The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, 6th Edition

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, 6th Edition

by Eric Verzuh
Released January 2021
Publisher(s): Wiley
ISBN: 9781119700760

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Book description

The all-inclusive guide to exceptional project management that is trusted by hundreds of thousands of readers—now updated and revised  

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management: The Comprehensive, Easy to Read Handbook for Beginners and Pros, 6th Edition is a comprehensive guide to real-world project management methods, tools, and techniques. Practical, easy-to-use, and deeply thorough, this book gives you the answers you need now. You'll find cutting-edge ideas and hard-won wisdom of one of the field's leading experts, delivered in short, lively segments that address common management issues. Brief descriptions of important concepts, tips on real-world applications, and compact case studies illustrate the most sought-after skills and pitfalls you should watch out for. This sixth edition now includes:  

  • A brand-new chapter on project quality 
  • A new chapter on managing media, entertainment, and creative projects
  • A new chapter on the project manager’s #1 priority: leadership 
  • A new chapter with the most current practices in Change Management 
  • Current PMP certification study tips  

Readers of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management also receive access to new video resources available at the author’s website.  

The book teaches readers how to manage and deliver projects on-time and on-budget by applying the practical strategies and concrete solutions found within. Whether the challenge is finding the right project sponsor, clarifying project objectives, or setting realistic schedules and budget projections, The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management shows you what you need to know, the best way to do it, and what to watch out for along the way.  

