Results Without Authority Controlling a Project When the Team Doesnt Report to You A Project Managers Guide

“As project managers, our essential struggle is to lead cross-functional initiatives through hierarchies and politics. I have often wished for a roadmap to guide myself and my team. Results Without Authority is that roadmap, and I plan to refer to it often.” — Wendy M. Pfeiffer, Enterprise PMO Manager, YAHOO Inc.

“A must-read for project managers! Chocked full with pragmatic advice and detailed steps for leading projects successfully.” — Craig Chatterton, General Manager, SupportSoft Inc.

When you’re a project manager with a team of people who don’t technically report to you, your challenge is to get Results Without Authority. This book delivers proven techniques for controlling projects and managing diverse teams in a wide variety of situations, and bringing those projects to successful closure. The concepts in this book are essential for all project managers, with and without authority, because they offer a productive alternative to “command and control” management techniques that can easily backfire. You will learn how to establish and build:

• Control Through Process.

• Control Through Influence.

• Control Through Project Metrics.

• Control with Project Initiation.

• Control Through Project Planning.

• Control Through Tracking and Monitoring.

• Control Through Project Closure.

Packed with invaluable guidance, this book will help novice and experienced project leaders get the best from their project teams.

Tom Kendrick is a program manager, most recently with the Hewlett-Packard Company, and the author of Identifying and Managing Project Risk and The Project Management Tool Kit. He conducts project management classes, and presents at conferences and universities on program management, project risk, and related topics.

“Results without Authority stands out by methodically and thoroughly exploring the issue of control throughout the project life cycle."

-Journal of Product Innovation Management

“…full of sound, practical, project management advice for carrying out IT and similar type projects…laced with the practical wisdom." -- Max’s Project Management Wisdom

"When you’re a project manager with a team of people who don’t technically report to you, your challenge is to get Results Without Authority. This book delivers proven techniques for controlling projects and managing diverse teams in a wide variety of situations, and bringing those projects to successful closure. The concepts in this book are essential for all project managers, with and without authority, because they offer a productive alternative to ""command and control"" management techniques that can easily backfire.

Tom Kendrick’s system will help you get successful project results from diverse, cross-functional, virtual, outsourced, and other types of project teams by showing how to establish and build:

Control Through Process. Key project management processes, infrastructure, and the role of the project office.

Control Through Influence. Productive leadership styles, reciprocity, and maintaining relationships.

Control Through Project Metrics. Quantitative, predictive, diagnostic, and retrospective metrics for project control, motivating desired behaviors, and avoiding potential problems.

Control Through Project Initiation. The role of the sponsor in project control, the importance of project vision, project launch documentation, and the project start-up workshop.

Control Through Project Planning. Collaborative planning as the foundation of project control; planning as a key factor in setting baselines and establishing metrics.

Control During Project Execution. Measurement and interpretation of project status, informal communication, and maintaining relationships as keys to maintaining control.

Control Through Tracking and Monitoring. Controlling scope and other project parameters; formal project communication and reporting, rewards and recognition, and project reviews.

Enhancing Overall Control Through Project Closure. Sign-off, evaluating retrospective project metrics, celebrating, and rewarding the team; improving long-term project control through lessons learned.

Packed with invaluable guidance for controlling projects of all scopes and in any field, Results Without Authority will help novice and experienced project leaders get the best from their project teams."

“Results without Authority stands out by methodically and thoroughly exploring the issue of control throughout the project life cycle….this practical project management reference brings together a lot of ideas and concepts worth considering for readers who are confronted with projects over which they have little to no formal authority."-Journal of Product Innovation Management

“...stands out by methodically and thoroughly exploring the issue of control throughout the project life cycle."

-Journal of Product Innovation Management

“…full of sound, practical, project management advice for carrying out IT and similar type projects…laced with the practical wisdom." -- Max’s Project Management Wisdom

"This book is full of sound, practical, project management advice for carrying out IT and similar type projects. It is also laced with the practical wisdom that only comes from years of "Been there, done that.'" -- Max’s Project Management Wisdom

“…important for all project managers, with and without authority… Packed with valuable guidance for controlling projects of all scopes and in any field.” – PM Network

Tom Kendrick is a program manager, most recently with the Hewlett-Packard Company, and the author of Identifying and Managing Project Risk and The Project Management Tool Kit. He conducts project management classes, and presents at conferences and universities on program management, project risk, and related topics. He lives in San Carlos, California.

"Acknowledgments

Control of Projects

Who’s in Charge Here?

Structure of This Book

Elements of Project Control

No One Ever Said That Projects Are Easy

Control Through Process

Project Management Processes

Project Infrastructure

The Project Office

Key Ideas for Project Processes

Control Through Influence

Appropriate Leadership Styles

Getting Through Giving

Enhancing Influence

Maintaining Relationships

Key Ideas for Influence

Control Through Project Metrics

Desired Behaviors

Types and Uses of Project Metrics

Measurement Definition and Baselines

Potential Problems and Measurement Barriers

Key Ideas for Project Metrics

Beginning Control with Project Initiation

Sponsorship

Project Vision

Project Launch

Start-Up Workshops

Working with Cross-Functional, Distributed, and Global Team Members

Key Ideas for Project Initiation

Building Control Through Project Planning

Plan Collaboratively

Measure Your Plan

Set a Realistic Project Baseline

Use Your Plan

Key Ideas for Project Planning

Maintaining Control During Project Execution

Deploying Status-Based Metrics

Status Collection

Informal Communication

Maintaining Relationships

Key Ideas for Project Execution

Tracking and Monitoring for Project Control

Scope and Specification Change Management

Overall Control

Formal Communication

Rewards and Recognition

Project Reviews for Lengthy Projects

Project Cancellation

Control Challenges

Key Ideas for Project Tracking and Monitoring

Enhancing Overall Control Through Project Closure

Delivering Your Results and Getting Sign-Off

Employing Retrospective Project Metrics

Administrative Closure

Celebration and Team Rewards

Capturing Lessons Learned

Key Ideas for Project Closure

Conclusion

Appendix A: Example Project Infrastructure Decisions

Appendix B: Selected References

Index"