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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Learn to plan and execute projects in any organization with this practical and insightful resource The comprehensively updated and revised edition of Strategic Project Management Made Simple cements this series' status as the leading resource for anyone looking for step-by-step guidance on project design and action initiatives. Written by celebrated management consultant Terry Schmidt, this book fully covers the necessity of systems thinking and the logical framework approach to solve today's challenging problems. Strategic Project Management Made Simple also includes: * An expanded section on turning ideas, problems, and opportunities into projects * A newly created chapter on managing your "inner game" to achieve project excellence * Fresh case studies that cover how to pivot your business to meet changing needs * A new approach, Iterating to Excellence, to create your Minimum Viable Project and produce solutions smoother and faster Strategic Project Management Made Simple, Revised and Updated is an indispensable volume for leaders and workers seeking to transform their approach to planning, driving, and executing projects in their organizations.
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Seitenzahl: 302
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Turn Strategy into Action
Project Leaders Deliver Results
Preparing for the Changing World Ahead
What Project Teams Require
Who This Book Is For
What You'll Find in This Book
What's New in This Book
Getting the Most from Our Journey Together
Part I: Gaining the Strategic Advantage
1 Developing Your Strategic Project Mindset
What NASA Rule #15 Can Teach Us
Close the Strategy-to-Execution Gap
Shoot for the Moon
Different Contexts But Similar Issues
Preview the Solution Tools
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
2 Visualizing Project Strategy
Make Simple Strategy
The Power of Causal Logic
Organize Objectives into Trees
Illuminate Multiple Solution Paths
Develop Your Own Objectives Tree
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
3 Speaking a Common Language
Communicate with Clarity
Set Clear Objectives
Communicate in Words and Diagrams
Simple Project Logic and the Strategic Hypotheses
How Projects Deliver Benefits
Turn a Problem into Objectives
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
4 Exploring the Logical Framework Approach
Equip Leaders with Practical Tools
Examine the LogFrame Structure and Questions
How a Stalled Team Finally Got Going
Strengthen Your Project Design
Think from Multiple Perspectives
Case Study: Managing Enterprise-Wide Change
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
Part II: Mastering the Four Critical Strategic Questions
5 Question #1—What Are We Trying to Accomplish and Why?
Define and Align Key Objectives
Let's Go to the Moon!
