Index
Aberdeen Proving Grounds, 127
abuse, work-related, 201–202
accidental project manager, 61
accounting, 166
acquisition and procurement, as deliverables, 95
Act!, 180
activities, results versus, 96
activity-on-arrow network, 147f
administration, 69
administrative manager, role of, 55
Agile Practice Guide, 32
Agile software, 32, 36, 43, 175
attitude and, 33–34
priority queues of, 42
scrum methodology in, 33, 34–35
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of the Television (Postman), 14
analogies: baseball training, 49
bridge, 41–42
calculator, 133
cash register, 39–40
Apple iCal, 181
Asana, 167–169
attitude: Agile and, 33–34
construction forepersons example of, 209
towards multiple projects, 196
of successful project managers, 58–59, 64
authorizing party, 83, 100, 101
definition and role of, 55
monitoring progress and, 111
awards system, 210–211
balance, 219
basics of, 20
personal, 202
bars, Gantt charts with, 128, 128f
baseball teams, training and, 49
Basecamp (online software), 171–173
basic components, of projects, 52f
big picture approach, 85–86
bosses: additional assignments from, 202–203
communicating with, 199, 200, 201
power of, 199–200
praising, 200
reporting to more than one, 199–201
rotating leadership strategy, 210
saying “no” to, 201–202
self-assertiveness with, 202–203
workaholic, 201
bottom-up budgeting, 119–121
top-down combined with, 121–122
breaks, unannounced, 210
bridge analogy, 41–42
Broad, William J., 11
budget, as deliverable, 95
budgeting, 123f; accounting software for, 166
bottom-up, 119–122
combined approaches for, 121–122
cost control, PM software and, 157
cost estimate sheets for, 117–118
learning time, 152
periodic authorizations and, 122
previous projects and, 117
project limits on, 50
systematic problems in, 123–124
top-down, 118–119
traps, 124–125
underestimates in, 118
bystanders, doers versus, 57–58
calculator analogy, 133
career: opportunities, 154, 214–218, 221
population impact on, 9–10
career professionals, 8
cash register analogy, 39–40
change management, 23–24
characteristics, of good project managers, 57–60
charts: project environment, 87, 88f. See also flowcharts; Gantt charts; tree diagrams
chicken-versus-egg issues: staff allocation, 101–102, 101f, 102f
treating plan as project task, 102–103
choices, overabundance of, 17–19
Cisco, PM software used by, 164
clients: questions to ask, 77–78
unstated agendas of, 63
clocking, 157
coaches, NBA basketball, 115
codependent events, 48
command, project manager, 54–55
communications: attention-getting challenge of, 184–185, 194
email, 188–189
face-to-face, 34–35, 185–186, 206, 213
formally-composed documents, 190
as golden bullets, 192–193
handwritten, 190
honesty in, 193–194
informal person-to-person meetings, 186–187
memos and notes for, 189–190
overcoming language barrier in, 209–210, 212
researching issues through personal, 213
sideways, 165
teleconferencing, 190–191
telephone, 187–188
voicemail, 187
with web-based presentations, 191–192. See also information and communication
communication tools, scrum as, 34–35
competence, confidence and, 41–42
complexity, 85, 89, 93–94, 133
information and communication, 196–197
interpersonal interconnections and, 136–138, 137f
unnecessary, 30–31
concept boards, PM software featuring, 176
conception, monumental feats starting with idea, 29–30
confidence, competence and, 41–42
constraints: project, 137
time frame and, 50
construction projects, 204–205
budget estimates in, 118
coordination, of multiple events, 48
cost: estimate sheets, 117–118
hidden, 116–117
cost control, 157
CPM. See critical path method
crashing, task time, 145
critical path method (CPM), 37, 85, 139
development of, 138
example project using, 140–148, 141f, 143f, 146f, 147f
parallel tasks and, 140
critical tasks, 139
criticism, giving and receiving, 66
cynicism, 4
daily scrum, 34–35
decisions and decision-making: low-level, 18
responsibility, 42
skill of, 67
WBS for project, 108–109
deliverables, 75
contingencies and, 41–42
deadlines and, 47
definition of, 47
documents as, 190
interim objectives and, 47–48, 49
types of, 94–96
Dell, 164
