Examines the causes of project failures and what can be learned from them. Focuses on risk management--how to support and lead project teams when things go wrong; how to turn a disaster into something positive; and, importantly, guidance on what NOT to do. Uses a wide variety of real-world examples.
Title pg......Page 1
Dedication......Page 2
Half title pg......Page 3
Copyright......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
Foreword......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 13
Introduction......Page 15
1 Definition and scope......Page 28
WHAT IS A PROJECT?......Page 30
SCOPE: WHEN IS A DISASTER NOT A DISASTER?......Page 33
ACCEPTING THAT A DISASTER HAS HAPPENED......Page 34
WHY FAILURE SHOULD NOT ALWAYS BE PUNISHED......Page 36
TIME WILL TELL......Page 37
SUMMARY......Page 38
SIX MAIN CAUSES......Page 39
IT ISN'T ALWAYS THAT SIMPLE......Page 56
OTHER CAUSES......Page 58
IT PROJECTS......Page 64
BEING FOREWARNED......Page 68
AN ALTERNATIVE WAY......Page 69
SUMMARY......Page 70
CHECKLIST......Page 72
3 Learning from disasters......Page 74
STRATEGIES ADOPTED......Page 75
COST OF CHANGE......Page 82
FALSE ALARMS......Page 84
CHECKLIST......Page 86
4 Risk and reality......Page 88
OVERVIEW......Page 89
SOURCES OF RISK......Page 93
WHERE IT CAN FALL DOWN......Page 99
SUMMARY......Page 103
CHECKLIST......Page 104
5 Human resources......Page 106
WHAT IS HR FOR?......Page 107
CULTURE......Page 109
RESOURCE SUPPORT......Page 110
OTHER AREAS OF SUPPORT......Page 114
COMMUNICATIONS......Page 116
CHECKLIST......Page 117
6 Public relations......Page 119
EXTERNAL PR......Page 122
INTERNAL PR......Page 125
HANDLING QUESTIONS......Page 126
SURVIVING THE MEDIA......Page 127
A POSITIVE EXAMPLE......Page 139
CHECKLIST......Page 140
7 Disaster and the organization......Page 142
HOW THE ORGANIZATION AFFECTS THE PROJECT......Page 143
HOW THE PROJECT AFFECTS THE ORGANIZATION......Page 148
SUMMARY......Page 153
CHECKLIST......Page 154
8 Triumph over adversity......Page 156
NASA APOLLO 13......Page 157
DIAGNOSTIC......Page 158
OPPORTUNITIES......Page 166
USEFUL TECHNIQUES......Page 175
CHECKLIST......Page 182
RECIPES......Page 184
METHOD......Page 188
DIAGNOSTIC TOOL......Page 191
GIVING BAD NEWS – A USEFUL SKILL......Page 193
MOTIVATION......Page 197
NEGOTIATION......Page 201
CHECKLIST......Page 204
DO NOTHING......Page 206
BE ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH (LIE)......Page 209
ABANDON SHIP/RESIGN......Page 211
BREAK THE CONTRACT......Page 213
THROW MORE RESOURCES AT IT......Page 214
BLAME THE SUBCONTRACTORS......Page 216
BLAME THE CLIENT......Page 217
CHECKLIST......Page 219
Appendix 1: Teams......Page 221
LIFE-CYCLE......Page 222
SUMMARY......Page 226
WHAT IS IT?......Page 227
CAUSES......Page 228
SIGNS OF STRESS......Page 229
EFFECTS OF STRESS ON EFFICIENCY......Page 230
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT......Page 231
SUMMARY......Page 234
BOOKS, REPORTS AND ARTICLES......Page 235
WEBSITES......Page 237
Index......Page 238
