The Practitioner's Guide to Project Management: Simple, Effective Techniques That Deliver Business Value

By Lynda Carter, Balan David and Reveley Samatha

The Practitioner's Guide to Project Management provides simple, effective techniques in a way that encourages collaborative conversations with key resources and delivers business value. This book covers both traditional and agile techniques. Book highlights include: • Foundational techniques - the value they provide and the questio

• Language: English
• Publisher: Competitive Edge Consulting Inc.
• Release date: Jan 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9780990354963

Lynda Carter

Lynda is a recognized leader in project and program management, bringing practical experience to training and coaching sessions. Lynda is the author of "The Practitioner's Guide to Project Management: Simple, Effective Techniques that Drive Business Value" and "The Essential Guide to Facilitating Project Management Workshops". More on Lynda can be found at cectraining.com

Book preview

Project_Managment_2ndEd_Front_Cover.jpg

The Practitioner’s Guide to Project Management

Second Edition

Competitive Edge Consulting, Inc., Cleveland 44107

©2020 by Lynda Carter

First edition published 2014. Second edition 2020.

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission from the publisher or the author, except where permitted by law. Contact the publisher for information on foreign rights.

ISBN: 978-0-9903549-4-9 (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-0-9903549-5-6 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-0-9903549-6-3 (e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019952861

Edited by Brenda Judy

Illustrated by David Balan and Samantha Reveley

www.davidbalan.com

Cover and Interior Design by Carolyn Sheltraw

www.csheltraw.com

♾ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).

www.cectraining.com

To my family for all their love and encouragement:

Mark, Rachel, Nicole, and Yvonne too!

Table of Contents




Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

Section 1:

Chapter 1: Introduction

Project Lifecycle

Project Management Deliverables

Project Management Topics and Standard Techniques

Project Trade-Offs

Common Project Management Questions

Chapter Summary

Chapter 2: Project

Initiation (Idea/Need/Problem)

Planning (Plan)

Execution (Execute the Plan)

Closing (Knowledge Capture and Learning)

Chapter Summary

Section 2: Project Management Techniques

Chapter 3: Goals

Technique: Creating SMART Goals

Goals Summary

Chapter 4: Stakeholders

Technique: Providing Role Clarity

Technique: Identifying Stakeholders

Technique: Assessing Stakeholder Engagement

Technique: Defining Stakeholder Success/User Requirements

Technique: Developing Stakeholder Management Strategies

Stakeholders Summary

Chapter 5: Knowledge

Technique: Leveraging Past Learning

Technique: Capturing Current Learning/Reflective Learning

Technique: Intentional Learning

Knowledge Summary

Chapter 6: Deliverables

Technique: Identifying Deliverables

Technique: Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Deliverables Summary

