Project Management Absolute Beginner's Guide

Introduction

Part I Project Management Jumpstart

Chapter 1 Project Management Overview
What Is Project Management…Exactly?
What Is a Project Exactly?
Managing Projects
An Academic Look
What Is the Value of Project Management?
Why Are Projects Challenging?
Growing Demand for Effective Project Managers
Trends in Project Management
Additional Resources

Chapter 2 The Project Manager
One Title, Many Roles
Key Skills of Project Managers
Qualities of Successful Project Managers
15 Common Mistakes of Project Managers

Chapter 3 Essential Elements for Any Successful Project
What Exactly Is a Successful Project?
Learning from Troubled Projects
Learning from Successful Projects
Essential Project Manager Toolkit

Part II Project Planning

Chapter 4 Defining a Project
Setting the Stage for Success
How Does Defining a Project Relate to Project Planning?
Project Definition Document
Required Elements
Additional Elements to Consider
Project Definition Checklist
General
Scope
Stakeholders
Project Approach
Other
Acceptance

Chapter 5 Planning a Project
Key Project Planning Principles
Important Questions Project Planning Should Answer
Building a Project Plan
Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components
Project Plan Checklist

Chapter 6 Developing the Work Breakdown Structure
What Exactly Is a WBS?
Isn’t WBS Just Another Name for the Project Schedule?
Key Differences Between the WBS and the Project Schedule
Different Types of Breakdown Structures
Why Is the WBS Important?
The Process of Building a WBS
Getting Started
Guidelines for Effective WBS
Knowing When to Stop

Chapter 7 Estimating the Work
Next Step in the Schedule Development Process
Managing the Risk, Managing the Estimates
Reasons for Estimating Woes
Powerful Estimating Techniques and Methods
Best Practices

Chapter 8 Developing the Project Schedule
The Impact of the Project Schedule
The Goal of the Schedule Development Process
Key Inputs for Building a Schedule
Creating a Schedule
Determining Task Relationships (Sequencing the Work)
Building the Preliminary Schedule
Perform Reality Check
Shorten the Schedule
Walk Through the Schedule
Presenting the Schedule

Chapter 9 Determining the Project Budget
The Impact of the Project Budget
Principles of an Effective Budget
Creating a Project Budget
Sources of Project Costs
Developing an Initial Budget
Finalizing a Budget
Common Budget Challenges

Part III Project Control

Chapter 10 Controlling a Project
What Is Project Control?
PDA: The Principles of Project Control
Components of Project Control
Management Fundamentals for Project Control
Powerful Techniques for Project Control
Performance Reporting
Variance Responses
Leveraging Earned Value Management Concepts
Common Project Control Challenges
Lessons from Project Recoveries

Chapter 11 Managing Project Changes
What Exactly Is a Project Change and What’s the Big Deal, Anyway?
Project Change Types–More Than Scope
Relation to Configuration Management and Organizational Change Management
Fundamentals for Managing Project Change
What Causes Unplanned Scope Changes?
Essential Elements of a Project Change Control System
Principles
Guidelines
Components
Powerful Techniques for Minimizing Project Changes
Common Project Change Control Challenges

Chapter 12 Managing Project Deliverables
“Managing Project Deliverables” Means What, Exactly?
Why Do This? It’s Too Much Work
Identify, Protect, and Track: The Principles of Managing Work Products
Best Practices
Configuration Management Plan
Common Challenges and Pitfalls

Chapter 13 Managing Project Issues
The Goals, Objectives, and Principles of Project Issue Management
Key Features of Issue Management Systems
Options for Issue Log
Best Practices
Some Special Situations

Chapter 14 Managing Project Risks
Key Risk Management Principles
The Essential Process for Managing Project Risks
Risk Response Options
Key Risk Management Tools
The Common Sources of Project Risk
Typical Problems
Powerful Risk Control Strategies
Are You Sure It’s a Risk?

Chapter 15 Managing Project Quality
What Is “Project Quality”?
Unique Aspects of Managing Project Quality
Principles of Managing Project Quality
Powerful Tools and Techniques for Project Quality
Powerful Quality Strategies
Typical Quality-Related Challenges

Part IV Project Execution

Chapter 16 Leading a Project
More Than Managing
Where Is Leadership Needed on a Project?
Twelve Keys to Better Project Leadership
Power of Servant Leadership Approach

Chapter 17 Managing Project Communications
What Are Project Communications?
The Importance of Project Communications
Why Communicating Can Be Tough
Seven Powerful Principles
Best Practices of Effective Project Communicators
General Communications Management
Communications Options
Tips for Email (and Other Text-Only) Communications
Status Reporting
Meetings
Interpersonal Skills

Chapter 18 Managing Expectations
Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management
Critical Aspects of Expectations
Balancing Reality and Perception
Not Just Scope Management
Seven Master Principles of Expectation Management
Essential Elements of Managing Expectations
Project Planning and Control Elements–A Quick Review
Leveraging Kickoff Meetings
Requirements Management–The Difference Maker

Chapter 19 Keys to Better Project Team Performance
High-Performing Teams
Ten Key Management Principles
Proven Techniques for Better Team Performance
Special Situations

Chapter 20 Managing Differences
Five Key Principles
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects
Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects

Chapter 21 Managing Vendors
First, Let’s Clarify a Few Terms
Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management
Twelve Tips for Buyers
Seven Tips for Sellers
Twelve Key Project Management Skills for Better Vendor Management
Stuff You Need to Know About Contracts
Conditions for a Legal Contract
Key Contract Elements
Primary Contract Types
The Impact of Each Contract Type

Chapter 22 Ending a Project
Three Key Principles
Project End Checklist: 13 Important Steps
Common Project Closing Challenges
Methods for Ending a Contract or a Project
Terminating a Contract
Terminating a Project

Part V Accelerating the Learning Curve…Even More

Chapter 23 Making Better Use of Microsoft Project
Understand This…and It All Becomes Easier
Need-to-Know Features
New Project Best Practices
Keys to Making Resource Leveling Work
Powerful Reporting Secrets
More Insights to a Better Project Schedule
Project 2010–The Game Changer
What Do I Need to Know About Project 2013, Project 2016, Project Online, and Office 365 Planner?
Project Online
Project 2013
Project 2016
Office 365 Planner

Chapter 24 When Reality Happens
What If I’m in a Project Management “Lite” Culture?
What If I Can’t Develop a Detailed Schedule?
What If I Must Manage to a Hard Milestone Date?
What If I Have Difficult Resources?
What Can I Do About Turnover?
Tips for Managing a Selection Process
Tips for Managing a Testing Process

Chapter 25 The Fun Never Stops
Agile Approaches
HIPAA, Privacy, and Security
Project Management Offices
Traits of Successful PMOs
Portfolio Project Management
Governance Processes
Critical Chain Project Management
Web-Based Project Management and Collaboration Tools
Requirements Management Tools
Mind Mapping Tools
Value of Certifications
Project Management Training

Chapter 26 Powerful PMP Exam Tips
Common “Context” Differences
Common “Experience” Differences
Common Terminology Differences
What’s Important to PMI?
Key PMI Assumptions and Themes
What Is the PMP Exam Like?
Exam Topics Not Covered by PMBOK
Exam Preparation Strategies
Exam-Taking Tips
 
 
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