Synopses & Reviews
As project management has evolved and matured, so has the executive's role in project management. To ensure the success of individual projects and the organization as a whole, today's executives are increasingly involved in activities such as capacity planning, portfolio management, prioritization, and strategic planning specifically for project management. In fact, more and more executives are becoming certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs).
What Executives Need to Know About Project Management offers executives a guide to project management, focusing on what they need to know and what they need to do. It provides step-by-step guidance to help executives get effective, well-resourced project management teams in place and ensure the success of any individual project.
The book begins with basic principles, including a detailed discussion of the three best practices that enable executives to ensure effective project management:
Developing an environment where project management is viewed as a profession
Securing key personnel for project management positions
Creating opportunities for rewards and advancement through successful project management
Next, the book explores how executives serve as executive sponsors in project management teams, setting forth solutions to the many problems and challenges they face in this role, including managing disagreements, delegating authority, and accelerating projects.
The authors explain how the role of the executive sponsor changes depending upon the life-cycle phase of the project. For example, during the project initiation and planning phases, the sponsor may take on a very active role, ensuring that proper objectives are established and that the project plan satisfies the needs of the business as well as the needs of the client. During the execution phase, the sponsor may take on a less active role; however, the book shows how executive sponsors need to become involved when roadblocks appear, crises occur, and conflicts arise over priorities among projects.
Throughout the book, helpful illustrations clarify complex concepts and processes.
Synopsis
This is the second book in the new partnership between Wiley and the International Institute for Learning (IIL). The new series features cutting-edge approaches to project management that provide project managers with new perspectives as well as practical tools. Written by bestselling project management experts Harold Kerzner and Frank Saladis, "What Executives Need to Know About Project Management" conveys the basic principles of project management to top managers who need an understanding of the benefits of project management and how it fits into the overall business strategy, without the need to delve into the step-by-step processes.
Synopsis
Discover how executives can apply the Kerzner Approach® to improve project management
As an executive today, you need to become more involved in project management. That doesn't mean you need to become a project manager, but rather you need to know how to set the stage for a project's success, oversee its execution, and intervene directly at key strategic moments. Here's the book that gives you everything you need to know about your role in project management clearly and succinctly.
Based on principles set forth in the bestselling Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Tenth Edition, this easy-to-follow guide focuses on the pivotal role you play as an executive in project management. It introduces the acclaimed Kerzner Approach®, demonstrating how it empowers you with the skills needed to ensure that projects are completed successfully, on time, and on budget.
The International Institute for Learning/Wiley Series in Project Management features
the most innovative, tested-and-proven approaches to project management,
all explained in clear, straightforward language. The series offers new perspectives on solving tough project management problems as well as practical tools for
getting the job done. Each book in the series is drawn from the related IIL course and is written by noted project management experts.
About the Author
Harold D. Kerzner, Ph.D., is Senior Executive Director at the International Institute for Learning, Inc., a global learning solutions company that conducts training for leading corporations throughout the world. He is a globally recognized expert on project, program, and portfolio management, total quality management, and strategic planning. Dr. Kerzner is the author of bestselling books and texts, including the acclaimed Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Tenth Edition.
FRANK P. SALADIS, PMP, is a Senior Consultant and Trainer for the International Institute for Learning, Inc. and editor of the allPM.com newsletter, a global project management publication. Mr. Saladis was awarded the 2006 Linn Stuckenbruck Person of the Year Award by the Project Management Institute. The award recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the Institute as leaders in project management. Mr. Saladis is the originator of International Project Management Day, held each year to celebrate and recognize project managers from around the world.
International Institute For Learning, Inc. (IIL) is a global leader in professional training and comprehensive consulting services in the areas of project, program, and portfolio management, PRINCE2®, business analysis, Microsoft® Office Project and Project Server, and Lean Six Sigma. IIL is an IIBA-endorsed education provider, a PMI® charter global registered education provider, and a member of PMI's Silver Alliance Circle and Corporate Council.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES.
The Triple Constraint.
Types of Project resources.
Chapter 2: THE EVOLUTION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
Evolution of Project Management.
Evolution: Project Objectives.
Evolution: Definition of Success.
Evolution: Velocity of Change.
Evolution: Authority and Job Descriptions.
Evolution: Evaluating Team Members.
Evolution: Accountability.
Evolution: Project Management Skills.
Evolution: Management Style.
Evolution: Project Sponsorship.
Evolution: Project Failures.
Improvement Opportunities.
Resistance to Change.
Chapter 3: THE BENEFITS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
Benefits of Project Management.
Quantifying the Benefits.
Chapter 4: THREE CORE BEST PRACTICES.
The First Best Practice.
The Second Best Practice.
The Third Best Practice.
Chapter 5: ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE AS A PROJECT SPONSOR.
How Executives Interface Projects.
The Executive Sponsor’s Role.
Chapter 6: SPECIAL PROBLEMS FACING EXECUTIVES.
Pushing Sponsorship Down.
Committee Sponsorship.
Handling Disagreements with the Sponsor.
When to Seek the Sponsor’s Help.
Types of Sponsor Involvement.
Placating the (External) Customers.
Gate Review Meetings.
Sponsorship Problems.
The Exit Champion.
Having a Vested Interest.
Project Champions vs. Exit Champions.
The Collective Belief.
Advertising Sponsorship.
Working with the Onsite Representatives.
Kickoff Meetings for Projects.
Taking the Lead.
Rewarding Project Teams.
Enterprise Project Management.
Executive Involvement (with Tradeoffs).
Chapter 7: NEW CHALLENGES FACING SENIOR MANAGEMENT.
Measuring Project Management Success.
Success.
Types of Values.
Four Cornerstones of Success.
Success versus Failure.
High Level Progress Reporting.
Validating the Assumptions.
Accelerating Projects.
Project Manager Selection.
Delegation of Authority.
Visible Support.
Channels of Communications.
Avoid Buy-ins.
Budgeting.
Working relationships.
Chapter 8: ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EXECUTIVES.
The New Role for Executives.
Activities for a PMO.
The Executive Interface.
Expectations.
A Structured Path to Maturity.
An Unstructured Path to Maturity.
Conclusion.
Index.