Newton: Project Management Step By Step

Finally a book on Project Management which demystifies jargon and explains key concepts and approaches in easy to comprehend steps! I have read a number of Project Management books but often got lost in too much detail but this book breaks down the steps in plain English with relatable examples. A must have for any project manager no matter what level you operate at.

Excellent guide to project management, full of useful examples and templates. It’s written in a simple and engaging way, taking you through everything you need to know and do to manage a project. I’d recommend this book to anyone embarking on a new big piece of work - although it’s badged as a project management guide it just as useful for people who aren’t project managers.

I've listed some of the main stand outs for me - this is not exhaustive!1. First and foremost, for me, this book demystifies the jargon that surrounds project management. Smoke and mirrors are often created on projects for whatever reason. We need to stop that. Jargon confuses everyone.2. The book gives a new PM the confidence to get started without having to know everything.3. The style of the writing is fresh and modern rather than old and crusty like many of the aged project management guides. It feels relatable and it doesn’t feel over-facing when you open it up.4. I like that the book is methodology-agnostic – in other words, it doesn’t focus specifically on PRINCE2 or any other particular methodology – this is about the WHY and the WHAT. I did my PRINCE2 then I remember being none-the-wiser afterwards as to what a project is! It recognises that you don’t need most certificates to manage most projects.5. You can dip in and out of chapters of the book and sections within chapters. You don’t have to read the whole book before you get started.6. I also like that the book uses a common-sense approach to project management – it is, after all, not rocket science.7. The book focuses on styles of working, processes and how to interact with people – the latter being very important. Most project management guide books I have found don’t focus on the ‘people’ aspect at all.8. Real but simple life scenarios are used to bring to life how to manage a project and the style used by the author talks to the reader personally. It uses plain English and is very structured.9. Back to the WHY and the WHAT – I like the fact that this is the focus rather than the project artefacts. The artefacts are an output created once you have examined the why and the what e.g. a business case, a PID etc. There are some simple exemplar templates in the book should you want to use them10. Sections within chapters include key drivers for success to help you understand what good looks like for that topic11. The project plan section is very useful and clear – I find that a lot of PMs struggle with where to start a plan and how to construct it – or even what a plan / schedule is. The plan is one of the main project artefacts and living documents so it's crucial.All in all, I really like what the author has done here, and am glad we are starting to demystify project management. If you use logic, common sense and this book, you can't go far wrong.

I found this book so helpful. It gives such clear guidance, in easy to understand language. The author turns what others present as complex approaches, into practical and actionable steps. A must read for those who want to level-up their project management results.

Really useful guide highlighting the fundamental steps needed successful project management.