Gary L. Richardson

With ever-increasing competitive pressures, the need to reduce the time-to-value (or time-to-bail) of a “big idea” – a new product, an organizational transformation, a healthcare initiative, or a humanitarian development project – has never been greater. Unfortunately, the current digital infrastructure for vision delivery teams is woefully inadequate. Improvement opportunities lie in replacing it with one that is designed to support teams working together in a unifying manner. The focus of this book is describing the Digital Office Complex and the accompanying digital teaming and governing capabilities needed to reengineer vision delivery. Digital Office Complex: Reengineering Vision Delivery by Transforming Teaming offers an in-depth understanding of the elements of “digital teaming and governing” and how they can be applied to vision delivery to accelerate and improve performance. The book identifies and describes the requirements for an integrated infrastructure to support: team goal management, teamwork coordination, team decision support, team “work product” support, and approval workflow capabilities in addition to “team-to-team” navigation, “team-to-team” coordination, and “team-to-team” data exchange. The aim for this book is to describe and illustrate “digital teaming and governing” practices using the Digital Office Complex to improve performance. The book goes on to a team-centric delivery method for initiatives and artificial intelligence capabilities to augment teamwork. The book concludes with critical success factors for implementation and an approach for reengineering vision delivery. Written for people who desire to implement the next level of high-performance teaming to improve organizational performance, this book is an ideal read for management consultants, executives, strategy managers, project managers, HR managers, team leaders, team members, and students in business and engineering programs.

With ever-increasing competitive pressures, the need to reduce the time-to-value (or time-to-bail) of a “big idea” – a new product, an organizational transformation, a healthcare initiative, or a humanitarian development project – has never been greater. Unfortunately, the current digital infrastructure for vision delivery teams is woefully inadequate. Improvement opportunities lie in replacing it with one that is designed to support teams working together in a unifying manner. The focus of this book is describing the Digital Office Complex and the accompanying digital teaming and governing capabilities needed to reengineer vision delivery.Digital Office Complex: Reengineering Vision Delivery by Transforming Teaming offers an in-depth understanding of the elements of “digital teaming and governing” and how they can be applied to vision delivery to accelerate and improve performance. The book identifies and describes the requirements for an integrated infrastructure to support: team goal management, teamwork coordination, team decision support, team “work product” support, and approval workflow capabilities in addition to “team-to-team” navigation, “team-to-team” coordination, and “team-to-team” data exchange. The aim for this book is to describe and illustrate “digital teaming and governing” practices using the Digital Office Complex to improve performance. The book goes on to a team-centric delivery method for initiatives and artificial intelligence capabilities to augment teamwork. The book concludes with critical success factors for implementation and an approach for reengineering vision delivery.Written for people who desire to implement the next level of high-performance teaming to improve organizational performance, this book is an ideal read for management consultants, executives, strategy managers, project managers, HR managers, team leaders, team members, and students in business and engineering programs.

Thousands of project management–related books have been written. Why is Optimizing Project Work, Management, and Delivery different?This book represents the authors’ experiences gained from looking at the problem of project management for 50 years and wondering why projects cannot be more successful. Experience from various management models and techniques has helped but still does not fit reality or provide accurate forecasts. Industry surveys have compiled the root causes of project failure, and yet they persist. Is there no answer to this problem?As the book explains, the management solution is not in the models or the theory but is found in how they are mapped against the actual target project characteristics. This is the book’s unique strength. There are major coverage gaps in current project management models that also need to be recognized. All of the existing models are correct in some ways, and yet each is also wrong.The book starts by reviewing popular models and related topics that help construct the building blocks of an integrated model structure, which is at the core of this book. The integrated model described here is meant to be a decision-oriented view related to the project life cycle rather than a cookbook of success steps. Project management is too complex for a cookbook approach. This text helps managers find that right path.

