GovReads: Project Management Answer Book
There are so many questions when it comes to managing a project. What is the formal definition of a project? How should you plan? How does a project manager avoid scope creep? What are the best proven techniques and practices used by project management experts? 
The Project Management Answer Book, written by Jeff Furman and published by Management Concepts, is a concise guide which covers all aspects of project management and includes practical tips on obtaining the PMP and related certifications.
The book has only been out since January, but it is already being used as a textbook in several learning institutions, including a large university in New York City, and several PMP training companies.
Interested in your own copy of the book – keep reading to find out how you can obtain a copy for FREE!
Jeff Furman is an award winning, PMP-certified project manager with over 10 years experience as in IT project management. He has diverse teaching experience with Fortune 500 companies. In fact, many of Jeff’s PMP students have been government employees, both Federal and local.
Below you'll find an quick interview with Jeff conducted by Elizabeth Harrin. Harrin is the author of the "Talking Work" Blog. The interview discusses Jeff's book and personal experiences:
Also, if you're interested in talking about this topic with colleagues, be sure to check out the Management Concepts Alumni and Friends Group on GovLoop.
Tell us more about The Project Management Answer Book. What is it about?
It’s really a double book: First, it’s a hands-on and very detailed practitioner’s guide and reference for project managers, written in a question and answer format which is easy-to-navigate and easy-to-read. Readers tell me that it demystifies the PMBOK® Guide for them, and that the real-world examples help them immediately apply the skills.
And second, I’ve taught a great deal of PMP prep in the last four years (80+ weeks, 3,000+ hours!) so the book is also very much to help project managers toward the PMP, CAPM & related certification exams. It offers hundreds of best practices, ready-to-use templates, Top 10 lists, original diagrams and charts, proven study aids and test tips.
As a trainer and a project manager, you must have encountered lots of different situations. How did you apply your own experience when you were writing the book?
I’m lucky to have worked for Fortune 500 companies for more than 20 years in the New York City area. So I’ve had a lot of diversity and autonomy on many IT projects, but combined with the structure and best practices which I learned from those organizations. So I was able to draw on a great many real-world examples and cases.
And also, since lessons learned and avoiding the mistakes of others are key to being an efficient and effective project manager, I included Top 10 Pitfall Lists with each chapter, covering the key traps and mistakes to avoid falling into in each project management knowledge area, based on my own real-world experience and observations.
Did you draw on any other resources as well as your own experience?
Yes, I had two more great resources to draw on.
Seminars & Conferences in New York City and Washington, DC: For researching the book, I attended a great many leading-edge seminars and conferences in New York City and Washington, DC, including PMI conferences and PMI NYC Chapter Meetings, but also ASTD, NYC SPIN (Software Process Improvement Network), as well as Agile and SCRUM user group meetings in NYC.
Collective Wisdom of 500+ Project Managers! I’ve trained more than 500 project managers in my PMP classes, from a wide variety of private companies and industries, as well as from many different government bureaus, teaching both in New York City for local city government branches and also sometimes in Washington DC for students from federal government agencies. The participants in my PMP classes always share a lot of their own favorite tips and best practices, so the book contains a unique mix from the knowledge base of all those project managers.
Want a FREE copy of Jeff’s book? Comment below and tell us why you would like to win the book! The best two responses will be awarded their very own copy of the Project Management Answer Book.
Tags: govreads, management concepts, project management
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sunni Massey on -
I am interested in winning this book because it would help me as I begin my PM career. I currently work on many small projects as the impromtu PM, but I would like to formalize this by obtaining my certification. I think this book would not only help me prepare for future projects, but would also help me understand potential pitfalls by taking into account the experiences of seasoned PM professionals.
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Permalink Reply by Robin Greeley on -
As a busy Diversity Program Manager in a large agency, I usually am balancing multiple balls (or projects) in the air at one time. I would greatly benefit from the collective wisdom of over 500 Project Managers as I continue my management career, as well as in my graduate work in Organizational Leadership. The hands-on practitioner's guide is exactly the kind of resource that I need at my fingertips, as I solve problems, consult with internal customers, put out fires, and work with both collateral duty and staff issues. In this rapidly changing work environment, a good manager or leader needs to be prepared to change course at any time due to adjustments in schedule or available resources, or the change in decision-makers which can affect the life of the project or program.
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Permalink Reply by Melinda (Breidenbach) Catapano on -
I am a budding project manager who works full-time as a records manager in wild, wonderful Western Colorado. My current project is implementation of a city-wide Electronic Document & Records Management System (HP TRIM). This is my first project of this size and scope, and I am finding it more than challenging given our current economy, personnel reductions, and budget woes. I LOVE to learn -- especially from the best -- and would definitely put your book to good use in a way that would positively impact the lives of our employees, citizens, and records requesters! Thanks, Jeff, for sharing your wisdom and experience via your book, and thanks to GovLoop for the opportunity to obtain a free copy!!
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Permalink Reply by Jeff Furman, The PM Answer Book on -
Hi Steve, thank you very much again for hosting the give-away of my book. And I liked the writeup your people put together very much, and the graphical layout.
Here is a free way for you to access some of the best pitfalls --
I just did a live webinar where I was interviewed specifically on the pitfalls in the book, by Henry Will, a senior PMO manager, for his online group: PM Lessons Learned. The webinar will be available soon as a podcast from his website: www.PMLessonsLearned.com, but for now you can play the recording by calling (760) 569-7699 and specifying ACCESS CODE: 142349. (I'll also send you the URL once it's available as a downloadable podcast)
Best regards, and hope to meet you in-person at a PMI or government conference. Jeff
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Permalink Reply by Stephen R. Gallison on -
I am a trainer for those attempting to enter the employment of the Federal Government. If there is anything I can do for my clients to help them I would do so even if it involves groveling for a book so highly touted by my contacts in Federal Government.
My program is a free program which is available to the Capital Region residents and helping them get a leg up in any way would be a great help. -
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Permalink Reply by Deborah Brooks on
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I would be thankful for winning the guide to use a resource for customization of our organization's efforts in raising the global performance bar via our human capital assets. What's so very real is "Core Learning" is gained from "shared" dialogue, discussions, materials, etc. and I can't imagine the enoromous learnings the guide has to offer. Thanks for taking the time to putting it all in one book! And if I don't win, please provide the purchasing information.
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Permalink Reply by Alex on
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I am a young, starving (not really, but I'm at least peckish) public servant who has been callously tossed head-first into a lion's den of multi-agency data-intensive public health informatics development projects.
All this is well and good; I like a challenge, and the technology we're developing is awesome! However, I mostly like challenges that I can do, and I'm getting into trouble on the operational and people aspects of the work. I've recently started delving into the Project Management literature, and I realize that it is the missing link in my efforts!
(Cue Triumphant Music!)
However, the books I've browsed don't seem well-suited to my needs. I need a comprehensive, clear overview, and a handy reference for day-to-day questions. Also, these books are pricey and there's a backlog at the library.
(Cue Sad Music!)
Then lo and behold: The Project Management Answer Book sounds like exactly what I'm looking for!
(Cue Triumphant Music Again!)
Winning this book would be a boost to my budding career, help bring my very worthwhile public health projects to fruition, and save me money that I can put towards food for my fiancee and cat!
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Permalink Reply by T. Jay Johnson on -
I'm an unashamed bibliophile and would love another book! I just started a Project Management position last month and anything I could learn would be useful. Whenever I am faced with a new situation or problem, my first instinct is the gather information. This book would be a great asset to me.
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