Title Details

ROY O’BRYAN has been on the leading edge of technology for forty-two years, developing software and hardware systems. A former Senior Executive Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, O’Bryan has worked for the past thirteen years at Northrop Grumman as a Senior Staff Engineer providing technical and management assistance to a number of government programs.

Part 1.

1. It Sounded Good When We Started.

2. A Place Where Everyone Knows Your Name: The Project Room.

Part 2.

3. A Charlatan in Expert’s Clothing: Writing a Lie—The Proposal.

4. Leaving the Station Before Everyone Is on Board: Staffing-Up.

5. After The Party Is Over: Letting Everyone Do Their Own Thing.

Part 3.

6. Months Have 30 Days in Them, Except Those That Don’t: Planning.

7. Be Careful What You Ask For, You Just Might Get It: The Requirements.

8. If I Could Just Find a Question for this Answer: Designing Before the Fact.

9. A Miracle Occurs Here: Schedule Tracking.

10. Getting Mugged by the Facts: Risk Mitigation Strategies.

Part 4.

11. A Charlatan in Sheep’s Clothing: The Right Project Manager.

12. But You Didn’t Ask—Communicating with the Customer.

13. A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned: Maximum Reward versus Minimum Regret.

14. Punish the Innocent By-Standers: Award Fee, Bonuses and Other Rewards and Punishments.

Part 5.

15. Digging Yourself Into A Hole: Put Down The Shovel And Seek Outside Help.

16. Fear of Stepping on Superman’s Cape: Not Holding Meaningful Internal Reviews.

17. Not Providing Adult Supervision: Do the Junior Team Members Really Need Mentoring?

Part 6.

18. Being Too Big For Your Britches: So Much Confidence With So Little Talent (Experience).

19. Appointed Experts: Who Brings What To The Table.

Part 7.

20. The Shallow End of The Gene Pool: Small Projects and Large Corporations.

21. Telling Your Customer What You Think He Wants To Hear and Believing It: Outsourcing.

22. Going Where Angels Fear to Tread: There Is No Right Way to Do The Wrong Thing.

Part 8.

23. Not Knowing What You Know: Are You Really Getting The Desired Results?

24. Don’t Forget to Breathe: What People Often Do Wrong When Behind Schedule.

25. We’re Almost Out of the Woods: You Aren’t Finished Until You Are Finished.

Index.