Department of Defense, U. S., 127
dependency, 40
diagrams. See tree diagrams
dilemma, for project managers, 5
direct mail solicitations, 16
documentation, need for stringent, 197
documents, formally-composed, 190
doers, bystanders versus, 57–58
drag-and-drop capabilities, PM software with, 165–166, 175
“Drowsy America,” 19
dummy tasks, 147
Dupont Incorporated, 138
duration times, task, 139
Easy Projects, 173–176
eight-hour workdays, 26
email, 188–189
emotional strength, mental and, 12
engineers, 2
entrepreneurial projects, 79
Ernst & Young, 173
events: codependent, 48
roster of, 143f; tasks as, 84. See also tasks
Evernote, 177
ExactTarget, 167
external resources, planning for, 104–105
face-to-face communications, 34–35, 185–186, 206, 213
failure, 74–75
factors in, 68–70, 71, 148–149
nontechnical causes of, 148–149
feedback, on project plan, 97–98
front-end spadework, 62–63
Gantt charts, 154
application of, 127–128
with bars, 128, 128f; construction project example of, 130, 131f
with multiple predecessors, 132–133, 132f
with sequential construction, 131f
task delays shown in, 128f, 130
task sequence in, 133
TeamGantt software, 178–179
what-if questions and, 134–135
gig economy, 10
Github, 177
goals and objectives: basic components and, 52f
defining, 74–75
desired outcome and, 48–50
metrics and, 79
questions to determine quantifiable, 77–78
tasks versus outcomes, 76–77
unstated, 63
Google Docs, 167
Gorman’s supermarket, 17
GoToMeeting, 190–191
GPS, reliance on, 38
Great Canadian Railway, 29
grocery stores, 17
guesses, plans as educated, 53
guiding principles, for project managers, 60–65
Hallmark, 17
Hallows, Jolyon: on basic project components, 52, 52f, 53
on people side of projects, 73
Hamilton, Booz-Allan, 138
handwritten communications, 190
Hangout, 177
Harvard Business Review, 31
Harvard Project Manager, 151
HipChat, 168
honesty, communication and, 193–194
huddle, scrum as, 35
humor, maintaining sense of, 67
IBM Lotus, 181
If (Kipling), 220
illusions, going beneath surface, 63–64
immigrants: language barrier and, 207–208
learning language of, 209–210, 212
implementation, 55
initial tasks for, 53–54
information and communication: expansion and complexity, 196–197
overload, 10–13
peripheral, 11–12
prioritizing and skimming, 13
reliance on best sources of, 11–12
Information Systems Project Management (Hallows), 73
interdependent tasks, 107
interpersonal skills, 42–43
Jira, 167
junk mail, 16
Kipling, Rudyard, 219–220
knowledge, growing volume of, 10–13
labor hours, 100
discrepancy between actual and estimated, 121–122
estimating time and, 115–116
planning and, 101–102, 101f, 102f
of project manager, 103–104
for subtasks, 93–94
language barriers, immigrant workers and, 207–210, 212
leadership, rotating, 210
learning opportunities, 214–216
leisure time, 8
goods, 17
management, 25
letting go, 12
Lientz, Bennett, 192
likely duration times, 139
Lincoln, Abraham, 76
Lockheed Corporation, 138
Make Drinks task, flowchart of, 146f
Managing Projects in Organizations (Frame), 60–65
Market Watch, 17
mass media, 13–15
Mavenlink, 169–171
media: growth of mass, 13–15
selectivity and, 14–15
meetings: informal person-to-person, 186–187
managing effective, 67
teleconference, 190–191
mega-realities: choices overload, 17–19
information overload, 10–13
mass media, 13–15
paper overload, 15–17
proliferation of, 20
world population, 8–9
memos and notes, 189–190
menial tasks, 213
mental and emotional strength, 12
mentors, 211
metrics, 79
Microsoft Outlook, 166, 180, 181
Milestone Planner, 180–182
milestones: dependent tasks and, 108
Gantt chart depiction of, 131, 131f
quality and, 68–69
military: managers with background in, 2
project management originating in, 30
Mindjet, 180
MindManager, 180
mindset. See attitude
missile project, Polaris, 138
monitoring, progress, 54–55
intermittent, 70
program evaluation and review, 138, 139
progress reports, 81–83
project tracking and, 156–157
responsibilities involved in, 110–111
morning visualization, 27
Mozilla Sunbird, 181
multitasking, 203
murder case, WBS outline for, 88f
Murphy’s Law, 114
My American Journey (Powell), 68
