‐down approachBrainstorming approachTaking different paths to the same endLabeling your WBS entriesDisplaying your WBS in different formatsThe organization‐chart formatThe indented‐outline formatThe bubble‐chart formatImproving the quality of your WBSUsing templatesDrawing upon previous experienceImproving your WBS templatesIdentifying Risks While Detailing Your ActivitiesGathering What You Need to Know about Your Activities

II. Determining When and How Much
In this part . . .
5. You Want This Project Done When?
Illustrating Your Work Plan with a Network DiagramDefining a network diagram's elementsEventActivitySpan timeDrawing your network diagramActivity‐in‐the‐box approachActivity‐on‐the‐arrow approachAnalyzing Your Network DiagramReading your network diagramInterpreting your network diagramThe forward pass — determining critical paths, noncritical paths, and earliest start and finish datesThe backward pass — determining slack times and earliest start and finish datesWorking with Your Project's Network DiagramDetermining precedenceUsing a network diagram to analyze a simple exampleDeveloping Your Project's ScheduleTaking the first stepsAvoiding the pitfall of backing in to your scheduleMeeting an established time constraintIllustrating ways to shorten a schedulePerforming activities at the same timeDevising an entirely new strategySubdividing activitiesEstimating Activity DurationDetermining the underlying factorsConsidering resource characteristicsFinding sources of supporting informationImproving activity span‐time estimatesDisplaying Your Project's Schedule
6. Establishing Whom You Need, How Much, and When
Determining People's Skills and KnowledgeWorking with a Skills RosterDepicting skill and knowledge levels in more detailCreating the Skills RosterReconciling ratings: When a person and her supervisor's views differEstimating Needed CommitmentUsing a Human Resources MatrixDescribing needed personnelEstimating required work effortFactoring in productivity, efficiency, and availabilityReflecting efficiency when you use historical dataFactoring efficiency into personal estimatesEnsuring You Can Meet Your Resource CommitmentsPlanning your initial allocationsResolving potential resource overloadsCoordinating assignments across multiple projects
7. Planning for Other Resources and Developing the Budget
Planning for Nonpersonnel ResourcesMaking Sense of the Dollar: Project Costs and BudgetsLooking at different types of project costsDeveloping your project budgetRefining your budget as you move through your projectEstimating project costs
8. Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty
Defining Risk and Risk ManagementFocusing on Risk Factors and RisksRecognizing risk factorsIdentifying risksAssessing Risks: The Likelihood and ConsequencesGauging the likelihood of a riskRelying on objective infoCounting on personal opinionsEstimating the extent of the consequencesManaging RiskChoosing the risks you want to manageDeveloping a risk‐management strategyCommunicating about risksPreparing a Risk‐Management Plan
III. Putting Your Team Together
In this part . . .
9. Aligning the Key Players for Your Project
Defining the Organizational EnvironmentMatrix structureAdvantages of a matrix structureDisadvantages of a matrix structureOther structuresCentralized structureAdvantages of the centralized structureDisadvantages of the centralized structureFunctional structureAdvantages of the functional structureDisadvantages of the functional structureRecognizing the Key Players in a Matrix EnvironmentProject managerProject team membersFunctional managersUpper managementWorking Successfully in a Matrix Environment
10. Defining Team Members' Roles and Responsibilities
Understanding the Key ConceptsDistinguishing authority, responsibility, and accountabilityComparing authority and responsibilityMaking Project Assignments: Everything You Need to Know (And More)Deciding what to delegateSupporting your delegations of authorityDelegating to achieve resultsSharing responsibilityHolding people accountable when they don't report to youIllustrating Relationships with a Linear Responsibility ChartReading an LRCDeveloping an LRCEnsuring your chart is accurateDealing with MicromanagementUnderstanding why a person micromanagesHelping a micromanager gain confidence in youWorking with a micromanager
11. Starting Your Team Off on the Right Foot
Finalizing Your Project's ParticipantsConfirming your team members' participationAssuring that others are on boardFilling in the blanksDeveloping Your TeamReviewing the approved project planDeveloping team and individual goalsDefining team member rolesDefining your team's operating processesSupporting the development of team member relationshipsHelping your team to become a smooth‐functioning unitLaying the Groundwork for Controlling Your ProjectSelecting and preparing your tracking systemsEstablishing schedules for reports and meetingsSetting your project's baselineAnnouncing Your ProjectLaying the Groundwork for Your Post‐Project Evaluation
IV. Steering the Ship: Managing Your Project to Success
In this part . . .
12. Tracking Progress and Maintaining Control
Controlling Your ProjectEstablishing Project Management Information SystemsIdentifying the three parts of a PMISMonitoring schedule performanceDefining the data to collectAnalyzing schedule performanceCollecting schedule performance dataImproving the accuracy of your schedule performance dataChoosing a vehicle to support your schedule tracking systemMonitoring work effortAnalyzing work effort expendedCollecting work effort dataImproving the accuracy of your work effort expenditure dataChoosing a vehicle to support your work effort tracking systemMonitoring expendituresAnalyzing expendituresCollecting expenditure data and improving its accuracyChoosing a vehicle to support your expenditure tracking systemPutting Your Control Process into ActionHeading off problems before they occurFormalizing your control processIdentifying possible causes of delays and variancesIdentifying possible corrective actionsGetting back on track: RebaseliningReacting Responsibly When Changes Are RequestedResponding to change requestsCreeping away from scope creep
