Whether you use budget, schedule, quality, or other criteria, the statistics by think tanks, institutes, associations, and other trade organizations all point to one inescapable conclusion: your project has a greater chance of getting into trouble than staying out of it.Based on the lessons learned by the author during a quarter of a century of lea

Managing Projects in the Real World provides clear and actionable advice to project managers for recognizing, anticipating, and overcoming challenges associated with the human component of leading others. The mechanics of project management are rational and straightforward to learn. The art of project management is irrational and complex to learn. Project managers need to develop a repertoire of soft skills that are typically hard for them, since they rose through the ranks to that position by virtue of superior reasoning skills. But if a project manager cannot adjudicate the clash of personalities, finesse the friction between assigned and preferred roles, steer clear of hidden hazards, and diplomatically resolve overlapping assertions of competing authority—that project manager is in a world of trouble. From the human perils of project management, nobody is better qualified to rescue beleaguered project managers than Melanie McBride—veteran PM and author of the Intel blog, The Accidental Profession. She sheds light on those dark, dusty places that fall between the cracks of theory and best practice out in the real world where irate colleagues, unrealistic product launch dates, and virtual meetings reign supreme and run amok. In this book you’ll find targeted discussions and specific techniques to empower you to meet the challenges that project managers face every day. The book is structured into project phases to help any project manager on any kind of project jump right to the tried and true solution for the challenge at hand.

“Whether you are managing your first project or your hundredth, you are likely to face new challenges. Project Pain Reliever offers guidance you'll cherish and want to keep close by.” —Kevin Murphy, Managing Partner, Conner Partners “This book is like a therapy session for project managers. I'm prescribing this to my team. No more guesswork for new PMs. Project Pain Reliever lays it all out, with a 360 degree view on all the possible scenarios a PM will face, and prescribes a strategy to deal with them. As a project manager, I'm often trying to help my team members understand why we cannot do certain things — like scope-creep. This book will serve as a great tool to educate and re-enforce!” —Laureen Heinz, PMP, CSM, Six Sigma Blackbelt, Managing Consultant, Practice Services, CA Technologies “This is a wonderful and thorough overview of a number of very common, yet complex, problems and solutions that project and functional managers of all levels can benefit from. The honest writing style and poignant anecdotes also make this an enjoyable read. I've added Project Pain Reliever to my team's professional reading list... it is equally applicable to everyone on my team — from the greenest summer intern to my most seasoned business leader.” —Aaron Hall, PMP, Vice President, Program Management and Product Development, K12 Inc. Much of the work performed in organizations around the world today is project oriented. Those responsible for leading the majority of these projects to successful results have varied educational backgrounds, knowledge, skill sets, and experiences gained over the course of their lives and careers that do not include the professional discipline known as project management. Most are managing projects as part of their role, not their profession. However, these accidental project managers frequently run into the same sort of issues and problems faced by those whose profession is project management, but they lack the education or training to properly address them. As a result, more projects run by accidental project managers fail than succeed.This handbook was developed specifically for those accidental project managers and for the relatively new project managers within the profession. It is uniquely organized in a manner designed to help these project managers quickly find specific solutions to the problems they are desperate to fix right now! The text is divided into two broad categories: the Art of Project Management and the Science of Project Management. Each part is divided into chapters to narrow the user's search by type of issue that project managers encounter, such as Planning and Managing Risks. These are then further divided by specific problems labeled as sub-chapters, such as 'The company's project management process doesn't work for me' and 'My project is too dependent on a few key people'. Project Pain Reliever: A Just-In-Time Handbook for Anyone Managing Projects is essentially a plug-and-play answer to the accidental project manager's problems, and a valuable desk reference for all project managers. Key Features: Presents insights and specific guidance from more than 30 leading project management experts that were sourced from around the world for their specialized knowledge and experience Provides quick references to problems often encountered by anyone managing projects and specific solutions to these problems using language that is easy to understand and techniques that can be applied immediately Each of the 93 sub-chapters brings clarity to the perceived problem, describes warning signs, includes a sidebar example, explains what will happen if you do nothing, and outlines a best practice solution and specific steps for solving the problem WAV offers handy "What you have learned" summaries for addressing problems contained within the book, additional problems with solutions, and other useful resources — available from the Web Added Value Download Resource Center at www.jrosspub.com

