Introduction

In the main body of the book we focused on a practical and universal approach to project management that we believe will endure the test of time. This appendix is an opportunity for us to provide pointers towards a myriad of specialist resources available out there and to highlight more changeable material.

In terms of scope, this appendix could never be a definitive guide. A simple web search using ‘project management’ returned more entries than ‘The Beatles’, ‘Elvis Presley’ and ‘Sacha Distel’ combined. You’ll be hard pressed to find a subject with a wider range of information available.

1. Support organisations

Remember what we said at the start of the book: you’re not alone. There’s an excellent choice of project management organisations offering you professional support and networking opportunities. Our favourite organisations are: the Association of Project Managers (APM) and the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Membership of either organisation – or other similar ones – will reap benefits for a budding Brilliant Project Manager. There are costs involved, but it’s easy to check out the options before getting out your cheque-book. Considering the resources on offer, a membership is cost-effective and considered career-enhancing in its own right. The law of diminishing returns applies if you’re considering joining more than one.

Joining the APM or the PMI opens up several options for developing your career, including regular events that are informative and offer excellent networking opportunities; these relaxed get-togethers attract people that are keen to share their ideas and knowledge. And if direct involvement is not viable, each has a very strong multi-channel internet presence.

The APM is the largest professional body of its kind in Europe, well-suited if you work and network within the UK. Much is on offer, including: membership, professional qualifications, events, publications, online services and more. Start by visiting their website at: www.apm.org.uk or by attending one of their local branch meetings in the UK or Hong Kong. The APM is campaigning for project management to be a chartered profession.

The PMI is a not-for-profit membership association based in the US with a global network of local branches. It offers volunteering opportunities and there’s also the benefit that comes from its sheer size and firepower – as might be expected with about half-a-million members internationally. The corporate website is at: www.pmi.org and many countries have substantive websites of their own – for example, the UK at: www.pmi.org.uk.

2. Online support communities

Project management is a people business and there’s no real substitute for face-to-face interaction. However, getting the best out of a support organisation can be time-consuming and it can be complicated to canvass opinion or get quick advice on thorny issues. Online support communities offer a convenient alternative, and many say this is the future for project management support.

The best online communities double up as resource centres in their own right. Two of our favourites are at www.projectsmart.co.uk and www.gantthead.com, providing community forums and a library of information.

There are other highly useful online communities that aren’t dedicated exclusively to project management; it pays to keep an open mind. Of these, our first choice is LinkedIn at www.LinkedIn.com, offering a wide variety of services on the back of a professional networking engine. Already strongly represented all over the world, the concept is going from strength to strength. We recommend you start by checking out their project management discussion groups.

We’ve got a soft spot for the thriving community of project managers out on Twitter – found, not surprisingly, at www.twitter.com. We don’t specifically follow individuals, or even our favourite organisations here, but keep an eye on all postings with hashtags of #PMOT and #PMCHAT. Some professionals (especially those who can remember the typewriter) are sceptical about Twitter, but it’s a great source of ideas and information. Admittedly, there’s a degree of too-much-information syndrome and it pays to read posts selectively.

3. Methods

Nearly all project managers use a methodical approach on their projects; very few regularly make it up as they go along. Usually this involves a tried-and-trusted approach to running projects, refined over time – quite often a recognised project management method rolled out across the whole organisation. It’s widely believed that a formal structured approach improves the likelihood of success and we subscribe to that viewpoint.

Once you’ve mastered the core themes in Brilliant Project Management, our advice is to invest time exploring project management methodologies and the myriad of related topics. We recommend you start by looking at a generic method such as PRINCE2^® before moving onto ones that are specific to your own industry. We must point out that many purists doubt whether any method is truly universal. In our opinion, PRINCE2 comes very close and it’s an excellent starting place for your research.

