The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (Fast Forward MBA Series)
The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (Fast Forward MBA Series) book cover

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management (Fast Forward MBA Series)

5th Edition

Price
$9.98
Format
Paperback
Pages
528
Publisher
Wiley
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1119086574
Dimensions
6 x 1.4 x 8.9 inches
Weight
1.39 pounds

Description

From the Inside Flap "The Fifth Edition of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is a very good companion to PMI's PMBOK Guide. Students and practitioners of traditional project management concepts will find the book both helpful and clarifying. Students will find the test questions throughout the book beneficial for taking the certification exam. Practitioners will find the tips to be helpful in their daily jobs. More importantly the book explains how to handle the processes, tools, and techniques used for leading and managing a project." —Jim Johnson, Chairman, The Standish Group The bestselling guide to managing projects—updated and more comprehensive than ever! Revised and updated to reflect the most recent strategies and trends in project management, this fifth edition of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is an essential resource and practical guide written for aspiring professionals and working practitioners who are responsible for coordinating projects among different departments, executive levels, or projects with technical complexity. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management clearly explains how to get a project off the ground, do it in a timely fashion, and on budget. Step by step, the author reveals how to find the right sponsors, clarify a project's objectives, set a realistic schedule, work successfully with stakeholders, and create accurate budget projections. Filled with illustrative case studies, this must-have text offers the strategies and techniques needed to manage the relationships and process needed to get the project done…and done right! "The Fifth Edition of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is a very good companion to PMI's PMBOK Guide. Students and practitioners of traditional project management concepts will find the book both helpful and clarifying. Students will find the test questions throughout the book beneficial for taking the certification exam. Practitioners will find the tips to be helpful in their daily jobs. More importantly the book explains how to handle the processes, tools, and techniques used for leading and managing a project." ―Jim Johnson, Chairman, The Standish Group The bestselling guide to managing projects―updated and more comprehensive than ever! Revised and updated to reflect the most recent strategies and trends in project management, this fifth edition of The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is an essential resource and practical guide written for aspiring professionals and working practitioners who are responsible for coordinating projects among different departments, executive levels, or projects with technical complexity. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management clearly explains how to get a project off the ground, do it in a timely fashion, and on budget. Step by step, the author reveals how to find the right sponsors, clarify a project's objectives, set a realistic schedule, work successfully with stakeholders, and create accurate budget projections. Filled with illustrative case studies, this must-have text offers the strategies and techniques needed to manage the relationships and process needed to get the project done…and done right! ERIC VERZUH is President of The Versatile Company, which provides project management training and consulting to thousands of professionals each year. His clients include major government agencies, small and large companies, and nonprofit organizations in such diverse industries as aerospace, health care, information technology, and education. [email protected] Read more

Features & Highlights

  • The all-inclusive guide to exceptional project management
  • The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is the comprehensive guide to real-world project management methods, tools, and techniques. Practical, easy-to-use, and deeply thorough, this book gives you answers you need now. You'll find the cutting-edge ideas and hard-won wisdom of one of the field's leading experts, delivered in short, lively segments that address common management issues. Brief descriptions of important concepts, tips on real-world applications, and compact case studies illustrate the most sought-after skills and the pitfalls you should watch out for. This new fifth edition features new case studies, new information on engaging stakeholders, change management, new guidance on using Agile techniques, and new content that integrates current events and trends in the project management sphere.Project management is a complex role, with seemingly conflicting demands that must be coordinated into a single, overarching, executable strategy ― all within certain time, resource, and budget constraints. This book shows you how to get it all together and get it done, with expert guidance every step of the way.
  • Navigate complex management issues effectively
  • Navigate complex management issues effectively
  • Master key concepts and real-world applications
  • Master key concepts and real-world applications
  • Learn from case studies of today's leading experts
  • Learn from case studies of today's leading experts
  • Keep your project on track, on time, and on budget
  • Keep your project on track, on time, and on budget
  • From finding the right sponsor to clarifying objectives to setting a realistic schedule and budget projection, all across different departments, executive levels, or technical domains, project management incorporates a wide range of competencies. The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management shows you what you need to know, the best way to do it, and what to watch out for along the way.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(322)
★★★★
25%
(134)
★★★
15%
(80)
★★
7%
(38)
-7%
(-38)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Best all around PM Book IMHO

This is a great book for Project Managers. Provides a method for putting the PMBOK guidelines into practice without being dull. This is my 3rd copy. I always buy the latest version when it comes out. This book is my Project Management Bible. I carry it around in my backpack and reference it a lot. It's especially useful when I have to explain things to stakeholders and managers because I can often refer to the book in their presence to give them a chance to understand why I'm asking certain questions or explain why I'm doing things a certain way. If your PMO has a library, this book should definitely be in it. If you don't have a library and you are looking for that one PM book that you can use as a guide on all your projects, this book is the one.
10 people found this helpful
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Straightforward and helpful!

