Project Leadership - Step by Step

This book is Volume I in a series of two books on how to master Small- and Medium-Sized Projects - SMPs. These projects are those that seldom receive serious attention in the regular project literature of today. For better or worse, it is the large, costly, complicated projects that are written about, researched and discussed in the media.

But the popularity of the project approach means that many smaller, “everyday” tasks can be performed as projects. These smaller projects, whose goal and purpose are often very different from those of the bigger projects, also need a different type of approach than the large and more complex projects. Preliminary studies are typical. They are short-term investigations put in motion to pave the way for a larger project and require much less in terms of personnel for the actual project work.

It is interesting to note that this is not a new way of operating. Before mass production made its debut, all production was carried out as projects. The individual craftsman made a copy of a product that was individually adapted for the customer. Even car production worked this way until Henry Ford discovered that both mass production and routine production could save unit costs at larger volumes.

1. Small- and Medium-Sized Projects – SMPs
   1. Why SMPs are So Important
   2. What Separates the Large and Resource-Consuming Projects from SMPs?
   3. How to Read The Books
   4. Summary of Chapter 1
   5. The Conference Example
2. Screening of the SMP Idea
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 1
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 1
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 1
   4. Stepstone # 1 Used on the Conference SMP
   5. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 2
   6. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 2
   7. Conclusions about Stepstone # 2
   8. Stepstone # 2 Used on the Conference SMP
   9. Summary of Chapter 2
3. Appointing the SMP’s Project Leader
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 3
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 3
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 3
   4. Stepstone # 3 Used at the Conference SMP
4. Appointing the SMP’s Core Team Members
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 4
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 4
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 4
   4. Stepstone # 4 Used for the Conference SMP
5. Deciding on the Mission and Goal for the SMP
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 5
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 5
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 5
   4. Stepstone # 5 Used for the Conference SMP
6. The Role Distribution in SMPs
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 6
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone #6
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 6
   4. Stepstone # 6 Used for the Conference SMP
7. The SMP Master Plan
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 7
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 7
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 7
   4. Stepstone # 7 Used for the Conference SMP
8. Agreements and Obligations in SMPs
   1. Theoretical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 8
   2. Practical Reflections behind the Statements in Stepstone # 8
   3. Conclusions about Stepstone # 8
   4. Stepstone # 8 Used on the Conference SMP
   5. Summary of Chapter 3