The latest edition of this textbook fills a significant void in the realm of project management tools and techniques, where many existing resources fall short. By seamlessly integrating Microsoft Project into the content, students are equipped with the essential skills needed to excel in project management. The addition of screenshots featuring the most up-to-date MS Project software enables readers to effectively visualize and implement the concepts discussed in the textbook.The third edition of Project Management Tools and Techniques: A Practical Guide continues to prepare students for certification exams like the Project Management Professional exam, ensuring they are well-prepared for success in their future careers. This updated edition provides a contemporary perspective on this ever-evolving subject, with five new chapters covering PM and its Tools, Project Variability, Critical Chain Theory, and Hybrid Models.For both students and instructors, this textbook offers practical examples and videos that bridge the gap between theory and practice in project management. It also includes case studies that provide hands-on experience in applying project management techniques and tools. Lab assignments are included to further enhance learning.For qualified textbook adoptions, a test bank, PowerPoint slides, and sample data are available to support instructors in their teaching endeavors. To enrich the learning experience, this book is accompanied by a dedicated website designed for both students and instructors.

Project management is truly an art-seeking science with complex processes balancing project output objectives against restraints of time, budget, human resources, quality, and customer satisfaction. Achieving this balance requires skill, experience, and a host of supporting tools and techniques. Project Management Theory and Practice, Fourth Edition explores the project delivery process through an examination of multiple strategies. Its core material reflects the traditional model approach to the life cycle; however, it also highlights common usage errors and reality gaps. The book describes the full life cycle of common processes and tools every project manager needs to understand.This fourth edition features a contemporary perspective on project management and explores future needs and discusses new directions in the project management model. The textbook introduces new processes and aims to address known gaps in current methodologies and outlines logical future directions. Given the current success rates for projects, a serious project manager must be prepared to make significant changes to the existing toolset and related processes. The book aims to raise awareness of these needs and encourages examination of the shortcomings in current models.The text emphasizes that, beyond the theoretical aspects of project planning and control, effective management is fundamentally a human activity. While processes and tools serve as supports for human decision-making, they primarily help define the project's objectives and later aid decision-makers in determining the execution plan. The text emphasizes how to transform a project vision into a format that is suitable for execution. It also emphasizes a life cycle perspective along with the essential mechanics needed to develop the projects. The book’s case study examples have been classroom evaluated with students and professionals to ensure they are effective and relevant.

Project management is truly an art-seeking science with complex processes balancing project output objectives against restraints of time, budget, human resources, quality, and customer satisfaction. Achieving this balance requires skill, experience, and a host of supporting tools and techniques. Project Management Theory and Practice, Fourth Edition explores the project delivery process through an examination of multiple strategies. Its core material reflects the traditional model approach to the life cycle; however, it also highlights common usage errors and reality gaps. The book describes the full life cycle of common processes and tools every project manager needs to understand.This fourth edition features a contemporary perspective on project management and explores future needs and discusses new directions in the project management model. The textbook introduces new processes and aims to address known gaps in current methodologies and outlines logical future directions. Given the current success rates for projects, a serious project manager must be prepared to make significant changes to the existing toolset and related processes. The book aims to raise awareness of these needs and encourages examination of the shortcomings in current models.The text emphasizes that, beyond the theoretical aspects of project planning and control, effective management is fundamentally a human activity. While processes and tools serve as supports for human decision-making, they primarily help define the project's objectives and later aid decision-makers in determining the execution plan. The text emphasizes how to transform a project vision into a format that is suitable for execution. It also emphasizes a life cycle perspective along with the essential mechanics needed to develop the projects. The book’s case study examples have been classroom evaluated with students and professionals to ensure they are effective and relevant.

This book is designed to be a quick guidelines-oriented approach to the topic of project management. It contains the essential management practices required to produce successful project outcomes.Guidelines for Achieving Project Management Success helps the non-technical reader who might have been originally put off by a more robust treatment of project management. It uses the 80/20 rule where 80% of the project management problem may originate from just 20% of the cause. The book includes easy to understand examples illustrating key topics and offers advice and references for further reading. The book also helps the reader on how to define what the target is with the project and how to execute it to get the desired results.The primary audience is individuals who are seeking a readable description of the project management processes. The book is also useful for an academic program where project management is secondary to the primary topic.

Thousands of project management–related books have been written. Why is Optimizing Project Work, Management, and Delivery different?This book represents the authors’ experiences gained from looking at the problem of project management for 50 years and wondering why projects cannot be more successful. Experience from various management models and techniques has helped but still does not fit reality or provide accurate forecasts. Industry surveys have compiled the root causes of project failure, and yet they persist. Is there no answer to this problem?As the book explains, the management solution is not in the models or the theory but is found in how they are mapped against the actual target project characteristics. This is the book’s unique strength. There are major coverage gaps in current project management models that also need to be recognized. All of the existing models are correct in some ways, and yet each is also wrong.The book starts by reviewing popular models and related topics that help construct the building blocks of an integrated model structure, which is at the core of this book. The integrated model described here is meant to be a decision-oriented view related to the project life cycle rather than a cookbook of success steps. Project management is too complex for a cookbook approach. This text helps managers find that right path.