I’m only about 1/6th of the way through and this book is great. Succinct and to the point, decent examples, great bullet point lists to highlight chapter topics, and online downloadable forms and templates. I may actually upgrade my review to 5 star once I finish reading.

This book is great for setting up projects and moving into earned value management techniques.
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Good informative book with good information for refreshing knowledge or ...

Good informative book with good information for refreshing knowledge or learning about project management.
I have had my PMP certification for years, the book gives tips (sample questions) on what to expect for the PMP exam, but it is not a resource to pass the exam.
4 people found this helpful
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Wish I had read this years ago!

This should seriously be a required reading for any professional that has worked for over 5 years in a team environment. There is so much I've been learning about how to be a better teammate and leader. The author's tone is very accessible and conversational. I am recommending this to all my friends.
2 people found this helpful
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Immediate results

This book went to work for me immediately. I really appreciated the fact that you can literally jump into the middle of this book and not be lost plus every topic provides insight into how you can be a better project manager. The examples are especially relatable and written in an easy to understand manner for the newbie or someone already working in project management. Some of the sections that have been especially helpful to me so far include: Collaborative Problem Solving, Problem Analysis, and Building High Performance Teams. I've even used some tips in these sections to deal with family situations. Since I work in the project management field, I read up on the latest theories and project management guidelines, but those books fall short in terms of application. The biggest advantage I see in this book over others is it addresses the question - Why do I care? The case studies of well-known companies putting these techniques into practice were even better than I expected since previously I have had to purchase case study only books. I decided to recommend this book to a junior project management colleague and this is what he had to say - This is not like a traditional college textbook, it is a manual for the real world. My final thought is I liked the visual reference points in the book for navigation and I can't believe how helpful it was to have borders on every page with relevant headings. In other books you have to flip to the front of the chapter to see where you are. I would highly recommend this book as a reference for anyone learning about or working in the PM field.
2 people found this helpful
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5th Edition Updates Are On Target

I have used the 3rd edition of Verzuh’s book for many years and have recommend it to my colleagues because it is practical and easy to understand. The new topics in the fifth edition demonstrate that the practice of project management continues to evolve.

Agile techniques are popular in software development and are now being used outside of the software industry. But there has been a lot of confusion about ‘Agile vs. Project Management.’ In his chapter on product development Verzuh breaks down the core Agile principles and contrasts them to the linear/waterfall development approach, showing how project management can work with either Agile or waterfall methods. His chapter on Scrum is a short, clear description of this agile management technique that is used by agile practitioners and, as Verzuh points out, is also potentially useful for non-software projects.

PMI added Stakeholder Management to the PMBOK’s 5th edition. Verzuh covers stakeholder interaction from multiple perspectives and has enlisted a Change Management expert to write a concise introduction to that practice. As usual, Verzuh and his co-authors have boiled down some big topics into very practical, tangible chunks.

The case study on the Gates Foundation is a perfect example of how project management is gaining credibility in the executive suite through an effective PMO. If you are trying to sell your boss on a PMO, use this story.

This fifth edition continues to be a complete handbook for working project managers and an easy read for people new to the PM job.
2 people found this helpful
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Tips for the experienced PM

I've been a credentialed PMP since 2009. There are no limits to the help this handbook provides. I have flagged many pages through out this 5th Ed that I refer to time and time again. This and the PMBoK are foundational to my success as a PM.
1 people found this helpful
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clear to understand and insightful

I am a Ph.D chemist working in industry. Trying to further develop my career, I took the online course—Project Management Princoples and Practices Specialization—through the courseara website. THE FAST FORWARD MBA IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT by Eric Verzuh is one of the two suggested main reading materials by instructor. As a freshman and beginner in this field, I found this book is very clear to understand and insightful.
1 people found this helpful
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Project Management confidence for a job interview/college masters course

I am a Graduate Student at an Engineering University. In my core degree course "Project Management", Verzuh's book was chosen as the main course book. I started the book with little industry experience, and now having completed the course/book, I can confidently say that I can serve as a Project Manager in an interview. This is a book that will remain within reach to be referenced, the tips, key concepts and PMP exam prep questions are all very helpful. I also found the online downloadable forms at his website versatilecompany.com very useful. Recently I found myself even reading through the entire index and circling back to desirable topics. The book is very reader friendly and caters to a diverse range of learning styles- I am the type that has to read and re-read each page. I was able to glean the best this book offered and most importantly successfully learn Project Management. Like I mentioned earlier I now have confidence to share what I know about Project Management in a job interview.
1 people found this helpful
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Not my favorite for learning project management though

OK book. Not my favorite for learning project management though.
1 people found this helpful