Project Management That Works: Real-world Advice on Communicating, Problem-solving, and Everything Else You Need to Know to Get the Job Done - Hardcover

Morris, Rick A.; Sember, Brette McWhorter

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814409881 ISBN 13: 9780814409886

Publisher: Amacom Books, 2008

Synopsis

Project management is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the world. The Project Management Institute has seen membership growth of more than 1000% in the last 10 years. But while many of these managers know how to plan a successful project in theory, very few have the practical tools needed to navigate the politics of today s corporate world. Project managers need more than just technical skills; they need the right communication skills to succeed. Filled with real-world examples, Project Management That Works gives readers the tools they need to: communicate with their team as well as stakeholders get their teams to function well run fewer and more productive meetings turn around failing projects utilize data properly to make emotional conversations unemotional know when a project is really done The only book that addresses the real challenges project managers face today, this is an accessible and invaluable tool that will show every reader how to accomplish his mission no matter the obstacles.

About this title

About the Author

Rick A. Morris (Hoover, AL) is a project manager for several Fortune 500 companies and is a sought-after public speaker on project management.

Brette McWhorter Sember (Clarence, NY) is an attorney who has written more than 30 books includingThe Essential Supervisor’s Handbook .

From the Back Cover

Project management is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the world. The Project Management Institute, for example, has seen membership growth of more than 1,000 percent in the last 10 years. But while many of these managers know how to plan a successful project in theory, very few have the practical tools needed to navigate the politics of today s corporate world. Project managers need more than just technical skills; they need the right communication skills to succeed. Filled with real-world examples, Project Management That Works gives you the tools you need to:

communicate with your team as well as with stakeholders get your team to function well run fewer and more productive meetings turn around failing projects utilize data prop­erly to make emotional conversations unemotional know when a project is really done

The only book that addresses the real challenges project managers face today, this is an acces­sible and invaluable tool that will show you how to accomplish your mission no matter the obstacles.

Advance praise for Project Management That Works

A powerful addition to the growing body of knowledge in new project management. Rob Thomsett, author,Radical Project Management

Rick Morris s passion for the subject matter is truly contagious, helping others understand the benefits of doing it the right way the first time. Dave Keyes, Senior Vice President, Protective Life Corporation

If you want to read a book about project management theory as it is successfully being practiced today then this is the one for you! Tony Webster, PMP, Vice President, Highmark Technology

Rick Morris s approach brings humanity to project management. Paul Crigler, instructor, University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Business, Dept. of Accounting and Information Systems

A must read for any project manager. Mary Margeret Pruett, Business Services Optimization, CA

Rick Morris is the most passionate PM I know. He has a rare combination of a cheerleading personality with a fine-tuned attention to detail. These characteristics have led to his success as a PM, and you will . . . experience both in this book. Don Delashaw, PMI-Birmingham (Alabama)

By following his tried and true processes, you are guaranteed success! Corrie Sigler, Project Manager, Saks Incorporated

From the Inside Flap

There is a noticeable and growing problem in project management a huge and disturbing gap has emerged between project management theory and its application. Project managers know how to run a risk meeting, but not how to negotiate the upper levels of power in their corporations. If you re a new project manager, you may know how to plan a project, but not how to negotiate dates with your sponsors. You may understand the principles, but not how to apply them in the real world in effective ways. What you need is a guide that will give you the tools to work effectively within any corporate culture and accomplish goals in a timely and productive manner.

Project Management That Works helps you deal with the reality of unreasonable deadlines and difficult projects and shows you how to accomplish their goals without alienating your executive sponsors or the team working under you. Author Rick Morris has more than 10 years of project management experience in Fortune 500 companies, holds the PMP®, and is also a sought-after speaker at PMI® chapters. Here, he and Brette McWhorter Sember teach managers how to have a conversation with key project team members. While many books will teach the theory or discuss ideas, very few combine theory with practical data gathering and teach how to turn the data into real results. This book will show you how to get the appropriate data and use it to support everything you know is supposed to happen, but can t see how to get done. Through the authors seasoned guidance, you will learn the fundamentals of good project management, including how to:

Understand yourself

Communicate on all levels

Be trustworthy and give good information

Turn around failing projects

Really know when a project is done

Apply the iron triangle (triple constraint)

Apply the PERT methodology in project planning

Never lose sight of the customer

Avoid sacrificing your team at any cost

Understand myths about status meetings

Understand patriots and scuds

Perform a real risk assessment

Put risk in a project plan

Use project management to make positive change to your corporate culture

This is a true insider s guide that will teach you the skills you really need on the job that often aren t part of the project management curriculum. It will enable you to make positive change no matter how insurmountable the challenges seem.

Rick A. Morris is a project manager for several Fortune 500 companies and is a sought-after public speaker on project management. Brette McWhorter Sember is an attorney who has written more than 30 books includingThe Essential Supervisor s Handbook.

Edition details

• Publisher: Amacom Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814409881
• ISBN 13: 9780814409886
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 219