Start with the Big Why
Identify your MVP
Review These Project Designs
Review Key Points
Apply Step #1
Coming Up Next
6 Question #2—How Do We Measure Success?
Develop Success Measures and Verifications
Measure What Matters Most
Determine How to Verify
Measures Help You Choose Among Alternative Approaches
Special Types of Indicators
Case Study: Winning the Peace After Winning the War
Review Key Points
Apply Step #2
Coming Up Next
7 Question #3—What Other Conditions Must Exist?
Surface and Test Assumptions
Spot Trouble Before It Strikes
Evaluate Assumptions in Three Steps
Case Study: Battling the Asian Gypsy Moth Invasion
Turn Objectives Trees into LogFrame Plans
Review Key Points
Apply Step #3
Coming Up Next
8 Question #4—How Do We Get There?
Identify Action Steps
Build It Big
Gateway to Multiple Execution Tools
Decide Which Lifecycle Fits Best
Manage the Ongoing Strategic Action Cycle
Keep Your Project on Track
Review Key Points
Apply Step #4
Coming Up Next
Part III: Putting These Concepts into Practice
9 Getting Your Project Off the Ground
Move from Storming to Performing
Prepare for a Productive Project Launch
Conduct a Project Design Workshop
Hold a Project Kickoff Meeting
Engage Your Stakeholders Early
Create a High-Performance Culture
When to Pivot Your Strategy
Case Study: Upgrading Group Performance
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
10 Managing Your Inner Game
Leverage Your Internal Operating System
Take Charge of Your Thoughts
Manage Your Emotions
Strengthen Your Courage Muscles
Build Your Emotional Resilience
Manage Your Internal PROJECTS
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
11 Building Your High-Performing Team
Components of a Stellar Team
Create Engaging Virtual Meetings
Case Study: Transforming a Team Through Caring
Help Others to Become Their Best
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
12 Managing Your Life Projects
Design Your Future
Craft Your Personal Vision
Develop Your Life Project Portfolio
Commit Yourself to Make It Happen
Manage Your Dreams and Disappointments
Project Yourself into the Future
Review Key Points
Coming Up Next
We Are Here to Support You
Glossary and Usage of Terms
About the Author
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1.1 My First Heroic Role Model
FIGURE 1.2 The Dramatic Launch of
HALO 1
FIGURE 1.3 The Basic Logical Framework Matrix
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2.1 Projects Achieve Goals That Support a Vision
FIGURE 2.2 Single Chains of Objectives
FIGURE 2.3 Generic Objectives Tree Structure
FIGURE 2.4 Improve Profits Objectives Tree
FIGURE 2.5 Objectives Trees Identify Project Possibilities
FIGURE 2.6 Improve Customer Satisfaction Alternative Tree
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3.1 Schmidt Master Menu of Strategic Management Verbs
FIGURE 3.2 Improve Sales Objectives Tree
FIGURE 3.3 Definitions of the Four Levels of Objectives
FIGURE 3.4 Read from Bottom to Top using
If-Then
Language
FIGURE 3.5 Read from Bottom to Top using
If-Then
Language
FIGURE 3.6 Work Done vs. Value Created
FIGURE 3.7 Two Alternate Solutions to Reach Goal
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4.1 Definitions of Terms in the LogFrame Matrix
FIGURE 4.2 Four Critical Strategic Questions
FIGURE 4.3 The Implementation Equation™
FIGURE 4.4 If / AND / Then Logic Completes the Hypothesis
FIGURE 4.5 The LogFrame Blends Together Multiple Perspectives
FIGURE 4.6 Fircrest Purpose, Success Measures, and Verifications
FIGURE 4.7 Improving Social Service Delivery
Part II
FIGURE II.1 Four Strategic Questions; Four Project Design Steps
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5.1 The Objectives Column Summarizes Your Project Hypothesis
FIGURE 5.2 Press Badge for Accredited Reporters
FIGURE 5.3 The International Press Awaiting Lift off
FIGURE 5.4 Lift-Off of
Apollo 11
FIGURE 5.5 The Project Design Hypothesis
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6.1 Success Measures Describe What Each Objective Means
FIGURE 6.2 Make Measures Clear by Adding Targets
FIGURE 6.3 Objectives Tree for Improving Customer Service
FIGURE 6.4 LogFrame for Improving Customer Service
FIGURE 6.5 Goal Measure for Achieving a Stable Environment in Oman
FIGURE 6.6 Measures and Verification for the Oman Inoculations
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7.1 Reduce Risk by Managing Assumptions
FIGURE 7.2 Different Types of Assumptions Operate at Each Level
FIGURE 7.3 Expressing Well-Defined Assumptions
FIGURE 7.4 Asian Gypsy Moth Objectives Tree
FIGURE 7.5 Logical Framework for Combating the Asian Gypsy Moth Invasion
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8.1 Inputs Summarize the Implementation Plan
FIGURE 8.2 Common Monitoring Tools for Predictive Projects
FIGURE 8.3 Strategic Action Cycle
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9.1 The Five Stages of Team Development
FIGURE 9.2 Example Start-Up LogFrame
FIGURE 9.3 Stakeholder Analysis Matrix
FIGURE 9.4 Stakeholders Analysis of the Asian Gypsy Moth Project
FIGURE 9.5 The Linear Responsibility Chart Shows Actions and Actors
FIGURE 9.6 GIS Success Measures/Strategy Matrix
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10.1 Your Present State Impacts Your Results
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11.1 My Mentor Changed My Life
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12.1 Personal Objectives Tree Example
Guide
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
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Praise for Strategic Project Management Made Simple, Second Edition
“A much stronger focus on implementation is urgently needed in this change-driven world, where most fundamentals of the past 50 years have been disrupted. Terry's book is the perfect guide to help you and your organization navigate through this new reality successfully.”
—Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, former Global Chairman of the Project Management Institute, Strategy Implementation Institute cofounder
“This is the book to read if you are serious about approaching projects from a strategic perspective. I have hundreds of project management books in my personal reference library, and this one quickly ascended to the top of my list. Bottom line: Terry may well have created the PM book that will stand the test of time!”
—Lee R. Lambert, a founder of the PMI original PMP Certification, and a PMI Fellow.
“Terry has made a valuable contribution to worldwide project management with this second edition. Today's project leaders need a holistic and strategic approach to enable project management success in this world of complexity and change.”
—Jesús Martínez-Almela, former President, International Project Management Association
“This book reveals what may be the best-kept secret in project management. I love how it connects the strategic purpose of a project to the nuts and bolts of execution in a clear, consistent format. Every project business case should include a Logical Framework. This powerful technique is the missing link in project design.”
—Eric Verzuh, author, The Fast-Forward MBA in Project Management, and President, The Versatile Company
“This book is a fantastic resource for any leader who wants to gain more control of their projects' strategy and execution. This simple framework will guide executives on the critical questions they should ask to lead successful projects—highly recommended!”
—Hassan Osman, PMO Director, Cisco, and author, Project Kickoff
“Terry has taught over 30 years in our prestigious technical leadership program and is one of our top instructors. He is masterful at simplifying complex project management problems and easily translating them for professionals to apply. I have witnessed thousands of business and technology leaders who have applied the principles of his book to excel in projects.”
—Joon Lee, Program Manager, UCLA Extension Technical Management Program
“Terry's book has served as a blueprint for implementing change in our nonprofit organization and establishing our very first PMO. His simple and accessible approach made it possible for our managers to begin thinking and planning strategically to accomplish our most important goals.”
—David Sheppard, Director of Business Systems & Project Management, The Navigators
“My teams love this methodology and are actively applying these concepts to projects and programs that improve national security. This approach makes strategy simple, practical, and actionable. I recommend this to any leader who faces big challenges and wants to make a greater impact.”
—Tammy P. Taylor, Ph.D, former Chief Operating Officer, National Security Directorate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
“Terry's book has added another dimension to my understanding of strategy and project management. This is an essential guide for every project manager, every executive, and every leader.”
—Igor Zdorovyak, Project Director, Immunovant, host of WITS podcast What It Takes to Succeed
“If you lead teams and projects, read this book! Too many books complicate the process of delivering results. Terry does a masterful job of laying out practical tools that can simplify your ability to get strategic projects delivered.”
—Andy Kaufman, Project Management and Leadership Keynote Speaker, Author, Coach, and Podcast Host
“Terry's humor and life experience add a dimension to this topic not usually found in business strategy books. Not only does he offer a simple and effective approach to planning and achieving results, but he also recognizes that a project leader's self-mastery skill set plays a huge role in leading teams to project success. This is a very human book.”
—Susan S. Radwan, President of the Association for Strategic Planning 2021–2022
“Great project management is the ‘superpower' that turns vision into reality, but it is rarely taught well, if at all. Terry's book is a refreshing return to common sense, providing simple tools and a common language to help teams increase their impact.”
—Deepa Prahalad, Design Strategist, Coauthor, Predictable Magic, Thinkers50 India
“Terry's book is the definitive guide on turning strategy into action! His simple and practical system allows managers to develop effective project plans for their organizations more easily.”
—Anne Kurzrock, Regional Director of Chicago and Virtual Programs, The Institute for Management Studies
“Whether you are an executive, project manager, or supervisor, leading change is central to your success. If you want to learn how, follow Terry’s strategic project management approach to energize your key initiatives and achieve successful and sustainable change.”
—Barbara Trautlein, Ph.D, Author of Change Intelligence and Chief Catalyst at Change Catalysts, LLC
“I have used Terry’s system to build my business and career to a level of success I could not have imagined. Give it a try and discover what innovative project strategy can do for you.”
