Preface

I developed this book as a catharsis for the frustrations I continually face when I am hired to save projects that are out of control, over budget, and seem as if they will never get released. Every ˜ ˜problem project has at least one of the following characteristics: Management is not supporting the project process, the project team, or the project manager; the team isn t working together; or an effective foundation of analysis was not created at the beginning of the project.

Early on in my career a boss commented that I got all the easy projects. ˜ ˜I thought I had given you some difficult projects, he said, ˜ ˜but apparently I didn t. This statement surprised me since I had just successfully released two projects that were in total disarray when they were assigned to me. I reminded him about the status of the projects when I inherited them. He replied, ˜ ˜I guess, after all, they were not as difficult as I thought they were. They went very smoothly. It was then that I realized I had an aptitude for project management. For more than twenty years now, I have successfully taken out-of-control projects and turned them into projects that meet the needs of the user and get out on time and on budget. My secret is not really a secret; it s just good common business sense.

This book is a culmination of my experiences. Its goal is to provide the reader with my hard-learned lessons. The breakdown of projects into eight recognizable phases and the idea that management should buy in at the end of each of these phases are not new concepts. The compelling aspect of this book is the assortment of tips and techniques it provides to management, to team members , and especially to project managers. The revelation isn t in having a project team, it is in having practical, clear, nonbureaucratic guidelines that are easy to follow but ensure that projects get out on time and on budget. If the principles illustrated in its pages are followed, I can assure you that your projects will never be late or over budget. I would like to hear from you. Visit me on my Web site, www. anita rosen.com.

Anita Rosen