《Fundamentals of Project Management 4th Edition》读书笔记 第一章 项目管理总览

CHAPTER 1 An Overview of Project Management

项目管理总览

项目失败现象的一个普遍存在的原因是缺乏充分完善的项目规划。人们往往习惯于通过不断尝试的方式来完成任务，在急于开始行动的过程中却忽视了详细的计划安排。这种做法最终导致后续的返工现象出现，并使错误积累难以自拔。

The consistent cause of these failures has been repeatedly identified as inadequate planning of projects. Individuals tend to adopt a 'ready-fire-aim' approach in an effort to complete tasks very quickly, only to realize they are spending considerably more time than anticipated due to correcting mistakes, recovering from diversions down 'blind alleys,' and similar issues further impede progress.

直觉和经验的方法往往不可靠。

They want to know whether utilizing goodproject management can truly reduce the errors and rework, and I must say that one must attempt it themselves. If employing a seat-of-the-pants approach results in low rework rates when managing projects independently, continue with your current method. However, I do not believe this outcome will hold true.

一个常见问题是项目经理单独负责为项目组制定计划。这不仅导致计划未能获得项目的成员充分认可和全面采纳，并且还存在诸多漏洞。由于PM无法全面考虑周到所有可能的情况，在任务评估上不可避免地会出现偏差。因此对任务的评估不够精准也是项目管理中的一个重要原则：即应当由具体执行人员协助制定计划以确保可行性

A failure committed by inexperienced project managers is to undertake planning for the team. Not only do they fail to gain support for their plan, but it’s usually full of flaws. Managers are unable to consider all aspects; their estimates of task durations are inaccurate, and efforts tend to come crashing down if a project gets underway. The basic principle in project management emphasizes that individuals responsible for tasks should also be involved in planning for themselves and their teams.

PM的角色应当是一个推动者，在促进团队协作的过程中帮助他们完成任务，并为项目组去除干扰因素、获取所需资源、提供支持性的工作。

The role of the project manager functions as a facilitator. Her responsibilities include assisting in task completion by providing support where needed and mitigating external disruptions. She also ensures essential resources are acquired and buffers teams from hindering factors.

领导力的最好定义是：让别人想要做你要做的事。

The best understanding of leadership that I have discovered is through Vance Packard's work in The Pyramid Climbers. He posits, "Leadership is the art of motivating others to undertake actions aligned with what you believe should be accomplished." The pivotal term here is "motivate." It's those who demand outcomes from others based on their own desires. Similarly, prison guards responsible for overseeing work teams also fulfill this role. However, a leader distinguishes themselves by inspiring employees to voluntarily engage in tasks deemed important.

正确的进度规划对于项目的成功至关重要。然而项目的核心在于准确地界定其目标与范围；否则会导致一系列错误叠加。

Scheduling is certainly a major tool used for managing projects. However, developing a shared understanding of what the project aims to achieve and creating an effective Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) are far more critical tasks. Putting together an effective Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) allows you to identify and organize all the necessary tasks. Without adhering to sound project management practices, relying on an overly detailed schedule will only serve one purpose: precisely documenting where things went wrong.

供人们使用的时间管理软件未接受系统性培训是普遍存在的问题。并非所有人都能自发掌握这些软件的专业应用方法。

People typically receive scheduling software and expect them to learn how to use it without any training.This clearly doesn't work.The features of scheduling software are such that most individuals find it difficult to grasp the finer details through self-study alone.They lack the time because they're engaged in routine tasks,and not everyone excels at self-paced learning.

若团队仅由一人组成，则无法实施传统意义上的项目管理。同样缺乏组织协调能力以及无法有效开展并行工作与关键路径分析。仅需依靠自身的自我管理和运用合适的工具即可完成日常事务。

Managing a project does not equate to project management when it involves only a single individual. However, if no other individuals or external vendors are engaged in the project, then establishing a critical path schedule becomes unnecessary. A critical path schedule comprises multiple parallel pathways within an organization's workflow; its duration dictates both the total time required to complete the task and whether the specified end date will be achievable. When undertaking work independently, there are no parallel pathways—except in cases where ambidexterity enables dual focus!

One-person projects require effective self-organization or time management skills; however, all that's needed is a solid todo list derived from task lists. Still, unless you're coordinating others' work, means you're not effectively conducting true project management.

通常情况下, 项目经理（PM）会被安排执行相关项目的各项任务。

此外, 在评估PM的工作表现时缺乏公正的标准

因此, 在团队规模超过4人时

Regularly, individuals are designated as project managers, with them also contributing part of the project's actual tasks. This constitutes a standard procedure for addressing issues.

Yes, for small teams—perhaps up to three or four individuals—the responsibility of a project manager can be shared among team members. However, as team sizes grow beyond this capacity, it becomes increasingly challenging for managers to handle both team coordination and individual accountability simultaneously. One underlying reason for this situation is that organizations often lack a deep understanding of the essence of project management and mistakenly believe that individual contributors can effectively manage both responsibilities.