Chapter 7: Quality

Technique: Defining Requirements

Technique: Prioritizing Requirements

Technique: Monitoring Quality Progress

Quality Summary

Chapter 8: Work

Technique: Developing Work Packages

Technique: Estimating Effort and Duration

Technique: Three-Point Estimating

Technique: Estimating T-Shirt Sizing

Work Summary

Chapter 9: Project Team

Technique: Defining Roles and Responsibilities

Technique: Responsibility Table

Technique: RACI

Technique: On-Boarding the Team

Technique: Selecting a Team Structure

Technique: Leadership

Technique: Building and Developing the Team

Technique: Motivating the Team with Rewards and Recognition

Technique: Encouraging Positive Conflict

Project Team Summary

Chapter 10: Risks

Technique: Defining the Project’s Risk Tolerance

Technique: Identifying Risks

Technique: Assessing Risks

Technique: Creating Risk Management Strategies

Additional Risk Management Techniques

Risks Summary

Chapter 11: Timing

Technique: Sequencing Work and Schedule Creation

Technique: Developing a Short-Interval Schedule

Technique: Establishing Contingency

Technique: Network Diagram Creation

Technique: Tracking the Schedule

Timing Summary

Chapter 12: Communication

Communication Considerations

Technique: Building the Communication Plan

Technique: Developing Status Reports

Technique: Scheduling Team Meetings

Communication Summary

Chapter 13: Financing

Technique: Making a Buy or Build Decision

Technique: Establishing a Project Budget

Technique: Developing a Lifecycle Budget

Technique: Tracking Financials

Technique: Utilizing Earned Value Management

Financing Summary

Chapter 14: Project Execution

Technique: Managing Issues

Technique: Managing Scope Changes

Technique: Tracking Decisions

Technique: Document Management

Technique: Tracking Progress During Execution

Project Execution Summary

Section 2: Summary

Appendixes

Appendix A: Project Management Summary

Appendix B: Project Management Topics and Standard Techniques

Appendix C: Mapping this Text to PMI’s PMBOK

Appendix D: Sample Project Plan

Appendix E: Workshop Ideas

Appendix F: Recommended Reading

Glossary

Foreword

Lynda Carter is at it again. Five years after writing what I considered to be the consummate book on project management, she has made it even better. I was never a big fan of agile approaches to project management. So, when Lynda first mentioned to me that she was adding agile to her book, I was far from enthused. After reviewing her first draft and learning about the hybrid approach she so eloquently describes, she won me over. I must admit this isn’t the first time getting excellent guidance and advice from her has changed my mind.

I first met Lynda Carter several years ago while working on a project with her. From the onset, I was impressed with her understanding of project management and her rare ability to communicate in a way that enabled everyone to understand the goals of a project and stay motivated to work together to achieve success. We have since collaborated on a couple other projects, and I have always enjoyed working with and learning from someone with a tremendous grasp on the ins and outs of project management.

Project management is the process and activity of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals in scientific or daily problems. It was practiced informally for many years but began to emerge as a distinct profession in the mid-twentieth century. Now, project management is almost a buzz word and well-practiced in most, if not all, major corporations around the world. This, in turn, has led to a proliferation of project management books and courses.

Why then do we need yet another book on this subject? Well, Lynda Carter has come up with a unique, very interesting and easy-to-read illustrative guide to project management that you won’t find in any library, bookstore or obtain from any learning institution. Lynda s goal was to create a guide that could be used as a textbook in any learning institution as well as a self-paced guide for any level of practitioner. The pages of this book contain timeless lessons on how best to apply the rules and processes of project management that she has refined over the years. I’m sure you will find this book to be both educational and an invaluable resource.

I have been practicing and conducting training on project management for over thirty years, and this is the first book on the subject that I was able to read from cover to cover and still be awake upon finishing. I found Lynda’s writing to be entertaining and informative, which is a very rare quality for any book covering material of this nature. The Practitioner’s Guide to Project Management: Simple, Effective Techniques that Deliver Business Value is the most comprehensive book I’ve read on project management. Lynda Carter’s writing style makes you feel as if you are standing side-by-side with her as she walks you through the steps required to ensure your project is a success and delivers a product that exceeds your sponsor’s expectations.

So, prepare yourself to journey with Lynda though the trials and tribulations of an experienced project manager, and don’t be surprised if you’re entertained while learning some valuable techniques that you will be able to utilize to ensure your current and future projects are completed successfully.

Gary Slavin

Trainer, Consultant and Author of Plan Your Success: Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

www.garyslavin.com

Preface

The second edition of this book adds a hybrid mindset by providing project management techniques from both traditional and agile methodologies. The more techniques you have access to, the more effective you can be at planning and achieving your goals.

Agile approaches to project management (approaches that are adaptive to change) have been available for decades. Some organizations embrace agile completely, while others continue to follow a more traditional/waterfall approach. Neither agile nor traditional project management are a perfect fit for every project—hence the growth of hybrid strategies. A hybrid strategy uses techniques from both traditional and agile to drive project success.

Hybrid strategies looks at each project and asks: what techniques provide the best way to organize the work and resources to achieve the business need?

Each project is unique, and the techniques used on your last project might not deliver the same value on your next project.

It is my desire to share simple, effective project management techniques in a way that encourages collaborative conversations with key resources and delivers business value.

If you are interested in using this book in a classroom setting, contact [e-mail] for a sample syllabus and instructional guides.

I hope you find this book enhances your journey and provides a guide for a more effective application of project management.

Good luck, have fun and embrace what drives your success.