Project Management: Theory and Practice, Third Edition gives students a broad and real flavor of project management. Bringing project management to life, it avoids being too sterilely academic and too narrowly focused on a particular industry view. It takes a model-based approach towards project management commonly used in all industries.The textbook aligns with the latest version of the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide, which is considered to be the de facto standard for project management. However, it avoids that standard’s verbiage and presents students with readable and understandable explanations. Core chapters align with the Project Management Institute’s model as well as explain how this model fits real-world projects. The textbook can be used as companion to the standard technical model and help those studying for various project management certifications. The textbook takes an in-depth look at the following areas important to the standard model:Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)Earned Value Management (EVM)Enterprise project managementPortfolio management (PPM)Professional responsibility and ethicsAgile life cycleThe text begins with a background section (Chapters 1–9) containing material outside of the standard model structure but necessary to prepare students for the 10 standard model knowledge areas covered in the chapters that follow. The text is rounded out by eight concluding chapters that explain advanced planning approaches models and projects’ external environments.Recognizing that project management is an evolving field, the textbook includes section written by industry experts who share their insight and expertise on cutting-edge topics. It prepares students for upcoming trends and changes in project management while providing an overview of the project management environment today. In addition to guiding students through current models and standards, Project Management: Theory and Practice, Third Edition prepares students for the future by stimulating their thinking beyond the accepted pragmatic view.

This book is designed to be a quick guidelines-oriented approach to the topic of project management. It contains the essential management practices required to produce successful project outcomes.Guidelines for Achieving Project Management Success helps the non-technical reader who might have been originally put off by a more robust treatment of project management. It uses the 80/20 rule where 80% of the project management problem may originate from just 20% of the cause. The book includes easy to understand examples illustrating key topics and offers advice and references for further reading. The book also helps the reader on how to define what the target is with the project and how to execute it to get the desired results.The primary audience is individuals who are seeking a readable description of the project management processes. The book is also useful for an academic program where project management is secondary to the primary topic.

The topic of project management is truly an evolution of art seeking science. This activity involves balancing project objectives against the constraints of time, budget, and quality. Achieving this balance requires skill, experience, along with the use of many tools, and techniques which are the focus of this book. This new edition provides updated content to incorporate examples from Microsoft Project 2016 and material from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), sixth edition. The chapter structure includes step-by-step instructions regarding the basic mechanics and various software tools that can be used to assist in the processes. To reinforce the textbook’s learning objectives, extra material is provided on the textbook website. This includes mechanical tool examples and lab assignments representative of the chapter topics. An external video tutorial library is available to help with various mechanics related to Microsoft Project mechanics. An instructor manual is available for qualifying adoptions for classroom use.NOTE: Chapter 26 is not in the textbook and is only located in the book's Downloads tab on the CRCPress.com website.FeaturesIllustrates the use of Microsoft Project throughout the project life cycleOffers templates as productivity enhancement toolsIncludes supplemental material for students and instructorsProvides assignments for hands-on experienceFollows the PMI PMBOK ® Guide model structure that will support a better understanding of the model and help prepare students for PMP and CAPM certification Illustrates both traditional and contemporary management techniques

The topic of project management is truly an evolution of art seeking science. This activity involves balancing project objectives against the constraints of time, budget, and quality. Achieving this balance requires skill, experience, along with the use of many tools, and techniques which are the focus of this book. This new edition provides updated content to incorporate examples from Microsoft Project 2016 and material from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), sixth edition. The chapter structure includes step-by-step instructions regarding the basic mechanics and various software tools that can be used to assist in the processes. To reinforce the textbook’s learning objectives, extra material is provided on the textbook website. This includes mechanical tool examples and lab assignments representative of the chapter topics. An external video tutorial library is available to help with various mechanics related to Microsoft Project mechanics. An instructor manual is available for qualifying adoptions for classroom use.NOTE: Chapter 26 is not in the textbook and is only located in the book's Downloads tab on the CRCPress.com website.Features Illustrates the use of Microsoft Project throughout the project life cycle Offers templates as productivity enhancement tools Includes supplemental material for students and instructors Provides assignments for hands-on experience Follows the PMI PMBOK ® Guide model structure that will support a better understanding of the model and help prepare students for PMP and CAPM certification Illustrates both traditional and contemporary management techniques