—Joseph McClendon III, Ultimate Performance Specialist
“Terry's book provided the basis upon which MIT developed an approach to strategic project planning and design in research and development. This approach is now part of our Chemical Engineering Projects Laboratory. It has demonstrably improved the performance of graduate student teams and taught them critical skills early in their training.”
—Clark K. Colton, Ph.D, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“This book delivers what it promises—a process and a framework to better align projects to organization strategy. Terry's process and framework helps organizations better select and justify projects that are ‘strategy relevant.' This edition features interesting stories and simple concepts that anyone can implement in any organization. The book also deals with the preparation needed to build effective teams … welcome additions that are missing from most project management books.”
—Howard Rohm, Cofounder and President, Balanced Scorecard Institute
“I love applying Terry's Logical Framework at home and at work because it allows me to remove the clutter and organize my thoughts in a way to reach the desired outcomes. At work, it has helped me pull together differing opinions, get the team on the same page, ferret out erroneous assumptions, and develop a cohesive path forward.”
—Jordan Blasdel Vannoy, Executive Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
“Terry is a tremendous thinker and passionate teacher. He writes in a way that takes complex issues and explains them in very understandable and executable ways. These days everyone needs the powerful strategies that he shares in this book.”
—Chris Coffey, President, Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching®
“Terry's strategic thinking and action approach has done wonders in my life and I believe that every leader needs to have their teams read this golden nugget. Terry's logical framework approach will transform the way you think about leading complex initiatives and even your life in general. Projects using his approach have been highlighted as the best IT showcased projects at different companies.”
—Pooja Sund, Director of Engineering Finance, Microsoft
“The simple system in this book has enabled me to quickly align our teams around what we are trying to achieve and to measure success at every level. I first used the method to pivot a component manufacturer toward electromechanical assembly, which allowed us to grow from $40 million to over $120 million in revenue. This is the number-one tool in my toolbox to align the organization, develop KPIs, and establish risk control plans.”
—Fernando Amaro, Industrial Entrepreneur
“Terry's second edition builds on the strengths of his first edition with rich insights for bridging the gap between organizational strategies and project execution. In an era that increasingly requires organizations to link projects and programs to business strategies, Terry offers actionable and effective ways to increase performance and organizational success through projects.”
—Stacy Goff, CEO, ProjectExperts, IPMA Honorary Fellow
“Learn from a master as Terry offers practical hands-on tools for tackling the tough issues that keep good leaders awake at night. Terry takes you from the surreal to the real world of strategic thinking and planning.”
—James Whalen, Vice President, DirecTV, Inc.
“Terry's book is the Swiss Army knife for delivering a successful initiative. Whether using Agile or other methods, I now begin with Terry's Framework and the Four Fundamental Questions to ensure that my business initiatives are designed for success. This book sets itself apart from other project management books by offering an easy-to-follow path to guide us from idea to the promised results. A project management home run!”
—Till Hollmann, Vice President/General Manager, Crane ChemPharma & Energy
“One reason some startups turn into successful businesses is that the entrepreneur uses a proven system to turn their good ideas into a strategy they can implement. Terry's book lays out the process of turning strategy into action in great detail, based on years of studying both failure and success. Every businessperson can benefit from his wisdom.”
—Robert Youker, Senior Project Management Instructor, World Bank (retired), cofounder of the Project Management Institute
“Project management software can be a headache because it's usually hard to learn and teaches you how to track projects rather than how to manage them. Terry's book is the pain reliever for these headaches because he helps you understand project management, so you learn it easily and quickly, and apply it successfully.”
—Jim McComb, past President, Association for Strategic Planning, and author, Certain Success in an Uncertain World
“This book is the ultimate tool for any PM who wants to minimize frustration, motivate his staff, and deliver the goods far beyond those of mortal project managers.”
