Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager: A FranklinCovey Title

by Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, James Wood

No project management training? No problem!In today's workplace, employees are routinely expected to coordinate and manage projects. Yet, chances are, you aren't formally trained in managing projects—you're an unofficial project manager.FranklinCovey experts Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, and James Wood understand the importance of leadership in project completion and explain that people are crucial in the formula for success.Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager offers practical, real-world insights for effective project management and guides you through the essentials of the people and project management project managers in any arena will benefit from the accessible, engaging real-life anecdotes, memorable “Project Management Proverbs," and quick reviews at the end of each chapter.If you're struggling to keep your projects organized, this book is for you. If you manage projects without the benefit of a team, this book is also for you. Change the way you think about project management—"project manager" may not be your official title or necessarily your dream job, but with the right strategies, you can excel.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Management, Self Help, Leadership, Personal Development, Productivity

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2015

Reviews

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to understand, well written, and enjoyable to read. Some of the examples and scenarios could have been stronger. They seemed overly simplistic.

Thus my 4 star rating, versus 5 stars.
But overall, really well done.

[Narges Goudarzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

اونقدری خوب بود که تونستم به راحتی بهش پنج ستاره بدم

[Alireza Aghamohammadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

برای افرادی که به صورت رسمی مدیر پروژه نیستند اما می‌خواهند کارهای خودشان را مدیریت کنند، این کتاب به زبانی ساده مدیریت پروژه را آموزش می‌دهد. هر پروژه‌ای از پنج بخش آغاز، برنامه‌ریزی، اجرا، پایش و کنترل، و خاتمه تشکیل شده است. هر فصل کتاب یکی از این پنج بخش را در قالب داستان آموزش می‌دهد. در کل دوستش داشتم و بدرد مخاطب عام هم می‌خورد.

[Marianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful general info on how to manage projects and work with a team which you have no formal authority over. The content is useful and applicable for professional, personal, and volunteering-related projects.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic stuff about key stakeholders etc. Very helpful information for newcomers to project management. But maybe too simplistic for anyone who has already attended a good workshop on this.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyability: 3/5 | Usefulness: 5/5 | Overall: 4/5

I was blown away with the advice and practicality of this book. Concrete advice and actionable steps for anyone looking to take on a project (individual or team) of any scale. I learned so many essential steps for project management, as well as the intricate steps on leadership that make the clock tick. I know it's cliché, but an absolute must-read for anyone consistently leading or executing as a team player on projects. Once you read this book, you'll never see projects the same again.

The audiobook is great, esp. given its accompanying PDF. I took incessant notes and will be implementing and referring back to them as often as Trump says something racist (yeah... this book is that good).

Definitely take this book with a grain of salt. Don't implement to a T, but to whatever degree your team and the situation allow for.

[Tim Niehenke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book teaches basic principles about project management, informal authority and leadership. It breaks down the different stages of a project and supplies you with tools for every one of them.
I’d say this book is perfect for anyone having to deal with any kind of project, especially if you are new to the topic of project management.

[Tuyet Lan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuốn sách nhỏ này được xuất bản ở Việt Nam với cái tên hơi nổ: 'Tinh hoa quản trị dự án". Nếu nhìn tiêu đề tiếng Việt thì mình chắc không chọn đọc đâu, nhưng chú ý thấy tên gốc tiếng Anh nên mới thử xem.

Tên gốc của cuốn sách khiêm tốn hơn và sát với nội dung hơn. Đúng với định hướng "Quản trị dự án cho người không chuyên" - cuốn sách trình bày ngắn gọn và rõ ràng về chu trình dự án, những nguyên tắc và công cụ cơ bản để kiểm soát và vận hành tốt hơn các giai đoạn. Nhóm tác giả đã nỗ lực diễn giải dễ hiểu các khái niệm và đưa ra các tình huống mô phỏng sinh động. Cuốn sách rất phù hợp với các sinh viên đang học môn Xây dựng và quản lý dự án, những nhân viên văn phòng chưa có kiến thức nền về quản trị.

Điều đáng được tán thưởng nữa ở cuốn sách này là quan điểm: yếu tố ảnh hưởng lớn nhất đến sự thành công của dự án không phải là những quy trình, công cụ xịn xò; mà chính là mối quan hệ giữa những con người tham gia dự án. Sự thống nhất mục tiêu, làm rõ kỳ vọng, chia sẻ thông tin cập nhật về tiến độ, kết nối vai trò các bên liên quan, động viên và tưởng thưởng kịp thời - mới là điều quyết định thành bại của dự án.

[Citibila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you’re suddenly involved in a project and especially if you’re suddenly responsible for a project, without being a PM from before. Aside from the user friendly language, the book explains in a great way the basics of PM. I really liked that it has good examples, lots of templates and explanations.

[Gabriel Majeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the basic concepts of project management. Includes a motivation for the importance of each principle or tool they describe, as well as stories inspired by real life, to help you remember these notions.

[Fereshteh · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابی بود در حوزه کاری و خب تجربه ارزشمندی بود برام

[Andrés · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear, easy, and useful.

[Alexis Reads Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to follow, it’s not physics. I learned there’s a lot that can be accomplished by tracking progress. this book was extremely helpful in helping me step into a new role.
Huge plus… it was cheaper and a shorter read than the “for dummies” version.

[Jennifer Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I made several notes in the journal I use for work while reading this, like, WORK DOES NOT EQUAL DURATION. That is, 8 hours of work to complete a task is not equivalent to 1 day in your project schedule. It’s easy to forget this and as a result underestimate the duration (how many day, weeks, etc) of a project. Also, don’t be afraid to deliver bad news. A project manager drives progress through TRANSPARENT communication. I’m self-employed and have to seek out my own training; I found this book helpful.

[Mollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought this book because the Amazon reviews were excellent, five out of five. I'm curious now if those reviews are fake. I rarely don't complete books I start, but I'm done after a chapter.

First, the authors transparently ripped off PMI's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge - the book is literally organized according to PMI's main project management steps. What's worse is that the authors frequently quote text from other books and attribute the quotes to "a business professional" or an unnamed management expert, etc. They're clearly trying to make it appear that the quotes came from interviews, not from books, and they get by without crediting the source. They do use footnotes, but this is a serious no-no, and I don't understand why the editors and publisher allowed it to occur. It makes me question their veracity.

The book also made strange use of text/quote breakouts. Instead of being a quick summary of a section or something like that, it seemed like most of the time the designer copied and pasted directly from the text itself. It just felt like whoever put this book together didn't know what they were doing, and it certainly wasn't worth what I paid.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

To quote my colleague who recommended this book, “Life changing!”

I suggest taking notes while reading, then review your notes and create a framework for project management from what you’ve learned. I’ve summarized the book onto 3 blank sheets of paper with step by step frameworks/processes. Now it’s time to apply it at work, and in life.

[Ali Sameti · Rating 3 out of 5]

انگار ک استاندارد مدیریت پروژه پمباک رو به صورت داستانی و ساده تر بخونی ... در کل به کسایی که به برنامه های کاری و زندگی شون به صورت پروژه های منحصر به فرد نگاه میکنن توصیه میکنم بخونن این کتاب رو، حرفای شنیدنی در حد خودش داره

[Rachel Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of project management books for ‘unofficial’ project managers it’s good. The language isn’t too obscure to make reading it a challenge. It’s good foundational read to set up for deeper understanding of project management and has enough information to support some implementation immediately.

[Єгор Домачук · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect guide to project management. And what is more stronger - to informal project management. Learn how to be more structured, attentive and risks-predictable)

“- Наступного разу, коли ви будете відзначати чиюсь гарну роботу, спробуйте скористатися наступною формулою:
* Намір.
* Факти.
* Вплив.”

“Тому, тільки-но хтось порушить узяте на себе зобовʼязання, скорист��йтеся чотирма базовими стратегіями поведінки, щоб зʼясувати, у чому полягає причина:
1. Спочатку вислухайте. Дозвольте члену команди детально описати, з яких причин зобов'язання не виконано.
2. Виявіть повагу. Співпереживайте порушнику.
3. Конкретизуйте очікування. Ще раз сформулюйте зобовʼязання, установіть новий термін
його виконання.
4. Практикуйте відповідальність. Дозвольте цьому члену команди відчути, що команда розраховує на те, що кожен буде відповідально ставитися до своїх завдань. Кожне взяте на себе зобовʼязання — важливий елемент успішної реалізації проекту.”

[Reza · Rating 3 out of 5]

.
ترجمه، ویراستاری، صفحه آرایی و چاپ:
برای کتاب های انتشارات آریانا قلم، نوشتن این قسمت آسان ترین کار است. ترجمه متن عالی، ویراستاری بی نقص، صفحه آرایی خلاقانه و چاپ با کیفیت کتاب مواردی هستند که لذت خواندن این کتاب را دو چندان می کنند. واژه نامه ی انتهای کتاب نیز برای خواننده کاملا مفید است.
محتوا:
محتوای کتاب با آنچه پیش از خواندن آن در ذهنم متصور بودم (به دلیل عنوان کتاب و توضیحات ابتدایی آن) کمی متفاوت بود؛ اما "مدیریت پروژه برای غیر مدیر پروژه" در پنج فصل همان اصول مدیریت پروژه را در کنار داستان ها، معرفی ابزارها و راهکارها، گوشزد کردن خطاها و بیان تجربه ها تشریح می کند. چه با این اصول آشنا باشید چه نه، این پنج فصل بسیار آموزنده خواهند بود.
دو فصل ابتدایی کتاب بخش متفاوت و مهم آن است که به اهمیت نقش رهبری و "اختیار غیر رسمی" در مدیریت پروژه می پردازد. این دو بخش مطالب الهام بخش تر، بدیع تر و البته لذت بخش تری برای من داشت.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a great primer on critical project management concepts. The "Four Behaviors" provided a solid framework for effective conversations, interviews, and collaboration. The length was digestible and engaging, with real-world stories that brought the concepts to life. However, the frequent quotes from Stephen R. Covey felt like advertising, given the FranklinCovey affiliation, and I would have appreciated more diverse sources.

Overall, I give the book 4/5 stars and I would recommend this title to someone beginning to explore project management concepts, who may have found themselves (like many of us current knowledge workers) thrust into the role of an unofficial project manager in their organization.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers everything an "unofficial" project manager needs to know to lead a team and manage a project. It skips the technical terms, complex software, and fancy charts. This book is for individuals who have to manage a small project, like relocating an office or investigating an infection problem in a hospital. There is a lot of emphasis on involving the right people, communicating frequently, setting expectations for the team, and holding everyone accountable.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book for reference and guidelines on project management.

[ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read with good tools to formalize the process. I like the simplicity of the examples and the recap at the end of each section.

[Jessica Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

many good and practical ideas!

[Ayesh Perera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the quick techniques presented, which can be used by almost anyone in any field!

[Didzis Dubovskis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does what it says, nothing more, nothing less.

[Bartosz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivers exactly what’s promised. Short, fairly concise with relevant examples. Definitely would recommend it as an introductory book on this topic.

[J.R. Dodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The example dialogue is hokey, but there are some excellent tips and tools in this very quick and easy read.

[Chikara Shimizu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concisely covers the essential mindsets for project management. Great refresher even for official project managers.