Today’s new breed, eXtreme projects are different. They feature high speed, high change, high complexity, high risk, and high stress. While traditional projects follow the classic model of ready, aim, fire, eXtreme project managers succeed by shooting the gun and then redirecting the bullet while not loosing sight of their moving target. eXtreme Project Management provides a practical guide for leaders working under high risk and high pressure while producing the desired bottom-line results. Based on Doug DeCarlo’s extensive experience in working with more than 250 project teams, his eXtreme project management model is built around an integrated set of principles, values, skills, tools, and practices proven to consistently work under conditions of rapid change and uncertainty. eXtreme project management is based on the premise that you don’t manage the unknown the same way you manage the known. It’s a people-centric approach to high performance that makes quality of life a fundamental part of the project venture.
Author(s): Douglas DeCarlo
Edition: 1
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 560
eXtreme Project Management......Page 1
Contents......Page 11
Foreword by James P. Lewis......Page 17
Preface: Out of the Darkness......Page 21
Acknowledgments......Page 31
The Author......Page 35
Introduction: Into the Light......Page 39
How eXtreme Projects Are Different......Page 42
Ready, Fire, Aim......Page 44
How eXtreme Project Management Is Different......Page 45
Changing the Paradigm......Page 47
Part One: The New Reality......Page 51
1 Developing a Quantum Mind-Set for an eXtreme Reality......Page 53
Is There a Method to Your Madness?......Page 55
Linear Lunacy......Page 56
Newtonian Neurosis and the eXtreme Project Manager......Page 57
Self-Diagnostic Tool......Page 59
It’s Jazz, Not Classical Music......Page 62
Toward Peaceful Coexistence......Page 63
Conclusion......Page 64
Two Keys to Success......Page 66
What Is a Project? A New Definition......Page 68
What Is Project Management? A New Definition......Page 70
What Is eXtreme Project Management?......Page 72
How Is Success Measured on an eXtreme Project?......Page 74
Who Holds a Stake in Success?......Page 75
What Are the Elements of the eXtreme Model for Success?......Page 77
Putting in Place the Skills, Tools, and Environment to Succeed: The 5 Critical Success Factors......Page 81
Part Two: Leadership Skills for an eXtreme World......Page 85
3 Leadership Begins with Self-Mastery......Page 89
The Project-Crazy Organization......Page 90
The Formula for Self-Misery......Page 91
The Formula for Self-Mastery......Page 95
Taking It to a Higher Court......Page 108
4 The eXtreme Project Manager’s Leadership Role......Page 113
The eXtreme Project Manager’s Role......Page 114
Stakeholders: The eXtreme Project Management Context......Page 121
Your Role as Process Leader......Page 127
Nine Reasons That eXtreme Project Managers Fail......Page 135
You Are More Powerful Than You May Realize......Page 137
When Commitment Is Not Obtainable......Page 140
5 Principles, Values, and Interpersonal Skills for Leading......Page 143
The 4 Accelerators: How to Unleash Motivation and Innovation......Page 144
The 10 Shared Values: How to Establish the Trust and Confidence to Succeed......Page 149
The 4 Business Questions: How to Ensure the Customer Receives Value Each Step of the Way......Page 153
Developing Interpersonal Skills for an eXtreme World......Page 155
Principles of Effective Communication......Page 160
How to Negotiate......Page 165
How to Resolve Conflict......Page 176
When All Else Fails......Page 178
6 Leading the eXtreme Team......Page 181
Process Values......Page 182
Characteristics of Teams......Page 184
Establishing the Core Team......Page 185
Creating the Conditions for Successful Teamwork......Page 193
The Keys to Running Productive Meetings......Page 204
Facilitation Skills......Page 208
Decision Making and Problem Solving......Page 212
How to Earn the Right to Lead the Process......Page 217
7 eXtreme Stakeholder Management......Page 223
The Stakeholder Challenge......Page 224
Business Values......Page 226
The Stakeholder Universe......Page 228
Managing Your Stakeholders......Page 233
The Role of the Steering Committee......Page 244
How to Combat the Phantom Approval Virus......Page 245
Managing Change: You’ve Built It, But Will They Come?......Page 246
Business Question 4: Is It Worth It to You?......Page 253
Part Three: The Flexible Project Model......Page 255
8 Visionate: Capturing the Sponsor’s Vision......Page 261
Getting Answers to Business Question 1: Who Needs What and Why?......Page 262
The First Sponsor Meeting......Page 266
Beginning Work on the Project Prospectus......Page 275
The Second Sponsor Meeting......Page 282
9 Visionate: Establishing the Collective Vision......Page 289
Preparing for the Third Sponsor Meeting......Page 290
Go or No Go: The Third Meeting with the Sponsor......Page 298
Getting Ready for the Scoping Meeting......Page 305
Conducting the Scoping Meeting......Page 309
After the Meeting......Page 321
10 Speculate: The Planning Meeting......Page 333
The Twelve-Step Planning Meeting Process......Page 335
11 Speculate: Postplanning Work......Page 367
Assessing the Project Management Infrastructure......Page 369
Estimating Financial Requirements......Page 370
12 Innovate: Learning by Doing......Page 381
The Underlying Dynamics......Page 382
Time Boxing......Page 385
Applying the SCORE Model......Page 387
The Goal of the Innovation Cycle......Page 398
13 Reevaluate: Deciding the Project’s Future......Page 407
The Reevaluate Process......Page 410
14 Disseminate: Harvesting the Payoff......Page 429
What Happened to Business Question 4: Is It Worth It?......Page 432
The Turnover Point......Page 434
The Project Review Meeting......Page 435
Benefits Realization......Page 438
Part Four: Managing the Project Environment......Page 449
15 Real-Time Communication......Page 453
What Are the Basic Communications Needs of Stakeholders?......Page 456
What Are the Hallmarks of a Viable Real-Time Communications System?......Page 458
What Specific Real-Time Features Do You Need?......Page 460
Where Do You Find Affordable, Quick-Start Solutions?......Page 462
What Are the Technical Considerations for Planning and Running Virtual Meetings?......Page 466
What Do You Need to Know in Planning and Running Web Conferences?......Page 469
What’s the Big Trap to Watch Out For?......Page 470
16 Agile Organization: A Senior Management Briefing......Page 473
The New Dynamics of Projects......Page 475
How Top Managers Can Undermine Effective Project Management......Page 477
The Role of the Project Sponsor......Page 479
Becoming an Agile Organization: Best and Worst Practices......Page 482
Landing on Common Ground......Page 494
Making the Transition......Page 496
The World Is Only Going to Become More eXtreme......Page 497
Afterword by Robert K. Wysocki......Page 499
eXtreme Tools and Techniques......Page 503
Self-Mastery Tools and Techniques......Page 504
Interpersonal Tools and Techniques......Page 518
Facilitation Skills......Page 525
Project Management Tools......Page 531
References......Page 535
Index......Page 539