Acknowledgments

I never really appreciated the value and contributions of those that are acknowledged in books; but now I do. This book is an accumulation of years of experience; for that I am thankful to all the clients that have invited me into their organizations to assist them in their pursuit of improved project management. I am grateful to teach at a university that supports my passion, and for the students that used the first draft of this book for their supplemental reading.

I am thankful for Gary Slavin’s relentless pursuit of my writing. Gary’s endless e-mails of encouragement and recommendations transformed my book writing endeavors from bucket list to realization. Thank you, Gary.

I am grateful to have worked with Brenda Judy, my editor, who poured over every word, over and over, to ensure my thoughts make sense on paper, as well as Carolyn Sheltraw, who designed the book cover and formatted my words and graphics.

I am thankful for the individuals that have been great teachers to me, many of them are clients that over the years have turned into great colleagues and friends; they include: Carrie Brainerd, Dave Davis, Pete Evangelista, Gerri Hura, Dr. Harold Kerzner, Gary Livingston, Mary Jean Milanko, Ted Russell, Sue Russell (no relation to Ted), Mary Schwendeman, Donna VanRooy, Jeff Young and Bethann Zaveson.

To all of you that have been part of my journey, whom I did not mention here, my sincere apologies.

Section 1:

Project Management Overview

This section provides an executive summary of the book, containing an introduction of the basic project management concepts and a detailed review of the project lifecycle.

Chapter 1: Introduction


Chapter 1 will help you understand what project management is through an introduction to the project management lifecycle (both traditional and agile); a description of project management deliverables; an introduction to the standard topics, questions and techniques used in project management; project trade-offs; and common questions about project management.

Let’s start by answering a few questions about projects and project management:

What is a project?

Anytime you do something new, something unique, where you need to get organized and determine the best strategy to get something done, you have a project.

Projects are different from repeatable processes where planning can be based on historical data. A project is unique, so much of the planning is speculative.

How big is a project?

Projects vary in size and complexity; they can be:

Size does matter. Larger more complex projects struggle to finish on-time, on-budget while delivering what they promised. Smaller projects with shorter durations have a higher probability of success. This does not mean that large projects should be avoided. If you are responsible for a large project, break it down into smaller bundles of work to increase the likelihood of success.

What is project management?

Project management is a structured, yet flexible approach to apply standardized tools and techniques in order to increase the likelihood that your project will be planned and executed successfully. There are two major institutions that globally support the project management discipline: The Project Management Institute (PMI) from the United States and Prince2 from the United Kingdom.

When should I use project management?

Whenever you have a project (unique idea to achieve), use project management. There are many project management tools and techniques. Not every tool or technique should be used on all projects. The purpose of project management is to drive project success, not to fill out a series of forms and documents. So, when planning your project, think, Will this technique help the project succeed? If the answer is yes, use the technique; if not, keep it aside for use at another time.

Project Management is a mind-set. Someone who thinks like a project manager is focused on answering key business questions like: what is our goal, what needs to be created, who is impacted, what are the risks, what resources are required, how long will it take, what will it cost?

Who are the players involved in projects?

There are formal roles in project management. Each role will be detailed later in the text. For an introduction, here are the key roles that you should find on any project:

* Product Manager is often a job title for an individual who is responsible for the development, enhancement, maintenance, sales and marketing strategy of goods or services. Product Owner is an agile term used to describe the role of the individual who sets the overall vision of the project. For the purposes of this book, the term Sponsor will be used to cover these roles. Realize in your organization that the terms Product Owner or Product Manager maybe the terms used.

Now that you have a common understanding of what project management is, let’s define the concept of a project lifecycle.

Project Lifecycle

All projects go through a standard lifecycle that begins as an idea, requires planning, then consumes time and resources in project execution, and finally ends in reflective learning for the benefit of future projects.

Let’s begin by briefly reviewing each lifecycle stage, description and output:

Traditional Project Lifecycles

In traditional projects, the lifecycle stages can be linear. Let’s use the project of building a doghouse as our example. In a traditional project, you get the idea to build a doghouse and it is a good idea (Initiation stage) so you decide to plan out the doghouse build. In Planning, you determine the high-level requirements for the doghouse (size, materials, location, and protecting your dog from the mud, rain and wind) and define the budget, timeline and resources. If the plan