The One-Page Project Manager for IT Projects: Communicate and Manage Any Project With A Single Sheet of Paper

Chapter 1. How To Construct a One-Page Project Manager

In my first book, The One-Page Project Manager, I covered in detail the thinking behind this valuable tool for project managers and how to construct one. In this book, I will be discussing how to apply the One-Page Project Manager (OPPM) specifically to information technology (IT) projects.

I first want to cover, in an abbreviated form, how to construct an OPPM. If you have read my first book, this chapter, which is based on that book, will provide a useful review. If you have not read that book, this will give you the basics so you can start applying the tool in your everyday work life.

THE THINKING BEHIND THE ONE-PAGE PROJECT MANAGER

Imagine your boss asking you to quickly provide a report on your project—what aspects of the project are on, ahead, or behind schedule; who is responsible for each of the project's major tasks; how the project is performing in terms of the budget; how well the project is meeting its objectives; what major problems have cropped up; and generally how well the project is presently progressing, coupled with a forecast for the next three months.

Wow, you think, that's a major undertaking. It will take me and my team hours to collect and organize that much information and put it into a presentable form. This could hurt our performance because this is time away from directly working on the project. And then there's a good chance the boss won't even read all of it because things are always hectic and the ...