Record Detail Back
Project Leadership - Step by Step
- Share to:
We frequently talk about “changing society,”2 but society has always been changing. Today, “change” seems to have become an intrusive concept, possibly because change occurs at a much faster pace than before, and the consequences are much more extensive.3 Even small changes have greater consequences than we were previously aware of. “Chaos theory” predicts that a butterfly flapping its wings in Australia can set off a tropical storm in the Atlantic two years later.4, 5 The global impact of human activity on the environment is another relevant example, which is why it is important to understand that even the smallest change can have a devastating effect.6 As a result, the small projects we initiate should be treated with respect since they might be the start of larger, more important and decisive changes that affect ourselves, our organizations and our community in the long run.
Most practical books and manuals deal with large, complex projects which is not unnatural. Using projects to solve problems has never been more popular than it is today. By the end of the last century, 25% of the world’s spending was managed through projects according to some reports, and many projects are clearly very large and very costly. Keeping track of them requires good management and good tools. Project planning and project organization need to be sound, and every step must be controlled down to the very last detail.7 If a large project starts going off the track and is heading for failure, it will cost the organization dearly and have many other adverse effects as well.8
But most projects are not enormous. Today, the project approach is equally used for smaller and simpler tasks.9 To run the projects that we in this book will call SMPs – Small- and Medium-Sized Projects – the tools and methods we need are much simpler. When projects are small, mistakes are often not as serious. And even if they end up doing something other than what was originally envisaged, lessons can be drawn and we can look at them as exciting experiments in new ways of thinking and acting. As the proverb says, “only those who get lost, discover new ways.” One probably forgotten benefit of many SMPs is the excitement, not to mention the opportunity, of learning. Indeed, a project may have unexpected benefits for its participants, clients and users.
While rigidity can be stifling, too little formality can easily create a mess. It is easy to go from flexibility to chaos or to lose sight of things when too much change is taking place at the same time. The best way for working on both large and small projects is to always ensure a good mix of formality and creativity. It takes rules and creativity for people to work well together in an innovative and effective manner, and the same goes for respecting each other and maintaining a sense of enthusiasm in order to help, support and stimulate cooperation.
Svein-Arne Jessen - Personal Name
978-87-7681-553-0
NONE
Leadership
English
LOADING LIST...
LOADING LIST...