Introduction to the BooksFrom
time to time, books come my way that spark my interest, not because they are about
project management, indeed they may not be, but nevertheless because they have
a definite application in the project management environment. Book 1, see
list above, is about common sense. True that the phrase "project management" is
not mentioned anywhere, but what could be more relevant to project management
generally than that? In this book the author's essential theme is that we are
so used to using standard platitudes that we fail to realize that the listeners
are free to interpret such fuzzy descriptors any which way they like. Examples
include such expressions as customer-centered, teamwork, world-class and so on.
Is it any wonder that so many projects fail? Book 2 is indeed about project
management but an area that is rarely spoken of, that of engaging
the stakeholders, whether of a project, program, or even a portfolio of projects.[2]
True the PMBOK document[1] speaks of "Project
Stakeholder Management", but can we really manage the majority of
people over whom we have no authority? Obviously, our author here thinks not,
for in the title of his book he makes a point of striking out the word "Management"
and inserts "Engagement". In my view, project management practitioners
who are aspiring to higher things should read both of these books for the sage
practical experience that they both offer, and which is not to be found anywhere
else.
1.
Disclosure: The author is a friend of mine, and I wrote the Foreword to his book.
2. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge,
Fifth Edition, 2013.
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