How Not to Fail at Projects : Stopping the Project Management Insanity Spiral

They say that repeating the same thing and expecting a different result is insanity. This book aims to analyze the reasons for failure in project management. It is filled with stories, anecdotes and satires that highlight how organizations and project managers fall into an “insanity spiral”. It provides seven Sanity Checks designed to keep project managers from repeating the same mistakes and to help them become project champions: The first sanity check is how and when to appoint a project manager. This first sanity check may be familiar and may well bring back memories of starting a career in project management. The second sanity check is the comprehension of why a project is needed. It helps to overcome the misunderstanding that many have on the nature of projects and its management. The third sanity check is the understanding of the unknown and emphasizes the importance of risk management. The fourth sanity check is capturing who needs what. It is about the constant pursuit to satisfy a host of individuals and at times the, sometimes seemingly, unsurmountable quest to secure resources for a project. The fifth sanity check is who does what. It also deals with satisfying stakeholders and obtaining resources. The sixth sanity check is outside assistance. It is all about breaking the us versus them syndrome when outsourcing in a project. The seventh and most important sanity check is engaging the efforts of others as it deals with people―the lifeblood of any organization. The book concludes with a chapter on composing and building powerful microservices. With the exponential growth of IoT devices, microservices are being developed and deployed on resource-constrained but resource-intensive devices in order to provide people-centric applications. The book discusses the challenges of these applications. Finally, the book looks at the role of microservices in smart environments and upcoming trends including ubiquitous yet disappearing microservices. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Tables Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction Chapter 1 The First Sanity Check—How and When to Appoint a Project Manager 1. Project Management Is a Profession 2. Project Management Training for ALL 3. Chapter 1 Summary Chapter 2 The Second Sanity Check—Comprehension of Why a Project Is Needed 1. Projects as the Instruments of Change 2. Why Do Projects Fail? 3. Chapter 2 Summary Chapter 3 The Third Sanity Check—Understanding of the Unknown 1. The Insanity of Fixed Plans 1.1 Sane Project Planning 1.1 Socrates and Wisdom 1.2 Addressing Your Unknowns 1.3 Doing Your Homework 2. Chapter 3 Summary Chapter 4 The Fourth Sanity Check—Capturing Who Needs What 4.1 Stakeholders Have Needs to Fulfil 4.2 Who Makes Decisions as to What Is Needed 4.2.1 Management Layers in Decision-Making 5. Chapter 4 Summary Chapter 5 The Fifth Sanity Check—Who Does What 5.1 The “Hunt” for Project Human Resource 5.2 The Challenge of Matrix Resource Management 5.2.1 Securing Internal Resources for the Product Scope 5.2.2 Securing Internal Resources for the Project Scope Planning 5.3 Challenges for Project Execution/Implementation 5.3.1 Securing Resources for the Project Execution/Implementation 5.4 Actions Required from Management 5.5 Chapter 5 Summary Chapter 6 The Sixth Sanity Check—Outside Assistance 6.1 The Assistance Providers—The Sellers 6.2 Do Your Homework! 6.3 The Search for the Suitable Subcontractor 6.3.1 Establishing the Statement of Work—The SOW 6.3.2 Assessing the Technical Proposal 6.3.3 Assessing the Financial Proposal 6.3.4 Assessing the Schedule Proposal 6.4 What Is in Your Contract? 6.4.1 Fixed-Price (Lump-Sum) Contracts 6.4.2 The False Security of Fixed-Price Contracts 6.4.3 The Contract Is Not the Solution 6.5 Are You Being Delivered What You Expected? 6.5.1 Projects Are Dynamic—Expectations Will Not be Met! 6.5.2 Be Ready to Master the Change with the Subcontractor 6.6 The Human Side of Subcontracting 6.7 Chapter 6 Summary Chapter 7 The Seventh Sanity Check—Engaging the Efforts of Others 7.1 The Workplace Community 7.2 The Responsibility for a Social Group 7.3 Responding to Personal Drivers 7.4 Inclusion and Unleashing Performance 7.5 Humility and Project Humanitarianism 7.6 Chapter 7 Summary Index