97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know

Description

If the projects you manage don't go as smoothly as you'd like, 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know offers knowledge that's priceless, gained through years of trial and error. This illuminating book contains 97 short and extremely practical tips -- whether you're dealing with software or non-IT projects -- from some of the world's most experienced project managers and software developers. You'll learn how these professionals have dealt with everything from managing teams to handling project stakeholders to runaway meetings and more.

 While this book highlights software projects, its wise axioms contain project management principles applicable to projects of all types in any industry. You can read the book end to end or browse to find topics that are of particular relevance to you. 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know is both a useful reference and a source of inspiration.

 Among the 97 practical tips:

* "Clever Code Is Hard to Maintain...and Maintenance Is Everything" -- David Wood, Partner, Zepheira
* "Every Project Manager Is a Contract Administrator" -- Fabio Teixeira de Melo, Planning Manager, Construtora Norberto Odebrecht
* "Can Earned Value and Velocity Coexist on Reports?" -- Barbee Davis, President, Davis Consulting
* "How Do You Define 'Finished'"? -- Brian Sam-Bodden, author, software architect
* "The Best People to Create the Estimates Are the Ones Who Do the Work" -- Joe Zenevitch, Senior Project Manager, ThoughtWorks
* "How to Spot a Good IT Developer" -- James Graham, independent management consultant
* "One Deliverable, One Person" -- Alan Greenblatt, CEO, Sciova

CONTENTS:

PrefaceChapter 1: Get Users Involved As Early As PossibleChapter 2: Avoid Whack-a-Mole DevelopmentChapter 3: A Word Can Make You Miss Your DeadlineChapter 4: Make Project Sponsors Write Their Own RequirementsChapter 5: Favor the Simple Over the ComplexChapter 6: Pay Your DebtsChapter 7: Add Talents, Not Skills, to Your TeamChapter 8: Keep It Simple, SimonChapter 9: You Aren't SpecialChapter 10: Scrolling Through TimeChapter 11: Save Money on Your IssuesChapter 12: How to Spot a Good IT DeveloperChapter 13: Developer Productivity: Skilled Versus AverageChapter 14: Size MattersChapter 15: Document Your Process, Then Make Sure It Is FollowedChapter 16: Go Ahead, Throw That Practice OutChapter 17: Requirement Specifications: An OxymoronChapter 18: Success Is Always Measured in Business ValueChapter 19: Don't Skip Vacations for the ProjectChapter 20: Provide Regular Time to FocusChapter 21: Project Management Is Problem ManagementChapter 22: Empowering Developers: A Man Named TimChapter 23: Clever Code Is Hard to MaintainChapter 24: Managing Human Factors in IT Project ManagementChapter 25: Use a WikiChapter 26: The Missing LinkChapter 27: Estimate, Estimate, EstimateChapter 28: Developers Unite - PMOs Are AdvancingChapter 29: Value Results, Not Just EffortChapter 30: Software Failure Is Organizational FailureChapter 31: A Voice from the Other SideChapter 32: Keep Your PerspectiveChapter 33: How Do You Define "Finished"?Chapter 34: The 60/60 RuleChapter 35: We Have Met the Enemy...and He Is UsChapter 36: Work in CyclesChapter 37: To Thine Own Self Be TrueChapter 38: Meetings Don't Write CodeChapter 39: Chart a Course for ChangeChapter 40: IT Program Management: Shared VisionChapter 41: Planning for RealityChapter 42: The Fallacy of Perfect ExecutionChapter 43: Introduce a More Agile Communication SystemChapter 44: Don't Worship a MethodologyChapter 45: Don't Throw Spreadsheets at People IssuesChapter 46: One Deliverable, One PersonChapter 47: The Fallacy of Perfect KnowledgeChapter 48: Build Teams to Run Marathons, Not SprintsChapter 49: The Holy Trinity of Project ManagementChapter 50: Roadmaps: What Have We Done for You Lately?Chapter 51: The Importance of the Project Scope StatementChapter 52: Align Vision and Expected OutcomeChapter 53: Alice Doesn't Live Here AnymoreChapter 54: Avoiding Contract DisputesChapter 55: You Get What You MeasureChapter 56: Don't Fall into the "Not Invented Here" SyndromeChapter 57: Favor the Now Over the SoonChapter 58: Speed Is Life; More Is BetterChapter 59: Building the Morale on Your TeamChapter 60: A Project Depends on TeamworkChapter 61: Serve Your TeamChapter 62: The Fallacy of the Big Round BallChapter 63: Responding to a CrisisChapter 64: Know Your Integration PointsChapter 65: Aggressively Promote Communication in Distributed ProjectsChapter 66: Start with the End in MindChapter 67: Clear Terms, Long Friendship!Chapter 68: The Best Estimators: Those Who Do the WorkChapter 69: Communicating Is KeyChapter 70: A Project Is the Pursuit of a SolutionChapter 71: It's the People, StupidChapter 72: Documents Are a Means, Not an EndChapter 73: Can Earned Value and Velocity Coexist on Reports?Chapter 74: Scope Change Happens; Get Used to ItChapter 75: Buying Ready-Made SoftwareChapter 76: Project Sponsors - Good, Bad, and UglyChapter 77: Should You Under-Promise, or Over-Deliver?Chapter 78: Every Project Manager Is a Contract AdministratorChapter 79: Important, but Not UrgentChapter 80: Teach the ProcessChapter 81: The Fallacy of StatusChapter 82: What Do They Want to Hear, Anyway?Chapter 83: Recognize the Value of Team MoraleChapter 84: Engage Stakeholders All Through Project LifeChapter 85: The Value of PlanningChapter 86: Don't Always Be "The Messenger"Chapter 87: Effectively Manage the DeliverablesChapter 88: We Are Project Managers, Not SuperheroesChapter 89: Increase Communication: Hold Frequent, Instant MeetingsChapter 90: Flexibility Simplifies Project ManagementChapter 91: The Web Points the Way, for NowChapter 92: Developers Hate Status Reports, Managers Love ThemChapter 93: You Are Not in ControlChapter 94: Share the VisionChapter 95: True Success Comes with a Supporting OrganizationChapter 96: Establish Project Management GovernanceChapter 97: 9.7 Reasons I Hate Your WebsiteContributorsColophon