The Art of Project Management: How to Make Things Happen. Scott Berkun September 2005 Summary: In this chapter excerpt from his book, The Art of Project Management, Scott Berkun recounts what it took for him to be successful at Microsoft as a project manager. (16 printed pages) Contents Priorities Make Things HappenThings Happen When You Say NoKeeping It RealKnow the Critical PathBe RelentlessBe SavvySummary One myth of project management is that certain people have an innate ability to do it well, and others do not. Whenever this myth came up in conversation with other project managers, I always asked for an explanation of that ability—how to recognize it, categorize it, and, if possible, develop it in others.
After discussion and debate, the only thing we usually identified—after considering many of the other topics and skills covered elsewhere in this book—is the ability to make things happen. This ability to drive is so important to some that it's used as a litmus test in hiring project managers. Priorities Make Things Happen Figure 13-1. IAB UK | Defining the future of digital advertising.