Managing Complex Projects : A New Model

**2009 PMI Book of the Year!** Discover a New Model for Managing Today's Complex Projects! For organizations to thrive, indeed to survive, in today's global economy, we must find ways to dramatically improve the performance of large-scale projects. Applying the concepts of complexity theory can complement conventional project management approaches and enable us to adapt to the unrelenting change that we ignore at our own peril. **__Managing Complex Projects: A New Model__** offers an innovative way of looking at projects and treating them as complex adaptive systems. Applying the principles of complexity thinking will enable project managers and leadership teams to manage large-scale initiatives successfully. -Explore how complexity thinking can be used to find new, creative ways to think about and manage projects -Diagnose complexity on a wide range of projects from small, independent, short projects to highly complex, longer projects -Understand and manage the complexity of the business problem, opportunity, solution, and other dimensions that come into play when managing large-scale efforts Use the __Project Complexity Model__ to determine the most effective approach to managing all aspects of a project based on the level of complexity involved Contents 12 Foreword 16 Preface 20 Acknowledgment 24 Introduction: Unprecedented Change in the Business Environment 26 Part I: Complexity Thinking in the World of Business 42 Chapter 1: Complexity Thinking 44 Complex Systems and Complexity Theory 46 Complex Adaptive Systems 48 Businesses and Project Teams as Complex Adaptive Systems 49 Chapter 2: Applying Complexity Thinking to Projects 52 Is Conventional Project Management Enough? 53 Conventional versus Adaptive Project Management 56 Complexity Thinking: A Right-Brain Activity 58 Chapter 3: The Project Complexity Model 64 The Nature of Project Complexity 65 Introducing the Project Complexity Model 67 Using the Project Complexity Model 68 Rationale for the Project Complexity Model 71 Visualizing Project Complexity 73 When to Apply Complexity Thinking to Projects 74 How to Apply Complexity Thinking to Projects 75 Part II: Applying Complexity Thinking to Assign Key Project Team Members 80 Chapter 4: Competencies Required to Manage Complex Projects 82 Industry Requirements for Senior Project Leaders 82 Emerging Complex Project Leader Requirements 85 Organize for Success: The Core Complex Project Leadership Team 87 Chapter 5: Developing Leaders of Complex Projects 92 Traditional Project Leader Career Path 92 Emerging Complex Project Manager Career Progression 93 Successful Leadership Characteristics for Organizations Undergoing Pivotal Transitions 95 Using Complexity Thinking to Assign Complex Project Leaders 97 Part III: Applying Complexity Thinking to Select the Project Cycle 100 Chapter 6: Appropriate Project Cycles for IndependentProjects 104 Waterfall Model 107 Modified Waterfall Model 110 Rapid Application Development Model 111 Vee Model 112 Chapter 7: Appropriate Project Cycles for Moderately Complex Projects 116 Incremental Delivery Model 121 Spiral Model 123 Agile Model 124 Chapter 8: Appropriate Project Cycles for Highly Complex Projects 128 Evolutionary Prototyping Model 133 eXtreme Project Management Model 134 PART IV: Managing the Dimensions of Project Complexity 138 Chapter 9: Applying Complexity Thinking to Large, Long-Duration Projects 142 What Makes Large, Long-Duration Projects Complex? 142 Dealing with the Complexities of Large, Long-Duration Projects 146 Chapter 10: Applying Complexity Thinking to Large, Dispersed, Culturally Diverse Project Teams 164 What Makes Large, Diverse Project Teams Complex? 165 How to Lead Large, Geographically Dispersed, Culturally Diverse Project Teams 168 Chapter 11: Applying Complexity Thinking to Highly Innovative, Urgent Projects 196 What Makes Highly Innovative, Urgent Projects Complex? 197 How to Lead Highly Innovative, Urgent Projects 198 Chapter 12: Applying Complexity Thinking to Ambiguous Business Problems, Opportunities, and Solutions 206 What Makes Ambiguous Projects Complex? 207 How to Lead Ambiguous Projects 209 Chapter 13: Applying Complexity Thinking to Projects with Poorly Understood, Volatile Requirements 222 What Makes Dynamic, Poorly Understood Requirements Complex? 223 How to Manage Poorly Understood, Unstable Requirements 225 Chapter 14: Applying Complexity Thinking to High-Visibility Strategic Projects 236 What Makes High-Visibility Strategic Projects Complex? 237 How to Manage High-Visibility Strategic Projects 239 Chapter 15: Applying Complexity Thinking to Large-Scale Change Initiatives 250 What Makes Large-Scale Change Projects Complex? 251 How to Manage Large-Scale Change Initiatives 254 Chapter 16: Applying Complexity Thinking to Projects with Significant Risks, Dependencies, and External Constraints 262 What Makes Projects with Significant Risks, Dependencies, and External Constraints Complex? 263 How to Manage Projects with Significant Risks, Dependencies, and External Constraints 267 Chapter 17: Applying Complexity Thinking to Projects with a High Level of IT Complexity 278 What Makes Projects with Significant IT Components Complex? 279 Techniques to Harness IT Complexity for Competitive Advantage 281 Epilogue 308 Bibliography 310 Index 314 Businesses today can struggle to adjust to the unprecedented level of change that is taking place as a result of the growing role of technology, the Internet, and the global marketplace. For organizations to survive and thrive in the global economy, we must find ways to dramatically improve the performance of large-scale projects.Managing Complex Projects: A New Model offers an innovative way of looking at projects, treating them as complex adaptive systems that are themselves part of even larger complex systems-the organization and the global economy. By applying the principles of complexity thinking, project managers and leadership teams will learn to successfully manage significant, large-scale initiatives.This book explains step-by-step how to use the Project Complexity Model to determine the approach needed to manage all aspects of a project based on the level of complexity involved Presents a way of looking at projects, treating them as complex adaptive systems that are themselves part of even larger complex systems - the organization and the global economy. This book shows how to use the Project Complexity Model to manage various aspects of a project based on the level of complexity involved.