We are all involved at some time in our lives in projects, if not professionally then in our private and community lives. Some projects fail completely and many more disappoint. We frequently hear reports of IT, construction, engineering, and personal projects failing by going over budget, or running late, or failing to meet the client’s expectations; or all three. This book deals with the nine features that almost all failing projects share. In this easy to read book, the author uses his nine laws of project design and control to lead the reader through the traps that that can catch out not only project managers but also the project client and other members of a project community. This book is not a treatise of project management theory but practical guide, based on wide experience and the study of the causes of project failure, aimed at the professional and amateur alike.
"Why Projects Fail" offers an informative, entertaining read that is guaranteed to increase your understanding what went wrong with the projects that failed. Was the project well conceived? Was the budgeting adequate? Did it fail because of circumstances that were impossible to anticipate, or were there simply gaps in the planning process? Learn in this informative, interesting read that will help you make sure your next project succeed. "Why Projects Fail" presents a balanced analysis of its subject, alternating stories of major corporate and government projects that failed, along with a breakdown of what went wrong. The illuminating stories come from a variety of industries, with a shocking list of familiar companies and organizations. What makes this book unique is the author's delightfully straightforward account of the specific ways that caused problems. The book is full of charts, graphs and pictures. Project management best practices to increase your success rateSuggestions and recommendations for avoiding common pitfallsCase studies and analysis of failed projects across all industriesLots of numbers, stats and data presented in an easy to digest wayQuotes from outstanding project management and business gurus Do you ever wonder why the projects keep failing without obvious reason? Would you like to learn why projects fail and how to avoid failure? "Why Projects Fail" book explains why some projects fail while the other succeed. The book explores statistics, analyses, case studies and lessons learned from known project failures, along with facts and arguments. It goes over the main causes of failed projects, which can include going over budget, poor planning, lack of communication and other reasons. Do you want to improve chances of your project to succeed? Would like to avoid most common project management pitfalls and causes of project failure? Would you like to avoid devastating results of failed projects: negative career impact, loss of money, time and resources for the company? "Why Projects Fail" is going to give you something that will completely change the way you're running your projects. "Why Projects Fail" will tremendously improve your project management processes and procedures so your project won't fail but succeed. It's crucial to be aware of potential pitfalls before the project starts and recognize when things might be going wrong during project execution so you can get it back on track. "Why Projects Fail": What is covered? Failure rate and main elements of project's failureList of failed project incl. year, company name, cost, outcomeReasons for project's failureFive case studies including NASA, FBI and Government of CanadaProper project management: communication, stakeholder, risk, resourcesHow to prevent project's failure
Douglas Fain and Mark Hunt have a combined consulting experience in the field of project management of over 50 years working for four national governments and numerous corporations and government agencies. They have consulted on over $35 Billion in major projects in over 40 countries and have taught project management in graduate programs at Stevens Institute of Technology, Denver University, and Regis University as well as corporate settings in aerospace, telecommunications, manufacturing, and others. That experience facilitated the management of large, complex projects that were in the initiation stage or facing serious performance problems. They both agree that business can no longer afford the personal and financial costs of failed projects. Neither can organizations or their project teams afford the reputation for failure that so permeates the industry today. The opportunity costs of such failures is just too great for a society that has growing needs for its citizens. This book represents their findings regarding why projects tend to fail, and as true consultants, they have also included a clear and concise set of instructions of how to avoid those failures, how to do it right the first time. This book is mandatory reading for anyone working in the field of project management, especially project managers who struggle with the responsibility for the success of their projects.
This book provides hands-on insights and encourages readers to challenge existing methods and processes. The management of digital projects requires professional and state-of-the-art methods, tools, and techniques. In this book, the authors pass on practical approaches from their experiences in the field. The authors also critically acclaim existing methods and discuss their limitations. In particular, the book covers the following topics: - Methods and Best Practices; - Tools and Techniques; - Soft Skills, Team Dynamics, and Human Resources. Thirteen international subject matter experts contributed to this book. The objective is two-fold. First, the authors aim to further the discussion on business practices and methods. Second, the authors aim to stimulate the professional community. Senior professionals can benchmark their activities, while junior professionals can apply proven methods from this book.
