Managing Projects Large And Small
Harvard Business Essentials
Review By D.W. 

Managing Projects Large and Small, part of the Harvard Business Essentials book series, is a concise and power packed publication on the essential elements of effective project management.

Experienced managers may think of this book as a mere review of the fundamentals but for those of us who are uninitiated in this discipline, it is certainly a worthwhile read.

Overall, the Harvard Business School Press usually publishes very lucid and intellectually stimulating work; after all it is Harvard and people have an expectation of engaging reading material. And this book is certainly no exception and it is definitely not a lightweight.
 

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It does continue the tradition in a quick and dirty style that gets right down to the point.

But most importantly, there is no needless theorizing and exploring the history behind project management, which is sometimes good to know but oftentimes it is the essentials that are more relevant and more important to those who have to formulate a program from inception to execution.

And unlike many other project management books that concentrate primarily on systems for managing projects, this publication takes a rather unique approach in examining the human element and the dynamics of what people can bring to the table.

Although developing a project may use many tools like Gant Charts, they are only as good as the people who operate them.

These tools are discussed and examples are provided which is helpful especially if you have never worked with them, but they are not the primary focus of this book. And that is because truly successful project managers must also excel in other areas such as coaching, conflict resolution and team building.

Needless to say, personality conflicts can crush a project faster than an unexpected technical problem and keep the team from sharing critical information.

A team can have many brilliant minds, but sometimes their egos get in the way of communication and managers must plan accordingly.

In essence, if you can’t lead these brilliant people and manage them to get the most out of their abilities, then they may not be worth having on your team.

The book approaches project management in a holistic fashion by viewing it as a phased process.

They describe the process consisting of four sequential phases from conception and proposal to the conclusion. The authors center on the traditional structure of project management where the variables and risks are fairly predictable and routine.

But most interestingly, they also tackle the nontraditional aspect of project management where the traditional linear structure doesn’t work, which may be of tremendous assistance to people who encounter extraordinary obstacles.

And perhaps another great feature of this book that makes it worth purchasing is the free access to online tools available from Harvard at their website.

If you need a good introduction into project management done by experts, then this book belongs on your shelf.

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