Lessons Learned in Project Management: 140 Tips in 140 Words or Less

About a year ago, I woke up at 4:30 A.M. and could not get back to sleep because a Twitter-inspired book concept kept swirling around in my head. Twitter, as you may know, is a social networking and microblogging service that allows its users to send text messages (tweets) of 140 characters or fewer. The popularity of Twitter provides a clue that brevity is an increasingly preferred characteristic of information. Based on the Twitter concept, I reasoned that if experienced project managers could come up with 140 tips, each in 140 words or less, that would constitute a concise body of knowledge useful for all project managers. That day, I sent e-mails to my friends, colleagues, Twitter followers, Facebook friends, and LinkedIn connections, asking them each to contribute one tip to be included in this book. Within hours, practical project management tips started coming in. I received tips from project managers in Canada, the United States, South Africa, Poland, the United Kingdom, Argentina, the Cayman Islands, Australia, Brazil, India and other countries. In about eight months, I was able to compile 64 tips—76 tips short of my target. Along the same timeline, I have been writing project management tips of 140 words or less on my blog. Between the 64 tips that I received and my own tips, I had more than enough to put together this book. (My tips are those that are unsigned, the ones that appear at the end of the book.) I could have finished the book then, but I was too busy at work. It was four months later when I found the time to finalize the book. To all of my friends, colleagues, Twitter followers, Facebook friends, and LinkedIn connections who helped write this book, thank you very much!

Dr. John A. Estrella, CMC, PMP, CBAP, CTFL, CSTE, specializes in helping senior management deliver large and complex IT projects. John worked on various consulting engagements for some of the world's most respected organizations in Asia, North America and Europe. In addition to his management consulting career, he shares his unique and rare blend of expertise by authoring books and courses in project management, business analysis and software testing which are available in Canada, U.S., U.K., France, Sweden, Japan, India and other countries. An eloquent and engaging speaker, he quickly connects with his audiences by presenting personal experiences, practical examples and simple recommendations. John was awarded a scholarship by the Project Management Institute (PMI) Educational Foundation for his doctoral studies. He is a member of PMI, CMC-Canada, IIBA, CAPS, NSA and IFFPS. On the personal side, he is a husband, father, Scout leader, martial artist, marathon runner, triathlete, scuba diver and avid outdoor person.