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.
Author(s): Darren Dalcher
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 392
City: London
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
