Bare Knuckled Project Management: How to Succeed at Every Project

By: Jeff Welch, Tony Gruebl

Narrated by: Richard G. Sigler

“When the going gets tough, they call for the sons of bitches! — Admiral Ernest King (attributed) It’s a sad fact that most projects fail — as many as 70% according to one well known study. Those failed projects cost billions of dollars. Perhaps they’ve even cost you or your company. You’ve hired certified project managers and implemented project management techniques, and yet you still don’t have the success you need. BARE KNUCKLED PROJECT MANAGEMENT has the answer. Of course, there are lots of management philosophies that tell you that if you just follow a few simple rules, you’ll have perfect results. But it’s never that simple, and we know it. The bare-knuckled approach to project management is all about the people. Anybody can swing a bat, but that doesn’t mean anybody can be a major leaguer. It’s all about the person. It takes talent, temperament, training, experience, and aptitude to achieve greatness. And make no mistake, for great projects, you need a great project manager — someone who isn’t afraid to do what it takes to get the job done. You need a Bare-Knuckled Project Manager, someone not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, make hard decisions, and speak unpleasant truths to people who don’t always want to hear bad news. In this insightful and powerful book, you’ll learn: *** The key reasons projects fail, and the simple steps needed to avoid the most common mistakes. *** How the “three sided table” approach empowers project managers, customers, and teams to do excellent work. *** How to become a Bare-Knuckled Project Manager, and how to groom others. *** How to handle conflict and communication like a pro. *** How the “Kranz Dictum” that saved NASA’s Apollo Program can save your most troubled projects. *** How to transform the organization using the Bare Knuckle approach. For once, you’ll experience the©2013 Think Systems, Inc. (P)2017 Think Systems, Inc.

Practical project management

The book takes the approach of giving advice to anyone in a project management role who wishes to go beyond the basic PMP theory.

I found that it gave practical and easy to implement ideas with clear and entertaining narration. Often I find my attention wandering while listening to books like this, but this one kept my interest all the way through.

I found the concepts regarding the three sided table very insightful and fit my real world experiences. The section on negotiation was also a highlight.
I would recommend it to anyone wishing to become a better project manager.

Bare Knuckled BS

If you enjoy having a boom read in psudo stadium announcer style with an occasional bad accent thrown in, you'll love this book.
The author's statement that a PMP certification is simply being able to pass a test is 100% wrong. Do your research, there is a educational requirement, thousands of hours of documented project management experience and 35 hours of formal training.
I couldn't get past chapter 5 before I stopped listening.