The Human Factor in Project Management / Edition 1

by Denise Thompson

Overview

In the fluid world of changing business environments and variables affecting projects, a style of project management that primarily relies on maintaining the Iron Triangle, that tenuous mix of schedule, scope, and budgets, is no longer the sole path to success. Today’s project management demands a focus on leadership of the kind that anticipates and embraces change, challenges the status quo, and inspires teams. Developing these skills requires a mastery of emotional intelligence, courage, critical thinking, and a desire to become a true leader dedicated to developing success. Whether you are participating in a project for the first time or you’ve been doing projects for decades, you know the very essence of a project is to return value that gains a competitive edge and propels the organization forward into new frontiers. Whether you believe the best results are earned through agile, waterfall, or a mix of methodologies, project leadership is the secret weapon that will maintain and grow professional relevance, knowledge, and value in today’s workforce.

Through a series of notable lessons in human history and behavior, The Human Factor in Project Management takes you on a journey of self-discovery to define your capabilities and gaps, while building your leadership skills.

In your role as a project manager, project sponsor, product owner, or champion, the book challenges you to question the choices you make in a series of stories where you are the main character. This guide to career and personal growth forces you to look beyond the limitations of a Gantt chart, spreadsheet, or a Kanban board to evaluate the value from every tool you use and every action you take.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138064195
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/14/2018
Series:	Best Practices in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

What makes this author and this book different is found in the relevant experience Denise Thompson brings to the page as a working project management professional (PMP) and certified Scrum master (CSM) and MBA. Fluent in the various practices of agile, waterfall, and the countless variations that fall in between the better-known methodologies, Denise has developed project leadership through a myriad of personal and professional experiences.

Throughout a wide array of diverse professional and personal experiences around the world, which have taken Denise into the Arctic, the desert, and urban and rural jungles in corporate, cooperative, and nonprofit environments, Denise has been continually challenged to define and redefine herself and her approach in order to adapt to new environments, requirements, and stakeholders. Her passion for project management is matched only by her passion for relevant leadership. As a servant to teams and organizations, Denise is an agent for change and an advocate for the development of a sustainable future for the profession of project management. There is nothing to sell here except the revolutionary idea that every project manager has the ability to earn project success and design the future survival of project management.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Chapter 1: Are You a Stick in the Mud, a Cog in the Wheel, or Skids on Rails?

Chapter 2: The Firing Squad, Suicide, and Other Hazards

of the Profession

Chapter 3: Creating the Freedom to Fly High

Chapter 4: Waterfall, Agile, or Timbuktu—Who Cares?

Chapter 5: The Magician and the Disappearing Magic Wand

Chapter 6: Teleporting into the Future

Chapter 7: The Chameleon

Chapter 8: The Thrill of the Ride

Chapter 9: Teachers or Leaders—What’s the Difference?

Chapter 10: What Will You Choose?

References

Index