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What Is Project Management, Really?
Mark Mullaly is president of Interthink Consulting Incorporated, an organizational development and change firm specializing in the creation of effective organizational project management solutions. Since 1990, it has worked with companies throughout North America to develop, enhance and implement effective project management tools, processes, structures and capabilities. Mark was most recently co-lead investigator of the Value of Project Management research project sponsored by PMI. You can read more of his writing at markmullaly.com.
Real change in project management is about getting stuff done better. This approach doesn't begin by looking outside at what others are doing, but inside at what is and isn't working for you.
Last month’s column — "What's It to You?" — explored the reality that many of us, more of our managers and most of our organizations are still extremely unclear on the concept of what project management actually is. I concluded with the observation that what project management in fact represents will necessarily vary by organization, and the most effective strategy for any company in establishing a project management capability first begins in defining what it means to them, and what capabilities it must support.
This point was driven home for me recently in facilitating a series of consultation sessions within an organization that is currently working to improve its project management capabilities. From staff within this one organization, project management was variously described in the following ways:
"It is a core competency."
"It is a set of tools."
"It is one way of managing."
"It is a way of thinking."
"It is a framework for getting stuff done."
"It is the way of managing."
What was all too clear, and most fascinating, is that for each of these statements, the speaker viewed these …
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"Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard of no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." - William Shakespeare |