Rethinking Project Management for a Dynamic and Digital World

Although project management is a newly recognised profession, it deals with a number of significant challenges. We seem to operate in an unprecedented environment, rife with change, innovation and turbulence. Moreover, projects by their very nature, tend to push boundaries, encourage novelty and demand engagement with the uncertain and the unknown. Indeed, projects reflect our organised impulse to constantly amend, shape, improve and refine our context. So how can future projects overcome the challenges? Rethinking Project Management for a Dynamic and Digital World makes a powerful and original statement equipping project leaders and managers with new approaches and frameworks for an increasingly demanding world, where the traditional methods, models and mindsets no longer suffice. The book explores new trends, promising ideas and novel concepts and distils the fundamentals for marshalling a world concerned with people, communities and value, by deploying innovation, rethinking purpose and acting responsibly. An increasingly borderless, upwardly mobile and entrepreneurial society requires a revamped and revitalised project perspective that is more dynamic, adaptive, and reflective. The volume brings together some of the best writing by leading authorities on many key topics, including benchmarking, lean quality, communicating, teams and teamwork, followership, organising for project work, project frameworks, agile working, project portfolios, strategic initiatives, strategic alignment, trust, entrepreneurship, putting people first, social processes, positive organisations, rethinking progress, hacker paradigm, community, stewardship and knowledge management. The collection thus offers an invaluable new resource for informed managers looking to engage with the latest thinking and research and for researchers seeking to reflect on how the discipline is changing. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables About the Editor Contributing Authors Introduction Rethinking the Future of Project Management Predicting the Future But Is It Really All About Technology? Looking Forward to Post-Industrial Development The Emergence of the Project Society The Challenge of Now and the Person of Tomorrow The Future Is Here Already Advances in Project Management Guiding Principles for Future Leading References Chapter 1: Quality The Quest for Supreme Performance: Benchmarking to Save Lives The Power and Potential Impact of Benchmarking Looking Elsewhere: From Racing Cars to Saving Lives Directing the Lean Quality Management Revolution Benchmarking Reprised Progressing Beyond the Benchmarking Paradox References Lean Quality in Construction Project Delivery—A New Model and Principles Construction Industry Challenges and Solutions Lean Quality: A New Model for Improved Outcomes in the Construction Sector The Principles of Lean Quality in Construction Values and Long-Term Philosophy Conclusions References Chapter 2: Communication Communicating Beyond Our Hidden Assumptions Exploring the Context The Peril and Power of Hidden Assumptions New Insights in Communicating Project Management References Communicating Project Management: A Participatory Rhetoric for Development Teams Communicating Leadership, Positionality, and Identity Introducing The Gardener Introducing The Chef Comparing Communication Values of The Gardener and The Chef Leadership Identity as Rhetorical Performance References and Further Reading Chapter 3: Teams From Teams and Teamwork to Teaming The Difference Between Groups and Teams The Dynamic Dysfunctions of Teams The Return of Trust Who Is Packing Your Parachute? Creative Teams Teaming for Success References Leading Brainy Teams Brain Based Enterprises Leading Brainy Teams Summary References Chapter 4: Leadership The Followership Advantage: Reconfiguring Leadership for Success What Worked Before? Beyond Toxic Leadership Empowering Followers Asking the Impossible Turn the Ship Around The Way Forward: I Intend to ... The New Management: Human-Centred Systems Postheroic Leadership Is Here Repositioning Leadership and Followership References Human-Centred Management: A Systemic Interrelation The Four Perspectives Interrelating the Four Perspectives Through Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues References Chapter 5: Life Cycle Organising for Project Work: Thinking Beyond Project Delivery Why Life Cycles? Rethinking Project Management Reflecting on the Shape, Efficacy, and Purpose of Life Cycles The Problem with Shared Practice The Death of Common Sense? Turning Knowledge into Action Reflection Reprised: Looking at Impacts The Demise of Project Delivery References The Project Framework: Understanding Gates and Stages Projects as Vehicles of Change Gates and Stages The Project Framework Some Key Questions How Can I Apply the Framework? Summary References Chapter 6: Portfolios Organising for Success in Project Portfolios, Initiatives and Strategies Portfolios: Definitions and Strategies Portfolios: Why and Where? One Portfolio, or