Project Management Absolute Beginner's Guide: (Absolute Beginner's Guide)

Succeed as a project manager, even if you’ve never run a project before! This book is the fastest way to master every project management task, from upfront budgeting and scheduling through execution, managing teams through closing projects, and learning from experience. Updated for the latest web-based project management tools and the newest version of PMP certification, this book will show you exactly how to get the job done, one incredibly clear and easy step at a time. Project management has never, ever been this simple!   Who knew how simple Project Management could be?   This is today’s best beginner’s guide to modern project management… simple, practical instructions for succeeding with every task you’ll need to perform! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn:   • Master the key skills and qualities every project manager needs • Lead projects, don’t just “manage” them • Avoid 15 most common mistakes new project managers make • Learn from troubled, successful, and “recovered” projects • Set the stage for success by effectively defining your project • Build a usable project plan and an accurate work breakdown structure (WBS) • Create budgets and schedules that help you manage risk • Use powerful control and reporting techniques, including earned value management • Smoothly manage project changes, issues, risks, deliverables, and quality • Manage project communications and stakeholder expectations • Organize and lead high-performance project teams • Manage cross-functional, cross-cultural, and virtual projects • Work successfully with vendors and Project Management Offices • Make the most of Microsoft Project and new web-based alternatives • Get started with agile and “critical chain” project management

Table of Contents:
Introduction......................................................................................................................1 About This Book......................................................................................................... 2 Who Should Read This Book?................................................................................... 4 How This Book Is Organized..................................................................................... 4 Conventions Used in This Book................................................................................ 5   I Project Management Jumpstart   1 Project Management Overview.............................................................................7 What Is Project Management…Exactly?.................................................................. 8     What Is a Project Exactly?.................................................................................... 8     Managing Projects..............................................................................................10     An Academic Look..............................................................................................10 What Is the Value of Project Management?..........................................................13 Why Are Projects Challenging?..............................................................................14 Growing Demand for Effective Project Managers ...............................................16 Trends in Project Management .............................................................................17 Additional Resources...............................................................................................18   2 The Project Manager..............................................................................................23 One Title, Many Roles.............................................................................................24 Key Skills of Project Managers................................................................................25 Qualities of Successful Project Managers..............................................................27 15 Common Mistakes of Project Managers..........................................................28   3 Essential Elements for Any Successful Project..................................................33 What Exactly Is a “Successful” Project?.................................................................34 Learning from Troubled Projects............................................................................35 Learning from Successful Projects..........................................................................38 Essential Project Manager Toolkit..........................................................................40   II Project Planning   4 Defining a Project...................................................................................................47 Setting the Stage for Success.................................................................................48 How Does Defining a Project Relate to Project Planning?..................................49 Project Definition Document...................................................................................50     Required Elements..............................................................................................50     Additional Elements to Consider......................................................................52 Project Definition Checklist.....................................................................................54     General.................................................................................................................54     Scope....................................................................................................................55     Stakeholders........................................................................................................55     Project Approach.................................................................................................56     Other.....................................................................................................................56     Acceptance..........................................................................................................56   5 Planning a Project...................................................................................................59 Key Project Planning Principles...............................................................................60 Important Questions Project Planning Should Answer........................................62 Building a Project Plan.............................................................................................64 Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components.........................................72 Project Plan Checklist...............................................................................................74   6 Developing the Work Breakdown Structure.....................................................77 What Exactly Is a WBS? ..........................................................................................78     Isn’t WBS Just Another Name for the Project Schedule? ..............................81     Key Differences Between the WBS and the Project Schedule.......................83     Different Types of Breakdown Structures.........................................................84 Why Is the WBS Important?....................................................................................84 The Process of Building a WBS...............................................................................86     Getting Started....................................................................................................86     Guidelines for Effective WBS.............................................................................86     Knowing When to Stop......................................................................................88   7 Estimating the Work..............................................................................................93 Next Step in the Schedule Development Process ..............................................94 Managing the Risk, Managing the Estimates .......................................................96 Reasons for Estimating Woes ................................................................................97 Powerful Estimating Techniques and Methods ...................................................99 Best Practices..........................................................................................................101   8 Developing the Project Schedule..................................................................... 