Customer Reviews

How to Cheat at IT Project Management

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I manage a lot of different kinds of projects, though none of them are strictly "IT" projects. I was looking for a resource to help me better manage projects and this book fills the bill. What I like about this particular resource is that it covers the basics and beyond but I don't have to wade through complex, DRY, boring PM processes. I'm not a real fan of hardcore, boot camp style PM, so I wanted something that was accurate, reliable AND user-friendly. This book is all of that.

Another bonus in this book is the inclusion of the material in the first four chapters - aligning IT projects with corporate strategy, managing IT projects in a political environment (and all environments are political...if you don't agree, read Chapter 3 again!), and the real ace-in-the-hole Chapter 4 on managing teams effectively. I've been managing people, teams and projects for 15 years and I picked up some great tips from these first four chapters. They are great resources for anyone in business today regardless of whether you manage projects or not (but more and more of us do these days). Snedaker's business background really comes through in these chapters and if you never get past the first four chapters, you'll have a resource you'll find yourself referring to time and again.

When you get to Chapter 5, the PM material begins in earnest. These chapters are well-written and user-friendly. I like the various sidebars, they provide interesting and useful information related to the material - from how to use the material just presented to pitfalls to avoid and best practices to adopt. It breaks up what could easily become boring material and it's not just filler - it's material that adds value to this book and makes it stand out as not "just another PM book."

Another useful tool in this book are the diagrams at the front of each chapter (starting at Chapter 5) showing the PM process and the steps discussed in the chapter. It gives me a great visual for my PM process and I've already found myself referring to these diagrams. In fact, I copied the front page of each chapter containing these diagrams and put them in sequence on my bulletin board in my office as a quick visual reminder. If I want to find something related to the PM process, I can quickly look at these diagrams then refer to the chapter to find the info I'm looking for.

Bottom line - this book is chock full of useful information that you can apply whether you manage IT projects or any other kind of project and I haven't seen another book on the market today that have both the depth and breadth that this one does. With an increasing focus on project based initiatives in the workplace, I highly recommend this book as a "must have" resource. The other books on PM are just gathering dust on my bookshelf but this one is already dog-earred.

Are you an IT professional who's looking for a fast and easy way to do project management? If you are, you're in luck! Author Susan Snedaker, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that synthesizes project management fundamentals, IT processes and procedures, and business fundamentals.

Snedaker, begins by looking briefly at business process improvement and how project management fits into that world. Then, she explores corporate strategy issues so you can navigate through the sometimes confusing world of corporate IT funding. The author continues by showing you the why and how politics operate in organizations, and the insight and knowledge you'll gain that will help you navigate corporate policies more effectively. Next, she explores the skills that are required to manage the IT project team. Then, the author starts digging into IT project management itself. She continues by developing a bit more project detail including elements such as priorities, specifications, user requirements, and project infrastructure, to name just a few. Next, she looks at some of the ways you can build quality into your project without implementing an additional quality management program. The author continues by showing you how to put together a project team and how to assign roles and responsibilities to team members. Then, she shows you how to break the project down into manageable components so that you can not only plan the work, but you can develop a more realistic schedule and budget.
Next, she discusses strategies for managing your IT project. The author continues by reviewing a few more technical approaches to measuring project progress. Finally, she looks at the inputs, actions, and outputs from this final phase of IT project management.

This most excellent book shows you how to align your IT projects to the company's strategic objectives. It also shows you how to determine which project will solve the right problem at the right time while still delivering high-quality results.

In order to be successful in the IT business world you better have the right leadership and the right plan of attack. With Susan Snedaker's 'How to Cheat at IT Project Management' you get a great resource and a solid track record at how to succeed at both. From budgeting time to coming up with good estimates and timelines, this guide is an all-emcompassing look at the problems today of all IT professionals and how they can better manage their teams and themselves. If you work in the IT world or specifically are an IT team leader, this is a valuable resource to help come up with better projects and reap greater ROIs. Anyone in the IT leadership/management side would benefit from this book.

**** RECOMMENDED

This is a solid work on traditional IT project management. I'm not really sure what the whole cheating thing is about. This is the basic IT project management book written in a text book style (questions at the end, checklists, etc.) There is information on politics, team management, managing and tracking implementation and more.

It's more holistic than most of the books I've read on this topic and I liked that. IT projects don't exist in a vacuum and understanding how to operate within the larger corporate framework is important.

The only issue I have with the book is that it's overly formatting. There are lots of graphics around the headers and sidebars and that gets old fast.

Where other books cover IT project basics, How To Cheat At It Project Management goes a step further in showing project managers how to make sure an IT project is in line with company strategic objectives, and which will deliver the best results. Learn how to link work process to project tasks and budgets, and how to manage a team more effectively through a book which covers 'cheating' or shortcut methods to get a project back on the fast track. From when and how to report to identifying risks, How To Cheat At It Project Management holds all the answers to decreasing errors and increasing returns.

I have been in charge of some small companies IT departments over the years. Technology changes at the speed of light and it is very difficult to keep up with it. This book gives no nonsense information, checklists, etc about various topics in project management. I think the reason why they named it 'How to Cheat...' is because it is a single book containing all the information needed to understand what IT project management is all about. I especially like the sections on dealing on how to understand corporate and business strategies and how IT is supposed to support them. When you don't have the money to go to school, this is a great book to have!

After taking Project Management I, II and III, and reading the classics like Kerzner's _Project Management_, this book is a solid supplement. In addition to the "basics" it gives insights on dealing with people, organizations and requirements in straight manner format.

The grey box inserts give real life examples on the topics discussed. I found the section on "forming the team" to be of great value. The sections on "quality" and "diagraming the processes" are full of valuable suggestions.

This is most certainly a book of value and I'm glad to add it to my library.

From the author: I've looked at a lot of IT project management books and they tend to fall into one of two categories. Either they include everything, including the kitchen sink, or they miss the big picture - the business and political environment in an organization and how those impact IT projects. This book is not intended to impart every detail of PM known to humankind, it's meant to provide IT managers with an easy-to-use format for implementing IT project management. What's unique about this book is that it includes information you'd get from an MBA fresh out of a top notch school, a seasoned business manager with years of field experience, and the savvy perspective of an IT professional with years of experience navigating the often murky political waters of an organization in order to get results. This book covers the bases for those who want to implement a more consistent approach to project management in the IT field. It doesn't go overboard with jargon and formal project management methodologies, it's thorough yet concise. It draws on generally accepted methods of managing a project without drowning you in minutiae. Projects large and small, complex and simple will benefit from the methods detailed in the book. This book also serves as an excellent introduction to formal project management. After reading and using the material in this book, some readers may find they want to dig deeper into formal project management and get certified. If so, the fundamentals in this book will serve as a great starting point. This book is a must-have for anyone who manages IT projects. You'll find it's a great reference that you'll turn to time and again as you fine tune your own, unique project management skills. If you want to improve your project results and reduce your IT project-related stress, read (and use) this book.

Excellent refresher on Project Management reinforcing that quality is built from the ground up, that metrics are a critical success factor while keeping on the radar screen - user satisfaction, prevention vs. correction and continuous improvement

Right to the point book. Covers what you really need to know about specific situations without holding your hand through the "how to". As a person who's been involved in fast moving IT projects I feel like this book really covers what you need to know to be on the right path to a successful project. I wouldn't use it as a bible but if you're looking for food for thought as a young project manager this is a great option.