FEAR has reached epidemic proportions in our world today. Like a contagious disease affecting millions, it renders them weak and ineffective and robs them of their dreams.Fear is neither logical nor practical. Its paralyzing force seeks to destroy the most valuable qualities within each of us-our hope, our ability to love, and our potential.Author Gary Richardson, successful businessman and trial attorney, believes just the opposite-that fear is never your friend. He has found that fear prevents people from taking the necessary risks to attain their goals in life.In this encouraging and inspiring book, Richardson shares the powerful secrets and proven principles that can eliminate fear's destructive power from your life by exercising your God-given faith.Don't forsake your dreams, talents, and heart's desires because of fear With God's help, this book will encourage you to leap with both feet off your personal cliff of limitations. As you dare to open your mind and heart to the truth about faith and fear, you too will agree: The verdict is in: Fear is never your friend

Project Management: Theory and Practice, Third Edition gives students a broad and real flavor of project management. Bringing project management to life, it avoids being too sterilely academic and too narrowly focused on a particular industry view. It takes a model-based approach towards project management commonly used in all industries. The textbook aligns with the latest version of the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide, which is considered to be the de facto standard for project management. However, it avoids that standard’s verbiage and presents students with readable and understandable explanations. Core chapters align with the Project Management Institute’s model as well as explain how this model fits real-world projects. The textbook can be used as companion to the standard technical model and help those studying for various project management certifications. The textbook takes an in-depth look at the following areas important to the standard model: Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) Earned Value Management (EVM) Enterprise project management Portfolio management (PPM) Professional responsibility and ethics Agile life cycleThe text begins with a background section (Chapters 1–9) containing material outside of the standard model structure but necessary to prepare students for the 10 standard model knowledge areas covered in the chapters that follow. The text is rounded out by eight concluding chapters that explain advanced planning approaches models and projects’ external environments. Recognizing that project management is an evolving field, the textbook includes section written by industry experts who share their insight and expertise on cutting-edge topics. It prepares students for upcoming trends and changes in project management while providing an overview of the project management environment today. In addition to guiding students through current models and standards, Project Management: Theory and Practice, Third Edition prepares students for the future by stimulating their thinking beyond the accepted pragmatic view.

Have you ruined your life beyond all reason?Do you question God and "His plan" for your life?Is what you dread most knocking on your front door?Are you slow to figure out how life works?An accomplished trial lawyer and a university professor along with their pastor-friend open up about their painful, sometimes senseless stories searching God's sovereign nature. Their quest creates a page-turning, life-changing read for you.GARY L. RICHARDSON: Gary's successes in public service and private practice of law have garnered accolades, honors, awards, and settlements. As an attorney, he has set a number of historical records for jury verdicts over the years, one reported in the Guinness Book of Record for fifty-eight-million dollars, the largest verdict in the nation for one plaintiff defamation case. In 1980, President Ronald Reagan appointed Gary to serve for four years as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Gary is the author of "Fear Is Never Our Friend," "Thank God They Ate the Apple ," and "Black Robe Fever." He and his beloved wife, Lanna, live in Tulsa, OK. Find him at garyrichardsonspeaks.com.TOM WESTBROOK: Tom teaches creativity in the nationally ranked School of Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University. Find him at tlwestbrook.com.DAVID WILLETS: David is a consummate pastor and communicator, who God brought through a stunning tragedy. He is the author of the book, "Silverlining." Find him at silverlining.ws.

Like most, I naively entered the legal profession, thinking that all of those, like myself, that had prepared themselves for the practice of law, having committed themselves to uphold the law, having committed by their oath to the office of attorney to stand for 'justice' for all, would do so to the best of their abilities. Was I ever in for a surprise.That was many years ago. Many disappointing experiences ago and before I came to learn from some of the experiences that I will share with you in my book Black Robe Fever. Space will only allow me to share some of those experiences with you but you will see from what I share that in some courts lawyers will find it necessary to risk, at times, their own safety in order to fight for their client's rights for 'justice'. This happens when faced with a judge that is possessed with the insidious disease of black robe fever.