x Foreword to The Human Aspects of Project Management Series Today's ever-changing business environment requires new approaches to project management, which has become an important tool for dealing with time-to-market, resource limitations, downsiz- ing, and global competition. As markets and project organizations become more dynamic, admin- istrative and technical skills alone are no longer sufficient to deal with the complexities of modern project undertakings. Project managers who want to compete on a world-class level must under- stand the human side of their organizations and business processes. They must be social architects who can work across levels and functions of the organization, continuously improving the business process and fostering an ambiance conducive to innovation, risk-taking, self-directed teamwork, commitment, quality, and selfimprovement. The Human Aspects of Project Management series offers project managers and their teams the conceptual and practical guidelines for leading people effectively and confidently towards challeng- ing project objectives. The series goes beyond the traditional, linear approach to project manage- ment, which assumes that project budgets and schedules can always be clearly defined and can form the cornerstone for tracking and controlling a project. By focusing on the human side, Verma offers a fresh approach to modern project management. He shows how to unleash higher levels of creativity, productivity, quality, and commitment from the project team by considering the human aspects. With these books, the seasoned management practitioner or scholar who understands the conven- tional tools and techniques of project management but wants to go beyond the basic framework can gain a better understanding of the factors that drive project performance. The Human Aspects of Project Management provides a conceptual construct for managing modern projects. It offers con- crete suggestions for dealing with diverse project teams, issues of delegation, empowerment, ac- countability, control, commitment, organizational linkages, alliances, and the intricacies of matrix management. Perhaps most important, the concepts set forth in this series will allow project leaders to build a true project team, which includes alliances with the business organization, support groups, and project sponsors. Such a project team establishes the foundation for an effective and productive project management system that can solve complex problems and produce quality results. -- Hans J. Thamhain, Ph.D. Bentley College