The Portable MBA in Project Management (Hardcover) by Eric Verzuh

Product Description

The Portable MBA in Project Management covers the most pressing topics in project management and features all the leading thinkers in the field. While most project management books address only the techniques for managing individual projects, The Portable MBA in Project Management widens the scope to include insights for managing project-based organizations. In doing so, this comprehensive volume will help managers combine the power of individual project successes to drive the organization to new levels of productivity and customer responsiveness. Eric Verzuh, best selling author of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, brings together the leading lights of project management in this volume, including Robert G. Cooper, Randall Englund, Jack Meredith and Neil Whitten. In addition to his role as editor, Verzuh draws on his own expertise to address how and why project management is a strategic strength, how to integrate project management into your enterprise, and several other topics for which he is well-known. Together they effectively address the full spectrum of the issues in project management today.
Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #54448 in Books
* Published on: 2003-02-03
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Hardcover
* 400 pages

Editorial Reviews

Book Info
Text offers the best thinking on the newest strategies as well as tried-and-true practices in managing projects and project-based organizations. Includes contributions of classic works on project selection, risk management, insights on working in virtual teams, and integrating project management capabilities into the enterprise.

From the Inside Flap
As the project management function has steadily grown in importance across almost every industry and time zone, it's more vital than ever that today's project manager have access to the latest and most comprehensive information available. The Portable MBA in Project Management offers the best thinking on the newest strategies as well as tried-and-true practices in managing projects and project-based organizations. Respected project management consultant Eric Verzuh brings together experts from leading consultancies and business schools and the result is a state-of-the-art MBA in project management-without the time and expense. Contributions to this book include classic works on project selection and risk management, as well as leading-edge insights on working in virtual teams and integrating project management capabilities into the enterprise.

In Part One, Verzuh explores why project management is a vital strategic business strength, while Robert Graham and Randall Englund discuss the transformation of traditional businesses into project-based organizations. Part Two covers the project management discipline with Verzuh on action plans, project control, and risk management, while Jack Meredith and Samuel Mantel discuss project selection, and Ned Hamson discusses quality management. Part Three offers expert advice on project teams with Elaine Biech on teamwork, Neal Whitten on discipline, and Deborah Duarte and Nancy Snyder on critical team success factors. Part Four discusses managing project-based organizations with Verzuh on making project management an integral part of the enterprise, Robert Cooper on stage-gate new product development processes, Denis Couture on achieving project management maturity, and Robert Graham and Randall Englund on establishing an organizational environment for success.

Written with a finger on the pulse of modern business, The Portable MBA in Project Management offers unparalleled coverage of everything executives and project managers need to know to leverage this proven discipline in any project-based organization.

From the Back Cover
"Unlike most project management books, which focus solely on the nuts and bolts of managing single projects, The Portable MBA in Project Management focuses on the strategy, organization, and processes at work in the three tiers of a successful project-driven organization-the project, the program, and the enterprise. By integrating many critical success factors in this comprehensive guide, Eric Verzuh brings a new vision to the art and science of project management."
-Chris Capossela, General Manager, Microsoft Project

"Verzuh delivers with impact once again. Like his first book, this one is a `must have' for all professionals in project management. Everyone-from project managers to CEOs of project-based organizations-can't help but be successful after reading and applying the principles established here. This is truly a significant contribution from a first-rate author."
-Ralph Kliem, author of The Project Manager's Emergency Kit

"Eric Verzuh has produced another solid, readable book. In the tradition of good project management, he has gone `cross functional' and added outside expertise to his own impressive knowledge. Project management is about much more than technical tools, and so this book also explains the proper business approaches to running a project-driven organization."
-Dr. Denis F. Cioffi, Director of the Project Management Program at The George Washington University
author of Managing Project Integration

A state-of-the-art education in project management from the leading thinkers in the field:

