Top Project Management eBooks

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management eBook by Horine, Gregory

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management

101 Ways to Reward Team Members for $20 (or Less!) eBook by Aguanno, Kevin, J.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Your wallet is empty? And you still need to boost your team's performance? Building team morale is difficult in these tough economic times. Kevin Aguanno helps you solve the team morale problem with ideas for rewarding your project team without breaking the bank. Learn over 100 ways you can reward your project team and individual team members for just a few dollars. Full of innovative (and cheap!) ideas. Even with the best reward ideas, rewards can fall flat if they are not suitable to the person, the organization, the situation, or the magnitude of the accomplishment. Learn the four key factors that will maximize the impact of your rewards, and guarantee a delighted recipient.

74 Tips for Absolutely Great Teleconference Meetings eBook by Shessel, Ida

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Many organizations conduct their meetings over the telephone instead of face-to-face. There are challenges associated with trying to ensure that these meetings are productive, successful, and well-run. Learn how to get the most out of your teleconference meetings. This ebook contains tips for both the teleconference leader and the participant - tips on how to prepare for the teleconference, start the teleconference meeting and set the tone, lead the teleconference, keep participants away from their e-mail during the call, use voice and language effectively, and draw the teleconference to a close. The ebook also includes a helpful checklist you can use to assess what you need to do to make your teleconference meetings more effective.

Am I Meant to Mentor? Five Attributes of Best-in-Class Mentors eBook by Pacelli, Lonnie

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

As a young consultant I really thought I had it all together. I was getting great ratings, great raises, and wonderful accolades from clients. Because I (in my own mind) thought I was such hot stuff, I was not active in seeking out advice from more experienced colleagues. After all, what could they teach me? As I matured from an inexperienced hot-shot to an experienced manager, I developed a much stronger appreciation for the wisdom my more experienced colleagues could impart. This appreciation didn't happen naturally; I had to get my butt chewed off a bunch of times to realize that a wiser and more experienced colleague could help me get through the tough times and learn from my mistakes. I also needed a wiser colleague to hold a mirror up to my face to help me see my weaknesses. I needed (and still need) a mentor to help me be more effective as a leader. Whether for personal or professional reasons, having a mentor to turn to for advice and counsel is a very effective means of transforming knowledge into wisdom. Before I go any further, let's get a definition of wisdom in place: Knowledge + Experience = Wisdom In a mentoring relationship, a mentoree, or person being mentored, typically brings a lot of knowledge to the table. The mentoree has learned the fundamentals of how to do his or her job and can probably do the basics well. What the mentor, or the person doing the mentoring, provides to the mentoree is experience. The mentor provides perspective on what to do when things aren't optimal or when difficult situations crop up. When the experience from the mentor is transferred to the mentoree, it accelerates the wisdom building process because the mentoree now doesn't have to learn solely through his or her own mistakes. The mentoree is able to learn from a combination of his or her own mistakes and the mentor's advice about what to do or not do. For mentoring relationships to work well, I've found several items to be very important: The mentor should not have a direct reporting relationship with the mentoree. The mentoree can feel free to speak about issues which may be plaguing him or her without fear of retribution from a boss. The mentor needs to want to be a mentor. Mentoring is an incredibly important responsibility that is likely over and above any direct responsibilities the leader already has. If the leader doesn't want to be a mentor, he or she is going to view the time spent mentoring as a nuisance. The mentoree needs to want to have a mentor. Forcing someone to have a mentor is like trying to force a toddler to eat peas: the toddler may do it but he or she isn't going to like it. The mentoree needs to see the value in the relationship and must have a desire to benefit from the relationship; otherwise the mentor will just go through the motions until his or her plate is clean. In this action guide, I discuss five important attributes that, in my experience, any mentor needs to possess to be effective. I can also say that much of my experience in this area comes through doing things wrong and learning the hard way. My hope is to help you avoid some of the mistakes I have made and get you on the road to being a best-in-class mentor. Leading on the Edge TAction Guide Focus Topics Topic #1 - Be available for your mentoree Topic #2 - Make listening a priority Topic #3 - Keep confidences Topic #4 -Tell it straight Topic #5 - Have the courage to stop if the relationship isn't working

An Introduction to Agile eBook by Aguanno, Kevin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Wondering what all this talk about "Agile" is about? This eBook provides a brief overview of the business reasons behind the evolution of agile development methods. The book discusses why agile methods were developed in the first place, what is different about agile methods, and the major benefits to tbe gained from employing them, including reducing risk, increasing control, speeding up communications, and improving customer satisfaction. An excellent resource executives, managers, and developers who are new to agile methods and want to understand their common foundation.

