1st Edition

The Project Workout The Ultimate Guide to Directing and Managing Business-Led Projects

By Robert Buttrick Copyright 2019
    580 Pages
    by Routledge

    580 Pages
    by Routledge

    Projects are an important strategic management tool and a way of life in every business. But how do you get started and ensure you realize the benefits you need? Now in its 5th edition, the Project Workout is the definitive book on business-led project management. It is a valuable companion for every executive and project manager as well as a comprehensive resource for students of project management.

    Projects are a way of life in every business and an important strategic management tool. But how do you ensure a project realizes the benefits you need? The Project Workout provides practical advice and techniques to direct and manage a project. Aimed at both project sponsors and project managers, it works through the life cycle of a project from initial idea to successful result. The practical approach is enhanced throughout with a series of "Workouts": exercises, techniques and checklists to help you put the book’s advice into practice. The Workouts are supported by an on-line resource of tools, including MS project views, project logs and templates. This expanded edition contains a wealth of new information, including how to work with standards and methods, such as ISO 21500, BS6079 and PRINCE2 and PMBoK.

    The companion to this book, The Programme and Portfolio Workout, deals with directing and managing whole portfolios of projects, making sure everyone in your organization is working towards the same goals; together these books give you what you need to ensure all your projects succeed.

    List of Project Workouts, Foreword by Robert Heller, Acknowledgments, About the Author, Introduction, Part One: Challenges to be faced, Chapter 1 Challenges we need to face, Chapter 2 Advice the best organisations give us, Chapter 3 Projects in the context of businesses, portfolios and programmes, Part Two: A walk through the project lifecycle, Chapter 4 The Project Framework: an overview of its gates and stages, Chapter 5 Who does what? Chapter 6 The Proposal: identify the need! Chapter 7 The Initial Investigation Stage: Have a quick look at it! Chapter 8 The Detailed Investigation Stage: Promising . . . Let’s have a closer look, Chapter 9 The Develop and Test Stage: Do it! Chapter 10 The Trial Stage: Try it out, Chapter 11 The Release Stage: Let’s get going! Chapter 12 The Post-Implementation Review: How did we do? Chapter 13 Applying the staged framework, Chapter 14 A Few Related Projects: Simple programmes, Part Three: The essentials you need to know, Chapter 15 Project teams and style, Chapter 16 Project governance, Chapter 17 Project setup, Chapter 18 Monitoring and controlling your project, Chapter 19 Managing benefits, Chapter 20 Managing the schedule, Chapter 21 Managing resources, Chapter 22 Managing the finances, Chapter 23 Managing what might go wrong (or right): Risks, Chapter 24 Managing what has gone wrong (or right!): Issues, Chapter 25 Let’s do it differently: Change control, Chapter 26 Keeping your stakeholders engaged, Chapter 27 Reviews and more reviews, Chapter 28 Coping with all that documentation, Chapter 29 Closing the project, Part Four: Making project management work for you, Chapter 30 Being a project manager, Chapter 31 Project management method, Appendix A: Glossary, Appendix B: Document outlines, Appendix C: Method and standards commentary, Appendix D: Good meetings, Appendix E: Brainstorming, Index

    Biography

    Robert Buttrick has a successful track record for building project management excellence in major organizations and is a contributor to project management methods, best practice and international standards. He currently works as a consultant and is a Visiting Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick.

    "Robert never fails to cut through the fog of theories, presenting wisdom and guidance in all matters P3M, and all based on knowledge and experience gained the hard way - out there doing the job! He is the author of the most readable and digestible books on these subjects." - Jayne Redfern, Associate Professor, University of Warwick, UK

    "Robert Buttrick is the most inspirational project manager that I have ever worked with. His decades of experience shine through in the simple, clear and practical language of his books." - Marion Thomas, Extraordinary Project Management, UK 

    "Selecting the method or approach to apply to your project is rarely as simple as selecting on or off on a switch. More often, a rheostat is needed to dial in the appropriate mix needed to realize the benefits for your business. Robert's work provides the practitioner with the broad understanding of today’s globally recognized standards, methods, and approaches needed to dial up success." - Charles J. Lesko, Jr. Ph.D., Professor, East Carolina University, USA

    "Robert is a thought leader in the true sense when it comes to project, programme and portfolio management. His experience, knowledge and ability of creating best practices, while also being pedagogical, makes his writings, lectures and discussions easy to digest and apply." - Klas Skogmar, Management Consultant within PPP, Sweden

    "If you truly understand your topic you can explain it in terms that anyone can understand. The Project Workout has demonstrated Robert’s deep knowledge and ability to put ‘projects’ in terms that will support any practitioner, no matter what your experience level. The Programme and Portfolio Workout is a fabulous extension on the foundations laid by The Project Workout and a truly invaluable resource for all practitioners." - Jo-Anne Harrison, Chair, Standards Australia Mirror Committee – Project, Programme and Portfolio Management.

    "An invaluable, lucid and practical guide to a crucial area of management." - Robert Heller, Founding Editor of Management Today

    "An important book, taking a lead role in growing a new generation of professional project managers." - Oded Cohen, The Goldratt Institute