National Speakers Association, 198
NBA basketball, coaches and, 115
network: activity-on-arrow, 147f
updating, 148
newbies, 1–2
New Product News, 17
The New Project Management (Frame), 125
news, selectivity and, 14–15
New York Times: on buying choices and stress, 17
on information glut, 11
notes, communicating with memos and, 189–190
novel writing, project example, 89f
objectives. See goals and objectives
offices, project requiring additional, 197–199
online project management, 163, 183
Asana, 167–169
Basecamp, 171–173
demos, 160
Easy Projects, 173–176
free trials, 182
Maven-link, 169–171
Trello, 176–177
Workfront, 164–167
optimistic duration times, 139
orchestrated approach, to codependent events, 48
orientation project, 51
outcomes: desired, 48–50
tasks versus, 76–77
Gantt chart and, 127
maintaining, 89
tree diagram combined with, 91f, 92f, 107
“Overturning Turnover” project, 205–212
paper overload, 15–17
CPM and, 140
dummy tasks and, 147
Parkinson’s Law, 114
pass-along power, 3–4
Patent and Trademark Office, U.S., 21
people aspect, technical versus, 72–73
PERT. See program evaluation and review technique
pessimistic duration times, task, 139
plan and planning, 64, 174–175
big picture approach to, 85–86
definition of, 56
details and, 89–90
documenting ideas during planning stage, 96–97
feedback from others on, 97–98
flexibility of, 56
getting help with, 85–86
good or bad, 83
internal/external resources and, 104–105
monitoring after completed, 110–111
project manager hours counted in, 103–104
project phases and, 86
as project task, 102–103
quality assurance, 94
staff-first approach to, 102
staff hours and allocations, 101–102, 101f, 102f
starting from scratch, 83–84
supporting tools, 96–97
too many tasks, 109–110
work breakdown structure for, 85–94
PMI. See Project Management Institute
PM software: for budgeting, 166
budgeting time for learning, 152
choice of, 152
common uses of, 156–157
cost range for, 155
dedicated, 155–156
demos and trial use, 160
descriptions of popular, 164–182
essential versus unnecessary features of, 152, 160
finding best match in, 182–183
free trials, 182
immersion in, 153
interactive search tools for finding, 182
moderately-priced, 173
most important elements of, 153
online management suite, 171–173
overly-complex, 156
pitfalls of, 156
product sampling and overview, 164–182
questions to ask vendors of, 159–160
range of available, 164
selection criteria, 157–160
for small projects, 154
suppliers, 155
surveys on, 162–163
for task management, 167–169
for team collaboration, 178–179, 181
upgrades, 164
wide array of, 163
Polaris missile project, 138
Postman, Neil, 14
Powell, Colin, 68
power, pass-along, 3–4
PowerPoint, 180
preparing, for next project, 218–219
preplan, 52–53
PowerPoint, 180
teleconferencing and, 190–191
web-based, 191–192
problems, anticipating inevitable, 62–63
process framework, 33
profitability, declining, 205
program evaluation and review technique (PERT), 139
development of, 138
progress reports, 81–83
project director: role of, 56
project environment chart, 87, 88f
project examples: construction, 118, 130, 131f, 204–205
CPM, 140–148, 141f, 143f, 146f, 147f
Project Kickstart, 179–180
project management: application of, 78–80
basic tools, 37
benefits of learning, 5
certifying bodies, 30–31
CPM approach to, 37, 85, 138–139
delegating, 3–4
inherited staff for, 4
military origins of, 30
need for flexibility in, 5, 65
non-professionals and, 2–3
people new to, 1–2
technical versus people side of, 72–73
terminology, 31–33
traversing, 19
understanding underlying concepts, 37–40
unnecessary complexity in, 30–31
Project Management (Mantel and Meredith), 120, 121
Project Management Control Tower, 154
Project Management for the 21st Century (Lientz and Rea), 192
Project Management Institute (PMI), 154
Agile approaches and, 33
standardization and, 36–37
terminology and, 31–32
Project Management Journal, 162
project managers: accidental, 61
additional offices and, 197–199
attitude of successful, 58–59, 64
career opportunities, 154
change management and, 23–24
characteristics of good, 57–60
choice overwhelm and, 17–19
