Foreword

Jeffrey K. Pinto, Ph.D., Samuel A. and Elizabeth B. Breene Fellow and Professor of Management, Penn State-Erie

One of the most common snares people fall into when beginning to engage in project-based work is to assume that because there are well-defined tools and techniques already extant (PERT/CPM, earned value, duration estimation, and so on), project management is somehow more “objective” than other innovative practices or management disciplines. That is, the easy lure lies in assuming that project management has somehow solved its “people” problems and progressed to the point when all activities become technique driven. For those with even minimal project management experience, we know that nothing could be further from the truth. Project management is fortunate in possessing a rich and growing body of tools and metrics that aid in helping us to more effectively run our projects, but that is all they are: tools and metrics. Project management is no less prone to the problems inherent in managing people than any other discipline. In fact, a strong argument could be made that project management offers far more people problems than other forms of corporate activities.

The reasons become obvious when we think of the project challenge as a simple cooking exercise. Take one disparate group of individuals with (most likely) dual loyalties; add problems with motivation, team building, and leadership; stir in time pressures, shrinking budgets, and other constraints; add unrealistic upper-management expectations; and finally blend in only rudimentary levels of project management training and experience (in most organizations). Every reader can see that we have created a recipe for disaster. And yet ... it is also the recipe for sometimes dramatic successes, measured in terms of market share and profits, technical achievements, and enduring customer/contractor relationships. The key, I am convinced, lies in how we manage these problems—hence the “people challenge” of project management.

This book is a collection of some of the most important writing relating to the people side of project management that the Project Management Institute has ever produced. The topics are far ranging, and the authors are acknowledged experts in their fields. Section One (Key Management Skills and Duties) sets the stage for the balance of the book by first addressing the leadership challenge in project management. In previous writings I have long maintained that project management is one of the most “leader-intensive” undertakings within organizations today. Section One develops this theme throughout a series of articles by noted experts in the area. Section Two (Organizational Planning) expands the readers’ horizons to move beyond the core skills of the project manager to understanding the nature of networking and relationship building, both with the project team and with other key stakeholders. Section Three (Human Resource Theory) asks project managers to get involved: with staff development and stakeholder planning. Effective projects are not run solely by the team leader but are an extension of a dedicated and motivated team all rowing in the same direction. Section Four (Staff Acquisition and Kickoff) shows us how to set the stage correctly, both by finding the best people for the project team and by creating an initial positive environment from which downstream success can more easily flow.

Section Five (Team Development) is one of the most powerful parts of the book. Project managers feeling frustration from their perceived inability to get team buy-in and positive development will find this a welcome set of articles that addresses the heart of the project leadership challenge. The next section (Resolving Conflict) is also an important component of this book. Anyone who has tried to create a high-functioning project team has had to deal with a great deal of residual conflict. Conflict is not a poor reflection on the project manager’s efforts—far from it. Conflict is the natural side effect of any effort made toward enhancing cooperation. The key for successful project management lies not in eliminating conflict but, once it has arisen, in acting most appropriately to minimize its negative effects. Section Seven (Closeout and Evaluation) is another gem that focuses on what has rightly been called the “forgotten phase” of the project. Properly handled, project closeout sows the seeds for future team motivation and success. Done poorly, closeout becomes another source of burnout and team member cynicism. Section Eight (Worldwide Teams and Cultural Issues) reflects a rapidly growing trend in project management toward geographically dispersed project organizations. I have held a number of conversations over the past several years with project managers who complain that the difficulties in making a project work when everyone is around are hard enough. How are they to pull this off when their “team” consists of seven people in six different time zones? The challenges of multi-location project teams are not likely to wane in the short term; indeed, they will continue to grow. Finally, the concluding section on Managing Change puts the burden squarely on all readers to anticipate the likely future trends in project management. We are getting a sense of where we are. Anticipating where we are going, on the other hand, offers an entirely new sort of challenge.

One thing we do know: the challenge of managing people within the unique context of project-based work continues to confound and frustrate us. We want our projects to run smoothly, somehow conveniently, forgetting along the way that the only “smooth” projects are those that are characterized by high-performing project leaders and their teams. It is with this very challenge squarely in mind that the Project Management Institute and the PMI Publishing Division created this book. Its chapters are diverse but share an important common feature: experts who know whereof they speak have written them. No marginally useful theory here—this is the real deal. As a result, any project manager, whether a seasoned professional or newly minted beginner, will find a wealth of information on every page. I wish you all good reading and good future project practice!