There is more than a touch of 'The Emperor's New Clothes' in the way
many organizations approach project management and the consequences are
all too clear: project methodology inappropriately applied; little or no
consideration of complexity or ambiguity; alienation of the stakeholders
and a statistically poor record of performance for major business or
infrastructure projects. Charles Smith's groundbreaking book Making
Sense of Project Realities offers convincing explanations as to why
project management theory and practice have become disconnected and
describes the kind of complex, human skills that are required to deliver
successful projects. The text draws heavily on the experiences of
practising project and programme managers from across private and public
sector organizations, many of whose stories were shared and analysed
during the two-year research network 'Rethinking Project Management',
which brought together thought leaders on project management from
consultancy, industry and academia. The result is a highly readable,
very credible and imaginative exploration of the nature of projects and
programmes that will strike a chord with every project practitioner; a
book that offers a realistic set of ideas for developing creative and
effective project players, who understand the purpose of what they are
doing, the context within which they are working, and the people with
whom they need to engage. Update: Several MBA Courses use this book and
the tutor feedback is encouragingly positive, including: "can be used
from day one to change the mindset of the students concerning projects
and their management."