Accelerated Project Management eBook by Lewis, James P.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Speed-to-market is the most critical factor determining the success of new products. James Lewis and Louis Wong, one of todays most accomplished project management author teams, discuss often-overlooked principles that can make the difference in the never-ending race to be first and best. They give project managers, engineers, and top-level decision makers the needed tools and techniques to:

Establish a solid and well-grounded vision
Turn that vision into an actionable road map
Implement platforms to support new processes

Back to the Basics eBook by Elia, Daniel

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Back to the Basics: Essentials for Today

Conquering the Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership eBook by Pacelli, Lonnie

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Pride. Envy. Gluttony. Lust. Anger. Greed. Sloth. You either recognize these as the seven deadly sins or as themes for prime-time television. Nonetheless, you were probably taught as a child that these are bad and you shouldn't do them. For purposes of this Action Guide, do as you were taught and think bad when you commit these similar sins in the workplace. As leaders, we are continually being introduced to new techniques and theories. Hammer & Champy's Business Process Re-engineering Model, McKinsey's 7-S Framework, and Kenichi Ohmae's 3C's Strategic Triangle are all examples of strategic models designed to help leaders think about their business in different and innovative ways. What sits on top of all of the models and frameworks, though, are a series of foundational attributes that every leader should possess if he or she is going to have demonstrated, sustained success as a leader. In my career as a leader, I've been fortunate enough to experience a broad array of leadership situations where sometimes I enjoyed fantastic success, and at other times experienced dismal failure. In looking back at my failures, many of them had nothing to do with a theory, framework, or technology that was utilized. The failures had to do with cracks in my own foundational attributes which left me vulnerable as a leader. I've boiled these down to seven key sins which this Action Guide will focus on to help you become a more effective leader. Leading on the Edge TAction Guide Focus Topics Topic #1 - The Sin of Arrogance Topic #2 - The Sin of Indecisiveness Topic #3 - The Sin of Disorganization Topic #4 - The Sin of Stubbornness Topic #5 - The Sin of Negativism Topic #6 - The Sin of Cowardice Topic #7 - The Sin of Untrustworthiness

Debriefs and Postmortems for Product Development eBook by Campos, Jose

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

This downloadable and interactive guide allows your product team to use and apply "lessons learned" in an effective manner. Studies show that "postmortems" are the best way to improve the productivity of teams, better than training, books, seminars and other tools. The ability to methodically identify areas of improvement from development programs and immediately apply them to upcoming efforts will result in improved productivity, more enthusiastic teams, and improved morale in your development organization. This ebook was developed by veteran product development experts who know how to "trim" methods to their very essence to make them work, even in tumultuous environments where change is the rule of the day. It will guide you step-by-step, including all the forms, templates and specially process maps required. It will also help you to avoid the common mistakes many organizations make that block them from obtaining the full benefits from debriefs. Finally, it will show you how to prioritize improvement changes, and how to deploy them through the organization in a way that it is embraced by all. Read this ebook today, because... * It's a step-by-step "how-to" guide. It provides all the processes, tools, forms and the templates that you need to plan and execute debriefs that will result in sustained and measurable improvement in performance. * It helps you focus your effort on applying "lessons learned" in a way that results in better productivity for your development team. * It's been field-tested and continuously improved over many years with actual product teams to ensure effectiveness and immediate applicability in the real world! * Because it's an enhanced Adobe PDF file, the ebook takes full advantage of hyperlinks, "fillable" forms, interactive templates, and more. You are no longer tied to the old paper model. Plus you can share the forms, templates and processes with your colleagues around the world.

