Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme, Fourth Edition

Introduction

Change is constant! I hope that does not come as a surprise to you. Change is always with you and seems to be happening at an increasing rate. Every day you face new challenges and the need to improve yesterday's practices. As John Naisbett says in The Third Wave, "Change or die." For experienced project managers as well as "wannabe" project managers, the road to breakthrough performance is paved with uncertainty and the need to be courageous, creative, and flexible. If you simply rely on a routine application of someone else's methodology, you are sure to fall short of the mark. As you will see in the pages that follow, I am not afraid to step outside the box and outside my comfort zone. Nowhere is there more of a need for change than in the approach you take to managing projects.

Organizational Structures

The familiar command and control structures introduced at the turn of the century are rapidly disappearing. In their place are task forces, self-directed work teams, and various forms of projectized organizations. In all cases, empowerment of the worker lies at the foundation of these new structures. With structural changes and worker empowerment comes the need for everyone to have solid project management skills. One of my clients is often heard saying, "We hire smart people and we depend on them. If the project is particularly difficult and complex, we can put five smart people together in a room and know that they will find an acceptable solution." While there is ...