Leading High-Performance Projects

The number one cause of failure on the people side of project management stems from ineffective or inadequate leadership. Leading High Performance Projects explains how project managers can adopt the most appropriate style under a given set of circumstances, encourage greater teaming, become more effective decision-makers, reduce incidences of negative conflict and eliminate opportunities for 'negative energy' to permeate a project. Ralph L. Kliem, President of Practical Creative Solutions, is an accomplished author of hundreds of articles and 12 books primarily in project management.

Ralph L. Kliem, President of Practical Creative Solutions, Inc., a firm specializing in management consulting and training, is an accomplished author of hundreds of articles and 12 books primarily in the field of project management. Mr. Kliem is also a senior project manager and former corporate auditor with a Fortune 500 firm and editor of the newsletter for the Puget Sound chapter of PMI.

Preface

ix

About the Author

xi

Web Added Value™

xiii

Chapter 1: Different Perspectives of Leadership

1

(18)

Trait Theory of Leadership

2

(1)

Management versus Leadership

2

(1)

Situational Leadership

3

(2)

Behavioral Leadership

5

(2)

Leader's Actions

7

(4)

Project Leadership

11

(1)

Traits of Project Managers

11

(2)

Situational Project Management

13

(1)

Project Leader Actions

14

(1)

Some Universal Agreement?

15

(1)

References

15

(4)

Chapter 2: The Patterns of Project Leadership

19

(6)

Action #1: Shift

20

(1)

Action #2: Visualize

20

(1)

Action #3: Integrate

20

(1)

Action #4: Understand

21

(1)

Action #5: Decide

21

(1)

Action #6: Motivate

22

(1)

Action #7: Team

22

(1)

Action #8: Trust

22

(1)

Action #9: Communicate

22

(1)

Action #10: Respond

23

(1)

Case Study: Background

23

(2)

Chapter 3: Shift

25

(32)

Could Be Better

25

(2)

The Role of a Paradigm

27

(1)

Project Management at the Crossroads

28

(4)

Characteristics and Consequences of the Prevailing Paradigm

32

(9)

Characteristics and Consequences of the New Paradigm

41

(6)

New Implications

47

(5)

Balance

52

(1)

Case Study: Shift

52

(1)

References

53

(4)

Chapter 4: Visualize

57

(20)

No Blurred Vision

57

(1)

Right Start

58

(1)

Reasons for Failure

59

(1)

Shared Vision

59

(2)

Eternal Vision

61

(4)

Project Vision Making

65

(10)

Start with the Project Manager

75

(1)

Case Study: Visualize

75

(1)

References

76

(1)

Chapter 5: Integrate

77

(20)

New Paradigm = Realism

77

(3)

Benefits

80

(2)

Different Categories

82

(1)

What Is a System?

82

(1)

Implications

83

(2)

Goal-Directed Behavior

85

(1)

Relationships Key

85

(2)

Constraints

87

(1)

Inputs and Outputs

88

(2)

Project as System

90

(2)

Simple Steps

92

(1)

Serious Leadership Considerations

93

(1)

Systems Perspective = Leadership

94

(1)

Case Study: Integrate

95

(1)

References

96

(1)

Chapter 6: Understand

97

(14)

Negative Consequences

97

(1)

Positive Consequences

98

(1)

Major Difficulties

99

(1)

The Meaning of Contextual Understanding

100

(1)

Caveats

100

(3)

Actions Needed

103

(4)

Important Role

107

(1)

Case Study: Understand

107

(1)

References

108

(3)

Chapter 7: Decide

111

(24)

Many Theories

111

(1)

Characteristics of Poor Decisions

111

(2)

Characteristics of Good Decisions

113

(1)

Caveats

114

(4)

Decision-Making Steps

118

(13)

Leading Demands Decisions

131

(1)

Case Study: Decide

132

(1)

References

133

(2)

Chapter 8: Motivate

135

(20)

Influencing, Not Commanding

135

(1)

Understanding People Pays Off

136

(2)

Using Different Models and Theories

138

(6)

Dealing with Difficult People

144

(2)

Meaning

146

(5)

Horse Sense

151

(1)

Case Study: Motivate

151

(1)

References

152

(3)

Chapter 9: Team

155

(18)

Definition of a Team

155

(1)

Making Teamwork

156

(1)

Indicators of Poor Teaming

156

(1)

Reasons for Poor Project Teams

157

(1)

Characteristics of Good Project Teams

158

(2)

Building the Project Team

160

(8)

Hard as Steel

168

(1)

Case Study: Team

168

(1)

References

169

(4)

Chapter 10: Trust

173

(14)

What Is Credibility?

173

(1)

Key Interrelationship

173

(2)

Ethics

175

(3)

Integrity

178

(2)

Trust

180

(3)

Bottom Line: Trust Is Everything

183

(1)

Case Study: Trust

183

(1)

References

184

(3)

Chapter 11: Communicate

187

(24)

Leaders

187

(1)

Basics of Communication

188

(1)

Ways to Hurt Communication

189

(8)

Ways to Overcome Challenges

197

(10)

Never Forget!

207

(1)

Case Study: Communicate

208

(1)

References

208

(3)

Chapter 12: Respond

211

(28)

Common Perspectives

211

(5)

Self-Destructive Behavior

216

(4)

Realities of Change

220

(6)

Acting on Change

226

(7)

Project Manager = Risk Taker

233

(1)

Case Study: Respond

234

(1)

References

235

(4)

Chapter 13: Final Thoughts

239

(4)

Reasons

239

(1)

The Unknown

240

(1)

Patterns of Leadership

241

(2)

Bibliography

243

(10)

Author Index

253

(4)

Subject Index

257

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Leading High-Performance Projects

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials