The Project Manager's Desk Reference, 3E

The world's best-known project management expert shows you how to get it done on time and under budget Most employees tasked with managing projects receive little or no project management training. The Project Manager's Desk Reference,Third Edition, closes this gap in employee education and gives them confidence and tools to keep any project on track, on budget, and on time.

James P. Lewis, the world’s best-known project managementexpert, has more than 25 years of project managementexperience and has trained more than 30,000 supervisorsand managers around the world.

Preface

xv

SECTION ONE INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

Overview of Project Management

3

(28)

The Need for Shared Understanding

3

(1)

The Authority for Project Management

4

(1)

Definition of a Project

5

(1)

Project Stakeholders

6

(2)

Definition of Project Management

8

(5)

Project Constraints

13

(6)

The Project Life-Cycle

19

(3)

The Project Management System

22

(9)

A Model for Managing Projects

31

(18)

Does One Size Fit All?

31

(4)

Overview of the Model

35

(14)

SECTION TWO PROJECT PLANNING

General Aspects of Project Planning

49

(10)

An Introduction to Project Planning

49

(3)

The Project Notebook

52

(7)

Planning: Developing the Project Mission, Vision, Goals, and Objectives

59

(20)

Deciding What Must Be Done: Defining Your Mission, Vision, Goals, and Objectives

59

(15)

A Point about Definitions

74

(1)

Establishing Priorities

75

(1)

The Priority Matrix

76

(3)

Planning Project Strategy

79

(14)

Planning Project Strategy and Strategic Planning

79

(6)

Conducting the Analyses

85

(4)

Formulating Project Strategy

89

(2)

Conducting a SWOT Analysis

91

(2)

Implementation Planning

93

(30)

Developing and Using the Work Breakdown Structure

94

(29)

SECTION THREE PROJECT SCHEDULING

Developing a Project Schedule

123

(10)

So How Is It Done?

126

(7)

Schedule Computations

133

(16)

An Example

133

(16)

Scheduling with Resource Constraints

149

(14)

The Assumption of Unlimited Resources

149

(14)

Scheduling with PERT

163

(12)

PERT Compared with CPM

163

(1)

Empirical Frequency Distributions

164

(2)

PERT System of Three Time Estimates

166

(1)

PERT Computations

167

(1)

Estimating Probability of Scheduled Completion

167

(4)

Using PERT

171

(4)

SECTION FOUR PROJECT CONTROL AND EVALUATION

Principles of Project Control and Evaluation

175

(28)

Control and Evaluation Principles

175

(1)

Project Reviews

175

(3)

Process Reviews

178

(4)

Project Evaluation

182

(14)

Characteristics of a Project-Control System

196

(7)

Project Control Using Earned-Value Analysis

203

(30)

Using Variance or Earned Value Analysis in Project Control

203

(7)

Variance Analysis Using Spending Curves

210

(3)

Examples of Progress Tracking Using Spending Curves

213

(11)

Refining the Analysis

224

(5)

The Need For All Three Measures

229

(4)

Progress Payments and Earned-Value Analysis

233

(46)

Some Background on Progress Payments

233

(2)

Just What Are Progress Payments?

235

(2)

Progress Payments and the Earned-Value (C/SCSC) Concept

237

(39)

In Summary

276

(3)

Project Change Control

279

(8)

The Need for Change Control

279

(2)

The Change Control Process

281

(6)

SECTION FIVE CAUSES OF PROJECT SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Defining Project Success and Failure

287

(16)

Other Perspectives

288

(3)

Deliverables, Results, and Expectations

291

(2)

Research Findings

293

(4)

Targets and Variation

297

(6)

Causes of Project Failure

303

(8)

The High Cost of Project Failure

303

(8)

Managing Project Risks

311

(22)

Threats versus Risks

314

(2)

Quantifying Risks and Threats

316

(4)

The Risk Probability Number

320

(2)

Developing Contingency Plans

322

(3)

Project Management Approach as a Function of Risk

325

(5)

Conclusion

330

(3)

SECTION SIX OTHER ISSUES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Sociotechnical Systems and Project Organization

333

(18)

Traditional Project Organization

333

(5)

Working Premises of this Chapter

338

(3)

Sociotechnical Systems Design of Project Organizations

341

(7)

A Final Caution

348

(3)

Profiling the World-Class Project Management Organization

351

(34)

Chapter Summary

351

(3)

What is a World-Class Project Management Organization?