—Hendrie Weisinger, Psychologist and Author, Performing Under Pressure
“I have used Terry's book in the MBA program I teach at Golden Gate University and found it an ideal tool for students who are learning about strategic analysis and design. There are some books that every professional should read, apply, and keep on their bookshelf for ready reference. This is one of them.”
—Mary Anne Brady, Ph.D, University Instructor and Strategy Consultant
“This book offers a clear-cut explanation of how the various goals and objectives of a project relate to each other, and this motivates project managers to go that extra mile to ensure success. My department is using this breakthrough approach for projects designed to help integrate refugees and immigrants into communities in Europe.”
—Ali Rashidi, Director, Department for International Cooperation, Folkuniversitetet Uppsala Sweden
“Terry's methodology has been a guide that I have personally used to plan various strategic initiatives. I have since tried other methodologies, but I find myself referring back to his framework, which is simple and can help anyone break down major issues into manageable components to achieve results.”
—Jimmy Godard, International Leadership Speaker and past President, PMI Portland Chapter
“This is a must-read for professionals of all ages. Terry is uniquely gifted in that his writing is transformative. When you read it, you feel as if he is in the room with you and truly cares about your professional and personal development. You will be provoked, stretched, inspired, and equipped to deploy your best self!”
—Chip Espinoza, Ph.D, Author, Managing the Millennials
“This approach is as indispensable as it is simple. My project teams use it when we develop cybersecurity solutions for our clients. It keeps us on track and helps us reduce risks and faulty assumptions that cause projects to fail.”
—David Lam, former Los Angeles Business Journal Nonprofit CIO of the Year
“Strategic thinking is often missed in project management, causing a wide range of issues and problems. Terry's framework is an extremely helpful guide on how to bridge this gap and create effective change. No matter the size and type of your project, I highly recommend this to anyone interested in successful transformation.”
—Rikke Wend Hartung, Business Transformation Consultant, and Project Manager, Denmark
“The benefits of planning with Terry's approach are crystal clear.”
—Adam Gilmore, Space Station Mechanisms Lead, NASA
“Terry's system is simple and practical for use in work and in life. I use this with my work team to improve productivity and to plan my career and family future.”
—Wanchai Sri-Isaraporn, General Manager, Toyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd.
“Terry's framework is very effective for linking corporate goals to business unit targets and individual outcomes.”
—Patchara Thanattrai, Vice President, Human Resources, The Stock Exchange of Thailand
“Terry provides a clear and compelling methodology for creating enterprise-wide strategies that integrate all of our sub-departments. This is a must-read book for any leader who wants to revitalize their organization.”
—Dale Hough, Chief of Reengineering, Los Angeles County Assessor's Office
“As an engineer, I'm reluctant to get all weepy about management processes, but Terry's model is a logical and demonstrably effective tool for organizing and executing complex strategies.”
—David Sanders, Engineer, TRW
“Hits the nail on the head with fresh approaches to design and implements projects that achieve their goals.”
—Philippe Goetschel, Director (retired), Microsoft Corporation
“Lots of management tools sound good in theory but are hard to apply. Terry provides a practical planning breakthrough that has helped our team to start faster, think smarter, and get more done.”
—Lynn Ballard, IT Security Manager, Beckman Coulter
“This book provides concise, simple, and highly effective tools to turn problems into action plans. No project is too complex when broken down using Terry's four strategic questions and the Logical Framework tool.”
—Anne Wu, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, 3M Unitek
“Terry changed how I do my planning and this has significantly increased my ability to reach my goals.”
—Laurie Triplett, environmental physicist, Los Alamos National Laboratory
“These tools will not only benefit you but will benefit your whole team.”
—Kumar Talinki, Senior Software Engineer, Symantec Corporation
“Makes it much easier to visualize complex and large projects. This helps you to effectively communicate and present your ideas to the whole team.”
—Keith Bonnici, Program Manager, TEKES, Finland
“This approach gave our planners, managers, and analysts the tools and insight to successfully redirect a major process reengineering effort taking place in a rapidly changing IT landscape.”
