Brilliant Project Management (Revised Edition): what the best project managers know, do and say [Paperback]

Stephen Barker (Author), Rob Cole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0273722328 | ISBN-13: 978-0273722328

Projects - and Project managers - are failing at an alarming rate. In the IT industry only 24% of projects succeed according to the Government Office of Commerce. Railtrack and the upgrade of the NHS are high profile examples of large project failures. And there are plenty of low-profile examples available too - as any viewer of Channel 4's Property Ladder programme will confirm. In an ever growing market, Brilliant Project Management stands out from the crowd. This revised edition is part of the high profile Brilliant series and the first edition redefined the mould for books in this category. Through its engaging and entertaining approach, Brilliant Project Management does more than just talk you through the process. It provides practical advice and techniques taken from people's experience in the real world so you always know exactly what to do and say to make your project a success. Brilliant Project Management highlights the areas where your actions and behaviours will make the difference between failure, an average outcome, and a huge success. Whether you're always behind schedule and fighting to catch up, haven't a clue where to start, or simply want your projects to be more successful, this book will teach you simple and effective techniques to leading successful projects every time.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

What does it take to become a brilliant project manager?

Whether you are organising an important event or heading up a large team, running a project can be a daunting process. Spiralling costs and missed deadlines are part of everyday life for many project managers - in fact, more projects fail than succeed!

But project management doesn't have to be this way.  It is possible to manage projects that consistently meet deadlines and come in within budget. Brilliant Project Management shows you how. Drawing on over 30 years of experience, you’ll discover how to ensure your projects succeed every time.  It’s the ultimate guide to becoming a brilliant project manager.

Brilliant Outcomes

• Make a success of any project
• Bring projects in even earlier than expected
• Save money, time and your sanity!

About the Author

Stephen Barker is a project management consultant with over 15 years experience in the field. His clients have included Pfizer, Xerox, Ericsson and Hm Revenue & Customs.

Rob Cole is a project management consultant with over 20 years experience. He runs high profile projects and mentors project managers - specialising in trouble shooting projects and training new recruits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: FT Press (December 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273722328
• ISBN-13: 978-0273722328
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #934,447 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book I've Found On Project Management, August 17, 2007

By 

Nina Ray - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brilliant Project Management: What the Best Project Managers Know, Say And Do (Paperback)

Brilliant Project Management was recommended to me by a colleague in the UK but it wasn't easy to find around here. It's worth taking the trouble to track down a copy - it's easily the best book on project management that I've come across.

I've checked out loads of books recently and this one is different to the others. It's mainly about giving good practical advice based on experience and I caught myself saying: "yeah, good idea, I could easily do that" several times. I was able to start using their guidance immediately.

Most of it is based on commonsense and good practice. It also contains good supporting aids too, like checklists and prompts - they really help to put the ideas into action.

It also makes a change to see chapters dedicated to the people side of project management. In my opinion, too many so-called experts forget that building effective teams and motivating people are a key part of project management.

This book appeals to a wide audience too. It was perfect for someone with a reasonable level of experience like me, but you'd get a lot out of it even if you're new to the subject.

It's written by two English guys and it has plenty of their wry, hilarious humor. They feature a stack of their own excellent anecdotes dotted throughout the book and even the cartoons work well, so I get the feeling there was plenty of attention to detail.

Brilliant Project Management is easy to read and easy to dip into. And I can't remember laughing at a business book before. My only complaint is that it's so darned hard to find. Why? My colleague in the UK told me that over there this is currently the bestselling book on project management, so only the publishers know, I guess.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great handbook for any Project Manager, December 10, 2010

By 

D. J. Daiches - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brilliant Project Management (Revised Edition): what the best project managers know, do and say (Paperback)

I have been managing IT projects for 20 years now and although I have been on many training courses for various Project Management methodologies it is sometimes very easy to deviate from the core (common sense) principles of Project Management. The thing I like about this book is that it is something that is easy to pick up at the beginning of a project to give you a quick refresh of all the things that are needed to maximise your chance of success. Although I like to think I know it all, I never fail to find a nugget of advice that adds real value every time I pick it up.

I also have a team of project managers working for me of varying levels of experience and everyone of them has been bought a copy of this book. All of them would recommend it too! Again they are all qualified in one methodology or another but this book gives practical, real world advice/examples and doesn't pretend that every project can be run according to a text book.

Whether you are starting out in Project Management or a seasoned campaigner, you will get a lot out of this book. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise Project Management!, February 10, 2012

By 

Jonners286 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brilliant Project Management (Revised Edition): what the best project managers know, do and say (Paperback)

I found this book to be full of really useful tips, reminders and warnings. These have clearly been drawn from considerable experience and provide a concise overview of Project Management. This is a great tool to have at hand regardless of how much experience you have in the (sometimes) complex world of Project Management.