Project Management for Non-Project Managers

Great managers are experts at getting bottom-line results, but often do not understand their role in the success or failure of their organization’s projects. They balk at the arcane terminology and are unaware of how to use valuable project management techniques and tools—a knowledge gap that can be a serious career barrier! Functional managers with even basic project management (PM) knowledge are the best people for keeping projects business-focused. This new book demystifies the jargon and processes, encouraging managers to jump into the PM arena and arming them with strategies for increasing the business value created by their company’s projects. Readers will discover: • Advice for switching gears from passive bystander to active owner of projects • Insights into four critical PM skills, including business analysis techniques, work breakdown structures, program sequencing techniques, and risk management methods • Step-by-step guidelines, case studies, and illustrations for mastering these skills Project Management for Non-Project Managers provides easy-to-read, in-a-nutshell explanations of all the PM basics that managers need to achieve project success.

Table of Contents:
Contents Acknowledgments Introduction PART ONE: The Critical Role of the Functional Manager in Project Success Chapter 1 What the Functional Manager Should Know About the Project Organization Who Is the Functional Manager? The Challenge of Integrating the Project Team into the Organization The Functional Manager’s Role in Creating an Integrated Project Organization The Three Types of Organizational Structure The Functional Manager’s Impact on Project Success or Failure Chapter 2 The Importance of Project Planning Creating Foresight Why Do You Need a Plan? What Is a Good Plan? Basic Steps to Planning Projects Summary of Project Planning Project Plans and Vendors Project Planning Tools: What They Do and What They Don’t Do Challenges to Getting a Good Plan Multi-Project Systems Chapter 3 Understanding the Business Side of the Project The Connection Between Business Knowledge and Requirements Writing Good Requirements Scope Creep Stabilizing Requirements Through the Business Process Chapter 4 The Ideal Functional Manager in the Project Organization ``Get It’’ . . . or Risk Getting Moved Out PART TWO: Four Critical Project Management Skills for Functional Managers Chapter 5 The Project Management Mystique Unveiled A Shared Language Project Management Demystified Demystifying Methodologies Chapter 6 Articulating the Real Customer Need and Business Case for the Project Producing a Mission Statement That Conveys Urgency and Vision Creating a Meaningful Current and Future State Comparison Base Your Requirements on the Business Process Prepare a Realistic Business Cas Chapter 7 Staying Focused on Project Deliverables The Deliverable Structure: A Portrait of the Work Creating Deliverable Structures Case Study Chapter 8 Understanding Key Project Dependencies Telling Your Story of the Work Case Study Chapter 9 Being Proactive About Project Risk Basics of Risk Pushing the Risk Discussion Case Study Chapter 10 The Power of the Principles Index

About the Author :
JACK FERRARO, PMP, is president of MyProjectAdvisor(R), a company that provides project management consulting, coaching, and training. He has 22 years of experience working with project teams and managing complex projects.

Review :
..". this book is a must-read if you're in the process of becoming a new project owner." --GetApp ..".great resource for accidental project managers; this book talks about the critical project management skills even as it lists out step-by-step guidelines for project management process." --Nut Cache "Great title for every manager who is discouraged by the complex terminology and processes of the project management area. Jack Ferraro closes the gap between the two." --Time Camp "If you're not a formal project manager but are looking for a text that distills the most important management lessons from the practice, this is the book for you." --Capterra