Creating the project office: a manager's guide to leading organizational change/ Randall L. Englund, Robert J. Graham, Paul C. Dinsmore

If organizations are to succeed they must develop and maintain positive results and create value from all their projects. But too often projects fail to live up to company expectations -- the revolutionary new product never makes it to the marketplace or service leaves customers dissatisfied. Creating the Project Office is written for managers who are searching for ways to transform their organizations into more effective and efficient project-based workplaces. As this important book reveals, there is no more effective way to make that change than to create a project office tailored to the needs of the organization. While a project office model leads to better products from projects, it is also a vehicle for generating overall organizational change -- by transforming the organization from function-based to project-based. This model incorporates projects into the very fabric of the organizational strategy and revitalizes organizations, creates competitive advantage, and increases shareholder value.The project office concept fundamentally changes the way an organization thinks about projects by determining what projects are most critical to organizational strategy, reducing the overall number of projects, and building a solid business case for each project. The project office consolidates project-related tasks in the organization and facilitates project selection, the training of project managers, project mentoring, and the development of career paths for project managers. Using an enterprise project management system, projects become more efficient and more innovative, producing higher-quality products or services. The authors are recognized experts in the field of project management and here offer managers the information they need to create a successful project office implementation plan. Creating The Project Office Is Written For Managers Who Are Searching For Ways To Transform Their Organizations Into More Effective And Efficient Project-based Workplaces. As This Book Reveals, There Is No More Effective Way To Make That Change Than To Create A Project Office Tailored To The Needs Of The Organization. While A Project Office Model Leads To Better Products From Projects, It Is Also A Vehicle For Generating Overall Organizational Change - By Transforming The Organization From Function-based To Project-based. This Model Incorporates Projects Into The Very Fabric Of The Organizational Strategy And Revitalizes Organizations, Creates Competitive Advantage, And Increases Shareholder Value.--jacket. Creating The Conditions For Change -- Leading Organizational Change -- Clear Danger: Creating A Sense Of Urgency And Economic Value -- Powerful Forces: Building A Guiding Coalition -- Focus: Developing And Communicating The Project Office Vision And Strategy -- Tell The Tale: Harnessing Internal Support / Robert Storeygard -- Making Change Happen -- Contact: Managing The Change -- Implementing The Project Office: Case Study / Alfonso Bucero -- Keep Moving: Getting Your Arms Around Chaos / Colonel Gary Lagassey -- In Or Out? Staffing And Operating The Project Office -- Making Change Stick -- Looking Forward: Embedding Project Practices In The Culture Of The Organization / Dennis Cohen -- The Tale We Tell -- Templates For Project Office Planning. Randall L. Englund, Robert J. Graham, Paul C. Dinsmore. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 299-301) And Index. CREATING THE PROJECT OFFICE......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 12 Preface......Page 14 The Authors and Contributors......Page 20 PART ONE: CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR CHANGE......Page 26 1 Leading Organizational Change......Page 32 2 Clear Danger: Creating a Sense of Urgency and Economic Value......Page 58 3 Powerful Forces: Building a Guiding Coalition......Page 78 4 Focus: Developing and Communicating the Project Office Vision and Strategy......Page 108 5 Tell the Tale: Harnessing Internal Support......Page 134 PART TWO: MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN......Page 150 6 Contact: Managing the Change......Page 154 7 Implementing the Project Office: Case Study......Page 192 8 Keep Moving: Getting Your Arms Around Chaos......Page 222 9 In or Out? Staffing and Operating the Project Office......Page 244 PART THREE: MAKING CHANGE STICK......Page 270 10 Looking Forward: Embedding Project Practices in the Culture of the Organization......Page 274 11 The Tale We Tell......Page 302 Appendix: Templates for Project Office Planning......Page 316 References......Page 324 Index......Page 328 We write this book from the point of view of advising a small group of people, call them change agents, who are attempting to implement a project office to make the organization more project-friendly.