- Book Review -

The Project Manager's Partner:
A Step-by-Step Guide to Project Management
by Michael Greer

[This review was originally published in Performance Improvement (a journal of the International Society for Performance Improvement -- formerly Performance & Instruction journal) ISSN-1090-8811-AE, March 1998, Volume 37, Number 3, pages 42-44. It is reproduced here in its entirety with permission of the publisher. Phone ISPI at (202) 408-7969 for editorial, subscription, and other information.]

Have you ever started to do something and had no idea where to begin? Have you known where to start and even what to do but did not know how to do it in a generally accepted way?

We have all been there at one time or another. Many times at work (or home) we find ourselves staring a large, evil-eyed monster in the face, daring it to just go away. Well, sometimes that monster (let's call it "project") has more arms and legs (called "tasks"), than we can even begin to count. Then of course, the monster's temperament becomes an issue (let's call that the organizational environment). It sometimes seems familiar and agreeable one minute and sprouts tentacles of unknown intentions and secrets the next moment. Does anything sound familiar?

Fortunately for us, Michael Greer has assembled The Project Manager's Partner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Project Management, to help new and part-time project managers view their upcoming projects not as terrifying and foreign monsters but as domesticated beasts that help them achieve success through a clear and cohesive process.

This handbook can be read straight through or used as a reference aid. Greer answers our basic, "What do I do now?" questions with a crisp style, a user-friendly format, and lots of headings and job aids. And speaking of questions, he lists the appropriate questions to ask throughout the process of our sponsors, project management team members, and peers.

So, let's answer a few of your questions about this resource.

Where Does It Begin?

As in all good books, it is important to read the acknowledgment and introduction. This gives us insight into the perspective of the author and the framework in which it was established. Greer's goal is to provide a simple, logical reference guide. The first sentence of this book informs us that it is a handbook "largely based on the Project Management Institute's (PMI) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)" [2] This means for readers that the tool is built on valid and reliable information that Greer references continually. In the introduction, he directs us to think of a project as anything from a new product line being introduced into the market or moving into a new office. Greer makes a few assumptions while writing: that the reader is serving as a project manager as well as participating as a specialist on the team; that the reader needs no sophisticated knowledge of project management techniques; and that the reader-despite his or her lack of project management experience-wants to achieve quality results, with efficient use of the resources available.

What's in it For Me?

Greer divides this book into three main sections, each a distinct treatment of topics and tools. Part I begins by answering the question: "What is a project"? His clear and succinct answer emphasizes the "temporary" and "unique" attributes of a project. The term temporary means that every project has a definite ending point, while the term unique makes the distinction between the project's product or service as differing from similar products and services. Greer also answers questions such as, "What is a project phase, life cycle, scope"? "What is a milestone"? "Who are stakeholders"? "What are project resources"?

For those new to project management, the 15 pages of Part I will help clarify typical concepts and terminology encountered while working on a project. This background information is invaluable for novice project managers when they are interacting with subject matter experts or others who will use project management terminology and concepts. Greer also helps the new project manager understand how project management differs from general management and its related responsibilities. The unknown organizational issues and how they impact projects are a constant dilemma facing individuals thrown into new circumstances. Even though Greer does not provide in-depth coverage of this topic, he does address some basic issues to keep in mind while dealing with the environmental, political, and socioeconomic influences.

The handbook wraps up Part I by outlining the Key Project Management Processes. This is where Greer concisely introduces the essential processes that drive the rest of the book. This model consists of five processes:

	Initiating - authorizing the project and gaining commitment
	Planning - determining the scope,activities, resources, schedule, and costs and creating essential and discretionary plans
	Executing - implementing the plans,developing the team, distributing information, contracting, etc.
	Controlling - comparing actual to planned performance
	Closing - verifying scope, administrative items, and closing the contract.

These categories will be familiar to seasoned project managers as they are used in every project management model with slight variations in scope and terminology. Therefore, Greer suggests in the introduction that the experienced person may choose to skim this section. But to the newly initiated project manager; this knowledge is fundamental to understanding and internalizing the concepts and components that follow.