4. Training and development

Many organisations have clearly defined training programmes and a preferred training company on standby. If so, your formal training options may well be predetermined. If you do have freedom of choice, start by reviewing independent recommendations from colleagues or anyone else in your professional network – just be wary of trainers with a long list of qualifications who have never been spotted outside of the classroom. Unless you’re an absolute beginner, we don’t normally recommend back-to-basics project management courses but suggest training in the context of your preferred project-management methodology.

Our wider view is that mainstream project management training is only part of your professional development, so there are plenty of other avenues to consider. In particular, we highly recommend taking a close look at mentoring.

Mentoring

In our experience, being mentored is the most effective training available. Many project managers automatically benefit from mentoring if they’re part of a wider work portfolio, with their programme manager providing guidance and advice. Some organisations also have a Project Management Office (PMO) providing corporate guidance and assistance with project standards and reporting. Our advice is to take advantage of all available options.

When you discuss progress with your programme manager (or line manager) make full use of their expertise. Seek out their advice on any thorny project issues.

You may even be fortunate enough to work within an organisation offering peer mentoring or buddying; it’s a shame so few organisations invest in these programmes. It’s well worth pressing your senior management team to introduce a mentoring scheme on a trial basis – based on our experience it will reap immediate dividends far outweighing the investment. Alternatively, try getting support for a regular internal Project Managers Forum to share ideas and problems. Like any initiative of this nature, careful planning is important to avoid it becoming a one-off event.

5. Document templates

Regardless of the chosen project methodology or the maturity of business processes, various documents will be needed to manage a project and report progress (or occasionally lack thereof).

On joining a new organisation we recommend you actively seek out templates and examples to reuse – ideal for adhering to corporate style sheets and standards. Not all companies put adequate effort into building an official repository of templates, so it’s often a case of cannibalising whatever you can beg, borrow or steal. Identifying a solid start point for your key documents is a core skill for a Brilliant Project Manager on a new assignment; it’s worth putting in extra effort to get off on the right foot.

There are times when it’s necessary to look at other sources. Occasionally existing options just aren’t fit-for-purpose, or sometimes projects are breaking new ground within an organisation. Don’t be too shocked if you need to conjure up your own Project Plan or Lessons Learned Report! In the longer term, experienced project managers build up their own private toolbox of templates precisely for these emergencies. In the short term you may need to look at other options.

We’ve yet to find an infallible one-stop shop for high-quality project templates, even if you’re willing to pay for them. So we recommend searching on a case-by-case basis starting with all the usual suspects: project support organisations and websites dedicated to project methodologies or owned by software vendors are usually a good first call. As examples: a cross-section of PMBOK/PMI templates are available at www.projectmanagementdocs.com and downloads of PRINCE2 templates/case studies are available from the official website at: www.prince-officialsite.com/Resources/Resources.aspx. Microsoft provides templates at www.office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates and they’re embedded within MS Project, PowerPoint, Word and Excel (within the ‘New Document’ option).

In an ideal world, the best results are achieved by starting with a corporate template (or an example from a respected project) and validating the structure/contents against your own preferred benchmark. That way you make sure the presentational style of your documents meets local expectations and the content-coverage is comprehensive.

Seek and ye shall find

Given the nature of this appendix and the sources of information we’re flagging, there’s a slight risk of things changing. In line with our own guidance on risk and issue management in Chapter 3, the preventative action we carried out was a last-minute check on our research. If this risk ever turns into an issue, the recommended contingent action is a little extra digging on your part. If all else fails, please send the details to: [email protected].

We hope our thoughts and ideas will provide a springboard for your own research. Happy hunting!

• Join at least one professional organisation or online community. Start networking and exchanging ideas.
• Look into a selection of project management methods. It’s surprising how easy it is to reuse techniques.
• Explore available training options to get the best out of your day-to-day tools of the trade. At least check out any free training provided by the vendors.
• Start building up your own toolbox of document templates. They’ll serve as a valuable benchmark and will be invaluable in emergencies.
• Think laterally. Remember that not all handy sources or information and advice come with an explicit ‘project management’ label.