competency of staff versus, 115–116
decision-making of, 42
definition of, 48
dilemma for, 5
director of, 56
Gantt chart tasks not including, 133
guiding principles for, 60–65
as information nexus, 12
key challenge of, 84
with multiple bosses, 199–201
need for information prioritizing, 11
plan inclusion of work by, 103–104
primary task of, 54–55
quiz on, 7
responsibilities of, 42, 57–58, 59–60, 81
self-management by, 21–22
software obsession of, 153
stress management and, 23
technically-oriented, 148–149
technology management and, 24–25
time management for, 22–23, 66
ways to fail as, 68–70, 71, 148–149
ways to succeed as, 65–68, 70, 71
work-life balance for, 6–7, 20, 21–27
educated guesses in, 53
preplan, 52–53
projects: alertness to possible, 217–218
approaches to initiating, 217–218
attachment to finishing on time, 12
attention at outset of, 62–63, 76
authorizing party, 55, 83, 100, 101, 111
avoiding surprises in, 63–64
basic components, 52f; budgetary limits of, 50
as career opportunities, 214–218, 221
complexity, 85, 89, 93–94, 136–138, 137f
crisis approach to initiating, 217–218
defining goal of, 74–75
definition of, 45–46
delays in, 109
elements of, 46
entrepreneurial, 79
examples of, 78–80
home application of, 217
implementation, 53–55
as learning opportunities, 214–216
monitoring, 54–55, 70, 110–111, 156–157
multiple, 195, 196, 197–198, 201–203
multiple events coordination in, 48
off-track, 133–134
participants and roles, 55–56
people side of, 72–73
personal service firm, 78
phases, 86
predictable problems in, 62–63
preparing for next, 218–219
quantifiable ends and, 76–77
questions for understanding, 73–74
rushed, 75
rushing into, 80
small, 195–196
solo, 74
as stepping stones, 214–216, 221
tasks versus outcomes, 76–77
training-related, 54
uniqueness of each, 50–51. See also plan and planning; team; team members
project tracking, 156–157
quality, milestones and, 68–69
quality assurance plan: as deliverable, 94
quiz: on project managers, 7
on Seven Wonders, 28–29
Rea, Kathryn, 192
REI, PM software used by, 164
reporting, to multiple bosses, 199–201
reports and reporting, 156
as deliverables, 94
email and, 188–189
formally-composed documents for, 190
honesty in, 193–194
incorporating others’ opinions into, 193
informal person-to-person meetings for, 186–187
in-person communications for, 185–186
memos and notes for, 189–190
modest approach to, 192–193
payroll, 174
progress, 81–83
teleconferencing and, 190–191
via telephone contact, 187–188
video for, 186
web-based presentations and, 191–192
requests for proposals (REPs), 95
rescheduling, 68
resistance, 24
responsibilities, project manager, 42, 57–58, 59–60
prime, 81
results, WBS focus on, 96
roles: participants and, 55–56
project manager, 59–60
roster of events, with early, late and slack time, 143f
rotating leadership, 210
schedules: as deliverables, 94–95
software for, 154
scrum, 37
origin of term, 35
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), 171
selectivity, need for, 14–15
self-assertiveness, 201–202
self-management, 21–22
sensationalism, 14
sense of humor, 67
Seven Wonders, 28–29
SharePoint, 167
sideways communication, 165
skills: decision-making, 67
technological and interpersonal, 42–43
slack time: computing, 143
crew member bonding during, 208
importance of, 208
smart inbox, Asana software, 168
Smithsonian Museum, 11
software: calendar and scheduling, 154
development, 42
knowledge of available, 66
obsession with, 153
survey on most popular, 162–163
underlying concepts, 37–38, 43–44. See also Agile software; PM
software software deliverables: contingencies and, 41–42
initial tasks for, 53–54
Sony, PM software used by, 164
spadework, front-end, 62–63
sponsors. See authorizing party
SSL. See Secure Sockets Layer
staff, project: allocations, 101–102, 101f, 102f
budget input from, 120–121
competency expectations of, 115
competency of project manager versus, 115–116
divided loyalties of, 106
inherited, 4
reintegrating at project end, 105–106
stakeholders, 219
definition of, 55
progress reports for, 81–83
standardization, 36–37
Stanford University, 19
stick-em pads, 97
stress management, 23
