Why learn project management the hard way?   Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Project Management, Second Edition will have you managing projects in no time! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn:  Key concepts and fundamentals behind best-practice project management techniques The mindset and skill set of effective project managers Project techniques that work in any industry, with any tools The common elements of successful projects Lessons from failed projects The value and importance of project leadership versus project management How to manage growing project trends and tough project types that first-time project managers are likely to encounter How to make better use of Microsoft Project How to respond when project reality does not match textbook scenarios Expert insight on key project management concepts and topics  You’ve just been handed your department's biggest project. Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management will show you exactly where to start–and walk you step by step through your entire project! Expert project manager Gregory Horine shows you exactly what works and what doesn’t, drawing on the field’s proven best practices. Understand your role as a project manager...gain the skills and discover the personal qualities of great project managers...learn how to organize, estimate, and schedule projects effectively...manage deliverables, issues, changes, risks, quality, vendors, communications, and expectations...make the most of technology...manage virtual teams...avoid the problems that trip up new project managers! This new edition jumpstarts your project management expertise even faster, with all-new insights on Microsoft Project, challenging project situations and intriguing project management topics of the day.  

Table of Contents:
Introduction     1 About This Book     1 Who Should Read This Book?     3 How This Book Is Organized    3 Conventions Used in This Book     4   PART I    PROJECT MANAGEMENT JUMPSTART     5   Chapter 1   Project Management Overview     7 What Is Project Management…Exactly?     8 What Is the Value of Project Management?     12 Why Are Projects Challenging?     13 Growing Demand for Effective Project Managers?     15 Trends in Project Management     16 Chapter 2   The Project Manager     21 One Title, Many Roles     22 Key Skills of Project Managers     23 Qualities of Successful Project Managers     25 15 Common Mistakes of Project Managers     27 Chapter 3   Essential Elements for Any Successful Project     29 What Exactly Is a “Successful” Project?     30 Learning from Troubled Projects     31 Learning from Successful Projects     34 Essential Project Manager Toolkit     36   PART II   PROJECT PLANNING     41 Chapter 4   Defining a Project     43 Setting the Stage for Success     44 How Does Defining a Project Relate to Project Planning?     44 Project Definition Document     45 Project Definition Checklist     49 Chapter 5   Planning a Project     55 Key Project Planning Principles     56 Important Questions Project Planning Should Answer     58 Building a Project Plan    59 Summary of Supplemental Project Plan Components     66 Project Plan Checklist     69 Chapter 6   Developing the Work Breakdown Structure     71 What Is a WBS Exactly?     72 Why Is the WBS Important?     78 The Process of Building a WBS     79 Chapter 7   Estimating the Work     85 Next Step in the Schedule Development Process     86 Managing the Risk, Managing the Estimates     88 Reasons for Estimating Woes     88 Powerful Estimating Techniques and Methods     90 Best Practices     92 Chapter 8   Developing the Project Schedule     97 The Impact of the Project Schedule     98 The Goal of the Schedule Development Process     100 Key Inputs for Building a Schedule     101 Creating a Schedule     102 Chapter 9   Determining the Project Budget     113 The Impact of the Project Budget     114 Principles of an Effective Budget     115 Creating a Project Budget     116 Common Budget Challenges     120   PART III  PROJECT CONTROL     123 Chapter 10  Controlling a Project     125 What Is Project Control?     126 Management Fundamentals for Project Control     129 Powerful Techniques for Project Control     130 Performance Reporting     133 Variance Responses     135 Leveraging Earned Value Management Concepts     136 Common Project Control Challenges     139 Lessons from Project Recoveries     141 Chapter 11  Managing Project Changes     145 What Exactly Is a Project Change and What’s the Big Deal Anyway?     146 Fundamentals for Managing Project Change     149 What Causes Unplanned Scope Changes?     150 Essential Elements of a Project Change Control System     151 Powerful Techniques for Minimizing Project Changes     154 Common Project Change Control Challenges     156 Chapter 12  Managing Project Deliverables     159 “Managing Project Deliverables” Means What Exactly?     160 Why Do This? It’s Too Much Work     161 Identify, Protect, and Track: The Principles of Managing Work Products     162 Best Practices     163 Configuration Management Plan     167 Common Challenges and Pitfalls     169 Chapter 13  Managing Project Issues     171 The Goals, Objectives, and Principles of Project Issue Management     172 Key Features of Issue Management System     173 Options for Issue Log     175 Best Practices     176 Some Special Situations     178 Chapter 14  Managing Project Risks     181 Key Risk Management Principles     182 The Essential Process for Managing Project Risks     183 The Common Sources of Project Risk     187 Typical Problems     190 Powerful Risk Control Strategies     192 Are You Sure It’s a Risk?     193 Chapter 15  Managing Project Quality     197 What Is “Project Quality”?     198 Unique Aspects of Managing Project Quality     199 Principles of Managing Project Quality     199 Powerful Tools and Techniques for Project Quality     201 Powerful Quality Strategies     203 Typical Quality-Related Challenges     205   PART IV   PROJECT EXECUTION     209 Chapter 16  Leading a Project     211 More Than Managing     212 Where Is Leadership Needed on a Project?     214 Twelve Keys to Better Project Leadership     215 Power of Servant Leadership Approach     218 Chapter 17  Managing Project Communications     223 What Are Project Communications?     224 The Importance of Project Communications     225 Why Communicating Can Be Tough     226 Seven Powerful Principles     227 Best Practices of Effective Project Communicators     230 Chapter 18  Managing Expectations     239 Value of Reviewing Stakeholder Expectation Management     240 Critical Aspects of Expectations     240 Seven Master Principles of Expectation Management     245 Essential Elements of Managing Expectations     246 Chapter 19  Keys to Better Project Team Performance     255 High-Performing Teams     256 Ten Key Principles     256 Proven Techniques     259 Special Situations     263 Chapter 20  Managing Differences     267 Five Key Principles     268 Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects     271 Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects     273 Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects     274 Chapter 21  Managing Vendors     279 First, Let’s Clarify a Few Terms     280 Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management     280 Twelve Tips for Buyers     283 Seven Tips for Sellers     285 Twelve Key Project Management Skills for Better Vendor Management     286 Stuff You Need to Know About Contracts     286 Chapter 22  Ending a Project     293 Three Key Principles     294 Project End Checklist–13 Important Steps     294 Common Project Closing Challenges     296 Methods for Ending a Contract or a Project     297   PART V    ACCELERATING THE LEARNING CURVE...EVEN MORE     301 Chapter 23  Making Better Use of Microsoft Project     303 Understand This …and It All Becomes Easier     304 Need-to-Know Features     306 New Project Best Practices     313 Keys to Making Resource Leveling Work     316 Powerful Reporting Secrets     318 More Insights to a Better Project Schedule     323 Chapter 24  When Reality Happens     327 What If I’m in a Project Management “Lite” Culture?     328 What If I Can’t Develop a Detailed Schedule?     330 What If I Must Manage to a Hard Milestone Date?     331 What If I Have Difficult Resources?     333 What Can I Do About Turnover?     334 Tips for Managing a Selection Process     335 Tips for Managing a Testing Process     340 Chapter 25  Intriguing Project Management Concepts and Topics     345 Agile Approaches     346 Project Management Offices     348 Portfolio Project Management     351 Governance Processes     353 Critical Chain Project Management     353 Web-Based Project Management Software     356 Mind Mapping Tools     357 Value of Certifications     358 Project Management Training     359   Index     363