105 The Impact of the Project Schedule ....................................................................106 The Goal of the Schedule Development Process...............................................109 Key Inputs for Building a Schedule .....................................................................110 Creating a Schedule...............................................................................................111     Determining Task Relationships (Sequencing the Work)..............................113     Building the Preliminary Schedule...................................................................115     Perform “Reality” Check...................................................................................116     Shorten the Schedule.......................................................................................117     Walk Through the Schedule.............................................................................118     Presenting the Schedule...................................................................................119   9 Determining the Project Budget...................................................................... 123 The Impact of the Project Budget .......................................................................124 Principles of an Effective Budget..........................................................................125 Creating a Project Budget.....................................................................................126     Sources of Project Costs .................................................................................126     Develop Initial Budget......................................................................................129     Finalize Budget..................................................................................................130 Common Budget Challenges................................................................................131   III Project Control   10 Controlling a Project........................................................................................... 135 What Is Project Control? .......................................................................................136     PDA: The Principles of Project Control ..........................................................137     Components of Project Control.......................................................................138 Management Fundamentals for Project Control................................................139 Powerful Techniques for Project Control.............................................................141 Performance Reporting..........................................................................................144 Variance Responses ..............................................................................................146 Leveraging Earned Value Management Concepts.............................................146 Common Project Control Challenges..................................................................150 Lessons from Project Recoveries..........................................................................151   11 Managing Project Changes................................................................................ 155 What Exactly Is a Project Change and What’s the Big Deal, Anyway?..............................................................................156     Project Change Types—More Than Scope....................................................157     Relation to Configuration Management and Organizational     Change Management.......................................................................................158 Fundamentals for Managing Project Change.....................................................159 What Causes Unplanned Scope Changes? ........................................................160 Essential Elements of a Project Change Control System...................................162     Principles............................................................................................................162     Guidelines..........................................................................................................163     Components......................................................................................................163 Powerful Techniques for Minimizing Project Changes.......................................165 Common Project Change Control Challenges....................................................166   12 Managing Project Deliverables......................................................................... 171 “Managing Project Deliverables” Means What Exactly? ..................................172 Why Do This? It’s Too Much Work.......................................................................173 Identify, Protect, and Track: The Principles of Managing Work Products.......174 Best Practices..........................................................................................................175 Configuration Management Plan..........................................................................180 Common Challenges and Pitfalls..........................................................................181   13 Managing Project Issues..................................................................................... 185 The Goals, Objectives, and Principles of Project Issue Management..............186 Key Features of Issue Management Systems......................................................187 Options for Issue Log.............................................................................................190 Best Practices..........................................................................................................191 Some Special Situations........................................................................................192   14 Managing Project Risks....................................................................................... 197 Key Risk Management Principles..........................................................................198 The Essential Process for Managing Project Risks..............................................199     Risk Response Options.....................................................................................201     Key Risk Management Tools............................................................................202 The Common Sources of Project Risk..................................................................203 Typical Problems....................................................................................................207 Powerful Risk Control Strategies...........................................................................209 Are You Sure It’s a Risk?........................................................................................210   15 Managing Project Quality.................................................................................. 213 What Is “Project Quality”?....................................................................................214 Unique Aspects of Managing Project Quality.....................................................215 Principles of Managing Project Quality................................................................215 Powerful Tools and Techniques for Project Quality...........................................217 Powerful Quality Strategies...................................................................................220 Typical Quality-Related Challenges.....................................................................221   IV Project Execution   16 Leading a Project................................................................................................. 225 More Than Managing............................................................................................226 Where Is Leadership Needed on a Project?.......................................................228 Twelve Keys to Better Project Leadership...........................................................230 Power of Servant Leadership Approach..............................................................233   17 Managing Project Communications.................................................................. 237 What Are Project Communications?....................................................................238 The Importance of Project Communications.......................................................239 Why Communicating Can Be Tough....................................................................240 Seven Powerful Principles......................................................................................242 Best Practices of Effective Project Communicators............................................244     General Communications Management.........................................................245     Communications Options.................................................................................246     Tips for Email (and Other Text-Only) Communications................................250     Status Reporting................................................................................................251     Meetings.............................................................................................................252     Interpersonal Skills............................................................................................253   18 Managing Expectations...................................................................................... 