Project Management : The Complete Guide for Every Manager

by Clifford F. Gray, Erik W. Larson

Essential reading for passing the Certified Project Manager exam! The First Book to Combine Operational and Human Skills into a Flexible, Proactive Project Management Framework The ability to effectively manage projects is a, if not the, key skill for managers in today's bare-bones, hyperspeed workplace. Still, in most organizations, comprehensive project management training programs remain more the exception than the rule, leaving managers to make up the rules­­and pick up the pieces­­as each project takes on a life of its own. Project Management is today's most thorough training manual and reference for understanding and managing every aspect of the project environment. Focusing on the human element that is critical to project implementation and completion, it An intuitive five-step approach for collecting the necessary information to plan, schedule, and control a project Keys to managing project teams and ensuring effective communication between teams and stakeholders Techniques for maintaining control­­both formal and informal­­over projects of every size and scope A project is a process, one that either succeeds or fails one small step at a time. As a manager, you and you alone are responsible for the timely and successful completion of each step. Project Management features examples, case studies, and analysis for each phase of the typical project, to ensure that each project you manage meets its goals on time and on budget. Projects involve the creation by an individual or team of an entirely new product or process. To reach that goal, project managers must understand both the operational and human aspects of spearheading a project from conception to completion. In addition, because each project has unique characteristics and requirements that often aren't apparent until the project is well under way, a manager must be fully prepared to provide intuitive and instant solutions­­and be confident those solutions are correct. Project Management provides proven guidelines for managing projects from both the operational and behavioral standpoint. This added focus on the human aspect­­unique in today's project management professional library­­shows you how to work within the existing organizational culture, manage stakeholders and team members based on their differing and often competing goals and viewpoints, and even manage projects across organizations with opposing goals and cultures. Beginning with the initial planning stages and moving through teambuilding, control, and final delivery of project results, Project Management outlines solution-oriented, integrated methodologies for implementing the processes of project management. Examples from a wide variety of both manufacturing and service environments highlight the hands-on skills and solutions required Defining projects Organizing projects Estimating time and cost requirements Analyzing and managing project risk Managing teams and stakeholders Scheduling resources for utilization and availability Monitoring performance Conducting and learning from a project audit Effective project managers must seamlessly blend operational skills, prioritization abilities, and behavioral insights, often simultaneously. Project Management outlines a step-by-step framework for managing any project, in any industry or environment, and consistently achieving objectives with a maximum of efficiency and a minimum of waste.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Management, School, Reference, Engineering

380 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clifford F. Gray and Erik W. Larson have written a very detailed and lengthy book with real world case studies especially ones based in India. It serves as a reference for my Information Systems Project Management course I had. However this wasn't the best reference book I ever had my Fall 2017 semester while attending university. My professor filled in the blanks for the holes in the lessons that I had in regards to this book. There are many mentions to PMBOK and they could have been better. If I wanted to find any information I found it better to got the website. More up-to-date information would be much appreciated in the new editions. Overall, this book is good for learning about the general concept of project management but nothing in depth.

[Dhruv Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very detailed and lengthy book with real world case studies (specially indian ones), however reference to PMBOK could have been better. Overall Good for learning general project management.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this better-than-average textbook, Oregon State University professors Erik Larson and Clifford Gray split their time between discussing the process based elements of Project Management and the people based elements of project management. They are acutely aware that someone may be really talented with work project breakdowns, risk management and Gantt charts but still be ineffective as a PM due to a lack of people skills.

The book covers everything from project selection to budget and time management to dealing with the unexpected on a project to project closure and review. I appreciated that the chapters in this book were shorter and more digestible than in many textbooks. I felt like I could chose to read a lot or a little, depending on my energy level. There are also a number of real-world examples provided in almost every section, many of which are memorable and entertaining.

Things I learned from reading this book:

1. There is so much that I still don't know about business and Project Management.
2. We are all managing projects of various types and sizes all the time.
3. Management is hard.
4. I don't think I want to be a Project Manager.
5. It may be too late for that.

[Eric Herr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the text for my current Masters course in Project Management. Written by an Oregon State University professor (Larson) and a professor emeritus from OSU (Gray). Good text with helpful information but the layout is bit dull. Another 5 weeks in the course so my impression may change.

I found this book to be an excellent reference throughout the course and while developing a plan for a project at work. A bit stiff but useful and acceptably readable.

[Tom Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as text books go, this was an excellent one. Great examples, easy to read, a level of detail for almost any reader. If it weren't a text book (and thus inherently boring) it would probably get 5 stars.

[Gift · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for general learning of project management, could be more detailed.

[Bander AL Otaibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this book for my project management class. The book is filled with many examples and pictures that may help the reader to analyze any project process. The book was a great guide for using Microsoft proeject application. A lot of data and enhancements to your projects can be found through reading this book. What I really enjoyed was the order of the process that go from simple to complicated steps which is not that difficult for me to achieve. I still have the book and I am going to keep it as a resource for real projects I may face in real life.

[Stosha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many project management concepts were discussed. There were plenty of references to the PMBOK that could have been elaborated upon. Additionally, several concepts were had to follow as discussed in the book and I had to find YouTube videos to supplement.

[Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know project management!

[Margherita Cardani · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment the project is thought of till the end and adjourning of it, this books explain in details and with examples all the steps a project has to go through in order to be successful. New project management styles such as Agile are explained and the stakeholders involved in the project are described.

[Fran Hutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected a dry text, especially as this was a required class for an MA in Geographic Information Technology I was pursuing. Project management sounded like one of those tedious classes. But the book was pretty good, and informative, and I ended up really liking the class as well. The text made me want to consider continuing on in the field of project management someday. The accompanying CD and sofware was easy to use and an asset to the book and class.

Best of all, I found out Erik Larson is an author of great diversity, and I have added several of his fascinating sounding books to my to-read list. It speaks well of the text if I want to read other works by the author.

[Ashutosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the text book for the advanced course on Project management at GURU GOBIND SINGH INDRAPRASTHA UNIVERSITY, DELHI: MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (WE), Consultancy. The course has the following objective.

"Objectives: The objective of this course is to provide advanced understanding of various aspects of Project Management to the students to understand and apply these techniques to solve practical problems and become an effective Project Manager".

The theoretical text has been complimented with fitting case studies.No other single book meets the course objective as appropriately as this book.

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another text book to review. There's a lot about proejct management that focuses on the people involved, which makes sense to me. It doesn't matter what your process is, without the right people you won't be successful and your projects won't turn out the way you want.

[Sohail Khattak]

i learned how to manage the projects and different activities.

[Tanya Hakala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another basic overview of concepts, but this one was pretty good. I can see myself referring back to it again.

[Husain Haider · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I studied Software Engineering 2, I read this book. The book is clear with great examples and I keep this book with me. I use it when ever I need to participate in a project.

[loafingcactus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very clearly written book which proceeds stepwise through the concepts and examples, including earned value scenarios.

[John Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice blend of practice and theory, with good supporting cases. I used it as the main text for a Project Management course for 3 years. Students also liked it.

[Holly]

Easy to read, very informative. Good for a textbook.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly practical, although a bit verbose. Topics are cohesive and organized well.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graduate degree required reading

[Jayaram]

THIS BOOK IS NICE

[Waheeth]

This book is amazing, the concept is well explained by problems

[Gaby]

Good book to learn how to manage your small and big projects.

[Tony Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well presented, easily digested.