Do you see too many struggling and failed projects and programmes in your organization? The problem: they are being set up to fail. Learn what goes wrong, what not to do and how to succeed Projects do not fail - people fail. They simply fail to set their projects up to succeed. In other words, you better hire the right people - or get lucky! Projects fail because of deep, systemic errors in the way we think about and manage them. Project management is not about filling out templates - it is about people collaborating to win in the market. A project starts with a change idea, and many ways to fail. You must be able to manage the full project value chain to succeed. The challenge for many companies is, that we believe that everyone knows what a project is. That is not true. This is why so many projects fail. In project management, there are six basic elements that people must master - it all starts with the mindset! In this book, you will learn about the six basic elements that is paramount for succeeding with change initiatives, regardless of which framework, methodology or method you apply. Apply the SIX to succeed in winning with our projects! This unusual and highly captivating book starts with the author failing enormously with a change initiative (project & programme). This book is about the author's journey to investigate exactly why so many change initiatives fail, and how you can become a master craftsman in change initiative management. A change initiative starts with a change idea that is created within an organization when an issue, threat, or opportunity is identified. To implement a change idea, the organization must start a change initiative. A successful change initiative ensures that business continues and improves, the employees are happier, there is ideal use of funds and resources, and the customers are more satisfied. Unfortunately, a fair majority of them fail to deliver optimal results and many of them fail outright. This book encapsulates how people and organizations can become better at implementing their change ideas. The difference between a failed change initiative and one that meets its desired objectives can be described by six fundamental, universal and tightly interwoven elements as explained by The SIX(c) model. Here is a preview of this invaluable book, and what else you will discover: ● Understanding change initiatives and what drives them to succeed or fail ● What is the change initiatives value chain and how it fits into the larger picture ● Where do the systemic errors lay and how to better craft a plan of action ● The Mindset, attitude, skills and leadership abilities needed to deliver successful change initiatives ..... And much more! As a key bonus, you will get exclusive access to chapters on why change management initiatives fail and how you should pursue a successful maturity journey. As someone who has extensively delved into project and programme management, the author understands your specific concerns and has made the contents of this book as concise and simple to follow as possible for your convenience. It is a must-read for all who work in an organization. Whether you are the CEO, a change initiative leader or manager within your organization, you need to read and understand this book
There are five critical rules to keep in mind in development projects, to avoid implementation failure: If you do not know where you are going, ask the right questions; Keep your champions close, but your naysayers closer; Know that informal networks matter; Find and remove bottlenecks; Build the ship as it sails.
Detailing a project management perspective which stresses the involvement of stakeholders, management, and clients, and which accepts as a premise the fact of constant change, this book describes the necessary tools and offers guidance for fitting the strategy to an existing organization. It offers advice on understanding the project's context, analyzing success and added value, defining its scope and objectives, identifying stakeholders, defining quality, selecting a development strategy, navigating risks, estimating tasks, creating a schedule, tracking and reporting, troubleshooting, and ethics. Thomsett is a consultant. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Avoid common pitfalls in large-scale projects using these smart strategies Over half of large-scale engineering and construction projects—off-shore oil platforms, chemical plants, metals processing, dams, and similar projects—have miserably poor results. These include billions of dollars in overruns, long delays in design and construction, and poor operability once finally completed. Industrial Megaprojects gives you a clear, nontechnical understanding of why these major projects get into trouble, and how your company can prevent hazardous and costly errors when undertaking such large technical and management challenges. Clearly explains the underlying causes of over-budget, delayed, and unsafe megaprojects Examines effects of poor project management, destructive team behaviors, weak accountability systems, short-term focus, and lack of investment in technical expertise Author is the CEO of the leading consulting firm for evaluating billion-dollar projects Companies worldwide are rethinking their large-scale projects. Industrial Megaprojects is your essential guide for this rethink, offering the tools and principles that are the true foundation of safe, cost-effective, successful megaprojects.