—Michael J. Greenhalgh, Supervisor, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
“Strategic management can be a very dry subject. However, true masters can turn this dry topic into a most enlightening and highly usable management tool. Terry is one such rare master. You would be wise to read his book and even wiser to attend his course.”
—Regent B.H. Khor, Senior Marketing Officer, JTC Corporation, Government of Singapore
STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT MADE SIMPLE
SOLUTION TOOLS FOR LEADERS AND TEAMS
Second Edition
TERRY DEAN SCHMIDT
Copyright © 2021 by Terry Schmidt. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Names: Schmidt, Terry, author.
Title: Strategic project management made simple : solution tools for leaders and teams / Terry Schmidt.
Description: Second edition. | Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2021] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021008514 (print) | LCCN 2021008515 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119718178 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119718185 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119718154 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Project management. | Strategic planning.
Classification: LCC HD69.P75 S363 2021 (print) | LCC HD69.P75 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/012—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008514
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008515
Cover image: © ssstep / Getty ImagesCover design: Wiley
To every person who is committed to making the world a better place by learning and applying simple strategies to enhance their work and life.
That’s been one of my mantras—focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.
—Steve Jobs
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is never a solitary project. I am grateful to the many people who contributed to my learning journey and made this book possible.
Thanks to the leadership team of the UCLA Extension Technical Management Program: Program Manager Joon Lee, Dr. Bill Goodin, Dr. Varaz Shamirian, Mazen Khawaja, and Gina Springer. You gave me freedom to innovate in my courses. And to my fellow instructors, you made it fun.
My colleagues from the Association for Strategic Planning enriched my insights, especially Alan Leeds, Joyce Reynolds-Sinclair, Jim McComb, Lee Crumbaugh, Jim Stockmal, Howard Rohm, Randy Rollinson, Marie Muscella, Denise McNerney, and Sue Radawan. Harvard Business School classmate Michael Porter added immensely to my understanding of strategy.
My learning was enhanced in working with my global partners at the Haines Centre for Strategic Management, especially Valerie MacLeod, Stephen Lin, Gail Aller-Stead, Gerald Taylor, Barbara Collins, Jim McKinley, Sheri Barker, Loren Tarantino, Alan Bandt, Lewe Atkinson, and the late Stephen Haines.
I'm grateful for the support and trust of Chad Barr, Donald van Stone, Fernando Amaro, Cheryl Schmidt, Dan Barr, Ashley Guberman, Molly Hageboeck, Keith Russell, Abdirahman Guleid and Lori Heiner, amazing people who provided encouraging words just when I needed them most. Dr. Hendrie Weisinger inspired creative thinking in his unique way.
My crackerjack peer review team provided insights to enrich my own. Patti Lowe was there from the very start and added value through her dedicated commitment to make the world better. Bob Hessler breathed dull paragraphs to life and created smoother idea flow.
Tim McClintock, Till Hollman, and David Paul brought their high-level industry expertise to this project. Leanna Blackmon went the extra mile in helping to meet the final deadline, just as she did in the first edition. Michael Beaton pitched in with his wide-ranging perspective and provocative questions. Art Drexler made the graphics sparkle.
Also pitching in along the way were Vanessa Bryant, Glenn Hamamura, Michael Fraidenburg, Geri Dennison, Marcelene Anderson, Jim Roberts, Patty Neil, Siarhei Tuzik, Lori Nevin, Sue Schwede, Stephen Lin, Farooq Omar, and Ann Tarasena.
The hardest-working member of my team was Kavitha Jain, who deciphered my scribbles and typed an endless stream of messy revisions without complaint. I could not have done it without her.
The Institute of Management Studies has been supportive over the past three decades. My appreciation goes to Charles Good, Jon and Lisa Peters, Anne Kurzrock, and Karla Peters-Van Havel, and to the chairpersons of all the IMS regions that hosted my seminars.
My many friends in the global project management community continue to share their wisdom and enhance my own in the process.
