Customer Reviews

Getting Started in Project Management

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is the best I've come across for the occasional project manager. It also contains techniques that even a seasoned project manager will find useful.

For the occasional project manager the authors provide a straightforward and [in my opinion] foolproof approach to planning and managing projects. What I like is the emphasis is on taking the time to properly plan the project, and focus on what is going to be delivered and the quality of the deliverables. While deliverable-based project management is one way to assure a properly planned and managed project too many PMs only discover this basic fact after many projects and not a few disasters. This book brings this technique to the occasional PM and explains it in a manner that makes sense. Deliverable quality is addressed by showing the PM how to develop customer acceptance criteria. This ensures that the stakeholders are getting what they require in a form that can be measured. For anyone who has developed a solution using sketchy requirements only to have the solution rejected, the customer acceptance criteria alone makes this book worthwhile.

For the advanced project manager the method outlined is missing some critical elements, such as earned value project management and a coherent discussion of developing a work breakdown structure. However, these oversights can be overcome by purchasing a book such as Visualizing Project Management, which covers these basics. What is not found in any other project management book I've read (and there are dozens) is the integrated use of common analysis and decision techniques that is the topic of Chapter 11. The approach is based on identification, organization, analysis and selection (choices). These are achieved through affinity diagramming (identification and organization), interrelationship diagraph (analysis and choice), a decision matrix (analysis and choice) and multivoting (analysis and choice). The end result is a thorough analysis and consensus among all project stakeholders for deliverables, acceptance criteria and other aspects of the project. These tools are extended in Appendix D, which briefly, but succinctly, describes the Martin Tate Problem Solving Methodology.

Occasional and advanced project managers alike will benefit from the detailed instructions for managing project changes, the many checklists and tables throughout the book (augmented by well designed illustrations), and the way the authors blend hard project management techniques with people skills.

If you find yourself tasked with managing relatively simple projects this should be the first book to which you turn. If you are a seasoned professional who wants to add some effective skills to your bag of tricks this book will prove to be a wise investment.

This is an easy to read book for anyone seeking an introduction to project management or to refine their skills.

The book goes beyond a mere introduction to the four phases of project management - initiation, planning, execution and closeout -- by providing tools which integrate common analysis and decision techniques. The authors' approach is based on identification, organization, analysis and choice. Their toolset provides a roadmap to help teams make the best decisions during the planning and execution phases of the project.

I also found the sample team contract and self-assessments found in the appendix to be insightful.

There is a beauty in simplicity; Paula Martin and Karen Tate have achieved it with this book. Even if you have been practicing project management for years, spend some time with this book. The insights contained in it will reward you for years to come.

Whether you are a project manager, someone who manages project managers or the poor soul picked to "manage" that career-killing, out of control project, this book is for you.

Breaking down the practice of project management into easy to learn steps, Martin and Tate take you through the basics of project management.

Using the principles defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Martin and Tate take you through each step, from assembling your team and assigning roles through to completion (and celebration!).

If you are uneasy about managing projects or simply don't know what is entailed, this book will put you at ease. Once you understand the basic principles of managing a project (any project!) and lay out the steps defined, it is easy to bring your projects under control.

Whether you take the Martin-Tate class on Project Management or not, this book belongs in your library. As with any good reference book, you'll find yourself referring back to it over time.

The material presented in this book is very easy to read and earned my complete respect for more than "Getting Started". In my view this book offers great value for money. Reading this book like attending a world class seminar that we have to pay thousands of dollars, not to mention about travel. The current Tools and practical Lists and Forms presented are very concise and ready for use. Don't be misled by the title. This is a down-to-earth book for seasoned project managers as well.

This book's value is that it gives a systematic, clear approach to planning and managing that 80% of projects that are characterized as simple. Such projects include system roll-outs, simple construction, office moves and small integration projects. The book's 14 chapters are: (1) basics, which set the context of the authors' method called CORE [Collaborative-Open architecture-Results oriented-Easy to use), (2)initiating the project, (3) leading the project team, (4) project kick-off, (5) planning and scope, (6) organizing the project, (7) assessing risk, (8) scheduling, (9)budgeting, (10) assembling the project plan, (11) team-based tools), (12) executing the plan, (13) closing out the project and (14) summing up.