No project management training? No problem! In today’s workplace, employees are routinely expected to coordinate and manage projects. Yet, chances are, you aren’t formally trained in managing projects—you’re an unofficial project manager. FranklinCovey experts Kory Kogon and Suzette Blakemore understand the importance of leadership in project completion and explain that people are crucial in the formula for success. This updated and revised edition of Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager offers practical, real-world insights for effective project management and guides you through the essentials of the value, people, and project management process: Scope Plan Engage Track and Adapt Close If you’re struggling to ensure multiple projects are finished with high value and on time, this book is for you. If you manage projects without the benefit of a team, this book is also for you. Change the way you think about project management—"project manager" may not be your official title, but with the right strategies, you can excel in this project economy.

The influences of modern technology and competitive environments have a direct impact on the outcomes of projects, irrespective of project type. This text is a response to the growing need for better management which many people find necessary when leading or working within teams or groups undertaking a project. Increasingly, people in a working environment are engaged in organised practices and utilising resources, facing the challenge of having to meet, or better, predetermined cost budgets and strict timetables. The fact that most work is organised into programs or singular projects means that people require increasing guidance in project management.

You’ve been given a project to run. You know you need to get it right, but you don’t know what you need to do and in what order to make sure it all runs smoothly and you come out of it looking great. You need Project Management Step by Step. Almost every manager and businessperson finds at some time they need to complete a task that has sufficient complexity and importance that an ad-hoc approach to getting it done is just not enough. Managers in this common situation need the structure and rigour of a project management approach, yet very few managers are formally trained in project management or have the inclination, time or finances to become trained. They need an approach they can feel confident is sufficiently robust to ensure their success, but also simple enough to be immediately applicable. Project Management Step by Step provides the solution to this problem; a practical and immediate way to become a competent project manager. The full text downloaded to your computer With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad and Android apps. Upon purchase, you'll gain instant access to this eBook. Time limit The eBooks products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your digital ebook products whilst you have your Bookshelf installed.

The seven essential tools for keeping projects on time and under budget You're executing risk management, leadership, and planning--all hallmarks of outstanding project management. And yet you're still having trouble keeping your projects on schedule. Creative Project Management adds two new elements to the mix: creativity and innovation. Internationally renowned project management consultants Michael Dobson and Ted Leemann combine traditional project management skills, such as risk evaluation, decision-making, and human dynamics, with outside-the-box thinking and business creativity. They provide seven new tools and approaches you can apply to any project. The methods discussed inside Creative Project Management show you how to: Realistically imagine the outcome of your decisions Work with--and around--the realities and constraints that affect your decisions Read and predict trends Manage the long- and short-term ramifications of your decisions Evaluate the impact of present and future technologies on your decisions Imagine new choices you didn't think you had Creative Project Management provides an invaluable new set of tools for any project management professional tasked with making difficult decisions in these uncertain times.

Rescue the Problem Project provides project managers, executives, and customers with ways to accurately assess issues and fix problems. Many books explain how to run a project, but only this one shows how to bring it back from the brink of disaster.

The full text downloaded to your computer. With eBooks you can: search for key concepts, words and phrases make highlights and notes as you study share your notes with friends Print 5 pages at a time Compatible for PCs and MACs No expiry (offline access will remain whilst the Bookshelf software is installed. eBooks are downloaded to your computer and accessible either offline through the VitalSource Bookshelf (available as a free download), available online and also via the iPad/Android app. When the eBook is purchased, you will receive an email with your access code. Simply go to http://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/ to download the FREE Bookshelf software. After installation, enter your access code for your eBook. Time limit The VitalSource products do not have an expiry date. You will continue to access your VitalSource products whilst you have your VitalSource Bookshelf installed.

Project Sponsorship—which includes case studies, checklists, and action plans—shows how project sponsors and project managers can develop the skills they need to manage successful projects. Randall L. Englund and Alfonso Bucero—experts in the field of project management—have written the definitive guide for educating all stakeholders in the nature of project sponsorship. They describe in detail the responsibilities of the project sponsor, from communications and liaison, selection and training, problem solving, mentoring, and feedback, to the review of project execution. The project sponsor and manager learn how to negotiate effectively with each other and the project team to achieve their commitments.