Table of contents

  1. COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. DEDICATION
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  7. PREFACE
  8. PART 1: Introduction
    1. CHAPTER 1: Project Management: A Platform for Innovation
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. A TIMELESS LEADERSHIP TOOLSET
      3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS KEEPING PACE WITH GLOBAL CHANGE
      4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS AN ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP SKILL SET
      5. SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS DELIVER VALUE
      6. THE ART AND SCIENCE OF PROJECT LEADERSHIP
      7. A PRACTICAL CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS: HOW THIS BOOK WILL HELP YOU
      8. BEYOND THE BOOK: TOOLS FOR APPLICATION AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING
    2. CHAPTER 2: Project Leadership: People Before Process
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. THE PROJECT LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE
      3. BUILD A TEAM CULTURE SUITED TO A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY
      4. TEMPORARY TEAMS FORM BEFORE THEY PERFORM
      5. BUILD PERSONAL AUTHORITY AND INFLUENCE
      6. PROJECT LEADERS NEED POLITICAL SAVVY
      7. YOUR DECISION TO LEAD
      8. END POINT
    3. CHAPTER 3: Foundation Principles of Project Management
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. PROJECTS REQUIRE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
      3. HOW A PROJECT IS DEFINED
      4. THE CHALLENGE OF MANAGING PROJECTS
      5. THE EVOLUTION OF A DISCIPLINE
      6. THE DEFINITION OF PROJECT SUCCESS
      7. PROJECT MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
      8. PROJECT LIFE CYCLE
      9. ORGANIZING FOR PROJECTS
      10. PROJECT MANAGERS ARE LEADERS
      11. END POINT
    4. CHAPTER 4: Agile and Waterfall: Choose a Development Process
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. DEFINING VALUE: A NEW LENS FOR JUDGING PROJECTS INFORMS THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
      3. CHOOSE A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THAT DELIVERS VALUE
      4. BEST PRACTICES FOR CAPTURING REQUIREMENTS ARE INTEGRATED INTO A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
      5. A DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS NOT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
      6. WATERFALL OR AGILE: WHICH DELIVERS THE BEST VALUE?
      7. COMMON AGILE PRACTICES
      8. COMMON AGILE BENEFITS
      9. CHOOSING BETWEEN AGILE AND WATERFALL DEVELOPMENT
      10. INNOVATION PROJECTS EXPERIMENT TO DISCOVER DESIRABILITY AND VIABILITY
      11. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT METHODS INFLUENCE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
      12. END POINT
  9. PART 2: Defining the Project
    1. CHAPTER 5: Project Initiation: Turn a Problem or Opportunity into a Business Case
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. PROJECT INITIATION'S PLACE IN THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE
      3. A MINI‐ANALYSIS PHASE OR A COMPLETE PROJECT
      4. THE ROLE OF A PROJECT MANAGER IN PROJECT INITIATION
      5. A BUSINESS CASE DEFINES THE FUTURE BUSINESS VALUE
      6. BUSINESS RISK AND PROJECT RISK
      7. MANAGING REQUIREMENTS IS TIGHTLY LINKED TO PROJECT INITIATION
      8. COMMON PRINCIPLES FOR PROJECT INITIATION
      9. PROJECT SELECTION AND PRIORITIZATION
      10. BASIC BUSINESS CASE CONTENT
      11. DESIGNING A REALISTIC INITIATION PROCESS
      12. PROJECT LEADERSHIP: FOCUS ON VALUE
      13. END POINT
      14. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    2. CHAPTER 6: Engage Your Stakeholders and Win Their Cooperation
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. STAKEHOLDER FOCUS THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT
      3. STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT IS RISK MANAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE
      4. STAKEHOLDER ROLES ON EVERY PROJECT
      5. STAKEHOLDER ROLES: PROJECT MANAGER
      6. STAKEHOLDER ROLES: PROJECT TEAM
      7. STAKEHOLDER ROLES: MANAGEMENT
      8. STAKEHOLDER ROLES: THE CUSTOMER
      9. AFFECTED STAKEHOLDERS CAN MAKE CRUCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
      10. ENGAGE AFFECTED STAKEHOLDERS
      11. LEAD THE STAKEHOLDERS
      12. END POINT
      13. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    3. CHAPTER 7: Write the Rules: Manage Expectations and Define Success
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. PROJECT RULES ARE THE FOUNDATION
      3. PUBLISH A PROJECT CHARTER
      4. WRITE A PROJECT CHARTER
      5. RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX
      6. END POINT
      7. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
  10. PART 3: The Planning Process
    1. CHAPTER 8: Risk Management: Minimize the Threats to Your Project
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. ALL PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS RISK MANAGEMENT
      3. THE RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
      4. STEP ONE: IDENTIFY THE RISKS
      5. STEP TWO: ANALYZE AND PRIORITIZE THE RISKS
      6. STEP THREE: DEVELOP RESPONSE PLANS
      7. STEP FOUR: ESTABLISH CONTINGENCY AND RESERVE
      8. STEP FIVE: CONTINUOUS RISK MANAGEMENT
      9. UNEXPECTED LEADERSHIP
      10. END POINT
      11. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    2. CHAPTER 9: A Work Breakdown Structure Makes a Project Manageable
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. DEFINING THE WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
      3. BUILDING A WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
      4. CRITERIA FOR A SUCCESSFUL WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
      5. WORK PACKAGE SIZE
      6. WHEN VERY SMALL TASKS MAKE SENSE
      7. PLANNING FOR QUALITY
      8. BREAKING DOWN LARGE PROGRAMS
      9. CONTRACTORS OR VENDORS CAN PROVIDE A WBS
      10. END POINT
    3. CHAPTER 10: Realistic Scheduling
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. PLANNING OVERVIEW
      3. PLANNING STEP TWO: IDENTIFY TASK RELATIONSHIPS
      4. PLANNING STEP THREE: ESTIMATE WORK PACKAGES
      5. PLANNING STEP FOUR: CALCULATE AN INITIAL SCHEDULE
      6. PLANNING STEP FIVE: ASSIGN AND LEVEL RESOURCES