Part II is a phase-by-phase guide that gives a brief outline of a project management life cycle and what it means in terms of tangible outputs. These outputs or project phases determine need and feasibility, create project plan, create deliverable specifications, create deliverables, and test and implement deliverables. After explaining each phase in terms of general definition, activities involved, and related action items, Greer astutely melds the five project phases with the initial project management processes, (initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing). He does this by explaining that the life cycle is essentially linear; each phase leading to the next. Meanwhile, the processes are non-linear, interweaving themselves through-out the project, mingling with each of the phases when appropriate. This text description can seem complicated, but it is reinforced by a graphic figure and table that drives this information home, especially to the visual learner.[3]

Please note that this handbook is intended for the novice project manager. The information and concepts, up to this point, are very basic and may seem elementary to the well-versed practitioner. However, when individuals become proficient in a particular subject area, they tend to become disconnected to the basics. Knowledge can sometimes reach a level of sophistication at which the individual can lose the simplicity of its underpinnings. For this reason, many performance professionals recommend that practitioners periodically review topics in which they are proficient, to prevent their perspectives from becoming stale. To that end, this book is a good resource, even for experts

The reference guide to action items, Part III, is what Greer calls "the heart" of The Project Manager’s Partner. This section contains an extensive collection of tools for both the new and experienced project manager. The beauty of this section is that it was not written in isolation from the earlier chapters. It works through each of the five processes (initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing) and outlines a total of 20 action items with real-world tools and techniques for accomplishing project goals. Each action item description contains an assignment, desired outputs, background information, worksheet and/or guidelines, actions a veteran project manager might take, pitfalls and cautions, and a resource for more information.

Although this handbook is an excellent resource with forms, checklists, and practical applications, it has one drawback. It cannot provide the depth of information needed for those hard-to-handle projects. For instance, the handbook gives some excellent aids for cost-estimating and budgeting, but it does not address in great detail the negotiation steps or actions required to obtain such funding. Also, Greer includes many essential tools for taking those first steps and for making plans, but he does not address overcoming unforeseen obstacles. To Greer's credit, he continually encourages project managers at all levels of experience to seek advice and networking opportunities. He also includes a resource in each tool's summary so that the reader can seek out additional information.

How Does the Book End?

Many readers merely skim the appendix of a book or ignore it completely. I strongly encourage anyone who reads this handbook to more than skim this segment. It contains a wealth of information, including: tips for managing experts outside of your expertise, a glossary of project management terms, a summary of key project manager actions and results, potential shortcuts for low-risk projects, and how to take charge of your project management software. Again, Greer provides us with tables and user-friendly advice that will not only broaden our knowledge of project management, but also help us interact and talk intelligently with others during the process.

How Do We Wrap It Up?

We all know that learning by our mistakes can be a valuable part of living. It is not, however; everyone's preferred method of education! From a people perspective, project management can be a rewarding and developmental experience or a downward slide into confusion and panic. Therefore, having this basic handbook as a resource can save hours of rework and avoid countless meetings to discover what went wrong. In most of today's organizations, project managers accept this responsibility along with their normal job duties. They have no schooling in this discipline and may receive only an occasional project management assignment. But basic project management is for everyone. Its principles can be applied to both work and personal life-precisely the reason that a book such as The Project Manager's Partner is so valuable in today's world. It covers the basics in a concise, "how-to" format. Hopefully, it will spark interest in continuous learning and performance improvement and make that old monster really go away!

Greer; M. (1996). The Project Manager's Partner: A Step-by-Step Guide to Project Management. HRDPress, Inc. International Society for Performance Improvement. p. vii.

[2] IBID., 11.

[3] IBID., 25, 28-28.

Eileen Dormuth is a Performance Support Consultant at Merrill Lynch with a master's degree in Education (Instructional Systems emphasis) from Pennsylvania State University. She may be reached by e-mail at Eileen_Dormuth@pcmailgw.ml.com

The Project Manager's Partner (ISBN: 0-087425-397-7) is available from ISPI for $39.95 (non-members); $34.95 (Members). Please add $4.00 for postage and handling. Orders maybe sent to: ISPI, 1300 L St., N.W, Suite 1250, Washington, D.C. 20005; Fax: 202.408.7972; Web: www.ispi.org.