354

(5)

A Taxonomy of Projects

359

(2)

A Classification of Project Managers

361

(2)

Job Functions and Tasks for Project Management

363

(5)

Competency Profile of the World-Class Project Manager

368

(7)

Skill Profile of the World-Class Project Manager

375

(10)

Improving Your Communication Skills

385

(16)

Self-Concept

386

(2)

Effective Listening

388

(2)

Speaking Clearly

390

(2)

Dealing with Anger

392

(1)

Self-Disclosure

393

(1)

Content and Relationship

394

(1)

Metacommunication

395

(1)

Punctuation of Communication

396

(2)

Conditions Required for Effective Communication

398

(1)

Sensory Preferences and Communications

398

(2)

The Importance of the Representational Systems

400

(1)

Managing Business-to-Business Marketing and Communication Projects Successfully

401

(24)

Introduction

401

(1)

The BASE-UP system

402

(1)

Step One: The Brief

403

(6)

Step Two: The Audit

409

(4)

Step Three: Strategy

413

(2)

Step Four: Execution

415

(4)

Step Five: Follow-Up

419

(6)

Project Management in a Creative Environment

425

(18)

Introduction

425

(1)

Working with Creative People

426

(5)

Managing Creative People

431

(5)

Managing Creative Projects

436

(5)

Conclusion

441

(2)

The Need for Systems Thinking in Project Management

443

(14)

Linear versus Systems Thinking

443

(3)

The Language of Managing

446

(3)

Control in Relationships

449

(4)

Conflict in Management

453

(3)

Thinking in Systems Terms

456

(1)

Understanding Systems Thinking

457

(14)

What Is a System?

458

(3)

Anticipation

461

(1)

Positive Feedback

462

(2)

Building Complex Systems

464

(7)

How to Apply Systems Thinking in Managing Projects

471

(10)

Fixes That Fail

471

(2)

Levels of Understanding

473

(2)

The Tragedy of the Commons

475

(2)

Limits to Growth

477

(1)

Shifting the Burden

478

(3)

Problem Solving in Projects

481

(6)

Fundamental Concepts of Problem Solving

481

(1)

Decisions versus Problems

482

(1)

Open- and Close-Ended Problems

483

(4)

Solving Close-Ended Problems

487

(10)

Using the Scientific Method to Define Problems

487

(3)

Solving Close-Ended Problems with Problem Analysis

490

(7)

Solving Open-Ended Problems

497

(14)

Problem Solving through Creative Analysis

497

(1)

Redefinitional Procedures

498

(1)

The Goal Orientation Technique

498

(1)

The Successive Abstractions Technique

499

(2)

Analogy and Metaphor Procedures

501

(1)

Wishful Thinking

501

(1)

Nonlogical Stimuli

502

(1)

Boundary Examination

502

(1)

Reversals

503

(8)

Managing Decision Making in Project Teams

511

(10)

The Dilemma---Individual or Team Decision?

511

(1)

The Nature of Decisions

511

(2)

Decision-Making Guidelines

513

(2)

The Effect of Time on Decision Approaches

515

(1)

What Is Consensus?

515

(3)

Avoiding False Consensus and Groupthink

518

(3)

Developing Project Managers

521

(14)

The Need for Development

521

(1)

Skills Needed by Project Managers

522

(1)

What Is Most Important?

522

(2)

Personal Characteristics of Project Managers

524

(3)

Noncredit Training in Project Management

527

(2)

Foreign Language Training

529

(1)

Putting It All To Work on the Job

530

(5)

SECTION SEVEN RESOURCES AND REFERENCES

Checklists for Managing Projects

535

(12)

Project Planning

535

(6)

Project Execution

541

(3)

Software Quality

544

(1)

Project Change Procedure

544

(1)

Software Installation and Conversion

545

(1)

Working Conditions

545

(2)

Resources for Project Managers

547

(6)

Glossary

553

(6)

References and Suggested Reading

559

(12)

Index

571

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The Project Manager's Desk Reference, 3E

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

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The Project Manager's Desk Reference, 3E

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

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