      7. SMALL PROJECTS NEED SMALLER PLANS
      8. END POINT
      9. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    4. CHAPTER 11: Manage Agile Development with Scrum
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. SCRUM IS A FRAMEWORK
      3. SCRUM AT A GLANCE
      4. MANAGING THE PRODUCT BACKLOG
      5. MAKE THE PLAN VISIBLE: TASK BOARDS AND BURNDOWN CHARTS
      6. KEY FACTORS FOR SCRUM TO BE EFFECTIVE
      7. SCRUM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
      8. END POINT
    5. CHAPTER 12: The Art and Science of Accurate Estimating
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. ESTIMATING FUNDAMENTALS
      3. ESTIMATING TECHNIQUES
      4. BUILDING THE DETAILED BUDGET ESTIMATE
      5. GENERATING THE CASH FLOW SCHEDULE
      6. END POINT
      7. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    6. CHAPTER 13: Balance the Trade‐Off Among Cost, Schedule, and Scope
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. THREE LEVELS OF BALANCING A PROJECT
      3. BALANCING AT THE PROJECT LEVEL
      4. BALANCING AT THE BUSINESS CASE LEVEL
      5. BALANCING AT THE ENTERPRISE LEVEL
      6. END POINT
    7. CHAPTER 14: Managing Creative Projects: Insights from Media and Entertainment
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. LESSONS FROM FILM, TELEVISION, AND VIDEO PRODUCTION
      3. LESSONS FROM CREATING VIDEO GAMES
      4. LESSONS FROM MUSIC PRODUCTION
      5. LEARNING TO MANAGE MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT, TECHNOLOGY, AND ART (M.E.T.A.) PROJECTS
      6. END POINT
  11. PART 4: Controlling the Project
    1. CHAPTER 15: Build a High‐Performance Project Team
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. A FRAMEWORK FOR BUILDING HIGH‐PERFORMANCE TEAMS
      3. LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
      4. BUILDING A POSITIVE TEAM CULTURE
      5. GROUND RULES
      6. TEAM IDENTITY
      7. TEAM LISTENING SKILLS
      8. MEETING MANAGEMENT
      9. COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM‐SOLVING
      10. PROBLEM ANALYSIS
      11. DECISION MODES
      12. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
      13. CONTINUOUS LEARNING
      14. JOB SATISFACTION
      15. END POINT
      16. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    2. CHAPTER 16: Communicate with Project Stakeholders
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. EMBRACE YOUR ROLE AS A LEADER
      3. CREATING A COMMUNICATION PLAN
      4. COMMUNICATING WITHIN THE PROJECT TEAM
      5. VIRTUAL TEAMS BENEFIT FROM FORMAL COMMUNICATION
      6. CLOSEOUT REPORTING
      7. END POINT
      8. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    3. CHAPTER 17: Change Management: Engage Your Stakeholders to Maximize Value
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. WHY THE PEOPLE SIDE MATTERS
      3. OUTCOMES DESIRED: INDIVIDUAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT USING ADKAR
      4. ACTIONS REQUIRED: ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE MANAGEMENT
      5. ROLES: WHO DOES CHANGE MANAGEMENT
      6. END POINT
    4. CHAPTER 18: Control Scope to Deliver Value
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. THE CHANGE CONTROL PROCESS
      3. CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT
      4. CHANGE CONTROL IS ESSENTIAL FOR MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
      5. END POINT
      6. FAST FOUNDATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
    5. CHAPTER 19: Measure Progress
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. MEASURING SCHEDULE PERFORMANCE
      3. MEASURING COST PERFORMANCE
      4. EARNED VALUE REPORTING
      5. ESCALATION THRESHOLDS
      6. COST AND SCHEDULE BASELINES
      7. END POINT
    6. CHAPTER 20: Solve Common Project Problems
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND YOUR AUTHORITY
      3. DISASTER RECOVERY
      4. WHEN THE CUSTOMER DELAYS THE PROJECT
      5. THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
      6. FIGHTING FIRES
      7. MANAGING VOLUNTEERS
      8. END POINT
  12. PART 5: Advancing Your Practice of Project Management
    1. CHAPTER 21: Enterprise Project Management: Align Projects with Strategy
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. DEFINING ENTERPRISE PROJECT MANAGEMENT
      3. THREE TIERS OF MANAGEMENT WITHIN EPM: PORTFOLIO, PROGRAM, PROJECT
      4. THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF EPM: PROCESS, PEOPLE, TECHNOLOGY, PMO
      5. ESTABLISH CONSISTENT EPM PROCESSES
      6. TECHNOLOGY ENABLES EPM PROCESSES
      7. THE PEOPLE WHO DELIVER PROJECTS
      8. SUPPORT PROJECT MANAGEMENT: THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
      9. END POINT
    2. CHAPTER 22: Requirements: Describe the Solution Target
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. REQUIREMENTS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT ARE INTIMATELY CONNECTED
      3. REQUIREMENT TYPES ILLUSTRATE THE EVOLVING PRODUCT VISION
      4. REQUIREMENTS SCOPE AND PROCESSES
      5. REQUIREMENTS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
      6. REQUIREMENTS MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
      7. THE AUDIENCE FOR REQUIREMENTS
      8. END POINT
    3. CHAPTER 23: Use the Quality Discipline to Hit the Target
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. THE COST OF QUALITY
      3. BUILD THE QUALITY DISCIPLINE INTO A PROJECT
      4. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL
      5. QUALITY PRACTICES IMPROVE REQUIREMENTS
      6. THE QUALITY DISCIPLINE IMPROVES PROCESSES
      7. QUALITY IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT
      8. END POINT
    4. CHAPTER 24: Pass the PMP Exam
      1. INTRODUCTION
      2. REQUIREMENTS TO EARN THE PMP
      3. TOP 10 STUDY TIPS FOR THE PMP EXAM
      4. END POINT
  13. APPENDIX A: Forms Available Online
  14. APPENDIX B: The Detailed Planning Model
  15. NOTES
    1. CHAPTER 2
    2. CHAPTER 4
    3. CHAPTER 6
    4. CHAPTER 8
    5. CHAPTER 13
    6. CHAPTER 14
    7. CHAPTER 15
    8. CHAPTER 20
    9. CHAPTER 22
    10. CHAPTER 23
  16. INDEX
  17. END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT

Product information

  • Title: The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, 6th Edition
  • Author(s): Eric Verzuh
  • Release date: January 2021
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9781119700760