项目的偶然失败几率大于偶然成功几率。按照墨菲法则：可能失误的地方总会失误。

There is a higher probability for things to accidentally fail in a project compared to them not succeeding. In terms of cost estimates, this implies there's always a greater chance the budget will be overextended rather than the project staying within its allocated funds. This serves as another illustration of Murphy's Law, which posits that "whatever can fail, will fail."

每个项目的起点都是一个概念，在这个概念形成之前就可能因为模糊性导致后续工作出现偏差。因此，在开展实质性的工作之前, 团队必须明确项目的具体细节, 并且达成一致的目标愿景, 否则就容易陷入困境.

In my model, I observe that each project initiates as an abstract idea, which is inherently vague. The project team must clearly define the job's scope before commencing any work. However, due to our ready-to-go mindset, we often proceed with tasks without establishing a proper framework or ensuring that both the mission and vision for the role are understood by everyone involved. This inevitably results in significant challenges throughout the project's development.

定义不清楚的项目就像一只没有头的鸡，到处乱跑，最后倒下。

Engaging in project management involves tackling significant challenges, as accurately defining problems forms the foundation for effective solutions. Since defining problems correctly is crucial for effective solutions. If one adopts an incorrect understanding of problems, they might develop appropriate solutions targeting unintended issues.

This in fact leaves me deeply convinced that such projects rarely if ever reach their intended conclusion. Rather, they tend to fizzle out during the very beginning stages of their lifecycle. These are what I refer to as 'headless chicken' initiatives because they resemble chickens whose heads have been severally removed, wandering around indiscriminately spilling blood before collapsing with a final, dramatic anticlasis.

定义清楚后，就可以着手开始计划了。涉及到三方面：策略、战术和后勤。

Once the project is defined, it becomes possible for you to plan how to execute the work. The planning process involves three key elements: strategy, tactics, and logistics.

一旦出现偏差, 应立即实施纠正性措施以使项目恢复正常轨道. 如果无法实施上述措施, 则需重新制定计划并获得批准. 新制定的计划将成为新的基准, 并被用来跟踪项目的进展.

When deviations from the original plan occur, corrective measures are implemented to return the project to its intended path. If that proves unfeasible, the revised strategy undergoes modification and formal approval. The updated framework then assumes its role as the new baseline for monitoring progress.

结束工作后，在最后阶段需要对项目进行复盘总结，并将经验和教训转化为经验并应用到未来项目中。两个问题需要询问：哪些方面做得好？下次还有哪些地方能够进一步优化？需要注意的是，并不是说哪些地方做得不好；而是要了解我们做得好的地方在哪里以及如何进一步提升

Once all tasks are finished, conducting a project review is an essential part of the closeout phase. The aim is to learn lessons from this task that will be applicable to future ones.

Two questions have been raised: 'What did we do well?' and subsequently, what goals should we set for future development?

Notice that we avoid asking about the wrongdoing. The tendency of this question is intended to cause people to be defensive, and they attempt to conceal things that might lead to their punishment.

没有总结经验教训，以后就会重复错误。

Failing to conduct a lessons-learned review implies that future projects are likely to face similar challenges as those experienced in the most recent project. The organizations that are expected to survive and thrive in the future are those with a faster learning curve compared to their competitors. This is particularly evident in projects.

Typically, problems are often attributed to the absence of a well-considered plan. The team typically engages in unplanned execution, relying on spontaneous efforts to complete tasks without any formal planning.

人们经常花费大量时间制定计划，并在遇到障碍或变化时则会放弃原有的计划。这样一来，则导致无法有效管理项目。

It's truly impressive when teams invest time in planning a project but often struggle to maintain their initial plans when obstacles arise. Teams frequently allocate considerable time to planning projects but often fail to stick with their initial plans once challenges emerge. Once teams adopt such an approach, however, they lose control over their work since effective management requires a well-defined plan. The critical factor lies in either implementing corrective measures or revising their plans accordingly.

控制的本质是通过比较当前的工作进度与既定计划来评估两者的差异，并根据观察到的差异采取相应措施加以纠正。对于轻微的差异则无需过多关注，在工作推进中只需保持基本同步即可；而当出现明显偏离时则应予以重视并及时调整以恢复正常轨道

Control is exerted through comparing where project work is situated relative to its intended location, followed by corrective measures to address any minor deviations that fall below predefined limits or indicate a discernible drift towards inefficiency. Normally, minor deviations occur and are disregarded unless they exceed established thresholds or exhibit a clear trend towards further decline in performance accuracy.

项目集成管理保证项目被合理计划、执行和控制，包括进行变更控制。

The system ensures that all aspects of the process are meticulously managed through comprehensive planning and strict oversight to guarantee its successful execution

主要原因在于为项目设置了极其严格的截止时间，并导致质量问题。质量保证人员在整个流程中负责确保项目质量和状态。通过定期检查和评估最终结果与需求的吻合程度。

One cause of project failure often stems from the neglect or sacrifice of quality, which allows a tight deadline to be met. While it may seem efficient to complete a project on time, such an approach often leads to significant issues later. Effective project quality management comprises two key components: quality assurance (planning to meet specified requirements) and quality control (steps taken to ensure results meet requirements).