From Itinerant Trade to Moneylending in the Era of Financial Inclusion: Households, Debts and Masculinity among Calon Gypsies of Northeast Brazil 1st ed. Edition
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.”
“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 enterprisewide 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.”
“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
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.
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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)
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 xix
Introduction xxi
Contents
PART I: Gaining the Strategic Advantage
Chapter 1: Developing Your Strategic Project
Mindset
3
What NASA Rule #15 Can Teach Us 4
Close the Strategy-to-Execution Gap 5
Shoot for the Moon 6
Different Contexts But Similar Issues 10
Preview the Solution Tools 13
Review Key Points 17
Coming Up Next 18
Chapter 2: Visualizing Project Strategy 19
Make Simple Strategy 20
The Power of Causal Logic 21
Organize Objectives into Trees 24
Illuminate Multiple Solution Paths 25
Develop Your Own Objectives Tree 28
Review Key Points 30
Coming Up Next 30
Chapter 3: Speaking a Common Language 33
Communicate with Clarity 34
Set Clear Objectives 35
Communicate in Words and Diagrams 37
Simple Project Logic and the Strategic Hypotheses 40
How Projects Deliver Benefits 42
Turn a Problem into Objectives 45
Review Key Points 47
Coming Up Next 47
Chapter 4: Exploring the Logical Framework Approach 49
Equip Leaders with Practical Tools 50
Examine the LogFrame Structure and Questions 52
How a Stalled Team Finally Got Going 55
Strengthen Your Project Design 58
Think from Multiple Perspectives 60
Case Study: Managing Enterprise-Wide Change 62
Review Key Points 69
Coming Up Next 69
PART II: Mastering the Four Critical Strategic Questions
Chapter 5: Question #1—What Are We Trying to Accomplish and Why? 73
Define and Align Key Objectives 74
Let’s Go to the Moon! 74
Start with the Big Why 79
Identify your MVP 82
Review These Project Designs 84
Review Key Points 88
Apply Step #1 88
Coming Up Next 89
Chapter 6: Question #2—How Do We Measure Success? 91
Develop Success Measures and Verifications 92
Measure What Matters Most 92
Determine How to Verify 96
Measures Help You Choose Among Alternative Approaches 98
Special Types of Indicators 99
Case Study: Winning the Peace After Winning the War 101
Review Key Points 105
Apply Step #2 106
Coming Up Next 106
Chapter 7: Question #3—What Other Conditions
Must Exist? 107
Surface and Test Assumptions 108
Spot Trouble Before It Strikes 108
Evaluate Assumptions in Three Steps 110
Case Study: Battling the Asian Gypsy Moth Invasion 115
Turn Objectives Trees into LogFrame Plans 118
Review Key Points 122
Apply Step #3 122
Coming Up Next 123
Chapter 8: Question #4—How Do We Get There? 125
Identify Action Steps 126
Build It Big 126
Gateway to Multiple Execution Tools 128
Decide Which Lifecycle Fits Best 129
Manage the Ongoing Strategic Action Cycle 132
Keep Your Project on Track 134
Review Key Points 136
Apply Step #4 137
Coming Up Next 137
PART III: Putting These Concepts into Practice
Chapter 9: Getting Your Project Off the Ground 141
Move from Storming to Performing 142
Prepare for a Productive Project Launch 143
Conduct a Project Design Workshop 146
Hold a Project Kickoff Meeting 148
Engage Your Stakeholders Early 149
Create a High-Performance Culture 151
When to Pivot Your Strategy 154
Case Study: Upgrading Group Performance 154
Review Key Points 159
Coming Up Next 159
Chapter 10: Managing Your Inner Game 161
Leverage Your Internal Operating System 162
Take Charge of Your Thoughts 163
Manage Your Emotions 165
Strengthen Your Courage Muscles 167
Build Your Emotional Resilience 168
Manage Your Internal PROJECTS 171
Review Key Points 172 Coming Up Next 173
Chapter 11: Building Your High-Performing Team 175
Components of a Stellar Team 176
Create Engaging Virtual Meetings 180
Case Study: Transforming a Team Through Caring 181
Help Others to Become Their Best 183
Review Key Points 186 Coming Up Next 186
Chapter 12: Managing Your Life Projects 187
Design Your Future 188
Craft Your Personal Vision 189
Develop Your Life Project Portfolio 191
Commit Yourself to Make It Happen 195
Manage Your Dreams and Disappointments 198
Project Yourself into the Future 200
Review Key Points 200 Coming Up Next 201
We Are Here to Support You 203
Glossary and Usage of Terms 205
About the Author 211
Index 213
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 fastpaced, 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.
What Project Teams require
Project teams come in all types, sizes, shapes, and forms. The most innovative and future-oriented work will be accomplished by project teams in a variety of configurations, including cross-functional task forces, intact work units, distributed virtual teams, and ad hoc groups across a broad business landscape.
Because technology makes it possible for team members to be located anywhere on the planet, projects often bring together new casts of characters who are diverse in many dimensions. Diverse technically. Diverse culturally. Diverse in ethnicity, geography, native language, personality. Diverse in their values, thinking style and working approach. Diversity can be a strength, but it also makes it difficult to get started when team members lack a common planning approach. When new project teams come together, they need to organize, develop a sound plan, and move into action. To do so, they need a simple step-by-step approach, a shared project vocabulary, and a logical organizing structure for their plan. The Logical Framework Approach featured in this book meets that requirement.
Who This Book Is For
Over the years, I have applied, evolved, and fine-tuned this approach in high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech organizations in business, government, and nonprofits all across the globe. The concepts that follow are universally applicable and will benefit anyone who
is committed to making a positive impact. How you apply them depends on your role.
Senior managers—including CEOs, executive sponsors, program managers, strategic planners, and department heads—will find a logical language to clearly communicate and share strategic intent with those who execute critical projects.
Project teams, task forces, and change agents will discover a more rapid and thorough way to get projects going faster as they simultaneously build a strong team and an effective plan.
If you are an entrepreneur, consultant, or wild-eyed visionary, these ideas will help you focus on what is most important to you in achieving your mission.
This book will guide you in just about everything you undertake. Whether you are starting new projects, accelerating existing ones, reinventing your business model, integrating new technology, streamlining internal operations, developing strategic plans, upgrading core processes, creating next-generation products, delivering high-quality services, serving new customers, grooming future talent, expanding your business, or pivoting your organization, just as examples, these principles apply.
What You’ll Find in This Book
This book does not attempt to cover the mainstream Project Management techniques found in other books and training programs. You will not find instructions for constructing a work breakdown structure, calculating earned value, or applying other conventional project tools. Those lessons are readily available elsewhere.
What you will find here is a common-sense, systems-thinkingbased approach that you can readily apply to virtually any project. This approach does not compete or conflict with the conventional project planning methodologies. In fact, it enhances them by adding a strategic perspective that is missing in most other methods. This provides an ideal front-end starting point for any project, whether you will employ agile or any other type of project lifecycle.
I wrote the first edition of this book over a decade ago to share the best strategic management practices I knew with leaders who are
