The project I undertook was to write a book. I knew I wanted to write a book that would be a self-help, yet I did not want to reveal too much personal information that would embarrass my family. It was important to know where to drw the line. When I began writing, I did not look at it as a project, but as something I wanted to do. Linn defines a project as “a single objective to be achieved, and the project terminates upon the accomplishment of that objective” (Lin, p. 4). I did not consult with anyone. I did not know what the topics would be initially; neither did I know in what order they would be. I did not have an established plan. Portny, et al “the success of a project depends on how clear and accurate the plan is and whether people believe they can achieve it” (Portny, et al, p. 79).
I did not use a written Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) which is an organized, detailed, and hierarchical representation of all work to be performed in a project” (p. 86). Even though I did not use a professional format for the task, I believe I accomplished my goal. I was able to determine the needs – in this case the topics that I would cover; design the layout and cover, write the material. I used the top-down approach which includes: “specifying all work assignments required for the entire project; determine all tasks required to complete all tasks; specify the sub-tasks (p. 92).
The project’s success was due to several things. I worked alone; remained dedicated to the task. I did my own typing, design and layout; I also created the cover design. I had knowledgeable people proof read for errors and reviewed regularly. Because I was the only individual working on the project I did not have problems with communicating, neither did I have to deal with internal problems. Had I included a Statement of Work (SOW) to guide me in scheduling beginning and ending dates, I would have been more organized. Also, had I researched the market carefully, I may not have selected the publisher who published my book.
Lin, H. (2006). Instructional project management: An emerging professional practice for design and training programs. Workforce Education Forum, 33(2).
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lynette
ReplyDeleteFirst, let me say congratulations! You wrote a book! That’s fantastic! It takes a lot of self discipline and motivation to take on such a task. Lin states that “project management as the actions involved in producing project deliverable items on time, within the cost, with the required reliability of performance” (Lin, 2006). You stated that you would have benefited from creating a statement of work that would have helped to keep you on track. Do you think that if you were working with a team, such as an editor and publisher, you would have been more organized with your book project?
The leader’s willingness to promote personal accountable helps to create a positive focus in which great things can be achieved (Forbis, n.d.). If a culture of teamwork is created to build accountability for each member do you think that working in team would have benefited you and your book project?
Nicole
Resources:
Forbis, A. (n.d.). Building personal accountability in your team work. Retrieved from http://www.training.oa.mo.gov/solutionsarchive/solutionssum04pg4-5.pdf
Hi Nicole
DeleteYou wrote: “If a culture of teamwork is created to build accountability for each member do you think that working in team would have benefited you and your book project?”
Yes, from that perspective, but for me personally, no. I never considered writing the book as a public project. It was something that I wanted to do, but did not realize there were so many facets to it. Also, I had limited finances and any involvement with a third party would have been costly for me. If it were a public project, I would say it would have been beneficial to work with a professional team of advisers.
Lynette