My manager thinks I should be a project manager and handle any new projects or products marketing or operations want to put into place. I don't know where to start or how to use the "project manager" program or any of the other programs available. Can some one direct me to a crash course in project management? I would appreciate any crumbs any one can throw me....

IMHO, I think MS Project is a great program. It can look a little confusing at first, but it does have a wizard function and great help menu. I learned it by checking out the templates and walking through the wizard.
As with any software though, know basically what you need to do before buying the program. I took a Project Management course at University of Phoenix, but it is part of my degree plan. I think they may have a certification program, as well as other universities out there.
(Come to think of it, maybe my answer wasn't all that helpful, sorry )

I've used the following outlined project management scenario for years with great success. The planning part is the most important and most time consuming with the remaining phases simply flowing from there. In the end, you will deliver exactly what was requested.

PROJECT PLANNING
PLANNING PHASE
In this phase, the objective is to define the project, to define the expectations of the completed project, and to define the time frame of the project.

Step One
Create a “Mission Statement” (Three Parts)
1. Project Definition
2. Project Time Frame
3. Project Expectations

Step Two
Breakdown the definition portion of the Mission Statement into specific objectives or goals. Each objective or goal is defined in terms of:

1. It is attainable
2. Making it measurable

Step Three (See Page Two — Tasking a Project)
Breakdown each objective or goal into its parts called “tasks.” This step includes:
1. Task Identification
2. Identifying Task Interrelationships (dependencies)
3. Assignment of “resources” to the task
4. Estimating task duration

Step Four
Create a task interrelationships network to illustrate task start and completion dates, task duration, precedence relationships between tasks, task descriptions and personnel assignments.

Step Five
Inspect the network to ensure that all resources are properly balanced. That is, that no resource is over burdened during the life of the project.

TASKING A PROJECT (Step Three as noted above)
Tasking a project means to identify every task necessary to complete every objective. A task is defined as the smallest unit of work within the project, has a duration of 5 to 10 days and can be completed by one person or no more than two people. Tasks that exceed 10 days need to be broken down into a number of shorter duration tasks, each of which are no longer than ten days.

Task Development Steps:
1. Select project objectives one at a time in the previously defined sequence and identify all tasks necessary to accomplish that objective.

a. Use a Task Identification Form to list all tasks that are identified.

As a test to see if all tasks for an objective have been identified, ask the question, “If all these tasks are complete, will the objective be accomplished?” Only if the answer is yes, move to Step 2.

2. Assign each identified task a task identification letter in the anticipated sequence that the tasks will be executed.

3. Task Dependency (Start with Task “A”)
a. First, ask the question, “Does this task (Task “A” for example) depend on anything in this task list being completed before it can begin?” If yes, place that task ID letter in the “Depends On” column of Task “A.”

b. Second, ask the question, “Does this task depend on the completion of any previously defined task listed within another objective?” If yes, place the objective number in the Depends On column followed by the task ID letter.

c. Finally, ask the question, Does this task depend on a task of another objective yet to be defined?” If yes, place the number of the objective that will contain the task or tasks that are yet to be defined in the “Depends On” column in bold print. This will flag this dependency as understood but not yet identified.

4. Fill in the “Responsible Party” column
a. No person is to be assigned a task that is not in the project tasking meeting or does not work for someone that is.

Following the identification, recording, and assignment of all tasks, the assigned person should fill out a Task Description Sheet — describing the task to be completed along with a description of the task end product.

Thank you for your out line. This will start me in the right direction. I do have another question..how do you identify the tasks and assure that you have identified them all if you are not familiar with the product or department. When I say I am starting from scratch I mean starting from scratch.

whoa is me! - Does your user name imply that you are going too fast? If you were going for the connotation of gloom, despair, and agony, I think you wanted "woe is me!"

I know nothing about project management - my desk is a testimony to that.

I really don't understand your post, comply guy, please explain.

As far a project management is concerned, It's my opinion that skill and a level of expertise in project management is the single most important trait you can possess when you are in a staff position, especially a staff management position. The original thread poster should be thrilled that someone in his/her management group felt that they could handle diversified projects. A person that can is management material.

T - Comply guy meant
Whoa = stop
Woe = despair

Which did the original poster mean?

Thank you again Tenacious for coming to my rescue. I needed help and not an English lesson. Yes I have been thrown into a project too fast--Whoa, and Woe--I don't know where to start. But I do now thanks to Tenacious.

Thanks. Project Management has always been one of my favorite subjects. I've looked into scenarios in which, for example, two people have the same basic background (on the job and education) for for some unknown reason one person performs tasks without a lot of stress, but the second person, performing the same tasks, is always stressed, behind schedule, taking stuff home at night and weekends, etc. I came to the conclusion that it's the ability to manage projects - to record and see a start/finish covering each project and every project that needs attention on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. I believe that all staff assignments simply involve the management of projects - lots of projects at the same time, some relate to people, some relate to compliance, operations, or other areas, but they all can be broken down into project task management scenarios.

Of course, project management is actually time management and time management is the key to a less stressful life.

A pretty good book (at least in my opinion) on this subject is "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. It has helped me a lot, although Ann will let you know that I still have a long way to go, too!

MagicBanker:
That is an excellent book and the David Allen Coaches Corner has tips that can be helpful.

For example: "the true power of having nothing pulling on my attention because everything is out of my head and captured in a trusted system."

In other words, get the stuff out of your head and onto a system that you can trust to remind you - I use MS Outlook with that software reminding me of things that I now don't need to think about - this "system" allows you to "be there" in your life, versus thinking about things that cause you to not be there (professionally and personally).

Of course, systems crush - drives crush - but the answer to that is to install a backup drive on your PC that mirrors the C drive. It's not likely that both drives will crush at the same time - so you can trust the "system."

But do you have the T-shirt?!?!

(I think I've got several! Does that make me experienced, or a glutton for punishment?)

As long as you have access to a network drive from your PC, it's easy to back up all of your Outlook folders, including tasks, etc. to a network drive.

You can go to the help menu in Outlook, but this it what your will find:

Back up or delete items using AutoArchive
Do any of the following:
Specify default AutoArchive settings for all Outlook folders

AutoArchive is turned on by default. However, you can change its default settings.

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Other tab, Click AutoArchive. With Run AutoArchive every n days selected, specify how often to run AutoArchive (Often is good). Select the options that you want - Move old items (Select a netword drive destination). To apply the changes to all folders that currently use the default settings, click Apply these settings to all folders now. This will not override custom archive settings that you've specified on individual folders.

Note: If you change the archive file listed under Move old items to, it's changed for all folders that use the default AutoArchive settings.

The same thing happened to me - C drive crush - now I have a mirror drive and life is good.