And media development project editor chad

2ND EDITION

by Stanley E.Portny

Project
Management

FOR

FOR

Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada

For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books.

2O/RV/RR/QW/IN

A Project Management Institute--certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Stan received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and the degree of electrical engineer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stan has also studied at the Alfred P. Sloan School of Management and the George Washington University National Law Center.

Stan provides on-site training in all aspects of project management, project team-building and project leadership. He can work with you to assess your organization’s current project-management practices, develop planning- and control-systems and procedures, and review the progress of ongoing projects.

Author’s Acknowledgments

Writing and publishing this book was a team effort, and I would like to thank the many people who helped to make this possible. First, I want to thank Tracy Boggier, my acquisitions editor, who first contacted me to discuss the possibility of my writing this second edition of my book. Thanks to her for that phone call, for helping me prepare the proposal, for helping to get the project off to a smooth and timely start, for coordinating the publicity and sales, and for helping to bring all the pieces to a successful conclusion.

Acquisitions, Editorial, and
Media Development
Project Editor: Chad R. Sievers
(Previous Edition: Tere Drenth)
Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier (Previous Edition: Holly McGuire)
Copy Editor: Pam Ruble
Technical Editor: Jeffrey K. Pinto, PhD Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker

Composition Services

Indexer: Techbooks

Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan, Joe Niesen,
David Lutton
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Introduction .................................................................1

Part I: Understanding Expectations (The Who,
What, and Why of Your Project)....................................7 Chapter 1: Project Management: The Key to Achieving Results..................................9 Chapter 2: Clarifying What You’re Trying to Accomplish — and Why......................23 Chapter 3: Knowing Your Project’s Audience: Involving the Right People...............45 Chapter 4: Developing Your Game Plan: Getting from Here to There........................61

Part VI: The Part of Tens ...........................................327 Chapter 20: Ten Questions to Help You Plan Your Project .......................................329 Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Being a Better Project Manager.........................................333 Appendix A: Glossary................................................337 Appendix B: Combining the Techniques
into Smooth Flowing Processes...................................345 Index .......................................................................349

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Project Management: The Key to Achieving Results . . . . .9

What Exactly Is a Project?...............................................................................9 Defining Project Management.......................................................................11 Knowing the Project Manager’s Role...........................................................12 Looking at the project manager’s tasks.............................................12 Staving off potential excuses ..............................................................13 Considering the Life and Times of Your Project ........................................14 The conceive phase: In the beginning . . . .........................................15 The define phase: Establish the plan.................................................17 The start phase: Get ready, get set ....................................................18 The perform phase: Go!.......................................................................19 The close phase: Stop!.........................................................................19 Anticipating the Most Common Mistakes...................................................20 Do I Have What It Takes to Be an Effective Project Manager?..................21

Understanding Your Project’s Audiences ...................................................45 Developing an Audience List ........................................................................46 Ensuring your audience list is complete and up-to-date.................50 Making an audience list template.......................................................52 Identifying the Drivers, Supporters, and Observers
in Your Audience ........................................................................................53 Deciding when to involve them..........................................................54 Using different methods to keep them involved ..............................57 Getting People with Sufficient Authority ....................................................59

Chapter 4: Developing Your Game Plan: Getting
from Here to There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Meeting an established time constraint..........................................105 Illustrating ways to shorten a schedule ..........................................106 Estimating Activity Duration ......................................................................111 Determining the underlying factors.................................................112 Considering resource characteristics..............................................112 Finding sources of supporting information ....................................113 Improving activity span-time estimates ..........................................114 Displaying Your Project’s Schedule ...........................................................115

Chapter 8: Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

Defining Risk and Risk Management..........................................................150 Focusing on Risk Factors and Risks...........................................................151 Recognizing risk factors ....................................................................151 Identifying risks ..................................................................................155 Assessing Risks: The Likelihood and Consequences ..............................156 Gauging the likelihood of a risk........................................................156 Estimating the extent of the consequences....................................159 Managing Risk...............................................................................................161 Choosing the risks you want to manage .........................................161 Developing a risk-management strategy .........................................162 Communicating about risks ..............................................................164 Preparing a Risk-Management Plan ...........................................................165

Chapter 10: Defining Team Members’ Roles
and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181

Understanding the Key Concepts ..............................................................181 Distinguishing authority, responsibility, and accountability........182 Comparing authority and responsibility.........................................182 Making Project Assignments: Everything You Need to Know
(And More)................................................................................................183 Deciding what to delegate.................................................................183 Supporting your delegations of authority.......................................185 Delegating to achieve results............................................................187 Sharing responsibility........................................................................188 Holding people accountable when they don’t report to you .......189 Illustrating Relationships with a Linear Responsibility Chart ...............191 Reading an LRC...................................................................................193 Developing an LRC .............................................................................195 Ensuring your chart is accurate.......................................................196 Dealing with Micromanagement.................................................................198 Understanding why a person micromanages .................................198 Helping a micromanager gain confidence in you ...........................199 Working with a micromanager..........................................................200

Part IV: Steering the Ship: Managing
Your Project to Success..............................................215

Chapter 12: Tracking Progress and Maintaining Control . . . . . . . . . .217

Practicing Management and Leadership...................................................255 Developing Personal Power and Influence ...............................................256 Understanding why people will do what you ask ..........................257 Establishing the bases of your power .............................................258

Chapter 16: Managing Multiple Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .279

Defining a Multiple-Project Environment..................................................279 Planning in a Multiple-Project Environment.............................................281 Identifying project audiences ...........................................................281 Preparing the Statement of Work .....................................................282 Developing the Work Breakdown Structure....................................282 Differentiating people’s roles............................................................282 Identifying cross-project dependencies ..........................................283 Heading off conflicting resource demands .....................................283 Addressing risks in a multiple-project environment......................284 Starting a Project in a Multiple-Project Setting ........................................285 Formalizing resource commitments ................................................285 Creating the project team..................................................................286 Introducing the project to the organization....................................287 Performing the Project(s) — Putting the Plan into Action.....................287 Detailing for successful daily activities...........................................287 Reporting on progress.......................................................................288 Managing changes..............................................................................289 Taking Advantage of Special Opportunities .............................................289 Planning for similar activities ...........................................................289 Making use of economies of scale....................................................290

Chapter 18: Improving Individual and Organizational Skills
and Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305

Continuing to Improve Your Skills and Knowledge .................................305 Attending the appropriate formal training......................................306 Working with a mentor ......................................................................309 Obtaining a professional certification .............................................310 Bringing Improved Project Management Practices
to the Workplace ......................................................................................310 Using your new skills and knowledge..............................................311 Sharing your new skills and knowledge ..........................................312

What’s the Purpose of Your Project?.........................................................329 Whom Do You Need to Involve?.................................................................330 What Results Will You Produce? ................................................................330 What Constraints Must You Satisfy?..........................................................330 What Assumptions Are You Making?.........................................................331 What Work Must Be Done?..........................................................................331 When Does Each Activity Start and End?..................................................331