Wordsmiths and Warriors: The English-Language Tourist's Guide to Britain British First Edition

As project management has evolved and matured and projects have become more sophisticated, it has become extremely difficult for project managers to maintain their technical expertise. More and more, technical expertise resides in the functional areas of an organization. As a result, many executives and project sponsors believe that accountability for a project is shared among the project manager and all the participating line or functional managers.

Because they often now share accountability for a project’s success or failure, functional managers must develop a good understanding of project management. Project managers are expected to focus on and manage project deliverables. On the other hand, management of the assigned resources has become a line function and the domain of the functional manager.

What Functional Managers Need to Know About Project Management provides just what the title says. It offers functional managers a guide to project management, focusing on what they need to know and what they need to do. It provides step-by-step guidance to help functional managers work effectively within a project management team, advocate on behalf of a project, and ensure the project’s success.

This book begins with basic principles, helping functional managers deal with such key issues as:

• Why and when to use project management

• Challenges of working with project managers and multiple-boss reporting structures

• Anticipating and overcoming obstacles in implementation

• Managing resistance to change

Next, the book explores the interconnected roles of the key players in a project management team, including the project manager, project sponsor, and functional manager. You’ll learn about the specific responsibilities of the functional manager, including:

• Defining how project tasks are executed

• Assigning individuals to perform the work

• Establishing the technical criteria for individual tasks

• Providing needed resources to perform project activities

• Meeting objectives within the constraints of a project

Furthermore, the authors demonstrate how the functional manager can best work with the other team members, understand each other’s priorities and problems, and resolve issues jointly.

Throughout the book, helpful illustrations clarify complex concepts and processes.

Discover how functional managers can apply the Kerzner Approach to project management

As a functional manager today, you need to become more involved in project management. That doesn’t mean you need to become a project manager, but rather you need to know how to perform specific project-related tasks, work with project team members, understand each other’s priorities and problems, and resolve issues jointly. Now here’s the book that gives you everything you need to know about your role in project management clearly and succinctly.

Based on principles set forth in the bestselling Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, Tenth Edition, this easy-to-follow guide focuses on the pivotal role you play as an executive in project management. It introduces the acclaimed Kerzner Approach, demonstrating how it empowers functional managers with the skills needed to ensure that projects are completed successfully, on time, and on budget.

The International Institute for Learning/Wiley Series in Project Management features the most innovative, tested-and-proven approaches to project management, all explained in clear, straightforward language. The series offers new perspectives on solving tough project management problems as well as practical tools for getting the job done. Each book in the series is drawn from the related IIL course and is written by noted project management experts.