Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Updated and Revised Edition) #

What and Who of Project Management #

Project Management is something that we do with everything in our life, even when we don’t apply all of the aspects or when it seems like something so small but is really complex. Majority of projects are managed by “unofficial project managers”.

Most knowledge workers are those already managing these unofficial projects, ranging from micro-projects like organizing a luncheon, to extremely large macro-projects like sending telescopes into space. Actions in these unofficial projects can include hosting kickoff meetings, meeting deliverables, and celebrating milestones.

“Operations keeps the lights on, strategy provides a light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward.”¹

Project Management expert Joy Gumz

Kogon, Kory; Blakemore, Suzette. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Updated and Revised Edition) (p. 3). BenBella Books. Kindle Edition.

Why of Project Management #

One project managemet pro explains that if you keep the simple things straight, you’ll be okay. He says, “Most complex projects fail because [the managers] forgot the very simple things, not because they couldn’t deal with complexity.”² The principles here are distilled from the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), seventh edition, produced by the PMI. PMBOK runs to hundreds of pages and describes project management in fine detail. In fact, the famous Agile Method of project management was born in reaction to the dogmatic approach taken by some traditionalists that swear by the Waterfall method.

Kogon, Kory; Blakemore, Suzette. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Updated and Revised Edition) (pp. 4-5). BenBella Books. Kindle Edition.

Purpose of This Resource #

This book is for those of us who are paid to think, innovate, and create. It’s for those of us who are asked to “get ’er done.” It’s neither a comprehensive textbook nor a reference guide. It teaches you the essentials of managing projects and provides basic tools in a real-world context. We have taken the complex world of project management and made it simple, clear, and easy to implement immediately. You’ll be riding the wave of the new project economy if you learn these skills. Interestingly, we’ve found that these methods and tools have positive side effects. We have applied them to other things we do, even outside work—at home, at school, at all our activities. We live in a chaotic, uber-paced, information-saturated environment, and the ideas in this book have helped us manage not only our projects but also our time and our lives. This book is about going from good to great in both your professional and personal lives. It’s about learning to do your highest-quality work—whether you’re taking on a professional project or planning a perfect wedding. If you consistently practice the principles in this book, you can avoid most of the scars that project managers usually get along the way and repeat success after success.

Kogon, Kory; Blakemore, Suzette. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager (Updated and Revised Edition) (pp. 5-6). BenBella Books. Kindle Edition.