Project Management for Flat Organizations-0

Project Management for Flat Organizations

Retail Price: $44.95

Direct Price: $39.95

Cost Effective Steps to Achieving Successful Results
By Laura Dallas Burford
Hardcover, 6×9, 328 pages
ISBN: 978-1-60427-084-6
September 2012

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Description

A flat organization believes the formal processes and controls used by many hierarchical organizations are too involved, require too much overhead cost, and are too complex and/or time consuming. This book is ideal for the project manager, team member, manager, or project sponsor with limited or no formal project management experience working within a flat organization. It offers clear, understandable discussions about project management processes, provides practical ideas and suggestions, answers common questions, and explains ways to address common pitfalls.

Project Management for Flat Organizations provides common sense solutions to the unique challenges of organizations with flat hierarchical structures. It explains project management theory and offers simple and cost effective project management processes, tools, and techniques that can be applied immediately. This guide includes instruction and templates required to deliver projects efficiently and successfully with minimal risk and investment. It also enables users to develop a framework specific to the needs of their organization. This is a go-to guide you will want to keep on your desk for easy reference when working on projects.

Key Features

  • Makes project management understandable and workable for people and organizations unaccustomed to formal controls using an easy-to-read, visual approach
  • Explains project management fundamentals and then walks readers through the entire project lifecycle from management aligning a project with the organization’s strategy, to creating a project plan, and finally to completing the project
  • Starts each chapter with a list of the subjects to be covered, explains the theory behind the subjects and then with the use of examples, visual aids, tools, and techniques applies the theory so that the organization can develop the “right balance” of informal and formal communications, processes, and controls
  • Presents step-by-step instructions aimed at assisting a project manager or team member working on a project or in creating a project management framework for the organization
  • Illustrates the practical application of theoretical ideas by including examples based on real-life events
  • WAV offers downloadable “best-fit” guidance in developing a project management methodology, selecting project management software, and some helpful project templates —available from the Web Added ValueTM Download Resource Center

About the author(s)

Laura Dallas Burford, PMP, has more than 25 years of domestic and international project management experience working with organizations of various sizes, industries, and organizational structures. She has extensive experience with the big four consulting firms and is currently the owner and president of LAD Enterprizes. Ms. Burford has provided consulting services and worked directly for several Top 100 corporations. During this time, she provided leadership for numerous large IT and business improvement programs, project outsourcing, start-up initiatives, and project turnarounds. She has also assisted organizations with developing their own project management approach and methodology.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC) and a Masters of Arts (MA) in Education from Rider University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). In addition to conducting numerous seminars and speaking engagements, Laura has authored, facilitated, and taught several project management training programs, including a Project Management Nonprofit Practicum for Millersville University’s Nonprofit Resource Network. As a practitioner, she focuses on coaching and advising flat organizations concerned with projects aligning strategy, processes, and information technology.

Table of Contents

Section 1—Setting the Stage
Chapter 1: The Fundamentals 
Chapter 2: The Project Process Flow
Chapter 3: The Project Organization

Section 2—Getting Started
Chapter 4: Authorize the Project 
Chapter 5: Identify the Stakeholders
Chapter 6: Determine the Requirements
Chapter 7: Define the Project Scope

Section 3—Building the Roadmap 
Chapter 8: Determine the Work
Chapter 9: Sequence the Work
Chapter 10: Estimate Time and Resources
Chapter 11: Create the Schedule
Chapter 12: Determine the Resources
Chapter 13: Determine the Budget

Section 4—Still More Planning
Chapter 14: Determine Project Risks 
Chapter 15: Ensure Quality
Chapter 16: Procure the Right Resources
Chapter 17: Communicate the Right Information

Section 5—Time to Start Executing
Chapter 18: The Project Start
Chapter 19: Build and Manage an Effective Team

Section 6—Managing the Effort
Chapter 20: Manage Project Issues and Change
Chapter 21: Monitor and Control Progress
Chapter 22: Report the Status 

Section 7—Closing the Project
Chapter 23: The Closeout

Conclusion
Glossary 
Index

Reviews

“This is a must-have for project managers, whether new to the field or working for years. It is reality-based and supported by practical examples, anecdotes, and common sense solutions.”
—Deborah Moses-Elton, President and CEO, Veris Associates, Inc.

“In my company, we are all cross-trained to do many jobs. When a project comes along it is many times a struggle to figure out how to accomplish it. This book resolves the struggle and shows a clear path of how to proceed.”
—Marvin Parker, General Manager, DocuSafe Data & Records Management


Project Management for Flat Organizations was a Top 10 Winner of the 2013 Small Business Book Awards! Click on the award to learn more…

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