The PMO Lifecycle: Building, Running, and Shutting Down (Book) - 8/20/2017 3:27:02 AM
Congratulations on your latest book. Although I've written numerous plans, policies and procedures, I never had much desire to write a book on project management. My boss, when we had a project to build two buildings and renovate seven others in the 1980s, asked me to write a project management book with him. I refused because I knew he would have me write the entire book and then take full credit for it. He was a political/social climber and used people that way.
As an undergraduate, I learned PERT from a little programmed pamphlet about 20 pages long in about a half hour and really liked it. I worked for the department head and he shared it with me. From then on, I believe that process learning like that was the best way to learn. Much better than dry textbooks. I taught courses in statistical quality control, project management and introduction to computing in for universities before my last job in administration at Texas Southern University. I used PERT for my doctoral program and finished in 2 1/2 years. Everyone wanted to read my program plan to see what I did.
Like you, I embraced computing. I got my hands on the first edition of Microsoft Project. I found it a bit inadequate. Later, for our University operations I developed a database program that I entitled, Facilities, covering many aspects, including project management.
From your bio, I see your books are the well-received. Online, interactive books… like that programmed learning pamphlet, are the future of education. To know how to do something these days, I only have to Google it.
Ron
Everything Goes Through Me - The Project Manager’s words to live by! (Article) - 12/8/2015 8:07:56 AM
The one time I managed a major project, the company we hired to do the project had a good project manager. Unfortunately, politics had included some elements of the project that were marginal and more showcasing the company's product line rather than meeting our needs. For the most part, the project went along quite well except that one portion of the project was initially underestimated and there were a number of cost overruns. That part of the project that cost twice as much as estimated was rejected by the users and never even used. I predicted that before the project but was outvoted, politically.
Unfortunately, I wasn't on the site when everything was being done because that was the responsibility of the company project manager. There was a construction project in the contract that had a location problem. I went on site and quickly determined what they should do. Instead, the engineers performed a very difficult installation inside the building instead of outside like I had suggested. The installation was immediately a headache and again, never used. The portions of the project that were accepted by the users worked very well and to spec.
One not only has to have everything run through the project manager, one has to be able to reject portions of the project that are political porkbarrel or poor engineering.
Ron