Thanks also to MIT professor Clark Colton, who invited me to teach Emotional Intelligence for teams at the MIT Professional Institute.
My outstanding literary agent Jeff Herman found the ideal publisher for this project. It was a privilege working with the pros at John Wiley & Sons: Shannon Vargo, Deborah Schindlar, Sally Davis, Kelly Langford, Selvakumaran Rajendiran and the team at Cape Cod Compositors.
My deepest appreciation goes to the many clients in business and government that I have been privileged to serve. You were not only my clients; you were my friends. By rolling up our sleeves and solving real problems together, we make a difference where it really matters.
Writing a book can be a long and lonely process but my wonderful wife Sinee—44 years and counting—tolerated my mood swings and cheered me up when I got stuck. My super dog Rufus, a loving and shy rescue Shih Tzu, snuggled under my desk and kept my toes warm during many long nights of writing, rewriting, polishing, and (finally) completing.
You all played a role in bringing to life a book that will empower leaders of all types to make a greater difference. Thank you all so much for making this contribution to strategic management excellence possible!
Introduction
Projects are engines of progress. They are responsible for the vast majority of the forward progress and positive change we see in the world. Projects remain the best mechanism we have to turn our visions, goals, and hopes for the future into reality. And the men and women who lead them are the unsung superheroes of our time.
But delivering successful projects has become much tougher in the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment in which we live. The problems we need to solve are more complex, the risks are higher, and the pressure on us to deliver solutions intensifies.
These factors impose new demands on the already tough job leaders face in guiding their organizations and project teams.
But on the plus side, the opportunities to deliver innovative projects that make a real difference are far greater as well.
These dynamics make it incumbent for all project leaders and teams to continually update their strategic skills and learn better approaches in order to handle challenges of the kind they have not faced before. That's the reason I wrote this book.
Turn Strategy into Action
Strategic Project Management Made Simple offers you a logical step-by-step approach and a common language to think more strategically, plan more effectively, and implement more smoothly in order to get better results.
The methodology in this book offers a systems thinking approach that brings together core principles from two methodologies: Strategic Planning and Project Management. While both are essential, in practice, there is often a large and costly gap between the essential strategic Goals we set and the projects intended to achieve them.
To close the gap between intended and actual results, project teams must become more strategic in their approach. That means starting with the big Why behind a project in order to better understand how it fits the big picture. In the same vein, senior management and others who develop strategy need to become more project-focused.
To tackle issues that are complex, we need a planning process that is simple—as simple as possible, but no simpler. Simple enough to comprehend the larger structure without being overwhelming. Simple but not simplistic. Simple enough to be easily learned and applied in any context. That is why the approach that follows is based upon four simple questions that drive the project design process, beginning with the big Why and then logically progress to determine the What, the How, the Who, and the When.
Project Leaders Deliver Results
My definition of a project leader is anyone who takes responsibility for delivering results. Whether you work for a large corporation, a small business, a government agency, a nonprofit, or you are self-employed, by stepping up and assuming responsibility, you are indeed a project leader.
Your job title may not include the words Project Leader, but the fact that you are reading this book defines you as one. By investing your time here, you distinguish yourself as someone committed to making the biggest positive impact you can as well as to be of service to others.
Preparing for the Changing World Ahead
The interrelated crises of 2020 remind us how suddenly the world can dramatically change. In addition to the tragic loss of so many lives, COVID-19 sparked an economic and business crisis that disrupted virtually every aspect of how we lived, worked, played, and socialized.
The after-effects of these shock waves will continue to ripple throughout this decade and beyond, requiring innovative responses within every type of organization.
Multiple other change factors are always in play, among them changing customer expectations, advancing technology, demographic shifts, global competitors, and political factors, not to mention climate change and the global economy.
So, buckle up and prepare yourself to navigate through a fast-paced, complex, and constantly changing environment. Be prepared to face problems and seize opportunities of the type never before experienced. When you are equipped with the right tools—even if the ride gets bumpy at times—you can weather the turbulence and reach your destination.
