The Portable MBA in Project Management

Rating:
Summary: Eric has written an insightful book
Review: Eric is on the money with this book. He has spoke at our Project Management syposium the last two years. I have read both his books and feel he has educated me in project managment. His books ar each one stop in the tools of project management. You do not have to read 500 page text books to get project managment information, and it does not hurt to have the author speak in person at your events.
This book is a buy, right off in the first pages Eric tells you that most important thing that project management is a corporate strategic strength. Many companies mis use the title and relegate project managers to be gofors or process analysts, but follow this book and you will see the real strength that leading projects is about leading and decision making.

Rating:
Summary: Verzuh Does it Again
Review: In almost every industry and profession, there is a growing reliance on Project management. This trend gives rise to a new term: the project-based organization.

This book is intended for their leaders. It takes an integrated approach to managing a project based organization. CIO's, department managers, program managers and senior project managers who are being challenged to formalize the processes of managing projects will find this compendium to be a source of strategies and standards for leveraging the discipline of project management across an organization.

Verzuh has assembled some the leading thinkers in project management to provide the reader with the theory, methods and framework to manage the project-based organization successfully. The collection includes essays from:
* Elaine Biech, President and Managing Principal, Ebb Associates
* Robert G. Cooper, President and cofounder, The Product Development Institute
* Denis Couture, President and cofounder, PCI Group
* Deborah L. Duarte, George Washington University
* Randall Englund, Associate, Strategic Management Group
* Robert J. Graham, Senior Associate, Strategic Management Group
* Ned Hamson, strategic innovation consultant
* Samuel J. Mantel Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of Cincinnati
* Jack R. Meredith, Editor in Chief, Journal of Operations Management
* Nancy Tennant Snyder, Vice President for Leadership and Strategic Competency Creation, Whirlpool Corporation
* Eric Verzuh, President, The Versatile Company
* Neal Whitten, President, Neal Whitten Group.

I particularly enjoyed Chapters 7 and 14. In Chapter seven Ned Hamson provides as concise an overview of quality, quality management and project management as I have found on the subject.

In Chapter 14, Eric Verzuh discusses integrating Project Management into the organization. In it, he argues that in the successful project-based organization project management disappears. Disappearing, he says, is not the same as ceasing to exist. The purpose of the project driven enterprise is not to hone project capabilities, it is to deliver products and services.

My copy of Verzuh's first book, The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, sits dog-eared on my desk from constant reference. I will not be surprised if this, his second, soon starts to take on a similar appearance.

Rating:
Summary: Wealth of knowledge in advanced techniques
Review: This book is more than an expansion of Verzuh's earlier "Fast Forward MBA in Project Management", ISBN 0471325465, in that both books can be used in conjunction with one another. Whereas the earlier book is a quick-start guide imparts a wealth of knowledge and techniques, this one goes deep into advanced techniques that project managers of all experience levels will appreciate. More importantly, executive management will benefit from parts of this book, especially Part One, which makes a case for project manager at the strategic level.

Contributing authors are subject matter experts in every facet of project management, assuring that this book will reflect the best thinking across all PM areas. Part Two contains a number of chapters that drill down into core areas, such as project selection, stakeholder satisfaction, risk management and quality. These areas are often overlooked by working project managers who are more concerned with estimating, scheduling and control (also covered in this part of the book).

Part Three is completely focused on team management, with excellent material on team building. I especially liked the chapter on managing virtual teams because this is an increasing requirement, both within internal organizations as well as managing teams comprised of internal resources and off-shore resources to which parts of a project may be outsourced. This is also applicable to project teams comprised of a prime and number of subcontractors.

For those interested in building an organizational structure that is project-based Part Four contains a wealth of material. I found the Stage-Gate new product development process given in chapter 11 to be both a viable and innovative approach to managing development and launches of new products. I also liked chapter 13, which covered enterprise project management in great detail. This material is outstanding for companies that are considering establishing a PMO.

As I read through this book I discovered techniques that had eluded me during my 25+ years of project management experience, as well as fresh ways of looking at techniques and methods I've used throughout my career. The selection of contributors to this book is one of its strengths - each comes across with the highest credibility, and there are no technical or factual gaps anywhere in the book.

If you are a working project manager, regardless of experience level, I strongly recommend adding this outstanding book to your professional library.

Rating:
Summary: Wealth of knowledge in advanced techniques
Review: This book is more than an expansion of Verzuh's earlier "Fast Forward MBA in Project Management", ISBN 0471325465, in that both books can be used in conjunction with one another. Whereas the earlier book is a quick-start guide imparts a wealth of knowledge and techniques, this one goes deep into advanced techniques that project managers of all experience levels will appreciate. More importantly, executive management will benefit from parts of this book, especially Part One, which makes a case for project manager at the strategic level.

Contributing authors are subject matter experts in every facet of project management, assuring that this book will reflect the best thinking across all PM areas. Part Two contains a number of chapters that drill down into core areas, such as project selection, stakeholder satisfaction, risk management and quality. These areas are often overlooked by working project managers who are more concerned with estimating, scheduling and control (also covered in this part of the book).

Part Three is completely focused on team management, with excellent material on team building. I especially liked the chapter on managing virtual teams because this is an increasing requirement, both within internal organizations as well as managing teams comprised of internal resources and off-shore resources to which parts of a project may be outsourced. This is also applicable to project teams comprised of a prime and number of subcontractors.

For those interested in building an organizational structure that is project-based Part Four contains a wealth of material. I found the Stage-Gate new product development process given in chapter 11 to be both a viable and innovative approach to managing development and launches of new products. I also liked chapter 13, which covered enterprise project management in great detail. This material is outstanding for companies that are considering establishing a PMO.

As I read through this book I discovered techniques that had eluded me during my 25+ years of project management experience, as well as fresh ways of looking at techniques and methods I've used throughout my career. The selection of contributors to this book is one of its strengths - each comes across with the highest credibility, and there are no technical or factual gaps anywhere in the book.

If you are a working project manager, regardless of experience level, I strongly recommend adding this outstanding book to your professional library.

Rating:
Summary: Next level - improving the organizational capability
Review: You can provide all the training your company can afford but if the organization doesn't embrace project management at every level performance will continue to suffer and the folks with all that new training will soon become disillusioned. Verzuh's new book outlines the issues you'll face in building a project centered enterprise that routinely adds value to customers and shareholders alike.

Verzuh has taken some of the best writing in project and program management, then added articles crafted in his honest, clear, to the point, style to fill in any gaps. The result is an excellent reader for those who care to help their business achieve the next level (and the next...) in project performance.

I've recently taken on several significant change efforts for major clients. I've found the chapters on: Enterprise Project Management: The Path to Maturity (12.), Integrating Project Management into the Enterprise (14), and Project Risk Management (6) particularly helpful in forming my approach. But as I look at this list I reflect on the fact that virtual teaming is giving one client a problem. Guess I better re-read Virtual Team Critical Success Factors (10). And I'm sure the other chapters will be needed before I'm done with this book. That's why others mention how dog-eared Verzuh's books become - because they provide assistance when you need it, and that's a value-added book you should have on your shelf - nope, it won't stay on your shelf, better make room for it right on the desk.

Thanks Eric, we needed this one.