Biographical Overview: Michael Greer
Last updated: 11/2007
For nearly two decades, Michael Greer has been helping new project managers become more effective. Through his books, articles, workshops, and public speaking appearances, he has sought to demystify the field of project management (PM) and make it accessible to new and part-time project managers. His step-by-step PM texts have been adopted by many universities and are used in businesses as diverse as AT&T, Apple Computer, The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Boeing Defense and Space Group, American Airlines, The American Red Cross, Xerox Corp, The Southern Company, Apria Healthcare, and many, many others. (See Greer's Client List.)
From 1978 to 1992 Greer managed teams of contractors as they worked side-by-side with new product developers to create training and performance improvement systems for major corporations such as Xerox, Epson America, and Apple Computer. The projects he planned and coordinated were as simple as a single resource working for three weeks and as complicated as 60 people working for more than a year and a half. Deliverables ranged from straightforward documentation to transcontinental satellite broadcasts incorporating pre-produced video sequences, live executive speakers, and real-time competition among problem-solving teams located all over North America.
In recent years Greer has focused on providing workshops and consulting support for individuals and organizations who need to improve their PM processes, as well as on the publication of materials to support PM. In addition to his books The Project Manager's Partner (HRD Press, 1996, 2001) and ID Project Project Management (Educational Technology Publications, 1992), Greer has published more than a dozen articles related to PM and has contributed Chapter 6: Planning and Managing Human Performance Technology Projects in the new Handbook of Human Performance Technology (Jossey-Bass, 1999). Greer's book The Pocket Guide to Project Management (HRD Press) was released in late April of 1999. He has twice been a featured speaker at ProjectWorld Conferences and (by invitation of the president) as part of ISPI's Masters series. As a founding member of the Gartner Institute's PM Advisory Board, Greer helped to develop a PM certification process for IT professionals. In recent years, his public appearances have included ISPI-sponsored workshops and other events in Long Beach, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Los Angeles, CA; King of Prussia, PA; and Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Some of Greer's awards include:
 | 1997: ISPI Service Award for contributions to the field of Human Performance Technology |
| 1996: ISPI Certificate of Leadership for creating the first-ever conference track devoted exclusively to project management |
| 1992: ID Tool of the Year Award for the text ID Project Management, Association for Educational Communications & Technology, Division of Instructional Development |
| 1990: Outstanding Article Series, Project Management: The Series, Performance & Instruction; National Society for Performance and Instruction, 1990 [10-article series] |
| 1985: Xerox BSG Marketing Education Special Award for "Outstanding Development of Training," Project Management Course |
| 1985: Golden Angel Award and Best of Show Award for project management overview video, Xerox Project Mgt. Course, Los Angeles Chapter of ITVA |
You may contact Greer by:
| e-mail: greers_pm@yahoo.com |
| fax: (508) 256-8927 [24-hr/day] |
| voice mail: (530) 688-6613 [24-hr/day] |
[From Michael Greer's Project Management Resources web site at www.michaelgreer.com]