The definitive guide to project management - Sebastian Nokes

Knowing that you're managing a project that is going well is a good feeling.

That moment when you know that it's going to happen on time, that it's avoided the pitfalls and delays that could have derailed it, and that people and resources have come together surely and smoothly, is a moment to savour. Fortunately, it's a very achievable moment if you have mastered the tools and techniques of great project management.

Developed from the day to day experiences of real project managers facing real organisational and logistical challenges, this book is designed to put you on a fast-track to managing projects of every shape and size with speed and accuracy. This will be a powerful skill to possess in a business world where work is increasingly organised around projects.

The Definitive Guide to Project Management will show you, step by step, how to deliver the right projects in the right way at the right time, while keeping your life in balance. Using the principles critical chain management, the authors help you master the essentials of good project management and then explore the situations where good projects and good business meet. How to manage risks and politics; how to demonstrate the value added by a project; how to communicate upwards and downwards in project teams; how to energise projects; how to turn failing projects around; and how to spot likely problem projects.

It is practical, to the point, and can be used immediately. An essential companion if you want projects to be a source of inspiration not perspiration.

Inside you will find key questions, step-by-step guidance and action checklists to help with each stage of a well-executed project:

• Before you start
• Planning
• Preliminary definition
• Full definition
• Design
• Build and test
• Implementation
• Shutdown and review

WithThe Definitive Guide to Project Management, you can deliver results on time, every time. Financial Times Prentice Hall's best-selling 'Definitive' suite provides managers and entrepreneurs with a fast-track to acquiring a range of essential executive skills. Other titles in the series include:

The Definitive Business Plan
The Definitive Guide to Managing the Numbers
The Definitive Guide to Marketing Planning