More? The Case for Strategic Initiatives Potential Principles for Collecting Projects and Programmes Into a Portfolio Rethinking Project Portfolio Success References Strategic Goal Alignment and Portfolio Stakeholder Management An Example and Some Definitions Strategic Goal Alignment for Managing a Portfolio and Its Stakeholders Conclusion References Chapter 7: Entrepreneurship The Entrepreneurship Turn: Repositioning Projects as Successful Ventures What Is This Thing Called Entrepreneurship? How Project Management Lost Its Way Reflecting on the Loss of Direction And How We Can Find It Again—Repositioning Projects Alongside Entrepreneurship References Effectual Project Management: Thinking Like an Expert Entrepreneur The Most Complex of Them All? Corporate Projects and Entrepreneurial Projects What Expert Entrepreneurs Learn Effectuation Principles Effectual Decision-Making in Project Management Empirical Study of Effectuation in Project Management Measures Discussion From Experts to Experts References Chapter 8: People Building from the Inside: The Power of Social Organising Putting Your People First A Journey to Change Creating Positive Organisations The Power of Social Organisations References Social Process for Project Leaders Tim’s Story Manager and Project Leader Roles Getting It Right Team Leadership and Team Membership Conclusion References Chapter 9: Hacking Hacking Innovation: Revisiting Teams, Productivity and Limits The Mythical Man-Month: Mixing Effort and Progress Mind What You Wish For ... Reimagining the Computer at IBM Managing the Massive Project Learning the Lessons The Emergence of the Hacker: Where Do Hackers Come From? Taking Stock: Hackers Gallery Hacker Communities What Are the Wider Implications for Innovation and for Projects? Is Hacking Ready to Take the Next Big Step? References How to Herd Cats: The Art of the Hacker Paradigm Leadership Hacker Paradigm Leadership Be a ‘Chief Experimenter’ References Chapter 10: Stewardship Taking Responsibility for Our Actions: Why It Is Time to Think About Stewardship Love Unchained Extending Our Scope of Interest The Case for Stewardship Product Stewardship Stewardship Reprised References A Strategic Approach to Product Stewardship Introduction Drivers for Product Stewardship Product Stewardship Policy and Strategies Conclusions References Chapter 11: Knowledge The Mind of the Maker: Making Sense of Knowledge So, Why Manage Knowledge? Engaging with the Mind of the Maker Managing Knowledge in Project Environments Learning to Work with Knowledge References Through the Knowledge Lens: KM Adventures in Project-Land KM Principles, the KM Context and KM Scope Context Factor: Strategic KM Purpose Context Factor: Project Delivery Method Project Type Is That All There Is to KM? References Conclusion Rebooting Project Management for a Brighter Future References Index Although project management is a newly recognised profession, it deals with a number of significant challenges. We seem to operate in an unprecedented environment, rife with change, innovation and turbulence. Moreover, projects by their very nature tend to push boundaries, encourage novelty and demand engagement with the uncertain and the unknown. Indeed, projects reflect our organised impulse to constantly amend, shape, improve and refine our context. So how can future projects overcome the challenges?Rethinking Project Management for a Dynamic and Digital World makes a powerful and original statement equipping project leaders and managers with new approaches and frameworks for an increasingly demanding world where the traditional methods, models and mindsets no longer suffice. The book explores new trends, promising ideas and novel concepts and distils the fundamentals for marshalling a world concerned with people, communities and value by deploying innovation, rethinking purpose and acting responsibly. An increasingly borderless, upwardly mobile and entrepreneurial society requires a revamped and revitalised project perspective that is more dynamic, adaptive and reflective. This volume brings together some of the best writing by leading authorities on many key topics, including benchmarking, lean quality, communicating, teams and teamwork, followership, organising for project work, project frameworks, agile working, project portfolios, strategic initiatives, strategic alignment, trust, entrepreneurship, putting people first, social processes, positive organisations, rethinking progress, the hacker paradigm, community, stewardship and knowledge management. The collection thus offers an invaluable new resource for informed managers looking to engage with the latest thinking and research and for researchers seeking to reflect on how the discipline is changing. An increasingly mobile and entrepreneurial society requires a revitalized project perspective that is dynamic, adaptive, and reflective. This book brings together leading authorities on key topics, including lean quality, teams, strategic initiatives, positive organizations, rethinking progress, hacker paradigm, community, and innovation.