Rapid change and the pressures of intense competition have caused more organizational work to become proiect work.Managing Projects Large and Small helps new managers master the tasks involved in leading a project. Beginning with building the team and moving on to the design, execution, and evaluation of the project, managers will learn about all the issues that are necessary for a successful Droject. Topics include:

Planning and budgeting

Motivating teams

Developing pipelines and relevant definitions of success

Creating project progress reports and monitoring budgets

Plus, readers can access free interactive tools on the Harvard Business Essentials companion Web site at

www.elearning.hbsp.org/businesstools.

The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice, personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the most relevant topics in business. Drawing on rich content from Harvard Business School Publishing and other sources, these concise guides are carefully crafted to provide a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience and will prove especially valuable for the new manager.To assure quality and accuracy, each volume is closely reviewed by a specialized content adviser from a world-class business school. Whether you are a new manager seeking to expand your skills or a seasoned professional looking to broaden your knowledge base, these solution-oriented books put reliable answers at your fingertips.

Introduction

1 Project Management As a Process

Four Phases

  Defining and Organizing the Project

  Planning the Project

  Managing Project Execution

  Closing the Project

  Summing Up

2 The Cast of Characters

Who's Who in Project Management

  Project Sponsor

  Project Manager

  Project Team Leader

  Project Team Members

  Characteristics of Effective Project Teams

  Summing Up

3 A Written Charter

Your Marching Orders

  A Mandate for Action

  Clarify Objectives

  Make It Time-Bound

  Be Specific About Project Scope

  Summing Up

4 A Framework for Action

 Important First Steps

   Decisions, Decisions

   Tracking and Disposing of Unresolved Issues

   Documenting Decisions and Actions

   Creating a Communications Plan

   Bringing People into Contact

   Developing the Budget

   Summing Up

5 Work Breakdown

From Huge ]ob to Manageable Tasks

  Work Breakdown Structure

  Time and Resource Estimates

  Assigning the Work

  An Extended Example

  Shall We Proceed?

  Summing Up

6 Scheduling the Work

Put the Horse Before the Cart

  Examine the Relationships Between Tasks

  Create a Draft Schedule

  Optimize the Schedule

  Using Scheduling Software

  Summing Up

7 Adjustments and Trade-Offs

More Fine Tuning

  When the ProjectWon't Fit

  Challenge Assumptions

  Revisit Tasks and Times

  Summing Up

8 Managing Risk

  Scanning the Hazy Horizon

   What Is Risk Management?

   Identify and Prioritize Project Risks

   Take Actions to Avoid or Minimize Risks

   Develop Contingency Plans to Handle Potential Setbacks

   Summing Up

9 Project Adaptation

 Dealing with What You Cannot Anticipate

   Sources of Unanticipated Risk--andTheir Consequences

   The Adaptive Management Approach

   Summing Up

10 Getting Off on the Right Foot

 Project Needs to Keep in Mind

   Why Launch Meetings Matter

   Create Integrative Mechanisms

   Establish Norms of Behavior

   Summing Up

11 Keeping on Track

 Maintaining Control

   Monitoring and Controlling the Project

   Dealing with People Issues

   The Role of Communication

   Handling Problems

   Summing Up

12 The Closedown Phase

 Wrapping It Up

   Performance Evaluation

   Documentation

Lessons Learned

Celebration

Summing Up

Appendix A: Useful Implementation Tools

Appendix B: A Guide to Effective Meetings

Notes

Glossary

For Further Reading

Index

About the Subject Adviser

About the Writer