Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

by Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore

No project management training? No problem!

In today’s workplace, employees are routinely expected to coordinate and manage projects. Yet, chances are, you aren’t formally trained in managing projects—you’re an unofficial project manager.

FranklinCovey experts Kory Kogon and Suzette Blakemore understand the importance of leadership in project completion and explain that people are crucial in the formula for success.

This updated and revised edition of Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager offers practical, real-world insights for effective project management and guides you through the essentials of the value, people, and project management

Scope Plan Engage Track and Adapt Close 
If you’re struggling to ensure multiple projects are finished with high value and on time, this book is for you. If you manage projects without the benefit of a team, this book is also for you. Change the way you think about project management—"project manager" may not be your official title, but with the right strategies, you can excel in this project economy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Management, Leadership

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2024

Reviews

[Jerod Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just realized I assigned myself a book for homework… what have I become?

[André Luís Pitombeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent introductory guide for new project managers. It covers essential foundations needed to manage projects effectively, offering practical templates and examples. The book also provides an overview of agile methodology and its integration with traditional project management, making it a versatile resource. While ideal for beginners, seasoned project managers might find it lacking in depth. Overall, it’s a great starting point for those new to the field, but experienced professionals may need more advanced material.

[Des · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful for a project management noob like me! The topic is overwhelming for me but I'm glad I picked a book that doesn't use big words and have plenty of examples. The book contains step by step guides on how to do it. I started a project for my business yayyy! And I'll hold on to this book to guide me throughout. 🙏

[Marcos Fernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting with useful templates to organize and execute plans.

[Denise Griffitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager by Kory Kogon is an indispensable resource for anyone tasked with managing projects, whether officially designated or not.

What sets this book apart is its practicality. Kogon doesn't just discuss theory; she provides actionable advice and strategies that can be applied immediately to improve project outcomes. From initiating a project to closing it out successfully, each chapter is filled with valuable insights, real-world examples, and helpful tips that resonate with anyone involved in project management.

Whether you're interested in Agile, Scrum, or traditional project management approaches, Kogon covers it all, offering guidance on selecting the right methodology for your projects and maximizing efficiency.

Whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro, "Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager" belongs in your entrepreneurial library.

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very basic, sometimes overly so. For example: this contains an explanation of waterfall vs. agile methodologies that you've probably read about in 10+ books already if you're done any reading at all in the business/management/project domains. But it had been a while since I'd read a project management book and this contained some useful reminders of sensible concepts, such as the importance of listening well, clarifying expectations, getting sign-off on the project plan from all relevant stakeholders, using PERT to estimate activity durations, etc. I liked the explanation of the difference between scope creep and scope discovery; sometimes a project does need to change substantially and what is most important is creating value. There are some helpful templates, such as the project change request form. Will use for PMI PDU credits; ~4 hours.

[Avni V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a practical, no-nonsense guide for anyone managing projects without formal training. It breaks down the core phases of project management—initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close—into easy steps with real-life examples and simple tools. What makes it stand out is its focus on people and communication over complicated methods. It’s ideal for professionals in roles where project work is part of the job, but not the main focus.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, especially for the target audience - "Unofficial" project managers. Very well organized and concise, it focuses on the fundamentals that someone thrown into a project leadership role neeeds to wrap their head around. Well done.

[Vina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a pro

I felt this was a great intro to project management book. It resonated with me, as an unofficial project manager and provided some tangible actions and useful templates that I can put in motion today.

[Bryan Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

you’ve just been asked to lead a project. You have no experience managing projects. Invest a few hours and read this book.

[André Infante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful, offering interesting tools and methods to organize and manage projects and the team involved.

[Anand Doshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re new to and struggling with project management, especially in a cross-functional setting, you’ll find this book quite helpful

[Aerilaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not get an audio book copy of this, get the physical book since a good portion of this includes practice questions.

[Allie Roush · Rating 3 out of 5]

3

[Ryan Lytle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read. What a lot of “self-help” books miss on are end of chapter reviews. This book not only asks you questions to review the material, it also has you practice using the PM tools too.

[Nicole Wanzer-Serrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers the basics (and a few pro tips!) in an engaging and persuasive way. I seriously couldn’t put it down. I’ll recommend it to others, especially folks in project management roles.

[Mindy Schaper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a PMP, so this was a good brief review of things I had learned.

It went through three sections using two examples throughout. They were realistic about the struggles faced as a PM.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provided some great resources and ideas that I look forward to using at work. Best used if you practice the exercises, but I hope to return to it as a reference in the future.

[Reuben · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read with a book club at work. Getting to discuss each chapter with a group helped the concepts stick in my head.

I agree with the thesis: individual contributors are often responsible and accountable for driving forward a project with informal authority. The book outlines strategies for navigating these situations. However the writing is corporate and felt like homework to read. Many of their suggestions are heavy handed and prescriptive.

PERT formula for estimating work and building a critical path chart are tools I’ll take away from this and use on future projects.