13. Keeping Everyone Informed
Choosing the Appropriate MediumJust the facts: Written reportsMove it along: Meetings that workPlanning for a successful meetingConducting an efficient meetingFollowing up with the last detailsPreparing a Written Project‐Progress ReportMaking a list (of names), checking it twiceKnowing what's hot, what's not in your reportEarning a Pulitzer, or at least writing an interesting reportHolding Key Project MeetingsRegularly scheduled team meetingsAd hoc team meetingsUpper‐management progress reviews
14. Encouraging Peak Performance by Providing Effective Leadership
Practicing Management and LeadershipDeveloping Personal Power and InfluenceUnderstanding why people will do what you askEstablishing the bases of your powerCreating and Sustaining Team‐Member MotivationIncreasing commitment by clarifying your project's benefitsEncouraging persistence by demonstrating project feasibilityLetting people know how they're doingProviding rewards for work well done
15. Bringing Your Project to Closure
Staying the Course to CompletionPlan ahead for concluding your projectUpdate your plans as you prepare closure activitiesCharge up your team for the sprint to the finish lineHandling the Administrative IssuesProviding a Good Transition for Team MembersConducting a Post‐Project EvaluationPreparing for the meeting throughout the projectSetting the stage for the post‐project evaluation meetingConducting the post‐project evaluation meetingFollowing up on the post‐project evaluation
V. Taking Your Project Management to the Next Level
In this part . . .
16. Managing Multiple Projects
Defining a Multiple‐Project EnvironmentPlanning in a Multiple‐Project EnvironmentIdentifying project audiencesPreparing the Statement of WorkDeveloping the Work Breakdown StructureDifferentiating people's rolesIdentifying cross‐project dependenciesHeading off conflicting resource demandsAddressing risks in a multiple‐project environmentStarting a Project in a Multiple‐Project SettingFormalizing resource commitmentsCreating the project teamIntroducing the project to the organizationPerforming the Project(s) — Putting the Plan into ActionDetailing for successful daily activitiesReporting on progressManaging changesTaking Advantage of Special OpportunitiesPlanning for similar activitiesMaking use of economies of scale
17. Using Technology to Up Your Game
Using Computer Software EffectivelyLooking at your software optionsStand‐alone, specialty softwareIntegrated project‐management softwareSupporting your softwareIntroducing project‐management software into your operationsMaking Use of E‐MailThe pros and cons of e‐mailUsing e‐mail appropriatelyGetting the most out of your e‐mailUtilizing Communication Technology to Support Virtual Teams
18. Improving Individual and Organizational Skills and Practices
Continuing to Improve Your Skills and KnowledgeAttending the appropriate formal trainingProgram contentProgram presentation style and formatInstructor's credibilityInstructor's styleOrganizational credentialsWorking with a mentorObtaining a professional certificationBringing Improved Project Management Practices to the WorkplaceUsing your new skills and knowledgeSharing your new skills and knowledgeThrough your organization's intranetThrough informal meansThrough your organization's project management office
19. Monitoring Project Performance with Earned Value Management
Defining Earned Value Management (EVM)Understanding the EVM formulasLooking at a simple exampleDetermining the reasons for observed variancesApplying EVM to Your Project: The How‐ToCalculating Earned Value
VI. The Part of Tens
In this part . . .
20. Ten Questions to Help You Plan Your Project
What's the Purpose of Your Project?Whom Do You Need to Involve?What Results Will You Produce?What Constraints Must You Satisfy?What Assumptions Are You Making?What Work Must Be Done?When Does Each Activity Start and End?Who Will Perform the Project Work?What Other Resources Do You Need?What Can Go Wrong?
21. Ten Tips for Being a Better Project Manager
Be a “Why” PersonBe a “Can‐Do” PersonSay What You Mean; Mean What You SayView People as Allies, Not AdversariesRespect Other PeopleThink Big PictureThink DetailAssume CautiouslyAcknowledge Good PerformanceBe a Manager and a Leader
A. Glossary
B. Combining the Techniques into Smooth Flowing Processes
Preparing Your Project PlanControlling Your Project during Performance

Content preview from Project Management For Dummies®

Chapter 18. Improving Individual and Organizational Skills and Practices

In This Chapter
Keep a good thing going: Continuing to strengthen your abilities
Pass it on: Bringing improved practices to the workplace

Becoming an effective project manager is an ongoing process. The more you learn, the more you realize you need to learn. Fortunately, you have many tools to help you improve your project‐management skills.

This chapter discusses some of those means for honing skills and increasing knowledge. It also provides tips for bringing those improved project management practices to the workplace.

Continuing to Improve Your Skills and Knowledge

Whether you've been a project manager for six months or six years, you probably want to become better at your job. To continue developing your skills and knowledge, you have three main choices: attend formal training, work with a mentor, and obtain professional certification. This section looks more closely at these three options.

Attending the appropriate formal training

If you're serious about improving your skills and knowledge, formal training may be your first option, and it has many formats: face‐to‐face interaction with a presenter, interaction with a presenter via video teleconferencing or the Internet, prerecorded sessions by a presenter, and programmed self‐instruction.

You can get formal training through the following:

Individual programs: These programs typically run one to three days and address a particular set of project‐management topics. ...

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Project Management for Non-Project Managers

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