You don't have to be an MBA to learn the principles of project management! This book gives you comprehensive, easy-to-understand guidelines for getting your projects done on time and under budget.
Do you recognize the business value of "execution"--the critical ability to deliver what you promise, under budget and on time--but aren't quite sure how to get there consistently? The Complete Idiot's Guide to Project Management, by marketing and business-development specialists Sunny and Kim Baker, outlines proven ways to apply this key skill to various situations. In typical Idiot's Guide fashion, it explains all of the steps necessary to plan a project, assemble and lead teams, monitor progress, and bring resultant efforts to a successful conclusion.
Tips on resolving conflict, handling change, using software, and keeping in touch with those involved are among the highlights. In a chapter called "Making Your Communications Count," for example, the Bakers examine numerous methods for distributing information that will "get your message across." They first look at the pros and cons of nine forms of interchange, from telephone and e-mail to memo and presentation; they then offer guidelines for creating effective messages and selecting appropriate delivery vehicles. Similar treatment also is given to other relevant topics, such as assembling adequate resources, launching projects in ways that motivate participants, and moving team members to other roles once their current job is finished. --Howard Rothman
