The all-inclusive guide to exceptional project management The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is the comprehensive guide to real-world project management methods, tools, and techniques. Practical, easy-to-use, and deeply thorough, this book gives you answers you need now. You'll find the cutting-edge ideas and hard-won wisdom of one of the field's leading experts, delivered in short, lively segments that address common management issues. Brief descriptions of important concepts, tips on real-world applications, and compact case studies illustrate the most sought-after skills and the pitfalls you should watch out for. This new fifth edition features new case studies, new information on engaging stakeholders, change management, new guidance on using Agile techniques, and new content that integrates current events and trends in the project management sphere. Project management is a complex role, with seemingly conflicting demands that must be coordinated into a single, overarching, executable strategy — all within certain time, resource, and budget constraints. This book shows you how to get it all together and get it done, with expert guidance every step of the way. Navigate complex management issues effectively Master key concepts and real-world applications Learn from case studies of today's leading experts Keep your project on track, on time, and on budget From finding the right sponsor to clarifying objectives to setting a realistic schedule and budget projection, all across different departments, executive levels, or technical domains, project management incorporates a wide range of competencies. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management shows you what you need to know, the best way to do it, and what to watch out for along the way.

The all-inclusive guide to exceptional project management that is trusted by hundreds of thousands of readers—now updated and revised The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management: The Comprehensive, Easy to Read Handbook for Beginners and Pros, 6th Edition is a comprehensive guide to real-world project management methods, tools, and techniques. Practical, easy-to-use, and deeply thorough, this book gives you the answers you need now. You'll find cutting-edge ideas and hard-won wisdom of one of the field's leading experts, delivered in short, lively segments that address common management issues. Brief descriptions of important concepts, tips on real-world applications, and compact case studies illustrate the most sought-after skills and pitfalls you should watch out for. This sixth edition now includes: A brand-new chapter on project quality A new chapter on managing media, entertainment, and creative projects A new chapter on the project manager’s #1 priority: leadership A new chapter with the most current practices in Change Management Current PMP certification study tips Readers of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management also receive access to new video resources available at the author’s website. The book teaches readers how to manage and deliver projects on-time and on-budget by applying the practical strategies and concrete solutions found within. Whether the challenge is finding the right project sponsor, clarifying project objectives, or setting realistic schedules and budget projections, The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management shows you what you need to know, the best way to do it, and what to watch out for along the way.

"For any professional responsible for coordinating projects among different departments, executive levels, or projects with technical complexity, this book clearly explains how to do it on time and on budget. From finding the right sponsor to clarifying objectives to setting a realistic schedule and budget projections, this book will help everyone better manage the relationships and process needed to get the project done. This fifth edition is updated to reflect changes in the business environment in the past few years including: - Rewrites to connect to current events and trends. - New case studies of project management in action (Hospital Enterprise Project Management Office and Washington State's Highway 99 tunnel). - An updated chapter on engaging stockholders and the discipline of change management. - Information on using Agile techniques for project scheduling. - References to the PMP exam"--

When Fortune Magazine estimated that 70% of all strategies fail, it also noted that most of these strategies were basically sound, but could not be executed. The central premise of Strategic Project Management Made Simple is that most projects and strategies never get off the ground because of adhoc, haphazard, and obsolete methods used to turn their ideas into coherent and actionable plans. Strategic Project Management Made Simple is the first book to couple a step-by-step process with an interactive thinking tool that takes a strategic approach to designing projects and action initiatives. Strategic Project Management Made Simple builds a solid platform upon four critical questions that are vital for teams to intelligently answer in order to create their own strong, strategic foundation. These questions are: 1. What are we trying to accomplish and why? 2. How will we measure success? 3. What other conditions must exist? 4. How do we get there? This fresh approach begins with clearly understanding the what and why of a project - comprehending the bigger picture goals that are often given only lip service or cursory reviews. The second and third questions clarify success measures and identify the risky assumptions that can later cause pain if not spotted early. The how questions - what are the activities, budgets, and schedules - comes last in our four-question system. By contrast, most project approaches prematurely concentrate on the how without first adequately addressing the three other questions. These four questions guide readers into fleshing out a simple, yet sophisticated, mental workbench called "the Logical Framework" - a Systems Thinking paradigm that lays out one's own project strategy in an easily accessible, interactive 4x4 matrix. The inclusion of memorable features and concepts (four critical questions, LogFrame matrix, If-then thinking, and Implementation Equation) make this book unique.

The Portable MBA in Project Management covers the most pressing topics in project management and features all the leading thinkers in the field. While most project management books address only the techniques for managing individual projects, The Portable MBA in Project Management widens the scope to include insights for managing project-based organizations. In doing so, this comprehensive volume will help managers combine the power of individual project successes to drive the organization to new levels of productivity and customer responsiveness. Eric Verzuh, best selling author of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, brings together the leading lights of project management in this volume, including Robert G. Cooper, Randall Englund, Jack Meredith and Neil Whitten. In addition to his role as editor, Verzuh draws on his own expertise to address how and why project management is a strategic strength, how to integrate project management into your enterprise, and several other topics for which he is well-known. Together they effectively address the full spectrum of the issues in project management today.

If you're new to project management or need to refresh your knowledge, Project Management Essentials, Third Edition, is the quickest and easiest way to learn how to manage projects successfully. The simple techniques and templates in this book provide you with the essential tools you'll need to be an effective project manager. It's as simple as that. Read the book and discover: How to plan well - to decide on the right things to do; The key skills and knowledge you'll need to be effective; How to create an effective charter to start projects off right; Guidelines for building a usable project plan; Tips for breaking project work into manageable pieces; Techniques for estimating project cost and schedule; How to build a team; Strategies to deal with conflict, change, and risk; How to report on the progress of the project and keep everyone concerned happy. Project Management Essentials is written in short, clear chapters to make project management more easily understood. The authors, all valued senior faculty of PM College, use both their business experience and their academic backgrounds to make these chapters come alive. This updated edition complies with the latest project management standard, the PMBOK Guide 5th Edition.

The Fast Forward MBA Pocket Reference Second Edition - more comprehensive and convenient than ever! When the success of your business hangs in the balance, you need reliable, authoritative information immediately. You need a resource that covers all the corporate bases-communications, management, economics, strategy, accounting, finance, marketing, and more. You need The Fast Forward MBA Pocket Reference, Second Edition. Packed with information designed to serve all your business needs, this handy, highly readable book is the ultimate companion for those moments when you need to put your finger on the right advice at the right time-now. This updated and revised Second Edition offers clear, concise coverage of the complete range of essential business topics in a handy format. You'll find all the latest cutting-edge ideas, including new developments in technology, strategy, and branding, as well as key terms, tools, and topics in short, lively entries that give you all the information you need. The Portable MBA The Fast Forward MBA-- the compact business companion you'll use every day! * Keep up with the newest ideas in business * Brush up on the basics you can't do without * Find direct, practical answers to complicated problems