|  |
| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 11 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Helpful anecdotes for those already running projects May 27, 2005
By Lars Bergstrom
"LarsBerg"
This book would be most useful to someone who is currently running a project, is somewhat inexperienced, and who either knows or suspects that something may be going wrong. There are a lot of excellent situational examples of how to understand a problem, diagnose what to do appropriately to the size of the project, and resolve it. As noted by other reviewers, though, this shouldn't be taken as a book that contains a sequence of steps needed to run a successful project.
My favorite explicit lesson was on underpromising and overdelivering. The authors point out that while that's a great approach, never use it as an excuse to sandbag your schedule or add more features that the client didn't necessarily ask for. Overdelivering should only come in the form of early or cheaper than expected delivery of the agreed-upon solution. I couldn't agree more.
There was also a great implicit lesson buried in each of the lessons that wasn't called out explicitly and which at least one of the other reviewers failed to pick up on - the importance of developing a good rapport with project managers and members. In each of the lessons, the authors spend valuable book space describing fictional details and conversations tangential to the lessons at hand. However, I've found that to be an important part of conversations in all aspects of project management, as it's easier to have hard discussions about work-related problems when you've made it clear that you have empathy for them as a person and that any work-releated issues are not an attack on them.
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 waste of money Jan 05, 2005
By Alex Tomden
"AleT"
Rather pour. I think one should find those lessons info for free on the Web sources on project management.
Every lessons has a little story half of it is completely irrelevant for the subject discussed.
E.g. "The one thing I did know about Susan was she was a germ freak. She kept little moist toweletts in her desk drawer to wipe off the phone and doornobes periodically, and she also washed her hands more than anyone else I know." p.25
"Ashley was married and had two children. She often volunteered at her kid's school and also helped out once a month at their neighbourhood church. She was wearing dark pants with a plain red turtleneck and red framed glasses..." p. 13
and so on about half of page for each lesson, so you should expect more than 25 pages of such ladies novels in the 190 pages of text.
No pictures, graphs, tables and any illustrative materials. Just a plain text. Several times it's hard to get the main idea of the lesson.
Can recommend only as an additional to some serious book on project management. It's like a conversation with a sentimental old project manageк with a cup of tea.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Outstanding!!! Oct 09, 2003
By Dennis L. Bolles
This is not your typical project management book. Tom and Jeff Mochal have created a masterpiece that is a creative approach to teaching the basics of project management. "Lessons in Project Management" is not only entertaining, but informative. The authors use stories to bring important lessons to life and make them relevent, because they occur on most project most of the time. Every project manager, regardless of whether they are new to project management or seasoned veterans, needs to know how to deal with them. The lessons are all mapped to the Ten Step methodology developed by the authors. The book comes with a bonus CD-ROM packed with extras. I recommend it as a great addition to any project office library as a training aid.
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Practical Advice that all Project Managers Need to Heed Oct 12, 2003
By Ken Lengel
Tom and Jeff Mochal have accomplished one of the most difficult aspects of training and mentoring others in the field of project management in their new book. Project Managers can attend classes, receive certifications, and still not have the benefit of an experienced Project Manager like Tom Mochal. Jeff has used his talent to take Tom's valuable and practical experience and made it easy to understand and apply immediately! If you are a project manager, you must have this book. Read through the various areas on risk, quality, scope, budget, etc. and apply these techniques today! You'll be glad you did. If you like what you read, (...). What are you waiting for?? Go see for yourself.
An Excellent Project Management Title! Oct 28, 2011
By JK7
"grindforce"
Lessons in Project Management, 2nd Edition, Tom Mochal & Jeff Mochal. Apress 2011.
Project Management is defined in the text as referring to the "definition, planning and subsequent management, control and conclusion of a project". In the business world, it is the role of the Project Manager to co-ordinate the operations of their team and to solve any problems or issues as they arise in an organisation.
The Second Edition of this title represents 30 years of experience and is made up of a series of 50 bite-sized stories and lessons, all of which have been updated, edited and revised to some extent since the original publication. The book is based around the "Ten-Step Project Management Process" and there is a companion web site, which readers can access.
In the book the reader joins Project Management Advisor, Tom, in January at the fictitious Mega Manufacturing organisation in Dickens, Illinois. The snow is falling as Tom sets out to work and his first meeting with Jerry Ackerman who works in the Information Infrastructure Department. The first story is set out in the format of following stories and covers two pages in length.
Lessons follow the narrative and are typically 2-4 pages long. The approach is both highly informative and interesting, but at the same time providing insight and practical advice. Each of the stories allow the reader a wonderful introduction to the lives of Mega Manufacturing's employees and there is an appropriate amount of humour throughout the 50 stories. At the beginning of each story the characters exchange a little small talk and banter with Tom, before moving on to discuss the more serious matter of any problems that they may be experiencing in relation to managing their company projects. In each lesson Tom is very willing to share his wisdom and knowledge both with the employee and the reader.
The characters that Tom introduces us to include a diverse range of people, many of whom appear more than once in the book. We are also invited to witness the various seasonal celebrations at Mega Manufacturing throughout the year such as New Year, Valentines Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The main changes to the Second Edition are lessons 8,13 and 30. There are also some minor changes to the remainder of the title, especially chapters 6, 43, 44, 46, 47 and 49. Other changes to the new edition include the editing out of the "Contents by Story", the "Story & Lesson Chronology" and the "Cross Reference of Project Management Processes and Lessons". "The Appendix of Project Management Templates" has also been edited out.
The 2nd Edition of the book features a new front cover and the lesson text is now left aligned rather than justified, as was the case in the first edition. The general design of the printed pages is also much improved.
What I did notice about the second edition was that some of the Project Management Terminology had been revised and updated, especially for this 2011 release. For example the "Project Definition" is now the "Project Charter" and the "Project Workplan" is now the "Project Schedule". Many of the Chapter titles have also been modified and improved upon in order to more succinctly describe the lesson contents.
Other relevant titles from Apress include: "No-Drama Project Management" (Bart Gerardi), "Painless Project Management with FogBugz", Second Edition (Mike Gunderloy), and "Pro-Project Management with Sharepoint 2010" (Mark Collins).
In my opinion "Lesson's in Project Management" is a great read and it even motivated and inspired me to visit my local University library to seek further knowledge and future reading on the subject. Whilst many Project Management titles can be a little dry and lacking in humour, this title left me wanting to read it again to consolidate my knowledge and learning.
No prior knowledge is assumed and the book is ideal for Clients, Functional Managers, Managers of Project Managers, Project Managers, Students and Team Members.
The Author's have made an excellent job of this new second edition and I hope that one day they may release another title. Until then I look forward to putting in to practice the lessons that I have been taught via Tom, the Project Management Advisor at Mega Manufacturing.
See all 11 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
| | |
|
|
