Project Leadership: Creating Value with an Adaptive Project Organization

214 Pages·2014·3.2 MB·English

by  Barry L. Cross

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“This book offers a balance of logical and persuasive content with experience
R Creating Value with an Adaptive Project Organization
and observations of real-life examples of effective project leadership. … The
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“I highly recommend this book for all leaders involved in project strategy
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have offered exceptional insight into real-world project delivery complexities
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behind successful project launches and the authors have provided an invaluable
framework that will enable leaders to be more effective.” A
—Farshad Kajouii, Director, Project Delivery,
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K22050
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K22050 cvr mech.indd 1 5/29/14 10:09 AM

Project
Leadership
Creating Value with an Adaptive Project Organization
Barry L. Cross
M. Kathryn Brohman
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20140508
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-1631-8 (eBook - PDF)
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Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Introduction ix
About the Authors xv
Chapter 1 The Project Environment 1
Cooking with Campbell’s: DuPont Goes
Downstream in the Le Menu Dinner 16
Chapter 2 Why Projects Fail 21
The England– France Channel Tunnel (Chunnel)
Project 25
Why Projects Fail 28
Chapter 3 The Case for Project Leadership 37
The Adaptive Project Leadership Model 39
Responsive Leadership 42
Responsible Leadership 42
Systematic Leadership 43
Adaptive Project Leadership 45
Why Project Leadership Is Important: Redux 46
Assessing the Need for Project Leadership 48
Symptom 1: Unclear Ownership for Project
Delivery 48
iii
iv • Contents
Symptom 2: A Lack of Project Leadership
Competence 48
Symptom 3: Incomplete Goal Definition 49
The 92nd Grey Cup (2004):
A Case in Project Leadership 51
Chapter 4 Project Oversight and Visibility 55
Leadership through the Intersection Points 58
Leadership through Effective Oversight and
Visibility 60
Steering Implementation with Oversight 61
Enabling Strategy with Visibility 66
Oversight and Visibility at Access Copyright 71
Chapter 5 The Paradox of Project Control 75
The Need for Control 79
The Project Leadership Gap and the Paradox of
Control 81
Establishing Effective Project Control 85
Institutionalization: Moving from Leadership to
Organizational Control 87
Four Systems of Organizational Control 90
Effective Decision Control 91
Managing the Paradox: IT Project Delivery in the
Canadian Government 93
Chapter 6 Risk and Crisis Management 99
The Steps in Risk Management 107
Step 1: Risk Identification 108
Step 2: Risk Assessment 109
Step 3: Risk Response 110
Crisis Management 113
Chapter 7 Project Timing and Acceleration 119
Barriers to Effective Project Estimates 123
Increasing Estimate Accuracy 127
Project Acceleration 129
Chapter 8 Strategy, Execution, and the Operating Plan 135
Project Visibility and Reinforcing Strategy: The
Operating Plan 143
Contents • v
Chapter 9 Building an Adaptive Project Organization 153
What Is an Adaptive Organization? 155
Moving from Order to Adaptive 158
The Anatomy of an Adaptive Project Organization 160
The Heart: Fostering Commitment 161
The Lungs: Building Momentum 163
The Brain: Establishing Resilience 167
Building an Adaptive Project Organization at
Bright Star 169
Appendix A: Project Leadership Organizational Self-Assessment 175
Project Leadership Assessment 177
Analyzing Your Results 177
Appendix B: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis 181
Endnotes 189

Acknowledgements
A number of colleagues have been instrumental in this book’s evo-
lution. First and foremost are the program directors at the Queen’s
School of Business who allowed us to go beyond the traditional proj-
ect management curriculum to develop and deliver the concepts
now recognized as project leadership. Specifically, Gloria Saccon,
Tom Anger, and Shannon Goodspeed supported our initiatives
and gave us creative latitude and support during the years it took to
develop and test the relevance of many of the concepts introduced
in this book.
Our work has also been supported by a remarkable set of col-
leagues, friends, and students. Stephane Cousineau at the govern-
ment of Canada was one of our first students in the executive MBA
program at the Queen’s School of Business and kindly agrees to
speak each year at our summer project leadership seminar and share
his current ideas and practices in leading major IT projects. Other
students from programs who regularly stay in touch and share their
ideas and challenges with regard to effective project delivery include
Perry Doody, Farshad Kajouii, Allan Nixon, and others. Their
enthusiasm, creativity, and energy were a constant source of insight
and inspiration.
vii
viii • Acknowledgements
Jeff Potter, Katrina Cross, Trevor Braun, and Jim McSheffry
read early versions of the manuscript and provided us with impor-
tant input and feedback. Thank you for the hours associated with
that work.
Our participants in the Queen’s Executive Development Program
have also been constant supporters and challengers of our ideas.
Without great students, the concepts and models introduced in this
book would certainly be less fruitful and interesting. Institutional
support has also been crucial in our work. Without the Queen’s
School of Business’s long- term support for both of us, this book
could not have been written.
Thank you to Jason Bonin, for always asking the questions that
needed asking.
Most of the illustrations in the book are the work of Chelsea
McKillop, our graphic artist. Thank you, Chelsea.
At Taylor & Francis, we were encouraged and supported by a
team of creative and competent professionals—our editor, Lara Zoble,
project coordinator, Laurie Schlags, and the whole Taylor & Francis
team were terrific.
Finally, we thank the most fundamental leaders behind this book,
our families. There are many who think an academic’s life is blessed
with freedom and flexibility; it is only the people who live with us
day- in and day- out that know the challenges. Sean McKillop’s profes-
sional insight, emotional support, love, and encouragement provided
Kathryn with the space and support to both write this book and
aspire to always find the deeper meaning behind her work. Charles
and Mary Brohman raised Kathryn with the confidence to challenge
ideas and taught her the true meaning of responsibility.
Barry’s family, Katrina, Regan, and Declan, have grown accus-
tomed to his long periods of banishment to his den as these books
take shape. Their support is unwavering, and who they are as indi-
viduals and a family continues to inspire (even as he talks about a
third book).
Thank you all.