* Elaine Biech, President and Managing Principal, Ebb Associates
* Robert G. Cooper, President and cofounder, The Product Development Institute
* Denis Couture, President and cofounder, PCI Group
* Deborah L. Duarte, George Washington University
* Randall Englund, Associate, Strategic Management Group
* Robert J. Graham, Senior Associate, Strategic Management Group
* Ned Hamson, strategic innovation consultant
* Samuel J. Mantel Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of Cincinnati
* Jack R. Meredith, Editor in Chief, Journal of Operations Management
* Nancy Tennant Snyder, Vice President for Leadership and Strategic Competency Creation, Whirlpool Corporation
* Eric Verzuh, President, The Versatile Company
* Neal Whitten, President, Neal Whitten Group

Customer Reviews

Wealth of knowledge in advanced techniques5
This book is more than an expansion of Verzuh's earlier "Fast Forward MBA in Project Management", ISBN 0471325465, in that both books can be used in conjunction with one another. Whereas the earlier book is a quick-start guide imparts a wealth of knowledge and techniques, this one goes deep into advanced techniques that project managers of all experience levels will appreciate. More importantly, executive management will benefit from parts of this book, especially Part One, which makes a case for project manager at the strategic level.

Contributing authors are subject matter experts in every facet of project management, assuring that this book will reflect the best thinking across all PM areas. Part Two contains a number of chapters that drill down into core areas, such as project selection, stakeholder satisfaction, risk management and quality. These areas are often overlooked by working project managers who are more concerned with estimating, scheduling and control (also covered in this part of the book).

Part Three is completely focused on team management, with excellent material on team building. I especially liked the chapter on managing virtual teams because this is an increasing requirement, both within internal organizations as well as managing teams comprised of internal resources and off-shore resources to which parts of a project may be outsourced. This is also applicable to project teams comprised of a prime and number of subcontractors.

For those interested in building an organizational structure that is project-based Part Four contains a wealth of material. I found the Stage-Gate new product development process given in chapter 11 to be both a viable and innovative approach to managing development and launches of new products. I also liked chapter 13, which covered enterprise project management in great detail. This material is outstanding for companies that are considering establishing a PMO.

As I read through this book I discovered techniques that had eluded me during my 25+ years of project management experience, as well as fresh ways of looking at techniques and methods I've used throughout my career. The selection of contributors to this book is one of its strengths - each comes across with the highest credibility, and there are no technical or factual gaps anywhere in the book.

If you are a working project manager, regardless of experience level, I strongly recommend adding this outstanding book to your professional library.

Eric has written an insightful book5
Eric is on the money with this book. He has spoke at our Project Management syposium the last two years. I have read both his books and feel he has educated me in project managment. His books ar each one stop in the tools of project management. You do not have to read 500 page text books to get project managment information, and it does not hurt to have the author speak in person at your events.
This book is a buy, right off in the first pages Eric tells you that most important thing that project management is a corporate strategic strength. Many companies mis use the title and relegate project managers to be gofors or process analysts, but follow this book and you will see the real strength that leading projects is about leading and decision making.

Next level - improving the organizational capability5
You can provide all the training your company can afford but if the organization doesn't embrace project management at every level performance will continue to suffer and the folks with all that new training will soon become disillusioned. Verzuh's new book outlines the issues you'll face in building a project centered enterprise that routinely adds value to customers and shareholders alike.

Verzuh has taken some of the best writing in project and program management, then added articles crafted in his honest, clear, to the point, style to fill in any gaps. The result is an excellent reader for those who care to help their business achieve the next level (and the next...) in project performance.

I've recently taken on several significant change efforts for major clients. I've found the chapters on: Enterprise Project Management: The Path to Maturity (12.), Integrating Project Management into the Enterprise (14), and Project Risk Management (6) particularly helpful in forming my approach. But as I look at this list I reflect on the fact that virtual teaming is giving one client a problem. Guess I better re-read Virtual Team Critical Success Factors (10). And I'm sure the other chapters will be needed before I'm done with this book. That's why others mention how dog-eared Verzuh's books become - because they provide assistance when you need it, and that's a value-added book you should have on your shelf - nope, it won't stay on your shelf, better make room for it right on the desk.

Thanks Eric, we needed this one.