Many project managers -- especially in software -- go their entire professional lives in ignorance of the factors behind the success or failure of their projects. Permanently, in a state of agitation and worry they just can't explain why some projects work out and others don't. It doesn't have to be like this. There is a method underlying all successful projects, and if you follow this method, your project is guaranteed to succeed. We have called this method Structured Project Management. And the cornerstone of Structured Project Management is the 'Ten Steps' - the first five steps are to do with planning your project and the other five with implementing the plan and achieving the goal. How to Run Successful Projects III -- The Silver Bullet builds on the success of the first and second editions and reminds us all, in the post dot com era, just how important good project management practices are. ~*This new edition now compares the 'Ten Steps' of structured project management with any other methodology (including PRINCE). *How to do the least amount of project management possible and still be sure of a successful outcome. *How to identify and monitor your projects 'vital signs'. *Has a quick and easy way to assess project plans and proposals ensuring that you catch potential disasters before they happen. *Includes daily, weekly, and monthly routines for any project manager to seamlessly incorporate Structured Project Management into their working lives. *There is a new comprehensive self-study course in MS Project 2000. ~How to Run Successful Projects III -- The Silver Bullet covers the essential elements of project success packaged in an easy to apply and common sense approach which, thousands of readers will attest, works.

Table of Contents

Contents Preface to the new edition xvii Preface to the second edition xviii Preface to the first edition xxi About the author xxiii Introduction xxiv PART 1 Analysing and planning projects 1 CHAPTER 1 Step 1: visualise the goal; set your eyes on the prize 7 CHAPTER 2 Step 2: make a list of the jobs to be done 18 CHAPTER 3 Step 3: there must be one leader 37 CHAPTER 4 Step 4: assign people to jobs 43 CHAPTER 5 Step 5: manage expectations, allow a margin for error, have a fallback position 57 PART 2 Reviewing and implementing the plan; achieving the goal 69 CHAPTER 6 Step 6: use an appropriate leadership style 75 CHAPTER 7 Step 7: know what's going on 83 CHAPTER 8 step 8: tell people what's going on 93 CHAPTER 9 Step 9: repeat steps 1-8 until step 10 102 PART 3 CHAPTER 11 The lazy project managers monthly routine CHAPTER 12 Project managers weekly routine CHAPTER 13 Project managers daily routine PART 4 CHAPTER 14 Assessing project plans 127

About the Author

Fergus O'Connell is founder and Chairman of ETP, an international training, consulting and product development firm specializing in project management. He is also author of Simply Brilliant -- The Competitive Advantage of Common Sense (Prentice Hall) and is co-authoring, with John Brackett, Managing e-Projects for Rapid Business Value (Addison Wesley).