The Definitive Guide to Project Management: Every executives fast-track to delivering on time and on budget [Paperback]

Sebastian Nokes (Author), Ian Major (Author), Alan Greenwood (Author), Mark Goodman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0273663976 | ISBN-13: 978-0273663973 | Publication Date: July 29, 2004

Knowing that you're managing a project that is going well is a good feeling. That moment when you know that it's going to happen on time, that it's avoided the pitfalls and delays that could have derailed it, and that people and resources have come together surely and smoothly, is a moment to savour. Fortunately, it's a very achievable moment if you have mastered the tools and techniques of great project management. Developed from the day to day experiences of real project managers facing real organisational and logistical challenges, this book is designed to put you on a fast-track to managing projects of every shape and size with speed and accuracy. This will be a powerful skill to possess in a business world where work is increasingly organised around projects. The Definitive Guide to Project Management will show you, step by step, how to deliver the right projects in the right way at the right time, while keeping your life in balance. Using the principles critical chain management, the authors help you master the essentials of good project management and then explore the situations where good projects and good business meet.How to manage risks and politics; how to demonstrate the value added by a project; how to communicate upwards and downwards in project teams; how to energise projects; how to turn failing projects around; and how to spot likely problem projects. It is practical, to the point, and can be used immediately. An essential companion if you want projects to be a source of inspiration not perspiration. Inside you will find key questions, step-by-step guidance and action checklists to help with each stage of a well-executed project: *Before you start *Planning *Preliminary definition *Full definition *Design *Build and test *Implementation *Shutdown and review With"The Definitive Guide to Project Management", you can deliver results on time, every time. Financial Times Prentice Hall's best-selling 'Definitive' suite provides managers and entrepreneurs with a fast-track to acquiring a range of essential executive skills. Other titles in the series include: "The Definitive Business Plan The Definitive Guide to Managing the Numbers The Definitive Guide to Marketing Planning"

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Knowing that you're managing a project that is going well is a good feeling.

That moment when you know that its going to happen on time, that its avoided the pitfalls and delays that could have derailed it, and that people and resources have come together surely and smoothly, is a moment to savour. Fortunately, its a very achievable moment if you have mastered the tools and techniques of great project management.

Developed from the day-to-day experiences of real project managers facing real organizational and logistical challenges, this book is designed to put you on a fast-track to managing projects of every shape and size with speed and accuracy.

The Definitive Guide to Project Management will show you, step by step, how to deliver  the right projects in the right way at the right time, while keeping your life balance. Using the principles of both traditional and critical chain project management, the authors help you master the essentials of good project management and then explore the sitiations where good projects and good business meet. How to manage risks and politics; how to demonstrate the value added by a project; how to communicate upwards and downwards in project teams; how to energize projects; how to turn failing projects around; and how to spot likely problem projects. As well as covering all the conceptual tools needed for project management, this book pays special attention to the soft issues involved - how to manage the people side of project management.

Inside you will find key questions, step-by-step guidance and action checklists to help with each stage of a well-executed project:

• Before you start
• Planning
• Preliminary Definition
• Full Definition
• Design
• Build and test
• Implementation
• Shutdown and review

With The Definitive Guide to Project Management, you can deliver results on time, every time.

About the Author

Sebastian was edcucated at Birkbeck & Imperial Colleges, University of London and has an MSc in finance from the London Business School. He was trained in investment banks, the insurance industry, the IT industry and publishing.

Sebastian is the author of a number of business books published by Pearson Education.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: FT Press (July 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273663976
• ISBN-13: 978-0273663973
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,645,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sebastian Nokes was born in Hong Kong and educated at Eton College and London University (Birckbeck, SOAS, Imperial and LBS), His first degree was in philosophy and he has an MSc in finance. He is a member of the IEEE. He currently lives in Dubai. His interests include skiing, writing, music and walking. He is currently completing a book on basic financial literacy. He served in HM's reserve forces, in the HAC, R Anglian, 2nd KEO Goorkhas and RAFVR/RAuxAF.

Sebastian is a partner in Aldersgate Partners, an international management consulting firm based in London and Dubai. Sebastian founded the firm in 1999 (it was then called ITVA Analytics) after working in the investment banking and high technology fields, at Credit Suisse First Boston and at IBM. Aldersgate aims to have a ratio of one partner to one or two non-partner professionals.

Apart from his professional work, his long term interest is to create a network of educational places where individuals can spend time focusing hard on some particular skill or subject.

He may be contacted at [e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, May 10, 2005

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Definitive Guide to Project Management: Every executives fast-track to delivering on time and on budget (Paperback)

As businesses adapt to rapidly evolving markets, it's difficult to think of a more vital function than project management. The ability to drive multiple projects to completion is one of the hallmarks of leading corporations. If one aspect of contemporary business science deserves elevation to a higher seat in the academy, project management is it. Successful projects reflect extremely efficient and refined planning processes, and are no more a matter of serendipity than, say, 20 straight quarters of steadily increasing profits. This compilation of valuable insight and guidance provides a single reference source for project managers. The book asserts that it is directed at project managers early in their careers and is designed to enable them to operate competently in organizations where a project management structure and legacy already exist. However, it goes into sophisticated levels of detail and the authors assume that you can juggle your jargon and your organization's politics and policies. Well-illustrated, with reader-friendly charts and a detailed appendix about critical chain project management, it provides a fundamental, thorough, all-you-need-to-know compendium for completing projects. We strongly recommend it to any project manager. The newer you are, the more you need it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, well organized, compelling, January 9, 2005

By 

Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Definitive Guide to Project Management: Every executives fast-track to delivering on time and on budget (Paperback)

This is an excellent walkthrough and summary of project management principles. The book is organized into three major sections; an introduction, a project management process, and a specifications development strategy. The second section is excellent. The chapters are ordered in terms of workflow and the advice is clear and pragmatic. The third section is excellent as well.

I've never seen a project management book as focused and well organized as this one. An excellent book for managers looking to better manage their projects, or for engineers looking for books to give management that will move projects up from CMM level 0.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive overview of PMBOK and more, November 10, 2007

By 

Steve Shirkey (Manhattan Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Definitive Guide to Project Management: Every executives fast-track to delivering on time and on budget (Paperback)

For those looking for materials related to the exams, this would not be a typical exam-focused book - a better book for those wishing to simply 'boot camp' through the PMBOK would be McGary's Passing the PMP(R) Exam: How to Take It and Pass It.

In this book, the authors deliver a brief overview of project management frameworks before settling into a comprehensive account of PMBOK methodology, detailing the specific processes (including inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs) according to the orthogonal perspectives of phase and knowledge area. The authors topic knowledge is reflected in their abiltiy to fluently contrast areas of the PMBOK where it differs from generally accepted practices and other industry approaches (PRINCE2 as just one example). The book also offers a detailed appendix devoted to the critical chain method as an alternative technique for compressing the critical path of a project which I found very interesting.

One key strength is the book's pragmatic focus: the authors often highlight potential project risks that exist in nearly all projects while suggesting methods of mitigating those risks. The authors have an undeniable feel for the challenges of everyday project management, and set out to offer a guide for those wishing to get it done as well as get it right.

My only disappointment would be the authors' complaints regarding software development projects and vendors, as they fail to grasp (borrowing here from Kovitz's excellent Practical Software Requirements: A Manual of Content and Style) the very different nature of projects found on the exploratory end of the engineering spectrum (building something new) with the more static and predictable forms of orderly engineering (building a new something), but on balance the authors more than make up for this minor flaw.