257 Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management..............................258 Critical Aspects of Expectations...........................................................................259     Balancing Reality and Perception....................................................................259     Not Just Scope Management..........................................................................260 Seven Master Principles of Expectation Management.......................................264 Essential Elements of Managing Expectations...................................................266     Project Planning and Control Elements—A Quick Review...........................266     Leveraging Kickoff Meetings...........................................................................268     Requirements Management—The Difference Maker....................................269   19 Keys to Better Project Team Performance..................................................... 277 High-Performing Teams.........................................................................................278 Ten Key Principles..................................................................................................279 Proven Techniques.................................................................................................282 Special Situations...................................................................................................285   20 Managing Differences......................................................................................... 291 Five Key Principles.................................................................................................292 Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects...............................295 Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects....................................298 Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects.................................................298   21 Managing Vendors............................................................................................... 305 First, Let’s Clarify a Few Terms.............................................................................306 Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management..................................................306 Twelve Tips for Buyers...........................................................................................309 Seven Tips for Sellers.............................................................................................311 Twelve Key Project Management Skills for Better Vendor Management........312 Stuff You Need to Know About Contracts..........................................................313     Conditions for a Legal Contract......................................................................313     Key Contract Elements.....................................................................................313     Primary Contract Types....................................................................................314     The Impact of Each Contract Type.................................................................315   22 Ending a Project................................................................................................... 319 Three Key Principles...............................................................................................320 Project End Checklist—13 Important Steps........................................................320 Common Project Closing Challenges..................................................................322 Methods for Ending a Contract or a Project.......................................................323     Terminating a Contract.....................................................................................324     Terminating a Project........................................................................................324   V Accelerating the Learning Curve…Even More   23 Making Better Use of Microsoft Project......................................................... 329 Understand This…and It All Becomes Easier......................................................330 Need-to-Know Features........................................................................................333 New Project Best Practices....................................................................................341 Keys to Making Resource Leveling Work............................................................345 Powerful Reporting Secrets...................................................................................347 More Insights to a Better Project Schedule.........................................................353 Project 2010—Get Fired Up!.................................................................................355   24 When Reality Happens........................................................................................ 361 What If I’m in a Project Management “Lite” Culture?.......................................362 What If I Can’t Develop a Detailed Schedule?...................................................364 What If I Must Manage to a Hard Milestone Date?...........................................365 What If I Have Difficult Resources?......................................................................368 What Can I Do About Turnover?..........................................................................369 Tips for Managing a Selection Process................................................................370 Tips for Managing a Testing Process...................................................................376   25 Intriguing Project Management Concepts and Topics................................. 383 Agile Approaches...................................................................................................384 Project Management Offices................................................................................386     Traits of Successful PMOs................................................................................388 Portfolio Project Management..............................................................................390 Governance Processes...........................................................................................391 Critical Chain Project Management......................................................................392 Web-Based Project Management and Collaboration Tools..............................395 Requirements Management Tools.......................................................................396 Mind Mapping Tools..............................................................................................398 Value of Certifications............................................................................................399 Project Management Training...............................................................................400

About the Author :
Gregory M. Horine is a certified (PMP, CCP) business technology and IT project management professional with more than 23 years of successful results across multiple industries using servant leadership principles. Primary areas of expertise and strength include the following:   • Project management and leadership • Complete project lifecycle experience • Regulatory and process compliance • Package implementation and integration • Quality and risk management • Enterprise solution development •Effective use of project management tools • Microsoft Project • Project and portfolio management tools • Complex application development • Data analysis and transformation • Business process analysis and improvement • Vendor and procurement management • Mind mapping tools   In addition, Mr. Horine holds a master’s degree in computer science from Ball State University and a bachelor’s degree in both marketing and computer science from Anderson College (Anderson, Indiana). Through his “servant leadership” approach, Mr. Horine has established a track record of empowering his teammates, improving project communications, overcoming technical and political obstacles, and successfully completing projects that meet the targeted objectives. Mr. Horine is grateful for the guidance and the opportunities that he has received from many mentors throughout his career. Their patience and influence has helped form a rewarding career marked by continuous learning and improvement. When not engaged in professional endeavors, Mr. Horine hones his project management skills at home with his lovely wife, Mayme, and his five incredible children: Michael, Victoria, Alex, Luke, and Elayna.