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Common Sense and the Role of Leadership in Project Management Success

As organizations grow increasingly dependent upon project execution and professional project management practices to drive strategy execution, a firm’s leaders have to be smart enough and engaged enough to recognize an imbalance between process and people. Methodologies are guidelines to be strictly or liberally adhered to depending upon circumstances. Good leadership in this sense means tuning in to project activities at a level sufficient to ensure that the right approaches are being applied for the right reasons. While your methodology might have its champions, don’t lose track of the fact that the methodology must enable success, not fight it.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:20-05:00September 4th, 2008|Leadership, Project Management, Strategy|1 Comment
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From Imperial Court to Learning Organization

It’s time to quit talking about becoming a learning organization and start knocking down the time worn conventions, institutions and processes that stand in your organization's way. In an ideal world, this change starts at the top with an insightful leader or leadership team that understand what it takes to move from an efficiency orientation to a learning focus. In reality, a lot of this change will need to be driven by leaders in the middle that clearly see what is happening in the external environment as well as what it takes to win in that environment. If necessary, let the royals executives posture and play while you go about the business of changing the business one initiative at a time.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:23-05:00July 21st, 2008|Leadership, Leading Change, Project Management, Strategy|0 Comments
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The Project Management Discipline of Strategy Execution

Strategy execution is where value is created. The best plans are worthless unless they are backed by a group of people that understand their roles and accountabilities and that have the information they need when they need for rapid decision-making. Execution never takes place in a straight line and without setbacks. In fact, the setbacks are powerful learning experiences that a good team will leverage as it adapts and responds to internal and external factors. A large part of the solution in my opinion is treating execution like a high-order program comprised of a series of projects to be managed. Ask a good Project Manager how to successfully pull of an execution program and I suspect they won't need to interview 1,000 companies.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:23-05:00June 23rd, 2008|Leadership, Project Management, Strategy|0 Comments
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In Search of the High Performance Project Team

If the informal survey results above are even remotely close to reality, many/most people have not had the experience to participate on a high performance project team. While successfully managing projects is a tough task, I do not believe that we are dealing with a degree of impossibility. If project success is critical to your organization's advancement, everyone from the CEO on down has a vested interest in ensuring that greater than 10% of the project teams take on the characteristics of a high-performance environment.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:24-05:00May 18th, 2008|Leadership, Project Management|0 Comments
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Planning to Recognize Failure-The Project Manager’s Guide to Preventing Project Calamity

Every Project Manager with a few years of experience under his or her belt can likely recall at least one example of a major project that lived on long after the plug should have been pulled and the project canceled. The best (or worst) examples are the ego-driven initiatives of top executives that can't let go for fear of losing face by admitting defeat. More than a few organizations have been taken to or pushed over the edge by these self-anointed visionaries bent on changing their corporate world with some grand project. Once invested, they cannot let go, and if left unchecked, the results can be nothing short of disastrous for the organization.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:25-05:00May 4th, 2008|Leadership, Project Management|0 Comments
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Too Many Projects Chasing Too Few Resources in the Strategy-Starved Organization

Saying "No" to new projects and "No More" to projects in process are difficult for the best of firms and impossible for organizations without a clear strategy and the supporting processes. The participants in strategy-starved organizations have no context for decision-making and unless that context is created, are destined to founder and likely sink while the crew focuses on constantly rearranging the deck chairs. Armed with the context of strategy, project portfolio management is still a difficult task requiring unceasing commitment from the executives and constant vigilance at the project management level. If you are currently running around with a deckchair in your hands, it's time for you to look at the captain and officers and start asking the strategic questions.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:26-05:00April 27th, 2008|Project Management, Strategy|0 Comments
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When Projects Go Horribly Wrong: A Great Example

The folks that designed Denver International Airport's infamous baggage handling system can breathe a bit easier now. While the much publicized start-up disasters at Denver have faded into the past, apparently the lessons learned did not transfer across the pond to the teams responsible for the new Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:26-05:00April 20th, 2008|Project Management|2 Comments
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Coping Strategies for the Project Manager Facing an Executive Mandate on Schedule

A management team well attuned to rapidly emerging market forces might recognize an opportunity that can be leveraged for significant gain and competitive advantage if the organization acts quickly. It is management's prerogative and responsibility to identify and motivate the organization to act and seize these opportunities, even at the expense of order and business as usual.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:26-05:00April 13th, 2008|Leadership, Project Management|0 Comments
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It’s Time to Recognize the Project Manager as a Leader

The most challenging leadership positions are the informal roles where an individual leads based on his or her credibility and capability without the backing of a formal reporting structure. These positions are often characterized by a high-level or responsibility for results with little direct authority over the people doing the work. The role of Project Manager matches this description perfectly, with organizations increasingly looking to the individuals charged with project or program management to play key roles in executing on strategic priorities. Unfortunately, in many organizations, the role of Project Manager is inappropriately disconnected from the strategy process and is often viewed and treated by executives as a mid-level or administrative role. This is wrong. Senior executives would be wise to tap into the unique skills, insights and capabilities of the best Project Managers as they look to build out their leadership teams and to propel their organizations faster.

By |2016-10-22T17:12:27-05:00March 30th, 2008|Leadership, Project Management|1 Comment
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