Managing Projects (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)

By Harvard Business Review

You've been asked to manage a key project--or perhaps you've volunteered for an assignment that could advance your career. So how do you make sure the project succeeds? Managing Projects walks you quickly through the basics, including:

• Drawing up a realistic schedule and project plan
• Monitoring key tasks and benchmarks
• Communicating with stakeholders
• Bringing the project to a close

Don't have much time? Get up to speed fast on the most essential business skills with HBR's 20-Minute Manager series. Whether you need a crash course or a brief refresher, each book in the series is a concise, practical primer that will help you brush up on a key management topic. Advice you can quickly read and apply, for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives--from the most trusted source in business. Also available as an ebook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• Release date: Feb 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781625270887

Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review es sin lugar a dudas la referencia más influyente en el sector editorial en temas de gestión y desarrollo de personas y de organizaciones. En sus publicaciones participan investigadores de reconocimiento y prestigio internacional, lo que hace que su catálogo incluya una gran cantidad de obras que se han convertido en best-sellers traducidos a múltiples idiomas.

Book preview

Managing Projects

Get up to speed fast on essential business skills. Whether you’re looking for a crash course or a brief refresher, you’ll find just what you need in HBR’s 20-Minute Manager series—foundational reading for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives. Each book is a concise, practical primer, so you’ll have time to brush up on a variety of key management topics.

Advice you can quickly read and apply, from the most trusted source in business.

Titles include:

Creating Business Plans

http://hbr.org/product/creating-business-plans-20-minute-manager-series/an/16998-PBK-ENG

Delegating Work

http://hbr.org/product/delegating-work-20-minute-manager-series/an/16999-PBK-ENG

Finance Basics

http://hbr.org/product/finance-basics-20-minute-manager-series/an/16864-PBK-ENG

Managing Projects

http://hbr.org/product/managing-projects-20-minute-manager-series/an/16862-PBK-ENG

Managing Time

http://hbr.org/product/managing-time-20-minute-manager-series/an/17001-PBK-ENG

Managing Up

http://hbr.org/product/managing-up-20-minute-manager-series/an/16863-PBK-ENG

Presentations

http://hbr.org/product/presentations-20-minute-manager-series/an/16865-PBK-ENG

Running Meetings

http://hbr.org/product/running-meetings-20-minute-manager-series/an/17003-PBK-ENG

Managing Projects

Create your schedule

Monitor your budget

Meet your goals

HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW PRESS

Boston, Massachusetts

Copyright 2014 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to [e-mail], or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.

The web addresses referenced in this book were live and correct at the time of the book’s publication but may be subject to change.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Managing projects.

       pages cm. — (20-minute manager series)

   ISBN 978-1-62527-083-2 (alk. paper)

   1. Project management.

   HD69.P75M3634 2014

   658.4'52—dc23

                                                 2013039031

ISBN: 978-1-62527-088-7 (ebook)

Preview

You’ve been asked to manage a project. Or you know you soon will be.

No surprise there, since every business involves a lot of projects. If you’re a leader—or if you hope to become one—then project manager will eventually be part of your job description.

But don’t worry. You’re starting with the right book. Here you’ll get a brief, useful tour of what’s involved in:

• Defining a project.

• Setting clear goals and milestones.

• Putting together a terrific team.

• Keeping stakeholders in the loop.

• Dealing with problems like scope creep and cost overruns.

• Bringing your project to a successful close.

Contents

The Basics

What constitutes a project

What project management involves

The four phases of every project

Planning Your Project

Define the real problem

Identify your stakeholders

Set the project’s goals

Prepare for trade-offs

Spell out the tasks

Building Up Your Project

Assemble your team

Set the schedule

Develop a budget

Managing Your Project

Delegate—but track results

Monitor progress against the schedule

Monitor progress against the budget

Ensure quality control

Report progress to stakeholders

Dealing with Your Project’s Problems

Scope creep

Delays

Budget overruns

People issues

Bringing Your Project to a Successful Conclusion

Prepare the handoff

Conduct a post-project evaluation

Develop a useful final report

Thank everyone—and prepare for the next project

Test Yourself

Learn More

Sources

Index

Managing Projects

The Basics

The Basics

To begin, let’s talk about what a project is and what project management is all about. As you’ll see, every project can be broken down into four phases—planning, build-up, implementation, and closeout—which makes the whole enterprise a lot easier to get your mind around. You’re likely to encounter bumps along the way, so we’ll also touch on how to handle the most common problems.

What constitutes a project

A project is a good-sized task that someone wants done. Unlike a process, it has a beginning, middle, and end. Building a house is a project. So is launching a new product or developing a new marketing campaign.

Some companies are project-based—that’s all they do. Think of construction and engineering firms, custom manufacturers, advertising agencies, and so on.

[Atif Qamar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

i found it very brief but same time, covered all key points. I love all the charts and scenarios mentioned in this book. This will be one of my forever guide for project management.