LEADING PROJECT TEAMS: The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership

259 Pages·2006·2.84 MB·English

by  Anthony T. Cobb

Second
Edition
LEADING
PROJECT
TEAMS
Second
Edition
LEADING
PROJECT
TEAMS
The Basics of Project Management and Team Leadership
Anthony T. Cobb
Virginia Tech
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cobb, Anthony T.
Leading project teams: the basics of project management and team leadership/Anthony T. Cobb.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Leading project teams: an introduction to the basics of project management and project team
leadership. c2006.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4129-9170-4 (pbk.)
1. Project management. 2. Teams in the workplace.
I. Title.
HD69.P75C616 2012 658.4′092—dc22
2010051832
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
11 12 13 14 15 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Brief Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Determining the Direction and Initial Specifications of a Project
Chapter 3: The Work Breakdown Structure
Chapter 4: Project Scheduling
Chapter 5: Managing Project Risk
Chapter 6: Developing Project Teams
Chapter 7: The Project Team’s Environment
Chapter 8: Leading Project Teams
Chapter 9: Writing Project Reports
Appendix A: Calculating the Critical Path Using the Critical Path Method
Appendix B: Earned Value Analysis
Index
About the Author
Detailed Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction
Project Fundamentals
Defining Characteristics of Projects
Projects Are Unique
Projects Are Temporary
Project Parameters
Dimensions of Project Leadership
Overview of Book
Chapters 2–5: Fundamentals of Project Initiation and Planning
Chapter 2: Determining the Direction and Initial Specifications of a Project
Chapter 3: The Work Breakdown Structure
Chapter 4: Project Scheduling
Chapter 5: Managing Project Risk
Chapters 6–8: Fundamentals of Project Leadership
Chapter 6: Developing Project Teams
Chapter 7: The Project Team’s Environment
Chapter 8: Leading Project Teams
Chapter 9: Writing Project Reports
Summary
Endnotes
Key Terms
Chapter 2: Determining the Direction and Initial Specifications of a Project
Introduction
The Baltimore Project
Chapter Overview
The Project’s Mission Statement
What Is a Project Mission Statement and What Role Does It Play?
Provides Project Direction
Establishes Common Ground
Stakeholders in the Project’s Mission
The Client
The Host Organization
The Project Team
End Users
Suppliers
Dealing With Stakeholders
The Baltimore Project
The Project’s Objectives and Deliverables
What Are Project Objectives and Deliverables?
Roles Played by Project’s Objectives and Deliverables
Helping Clients Define Their Goals
Providing Team Direction
Securing Stakeholder Agreement
The Baltimore Project
Project Parameters: Project Scope, Costs, and Timeline
Project Scope
Costs
Timeline
The Project Charter
The Project Plan
Summary
Review Questions
Exercise
Endnotes
Key Terms
Figure 2.1: Talking Points for the Meeting With Ms. Byrnes
Table 2.1: Illustration of John’s Mission Statement, a Project Objective, and Its
Deliverables
Table 2.2: Initiation Check-Off List
Chapter 3: The Work Breakdown Structure
Introduction
The Compliance Project
Chapter Overview
The Work Breakdown Structure and Its Project Role
Roles Played by a WBS
Lays Out the Scope of Project Work
Provides the Foundation of All Project Estimates
Helps to Provide the Organizational Structure of the Project
Producing a WBS
Core Tasks
Support Tasks
Project Planning
Project Administration
Using the WBS
Resource, Time, and Cost Estimates
Estimating Resources
Estimating Time Requirements
Estimating Costs
Developing a Project Structure
Summary
Review Questions
Exercise
Endnotes
Key Terms
Figure 3.1: Illustration of a Work Breakdown Structure for Golden Years
Compliance Project
Table 3.1: Project Costs: Illustration of One Task Cost Estimate
Table 3.2: Work Breakdown Structure Check-Off List
Chapter 4: Project Scheduling
Introduction
Dr. Howard’s Bio-Informatics Project
Chapter Overview
Project Schedules: Types and Components
Types of Project Schedules
The Gantt or Bar Chart
The Critical Path Method (CPM)
The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Components of Project Schedules
Activities or Project Tasks
Dependencies
Lag and Lead Times
Milestones
The Project Network
The Critical Path
Slack or Float
How to Develop a Project Schedule: Focus—Gantt Charts
Create a Work Breakdown Structure in Outline Form
Review Time Estimates
Determine Task Dependencies
Construct the Network of Project Activities
Determine the Critical Path
Using the Output of a Project Schedule
Visualizing the Project as a Whole
Project Phases
Project Dependencies
Communication to Stakeholders
Revision of Planning Assumptions and Estimates for the Project Plan
Making Adjustments to the Plan Throughout the Project
Command and Control
Summary
Review Questions
Exercise
Endnotes
Key Terms
Figure 4.1: A Simple Bar Chart—Ordering Supplies in Dr. Howard’s Bio-
Informatics Project
Figure 4.2: A Gantt Chart Illustrating Dr. Howard’s Bio-Informatics Project
Figure 4.3: A Simple Project Network Diagram—Dr. Howard’s Study
Table 4.1: Schedule Check-Off List
Chapter 5: Managing Project Risk
Introduction
The Crime Tracking Project
Chapter Overview
Good Risk Management
Sources of Risk
Risks From Project Management
Project Planning
Project Execution
Risks From the Host Organization
Organizational Support
Funding and Other Resource Support
Organizational Politics
Deliverable Risks
Technical Problems
Other Problems