Introduction
This section sets the stage for the book and establishes the major themes of organizational "fit" and the role that project management plays both in the execution and real-time formation of strategy.
Part 1: What is Project Management?
This section discusses the role projects play in the organization in contrast with operations, what project management is, what it is not and who is using project management to their benefit.
The first chapter of this section, "Projects are Different", provides a definition of what a project is, why projects are how strategy is “done” and how projects are very different from operations. "Project Management-The Profession of Getting Things Done", Chapter 2, is a discussion of what project management is, what it is not and a basic overview of the profession. The final chapter, "Who Uses Project Management?", explores who is using project management to their benefit and why you need to keep up.
Part 2: What is the Value of Project Management?
This is the story of the "Researching the Value of Project Management" study, why the study was initiated and the surprising discovery of what value project management really provides.
Part 3: Execution, Communication, Learning
The researchers that were given the task of discovering a simple, quantifiable value for project management found something different, and arguably more valuable, than what they originally sought.
Now, the task is to study the findings and understand their practical implications. This section interprets the study’s core findings about the value of project management from the standpoints of Execution, Communication and Learning.
Execution, the first chapter in this section, explores the ways that project management can help “cross the gap” between what the leaders want to achieve and the ability of their organizations to deliver it.
Communication is the second chapter in this part and discusses the crucial feedback loop between execution and strategy and the vital role that the organizational “fit” of project management plays in achieving value.
Learning, the final chapter in part 3, explores the role of project management as the crucial organizational function between thinking and acting – the nervous system that carries instructions from the brain to the hands and vision back from the eyes to the brain. This awareness and focus on the people and situation on the ground is imperative to achieving an agile strategy – a strategy in real time- that can deliver value in a rapidly changing world.
Part 4: Achieving Strategy In Real Time
Finally, it is time to apply what we learned from the study. In this final section, suggestions are made for capturing the value of project management. This section also includes a conclusion chapter for the book.
The first chapter of this section, "The Five-Step Plan", lays out a plan for achieving real value with project management. Each of the following five stages are described and discussed:
- Know Yourself (people, culture, values)
- Set Clear Direction (but not clear directions)
- Make Execution a Priority
- Evaluate Fit Constantly
- Use the Feedback You’ve Earned
Works much better for me than the mapping to Deming.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input...of course, it still describes the Deming cycle, but is less heavy handed about it. Working on the first part now...with your blessing, I'm borrowing liberally from your "what's the big deal?" presentation.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking that each of these chapters should be short, ADD-friendly, "taxi-ride" chapters (5-15pgs). Hopefully this will give a reader the sense of moving quickly thru the book - lots of mini-milestones...
(posting for ed - from email)
ReplyDeleteI have reviewed the outline and have a number of first impressions.
First the title of Part 4: Achieving Strategy in Real Time would be an outstanding title for this business executive book. Alternatively it could be a leading statement How to Achieve (your) (business) Strategy in Real Time.
I am a bit concerned; however, that the emphasis up front on PM in the first part will not allow execs to get to parts 2, 3 and most importantly 4. Would it be possible to set up the book by putting part 4 first, then proceeding with the necessary details to understand the inner workings of what you are describing in the five step plan?
Recall that we did not like how early Joe had suggested introducing PM in the book and I am concerned if we do not hook them in the first chapter they will never read on. The suggested contents for the various parts and chapters are fine a first look.
In the conclusion I like the idea of calling for a methodology (Marvin’s product) because it will set up the release of that product and act as a bridge between the release of the “marketing tool” march 31st and whatever Marvin comes up with.
Thanks again for the feedback!
ReplyDeleteI think that you are spot-on in suggesting the title of the book being "Achieving Strategy in Real Time" as a title for the book. I think that this title would position it rightly into both the commentary from the execution/strategy crowd and the Agile development/project management crowd.
Let me think a little bit about the reshuffle of content. I, too, share the concern that it reveals itself to be a project management book too early.
It is certainly an interesting idea to start with conclusions and move backwards thru the research and reasoning behind them...let me think about this a bit.
Kaplan and Norton seem to take this approach in "The Execution Premium" (and never really say "program/project management", while writing about it for 80% of the book). Morgan, Levitt and Malek in "Executing your Strategy" dive right in and make the link from strategy to project management on the 3rd page of their introduction - "What a company is doing- its de facto strategy - can be summed up by identifying the group of projects in which it invests...The project - the lowly project - is the true traction point for strategic execution."
My thought was that going to project management right off the bat may not turn execs off if it is couched in a "look what is right under your nose" sort of way.
I really like the book outline, but agree that the flow of the book talks about project management too early. If I start the discussion with a C-level officer talking about PM, I get sent to the PMO director - who usually works somewhere in IT and has no idea what the business strategy is.
ReplyDeleteThe distinction between traditional project management (construction, IT, rocket ships) and organizational project management (which included portfolio, program, project and organizational enablers) should be made. Executives think of project management as being related to construction and IT. Not a set of proven organizational practices that allow an organization to rapidly respond to strategy.
The point is that executives are not sitting around wondering "What is Project Management?" They are wondering, "How the heck am I going to responsibly get my organization to respond to the market fast enough to beat my competition and survive going bankrupt?" We know the answer is by leveraging the proven practices of Organizational Project Management (OPM) - but they don't yet.
The other point I am interested in, is what part of OPM helps an organization "Know Itself" better? Clearly important - but not really fulfilled by OPM3. OPM3 shows the state of organization project management practices, but we need a way to give executives insight into their organization. I think an answer exists to this but want to see what the authors thought processes are.
This is an exciting book and I am very interested in providing comments and helping in anyway I can.
I don't know why my google account shows cochise as my id. It should say Dennis Stevens. I think I fixed it and how it shows the right id on this comment.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDennis (Cochise) - thank you so much for your feedback, it is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAs for the order of the chapters, this is part of why I am writing this on a blog. Once a critical mass has been reached and most of the major topics addressed, we can begin the process of "cutting over to paper" and decide on the best order of what exists. - We're going to see if this "agile" thing actually works.
Thanks so much again for the comment. I very much look forward to your continued involvement.