The essentials of project management

This volume will help HR professionals develop the knowledge and skills related to, but outside, the HR domain in order to make more strategic contributions to their organizations.

Introduction	p. xiii
1 Project Management and the HR Professional: A Key Competency	p. 1
Why Develop Your Project Management Skills?	p. 2
The World of HR Project Management	p. 6
Typical Challenges in Managing HR Projects	p. 10
Hallmarks of an Effective HR Project Manager	p. 12
Summing Up	p. 24
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 25
2 Project Management as a Process: Four Phases	p. 27
Defining and Organizing the Project	p. 29
Planning the Project	p. 34
Managing Project Execution	p. 35
Closing the Project	p. 36
Summing Up	p. 36
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 37
3 The Cast of Characters: Who's Who in Project Management	p. 39
Project Sponsor	p. 40
Project Manager	p. 43
Project Team Leader	p. 45
Project Team Members	p. 50
Characteristics of Effective Project Teams	p. 57
Summing Up	p. 67
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 67
4 A Written Charter: Your Marching Orders	p. 69
A Mandate for Action	p. 70
Clarifying Objectives	p. 72
Making It Time Limited	p. 74
Getting Specific About Project Scope	p. 75
Summing Up	p. 77
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 78
5 A Framework for Action: Important First Steps	p. 79
Decisions, Decisions	p. 80
Tracking and Disposing of Unresolved Issues	p. 84
Documenting Decisions and Actions	p. 85
Creating a Communications Plan	p. 87
Bringing People into Contact	p. 92
Developing the Budget	p. 95
Summing Up	p. 97
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 98
6 Work Breakdown: From Huge Job to Manageable Tasks	p. 99
Work Breakdown Structure	p. 101
Time and Resource Estimates	p. 103
Assigning the Work	p. 104
An Extended Example	p. 105
Shall We Proceed?	p. 107
Summing Up	p. 108
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 108
7 Scheduling the Work: Putting the Horse Before the Cart	p. 111
Examining the Relationships Between Tasks	p. 112
Creating a Draft Schedule	p. 114
Optimizing the Schedule	p. 118
Using Scheduling Software	p. 119
Summing Up	p. 120
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 121
8 Adjustments and Trade-Offs: More Fine Tuning	p. 123
When Your Project Won't Fit	p. 124
Challenging Assumptions	p. 126
Revisiting Tasks and Times	p. 129
Summing Up	p. 131
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 131
9 Managing Risk: Scanning the Hazy Horizon	p. 133
What Is Risk Management?	p. 135
Identifying and Prioritizing Project Risks	p. 136
Taking Actions to Avoid or Minimize Risks	p. 138
Developing Contingency Plans to Handle Potential Setbacks	p. 140
Summing Up	p. 144
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 144
10 Project Adaptation: Dealing with What You Cannot Anticipate	p. 147
Sources of Unanticipated Risk-and Their Consequences	p. 149
The Adaptive Management Approach	p. 151
Summing Up	p. 157
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 158
11 Getting Off on the Right Foot: Project Needs to Keep in Mind	p. 159
Why Launch Meetings Matter	p. 160
Creating Integrative Mechanisms	p. 163
Establishing Norms of Behavior	p. 163
Summing Up	p. 169
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 169
12 Keeping on Track: Maintaining Control	p. 171
Monitoring and Controlling the Project	p. 172
Dealing with People Issues	p. 178
Maintaining Communication	p. 183
Handling Problems	p. 186
Summing Up	p. 186
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 187
13 The Closedown Phase: Wrapping It Up	p. 189
Performance Evaluation	p. 191
Documentation	p. 192
Lessons Learned	p. 193
Celebration	p. 196
Summing Up	p. 199
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 199
14 Managing Varied HR Projects: Achieving Your Desired Results	p. 201
Starting an HR Department	p. 202
Conducting a Legal Compliance Audit	p. 208
Developing an Employee Handbook	p. 211
Designing an Employee Orientation and Mentoring Program	p. 216
Implementing a Human Resource Information System	p. 223
Creating an Employee Expatriation Program	p. 228
Outsourcing HR Activities	p. 232
Winning Executive Support for Your HR Project	p. 237
Summing Up	p. 239
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 240
15 Supporting Critical High-Level Projects: HR's Vital Role	p. 241
Developing a Crisis Management and Recovery Plan	p. 242
Assisting with Mergers and Acquisitions	p. 246
Managing a Downsizing Initiative	p. 249
Facilitating Cultural Change in Your Organization	p. 253
Realigning Your Company's Performance Appraisal System	p. 258
Summing Up	p. 264
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 265
16 Next Steps: Honing Your Project Management Skills	p. 267
Revisiting Key Principles and Practices	p. 268
Learning from Your HR Project Management Experience	p. 272
Enhancing Your Project Management Abilities	p. 274
Summing Up	p. 277
Leveraging Chapter Insights: Critical Questions	p. 277
Appendix A Implementation Tools	p. 279
Appendix B A Guide to Effective Meetings	p. 289
Notes	p. 287
Glossary	p. 293
For Further Reading	p. 297
Additional Titles from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)	p. 303
Index	p. 305
About the Series Adviser	p. 317
About the Subject Adviser	p. 319
About the Writers	p. 321
About the Society for Human Resource Management	p. 323
Acknowledgments	p. 325

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