The Rational Project Manager::Thinking Team's Guide to Getting Work Done[Hardcover,2007]

by Jim Mullins (Contributor)

"In today's increasingly complex business environment, more and more of the work companies do is done in the form of projects. To be profitable and successful, an organization's projects must be completed on time and on budget, while also meeting its goals. As a result, the art of project management has become increasingly vital to businesses everywhere." "This guide explores and explains the rationale, processes, and tools of successful project management. While The Rational Project Manager covers the nuts and bolts of the discipline, it also offers a unique concentration on the logic and thought processes necessary for successful project completion." The authors divide project management into three stages - definition, planning, and implementation - exploring each stage in depth and showing project managers and contributors how to apply concepts and avoid common mistakes. Setting aside theoretical exploration, complex formulas, and software-as-savior cure-alls, The Rational Project Manager focuses on the fundamentals of why projects fail and offers a proven methodology for making sure they don't.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published April 15, 2005

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, project management is not just about using Microsoft Project and going through the core steps: planning, solving problems, making decisions, and assessing risk. It also emphasizes the critical thinking–the why–that is vital to project management excellence. Critical thinking sounds difficult but this book is an easy read. It uses simple language and shows the step-by-step process following the renowned Kepner-Tregoe's (KT) problem solving and decision-making formula.

I got this book for free when my company allowed me to go to a 2-day seminar entitled "Managing People in Projects". It was held in HongKong. I still see the date I wrote on the title page of the book: "7 August 2008." This was during those years when it was still quite easy to get an approval to attend seminars including those held abroad.

I decided to read this book to brush up on project management. Business transformation means projects. Business strategic planning means projects. Annual setting of objectives might still result to projects. The last one maybe not as grand as those of the first two but even if you do your individual or team objectives and key results (OKR's), the disciplines of project management including this book's problem solving and decision making KT steps will come in handy. This book also espouses that project management is not so much about controlling activity, managing time, and controlling costs; it is more about sharpening and harnessing the thinking of everyone serving on a project team and directing the organization's capabilities toward achieving results. This means that this book can be for everyone in the company. Sometimes, even when we respond to a simple requests, unknowingly we are already a contributor to a project.

My favorite part of this book is still the chapter on how to manage people in projects. I was sent to HongKong for it in 2008. Almost a decade now, it is still the most daunting part of project management. I read that chapter very slowly to see if there is something totally new that I can try in my job. Yes, there are. However, it does not mention my tried-and-tested way: serving food during the team meetings. Tsk tsk. These American writers don't know how we Filipinos deliver our projects.

[Patricia Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful introduction to project management with plenty of tips and examples. I was lucky that my company had an extra one of these on hand when I was assigned a project to lead. Going into it with only experiences as a participant, I really had little idea where to start. Having finished this book, I feel much better. Sure, it doesn't replace training and education for project management, but it is hugely helpful just the same.

I think one of the things I like about this is the ease of the read. It's written in conversational language and the examples follow one project, so we get a good picture of how the tools are used and how they would be reflected in a real-life scenario. Some of it can be immediately put to use on a project, while other things highlighted where I might want to find a mentor or formal training. That, in itself provides value. The book has helped me learn the language of projects and ask coherent, targeted questions of those more experienced.

I probably would have skipped the last chapter if I didn't want this to count towards my book reading goal for this year. It's mostly advice on how to make project management a goal and a standard in one's organization, and it came off a bit like an advertisement (though with useful tips). As a novice project manager, it was a bit beyond what I needed. Also, some of the information and advice in the book seemed overwhelming. It wasn't until the final chapters where the book finally said that sometimes it isn't necessary to do it all. All this after presenting a very solid case for everything it contains.

Still, the strategies are sound and I am one who prefers to know my options before I decide on them. I feel better equipped to tackle projects and more confident as well. I would recommend this book to anyone just starting out in project management. It's a great place to start. I would like to attend some formal KT Project Management training, and I think I'll have an easier time of it when I do because I have read this.

[Mohamed Ateaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book mix between PMP and management

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must-read for everyone in a project management career

[Robert Grohoľ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Project management for dummies...