The CORE approach emphasizes planning, deliverables and customer acceptance criteria. This approach is closely aligned to the UK standard for project management called PRINCE2. Among the highlights of this book are: (1) integration of work breakdown structures (WBS) and organization breakdown structures (OBS) in such a manner that a WBS and OBS can be input into common scheduling tools, such as MS Project. One way the authors accomplish this is by using task IDs as the key instead of normal WBS code and grouping tasks according to their position on a 2-level tree. Another highlight is the numerous checklists and forms examples that fill the pages of this 263-page book. I personally found the appendices to be the most valuable aspect of this book. Appendix A is a project leadership skills self-assessment, B is a brief discussion of thinking styles, C is a sample team contract and D, in my opinion the best part of the book, is a clearly written description of the Martin-Tate Problem Solving Methodology that uses affinity diagrams, decision matrices and consensus building techniques to identify, organize, analyze and choose ideas and solutions. This methodology bridges technical aspects of project management and the people-related issues that a PM must deal with, within the project team and among the many project stakeholders. The final appendix, E, project management self assessment should have been combined with Appendix A, but this is not a shortcoming.

If you are new to project management and expect to be tasked with managing relatively simple projects this book is the best starting point I've found. If you're a seasoned project manager this book will show you a few highly useful techniques that you might not otherwise encounter, especially the Martin-Tate Problem Solving Methodology. If you will be managing both complex and simple projects I still recommend this book, but also urge you to read Visualizing Project Management, which will add skills such as advanced WBS development, activity optimization and earned value project management to your skill set.

Paula Martin and Karen Tate have created an excellent guide for those transitioning to the role of project manager. This book is well organized, well written, and presents the complicated topics of project management in a straightforward and easy to understand fashion. The CORE Project Methodology (CORE PM) presented in the text differs from most mainstream methodologies in its simplicity, yet it provides all of the key functionality needed to manage the project life cycle.

The authors emphasize four of the five PMI project process (initiation, planning, execution, and closure), and embed the fifth (control) as a thread running throughout the other four. As most project managers would agree, planning is the key process in a successful project, and this is where the authors have focused their attention. Their treatment of the planning process, from identifying scope through building the project schedule, is presented in a step by step manner which is quite easy to understand and follow.

The text presents several tools and techniques that the new project manager can employ to involve the project team in the planning process. These tools and techniques will help develop a sense of ownership in the project by the team.

All in all, this book is an excellent introduction to all aspects of project management, and provides some simple, yet effective, tools and techniques for managing the project life cycle.

If I had to recommend just one book for the novice project manager, this would be the book. Nicely designed, easy to read and well organized. This book has a practical orientation so it will not be satisfying to the academically inclined but if you are starting your first project and are looking for help then GET THIS BOOK AND READ IT.

This book was able to help me understand Project Management a lot easier. At the time i was doing a project management course, and the subject was very difficult for my collegues and I to comprehend. But as we read this book, we were better able to understand the subject a lot better. Thank you Amazon you have made learning a whole lot easier.

This book is the best I've come across for the occasional project manager. It also contains techniques that even a seasoned project manager will find useful.

For the occasional project manager the authors provide a straightforward and [in my opinion] foolproof approach to planning and managing projects. What I like is the emphasis is on taking the time to properly plan the project, and focus on what is going to be delivered and the quality of the deliverables. While deliverable-based project management is one way to assure a properly planned and managed project too many PMs only discover this basic fact after many projects and not a few disasters. This book brings this technique to the occasional PM and explains it in a manner that makes sense. Deliverable quality is addressed by showing the PM how to develop customer acceptance criteria. This ensures that the stakeholders are getting what they require in a form that can be measured. For anyone who has developed a solution using sketchy requirements only to have the solution rejected, the customer acceptance criteria alone makes this book worthwhile.

For the advanced project manager the method outlined is missing some critical elements, such as earned value project management and a coherent discussion of developing a work breakdown structure. However, these oversights can be overcome by purchasing a book such as Visualizing Project Management, which covers these basics. What is not found in any other project management book I've read (and there are dozens) is the integrated use of common analysis and decision techniques that is the topic of Chapter 11. The approach is based on identification, organization, analysis and selection (choices). These are achieved through affinity diagramming (identification and organization), interrelationship diagraph (analysis and choice), a decision matrix (analysis and choice) and multivoting (analysis and choice). The end result is a thorough analysis and consensus among all project stakeholders for deliverables, acceptance criteria and other aspects of the project. These tools are extended in Appendix D, which briefly, but succinctly, describes the Martin Tate Problem Solving Methodology.

Occasional and advanced project managers alike will benefit from the detailed instructions for managing project changes, the many checklists and tables throughout the book (augmented by well designed illustrations), and the way the authors blend hard project management techniques with people skills.

If you find yourself tasked with managing relatively simple projects this should be the first book to which you turn. If you are a seasoned professional who wants to add some effective skills to your bag of tricks this book will prove to be a wise investment.

I had to buy this book for a class of mine and even though I bought a used copy for only about $5 I can never get back the time I wasted on actually reading it. This book is only for people who are easily impressed with meaningless managerial doublespeak. If you want a useful and practical book on task and project management get a copy of "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. He provides a much more concrete solution that acknowledges the realities of everyday working life.