Project Management Success Stories

How to get beyond the formulas and succeed in real-world project management

Project Management Success Stories begins where most books on project management leave off–with the real-world experiences of professional project managers working without a net. From these stories and the lessons they teach, project managers emerge not as bureaucrats or technicians clinging to rules and formulas but as champions who challenge the status quo, set goals that extend the limits of their teams' capabilities, rely more on judgment and intuition than calculation, and are not afraid to take risks when necessary.

Based on a comprehensive, NASA-sponsored research project, this practical guide takes readers beyond textbook management systems and articulates the field-proven tacit knowledge that these veteran leaders have accumulated through years of experience under fire. These stories contain lessons that extend far beyond the field of engineering; they apply in any environment, from the government task force to the corporate boardroom to the shop floor. This remarkably unconventional how-to book:

• Features 70 firsthand project management success stories
  
• Presents actionable lessons demonstrated by these success stories
  
• Inspires and energizes readers to reach new heights in their own performance
  
• Conveys leadership principles and intangibles in a simple, nontechnical format
  
• Provides resources for creating success stories within any organization
  
• Includes profiles of five "star" project managers
  

Project management is not just for engineers anymore, and Project Management Success Stories is for anyone–engineer or generalist, project manager or team member–who wants to turn the tacit knowledge of proven professionals into hands-on solutions to the recurring challenges of a dynamic and constantly changing business and technological environment.

Table of Contents
Are Successful Projects Managed or Led'
Adopt a Will to Win.
Challenge the Status Quo.
Take Measured Risks.
Foster Flexible Systems and Behavior.
Legitimize Judgment-Based Decisions.
Create and Maintain a Focus.
Involve the Customer.
Develop Teamwork.
Build Trust.
Profiles of Successful Project Leaders.
Appendices.
Acknowledgments.