Project Management

DK Essential Managers

by Steve Sleight

Classify this itsy-bitsy book as a project management guide that isn't a project to read but that distills all the basics for you into a quick thumbnail guide on everything from establishing objectives and keeping to schedules and budgets to providing effective leadership and tackling problems efficiently. Along the way, simple checklists enable you to be fully prepared at every stage, from starting up to closing down, and accessible diagrams and flow charts explore different options for action and provide useful examples. Granted, if you're looking for very specific or in-depth guidance, you may find this book too cursory and general in its approach. But if you're looking for a thumbnail guide to the basics, it'll do you just fine.

It's worth mentioning that the book is also part of reference publisher Dorling Kindersley's Essential Managers series--20 itty-bitty li'l books on business and career topics ranging from communication, leadership, and decision making to the management of time, budgets, change, meetings, people, projects, and teams. Combining the For Dummies book series's talent for breaking down a lot of information into bite-size bits and sidebars with Dorling Kindersley's signature design style of crisp, classy graphics on a gleaming white backdrop, they don't represent the cutting edge of business thinking and they don't necessarily reflect any unique individual perspective. Instead, it's as though someone collated the best general thinking on these 20 topics and rolled them out into 72 brightly designed and easy-to-read pages, studded along the way with boxed tips, color shots of a multiracial cast of "coworkers" animatedly hashing through the workplace issues of the day, and a self-test of one's skills in the topic at hand on the last few pages of each volume. Again, they're not for anyone looking for more in-depth or focused help on any of the subjects they cover, but they're perfect as a quickie general-interest reference... and let's face it, they're so cute and look so smart in a neat little stack or row that you'll probably want to buy a whole bunch to give to your entire staff or department. --Timothy Murphy

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

72 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Bence Labancz]

A könyv viszonylag felületesen mutatja be a projektek lefutását az ötletek kipattanásától a projekt értékeléséig. belenget olyan izgalmas témákat mint a csoport alkaulás fázisai, vagy hogy milyen milyen szerepek vannak egy projektenbelül, vagy a vezetőenek milyen helyzetben milyen stílúst célszerű alkalmazni. De még egyszer, nagyon felületesen ám elleneben nagyon jól érthetően. A legfőbb haszna, hogy felelevenített olyan témákat, amiket korábban tanultam és most újra elő fogok venni.

[Sean]

You can get a Masters' Degree in Project Management so one book is not going to do the subject justice. However, this book is an excellent introduction. It covers all the key areas such as defining projects and stages; examining key roles, planning the project itself, setting objectives, a list of activitie while being awae of resources and constraints. The importance of leadership is explored in terms of style, building a team and leading effectively, as well as communicating clearly. Furthermore, performance is tracked, monitored, problems can be overcome and change dealt with. I have larger book on project management but this is my go-to book. Really helpful.

[Andreea]

Pretty basic, repetitive and vague. An easy afternoon read for a light intro to project management.

[Md Minhaj]

Very interesting and informative

[Kacey]

One of a set of little books handed down to me 'In case they might be useful'.
Whilst this guide is clearly very dated (especially regarding technology), the overview of steps and things to consider when undertaking project management forms a useful summary. Emphasis is on the importance of assessing all the different threats and challenges that may affect your project and techniques to defend your strategy against them.

[Adolfo Pérez]

Es una guía rápida y esencial para la dirección se proyectos.
Muy práctica, con información relevante para quienes se enfrentan a dirigir proyectos sin tener una formación de PM

[Robert]

Essential Managers: Strategic Thinking
Andy Bruce and Ken Langdon
D-K Adult

Bruce and Langdon focus on fundamentals, as do those who contribute articles to the volumes that comprise the Harvard Business Essentials series. First, they share their definition of strategy, then examine the strategic process, suggest how to balance pursuit of both short- and long-term goals, prepare for strategic success, and anticipate what may lie ahead. Next, they explain how to analyze the given situation in terms of influences, customers, competition, and the given organization’s available resources (e.g. the skills and capabilities of its people). Then Bruce and Langdon focus on the strategic planning process itself (definition of purpose, determination of competitive advantage, setting of operational boundaries, selection of points of emphasis, and estimation of probable costs of implementation. They conclude with a series of observations and suggestions concerning strategy implementation.

All under-performing organizations fail to formulate an appropriate strategy and/or do not execute it effectively. One key word is appropriate because a strategy that was appropriate only a few years ago (or yesterday) may no longer be appropriate now. Another other key word is effectively. With all due respect to the importance of knowing what to do and how to do it, former Texas football coach Darrell Royal is right: “potential” means “you ain’t done it yet.” Credit Bruce and Langdon with providing a remarkably comprehensive discussion of what to do and how to do it.

[Cade]

If you haven't received much formal training in project management, this book is a quick teacher and you will be able to implement the lessons into you work life immediately, if not into the way your company does things, at least into the way you do things.

[for-much-deliberation ...]

An excellent quick reference on Project Management techniques!

[Nada Mohsen]

استفدت منه جدًا وطريقة عرض الموضوع كويسة ومترتبة ترتيب زمني حلو

اكتر نقطة معجبتنيش هي إن كان بيطول اوقات في الشرح ويعيد شوية

[Lara]

pgs=72; glossary= no; color; index=yes/fair; wont help me study for the pmp but has nice pics

[أسدالدين أحمد]

أجمل حاجة فى الغرب ان كل حاجة عندهم بتدرس ..فقه الأشياء !