Managing Leadership^®

Many businesses have begun adopting project management methodology in recent years. There are many operational and structural advantages in doing this, even in areas that might not at first glance seem to lend themselves to the approach.

Principle among these, surely, is the habit of thought it instills into managers when properly executed. We have noted here before three key examples of how it does this: through its inescapable emphasis on 1) clear taskings, 2) operational integration, and 3) strategic integration.

Unfortunately, the discipline often seems impenetrable to generalist managers and executives, or even technical experts. It is perceived as the intimidatingly complex domain of engineers and specially trained denizens of the new profession of project management; best just to leave them to it and then take possession of the products of the process.

But the truth is that neither can specially trained project managers properly discharge their duties, nor can organizations enjoy the substantial benefits that the project management approach and mindset has to offer, unless senior managers are fully and intelligently on board. They need to do three things: 1) understand the basic principles of project management, 2) be prepared to intelligently initiate and manage specific projects and project portfolios, and 3) understand how to integrate the project management activities of the organization with its other operational structures.

The solution is Michael Bender’s book, “A Manager’s Guide to Project Management: Learn How to Apply Best Practices.” Bender is an expert project manager, and has a thriving business teaching the subject to practitioners at all levels around the world. In the course of his own on-the-job work, consulting experience, and feedback from seminar and workshop students, he has assembled a comprehensive appreciation of what up until now has been a missing ingredient in the acceptance and effective application of project management in both commercial and not-for-profit organizations.

This book is the product of that analysis. And it will undoubtedly set the standard for such work for years to come. It is an exceptionally efficient and readable guide to the subject for senior executives and functional managers in organizations that want to incorporate project management into their operating structure in a sustainable and meaningful way.

Bender has produced an actionable how-to guide, combining the theory necessary for the generalist manager of project managers, with clear and detailed protocols for applying them in the real world. Following this pattern throughout, the book is organized into fifteen chapters over five parts:

1. Understanding Projects and Project Management
2. Aligning Project Management with the Organization
3. Project Management Oversight
4. Projects as Capital Investments
5. Globalization and Resource Management

If you are interested in how to make better use of project management in your organization – regardless of your current level of experience in that regard – you will want to get this book. If you are a professional project manager, you will want to gift copies of this book to your senior management team and functional manager colleagues.

And, as mentioned at the beginning of this review, even if you are neither, you will benefit from this view of project management from the outside manager’s perspective for the brilliant and vivid lessons it offers about management generally, as well as of an increasingly important approach for pursuing it.

Michael Bender’s “A Manager’s Guide to Project Management” is both a quick and engaging read, and a thorough and actionable guide to the subject. You can read it through, or easily and effectively scan and navigate right to those parts you need most. In either event, you will find the book occupying an easily accessible place in your professional bookshelf as a prized reference.

Pick it up, and enjoy!

—

Today’s tip: Speaking of book reviews, please see this one in The Economist of two books about the British army in Afghanistan. In particular, look for how one of the authors praises the courage of his soldiers, and consider the implications of the peculiar way in which he does so.

—

If you have enjoyed this post, please do join us by using the subscription links just below or at the top right of this page. And thanks – we look forward to your being aboard!

Technorati Tags: business, project management, manager, integration, discipline, generalist, executive, expert, profession, project, organization, management, Michael Bender, Economist, courage