subconscious notions, 12
subcontractors, 58, 94, 116–117, 170
crash time for, 145
in Gantt charts, 129
help with, 93
labor hours for, 93–94
team-generated, 90–91
success: attitude and, 58–59, 64
work-life balance and, 6–7
supermarket glut, 17
support: dependency on, 40
tools to support planning, 96–97
survey, on popular project management tools, 162–163
Symantec, 173
tasks: bottom-up budgeting and, 120
codependent events and, 48
crashing, 145
critical, 139
dummy, 147
as events, 84
flowchart for Make Drinks, 146f
Gantt charts and, 129–130
Gantt charts for complexity and multiple, 132–133, 132f
interdependent, 107
menial, 213
multitasking, 203
outcomes versus, 76–77
overlapping, 128
PERT categories for duration times of, 139
planning counted as, 102–103
planning too many, 109–110
PM software for managing, 167–169
roster of, 143f
sequence, 107f, 131f, 133, 134
WBS and, 106–108. See also subtasks; work breakdown structure
TeamGantt, 178–179
team members: collaboration, 178–179, 181
competency and expectations of, 115–116
geographically dispersed, 10
interconnections, 136–137, 137f
issues between, 68
role of, 55. See also staff, project
teams: baseball, 49
management, 72–73
subtasks generated by, 90–91
of 10 or more, 58
training, 58
technological skills, interpersonal and, 42–43
technology: being in love with, 148–149
complexity and, 196–197
dependency on, 40
expansion of, 196–197
feats of wonder built without, 28–29
management, 24–25
teleconferencing, 190–191
telephone communications, 187–188
television, 14
terminology: changing nature of, 31
overview of contemporary, 31–33
underlying concepts behind, 35–36
Thoreau, Henry David, 16
The Thoreau Society, 16
tidal wave, information, 10–13
danger of underestimating, 116–117
early, late and slack time events/tasks, 143f
estimating labor and, 115–116
over-optimistic estimation of, 115
Time Magazine, 19
Toffler, Alvin, 17
tools, project management: adopting new, 69–70
communication, 34–35
dependency on, 40
Gantt charts, 127–135, 128f, 129f, 131f
interactive search, 182
knowledge of available, 66
planning support, 96–97
survey on most popular, 162–163
“Tools of the Trade: A Survey of Project Management Tools,” 162–163
top-down budgeting, 118–119, 121–122
training: baseball analogy for, 49
projects involving, 54
team, 58
tree, Lincoln on cutting down, 76
disadvantages of, 93
Gantt charts for, 128
outline combined with, 91f, 92f, 107
Trello, 176–177
triangles, Gantt chart, 128–129, 129f
turnover rates, construction company problem of, 205–212
underlying concepts: GPS example, 38
importance of understanding, 37–40
uniqueness, of each project, 50–51
United Parcel Service, 173
United States (U.S.): Department of Defense, 127
population of, 9
urban population, 9
veterans, project management, 2–3, 76
videos: for reporting, 186
Webinar, 190–191
visualization, 27
voicemail, 187
Walden Pond, 16
Walker, Al, 198–199
Waterfall, 175
WBS. See work breakdown structure
WBS Chart, 180
web-based presentations, 191–192
Webinar videos, 190–191
whatever-it-takes mindset, 58–59, 64
what-if-analysis, 134–135, 157
willow tree axiom, 65
WordPress, 168
workaholics, as bosses, 201
work breakdown structure (WBS), 85, 92, 94
accounting for delays in, 108–109
adding tasks in sequence of, 107f
big picture, 109–110
counting plan as task in, 102–103
external resources and, 104–105
feedback on plan, 97–98
filling in details of, 89–91
milestones and, 108
for outing, 140–148, 141f, 146f, 147f
project manager hours included in, 103–104
results versus activities in, 96
staff allocations in sequence of, 101–102, 101f, 102f
staff reintegration and, 105–106
steps to completing, 86–87
tasks constituting, 106–107, 106–108
using CPM, 140–148, 141f, 143f, 146f, 147f
workdays, eight-hour, 26
Workfront Project Management System, 164–167
work-life balance, 20
definition of, 21
disciplines supporting, 21–27
semi-recurring, 7
success without, 6–7
Work-Life Balance Expert, 21
work managers, role of, 55
work-related abuse, 201–202
Worldometers, 9
world population, 8–9
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 46
Zoom Video Webinar, 190–191