Managing Projects: The Master Skill Set

By Woodrow Sears

No matter what work you do, your value will be enhanced if you can manage projects -- a skill set every employer is looking for. Here are the essential steps in managing projects -- mostly things you already know how to do! What's required? The discipline to attend to a lot of details ... easily done if you think ahead. You CAN be a project manager! No bull, no joke! This book shows you how.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Woodrow Sears
• Release date: Jan 31, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458064424

Woodrow Sears

Semi-retired consultant, active college instructor, author (6 books for HRD Press in 2007-8), regular contributor to the Cincom "ExpertAccess" business e-zine. I hold one of the early doctorates in Human Resource Development, lectured extensively on project management on an international circuit, worked with clients to install systems, and was heavily involved in civil rights, supervisory, and management training. Came to Lithuania in 1998 as a volunteer, and never left. I live in Vilnius in a former monastery, heat with wood (by choice), and love cooking for friends. Living in Europe is special everyday!

Book preview

MANAGING PROJECTS:

The Master Skill Set

by

Dr. Woody Sears

SMASHWORDS EDITION

~~~~~

PUBLISHED BY

Dr. Woody Sears on Smashwords

Design/Editorial Support by

PleasantValleyPress.net

MANAGING PROJECTS:

The Master Skill Set

Copyright © 2010 Woodrow Sears

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal use and may not be resold or given away. If you want to share this book, please purchase a copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

~~~~~

Contents

1. Author’s Note

2. Managing Projects

3. Introduction

4. What Problems Do You Want to Solve

5. Project Mangement as a Collection of Simple Ideas

6. More Simple Ideas

7. Another Simple Idea

8. Interpersonal Competence

9. Project Management Runs on Performance Data

10. And Then There’s the Matter of Control

11. The Only Path to Better, Faster, Cheaper

12. Next Steps by an Effective Project Manager

13. Clarifying the Project Manager’s Charter

14. What Didn’t Happen Yesterday that Should Have?

15. About the Author

Author’s Note:

No matter what your career or work, your status will be greatly enhanced if you know how to manage projects. That means you need to know how to develop a plan (and often a budget), organize resources, initiate work, monitor and report progress, account for resources expended, and prepare a post-project report. None of these activities is difficult if they are done with discipline and accuracy. They require simple skills that most people have. If you can manage projects competently, promotions will follow—because organizations are always looking for can-do,