If you’re aiming to innovate, failure along the way is a given. But can you fail better? Whether you’re rolling out a new product from a city-view office or rolling up your sleeves to deliver a social service in the field, learning why and how to embrace failure can help you do better, faster. Smart leaders, entrepreneurs, and change agents design their innovation projects with a key idea in mind: ensure that every failure is maximally useful. In Fail Better, Anjali Sastry and Kara Penn show how to create the conditions, culture, and habits to systematically, ruthlessly, and quickly figure out what works, in three steps: 1. Launch every innovation project with the right groundwork 2. Build and refine ideas and products through iterative action 3. Identify and embed the learning Fail Better teaches you how to design your efforts to test the boundaries of your thinking, explore crucial interdependencies, and find the factors that can shift results from just acceptable to groundbreaking—or even world-changing. Practical instructions intertwined with compelling real-world examples show you how to: • Make predictions and map system relationships ahead of time so you can better assess results • Establish how much failure you can afford • Prioritize project activities for disconfirmation and iteration • Learn from every action step by collecting and examining the right data • Support efficient, productive habits to link action and reflection • Distill, share, and embed the lessons from every success and failure You may be a Fortune 500 manager, scrappy start-up innovator, social impact visionary, or simply leading your own small project. If you aim to break through without breaking the bank—or ruining your reputation—this book is for you.
“I expected good, but this is great.” -Janet Pirus Phelps, Principle, Strategic CFO, Former CFO Papa Murphy's Pizza Gaps are holes in your organization where tasks fall and failure breeds. They inhibit your ability to implement strategic plans, lead people, and run successful projects. Daily, executives, middle managers, and project managers wrestle with “the big six”: Absence of common understanding Disengaged executive sponsors Misalignment with goals Poor change management Ineffective governance Lackluster leadership Ignoring any of these gaps endangers any strategy or project. They regularly destroy hundreds of companies’ ability to turn their corporate vision into business value—taking careers with them. Filling Execution Gaps addresses the sources of these gaps, and how to fill them. Without any one of these important functions, projects fail. Without change management, adoption suffers. Without common understanding, there is confusion. Without goals, business units, and capabilities aligned, execution falters. Without executive sponsorship, decisions languish. Too little governance allows bad things to happen, while too much governance creates overburdening bureaucracy. Without leadership at all levels of the organization, people are directionless. Using decades of experience, years of research, and interviews with hundreds of business leaders, author of the Amazon #1 Best Seller in Business Project Management, Rescue the Problem Project, Todd Williams illustrates how to fill these gaps, meet corporate goals, and increase value. An excellent review of this book appears here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/improving-project-execution-filling-gaps-murray-pmp-ms Click below to read an interview with the author: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/filling-organization-gaps-successful-project-part-1-naomi/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/filling-organization-gaps-successful-project-part-2-naomi/?published=t Facebook users can access an interview on “Project Management Cafe” here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/projectmanagementcafe/permalink/1975750702698459/ Related blogs can be accessed here: https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/project-execution https://www.strategyex.co.uk/blog/pmoperspectives/strategy-from-the-bottom-up/ Check out his August 27, 2018 interview here: https://www.yegor256.com/shift-m/2018/34.html Click here for articles by the author on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/we-all-lead-todd-williams/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-inner-leader-task-introspection-todd-williams/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-actions-art-listening-todd-williams https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-actions-getting-people-talk-todd-williams/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/eliminating-blame-todd-williams/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-actions-dialog-discussion-todd-williams/ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/projects-fail-when-people-dont-know-where-going-todd-williams