A Survival Guide for Project Managers eBook by Taylor, James

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

More and more companies (even those that aren't project driven) are turning to project management to take advantage of the highly disciplined process that focuses on achieving results on time, on schedule, and on target. "A Survival Guide For Project Managers" is a practical, hands-on guide that gives project managers all the skills they need to move a project through its complete life cycle, including how to: -- develop the behavioral and business skills required of a project manager -- resolve conflicts and improve negotiation capabilities -- understand and apply the various technical tools of project management -- improve speaking and writing skills -- establish project teams, and more

All Aboard! Five Tips for Keeping Your Business on Track eBook by Pacelli, Lonnie

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Read the following analogies and think about which of these is most reflective of your organization: My organization is like two locomotives pulling in opposite directions. We can't get things done because we seem to be working at cross-purposes. My organization is like a locomotive trying to pull a thousand rail cars. It's difficult to mobilize to get things done and when we do, we move at a snail's pace. My organization is like a string of rail cars without a locomotive. We don't seem to have a strong direction of what we're doing and just drift along the tracks. My organization is like a locomotive that has run off the tracks. We don't have direction, but at least we're moving fast and going somewhere. My organization is like a locomotive with no conductor. We're moving down the tracks, but no one appears to be in control. My organization is like a locomotive running smoothly down the tracks. We know where we're going, how we're going to get there, and who is driving the train. If you're like most organizational leaders, you probably feel that your life as a leader falls in one of the first five analogies. When an organization moves too slowly, too recklessly, or not at all, leading a team to results quite frankly just becomes much harder than it needs to be. When an organization is like the sixth analogy, though, driving a team to results becomes much easier because you as a leader don't have to deal with directional disruptions. Your focus is on moving down the tracks to reach your destination as quickly as possible, rather than direction changes, organizational sluggishness, or derailments. This action guide focuses on five key attributes to getting your organization on track, keeping things moving forward, and thoughtfully changing direction when environmental needs dictate. I focus specifically on two key aspects of staying on track; direction setting and problem solving. In my experience, I have seen organizations get off track most often due to problems with direction or issues with resolving problems. My sincere hope is that the tips offered in this action guide give you some insight and some fuel to get your organizational locomotive running smoothly. Leading on the Edge T Action Guide Focus Topics Topic #1 - Have an easy to understand direction statement Topic #2 - Live and breathe the direction you set Topic #3 - Make sure your direction statement reflects reality Topic #4 - Clearly articulate the problems you're trying to solve Topic #5 - Work the most important problems first

Checkered Flag Projects: Ten Rules for Creating and Managing Projects that Win! eBook by Randolph, W. Allen

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

Checkered Flag Projects teaches you outstanding project management skills-fast! Short, to the point, and full of great ideas, it identifies 10 key rules that dramatically increase the likelihood of project success and shows exactly how to use those rules

Breaking Through the Project Fog: How Smart Organizations Achieve Success by Creating, Selecting and Executing On-Strategy Projects eBook by Norrie, James

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

A trail of mismanaged or terminated projects in recent years has cost the North American economy $100 to $150 billion dollars annually in lost productivity and shareholders capital. Unfortunately, the gap between project selection and project execution is often symptomatic of the onset of Project Fog, an all too familiar business situation in which projects are started and stopped constantly; resources fall short of the project workload to be executed; and, in the end, the entire effort is seen as a failure. A guide to sidestepping the usual hazards that often spell Project Fog,this book bridges the gap between executives who develop strategy and decide what projects get approved, and the project managers who have to execute those projects flawlessly. It provides a roadmap so that project managers can partner with executives to align their portfolio of projects with overall business strategy, ensuring thatthings get done right.

Are We There Yet? Diary of a Project Manager eBook by Pillittere, Donald A.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 47:11:36 GMT

As project management techniques become ubiquitous in the workplace, more and more people find themselves challenged by bureaucracy, unruly team members, and irrational customers. This compelling (and sometimes humorous) book follows the day-to-day trials and tribulations of a team working to commercialize an innovative new product. The team faces commonplace issues such as corporate leadership and strategy; impacts on sales and marketing; finance; operations; design; production and the supply chain. Presented in diary format to make for an engaging read, each chapter ends with a lesson on what could have improved the team's performance, focusing on the four "Ps" of project management: processes, people, parts, and phenomena. Sneak a peek in this diary to discover the Good, the Bad, and the Utterly Random concerning one of the most essential, unpredictable and unsung responsibilities in business.