![FPREF 04/06/2011 16:56:14 Page 15
Preface
The contemporary project environment is characterized by a high degree
of complexity, uncertainty, and risk. There is a never-ending stream of
books, articles, webinars, podcasts, and blogs offering a variety of solutions
for managing these projects and quick fixes for everything from requirements
gathering to change management. Everybody seems to have a silver bullet to
offer the project manager. The best I can say about the present plight of the
project manager is that he/she is expected to perform in an environment that
even the best among them is struggling to succeed in. Let’s face it, we are in
the midst of an evolution in project management and only the best and
most effective organization-wide approaches have any chance of success.
Unfortunately the much-needed help has not yet come to the rescue.
Executives, directors, and senior-level managers (a.k.a. senior manage-
ment team, [SMT]) are expected to tolerate all of this ambiguity and no one is
offering them any silver bullets. Well, first of all, there aren’t any silver bul-
lets for them or their project managers either. But there are strategies for the
SMT that can improve the plight of their project managers and establish an
environment to contribute sustainable business value. These strategies are
the focus of this book. This will be the first ‘‘how to’’ book written specifi-
cally for the SMT. It is written to be your guide and constant companion.
xv](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-21-320.jpg)
![C02 04/06/2011 15:32:22 Page 23
CHAPTER 2
Project Management
Life Cycle Models
The purpose of Chapter 1 was to define the project landscape. There you
were introduced to the four types of projects that populate the project
landscape. Every project that ever existed or will exist fits into one and only
one of the four quadrants in that landscape at any one time. That landscape
gives you a high-level understanding of the range of complexity and uncer-
tainty associated with projects. Above all it is intuitive and gives you a frame-
work within which to understand the various project management life cycle
(PMLC) models and how the senior management team (SMT) interacts with
them. Even though there are dozens of specific approaches you may have
heard of (Waterfall, Rational Unified Process [RUP], Scrum, Dynamic Systems
Development Model [DSDM], Spiral, Evolutionary Waterfall, Adaptive Soft-
ware Development [ASD], Prince2, Microsoft Solution Framework, Feature
Driven Development [FDD], Crystal, and Extreme Programming [xP] are but
a few of the more popular ones) you don’t need to burden yourself with
knowing any of them. If you feel compelled to know about them, be my
guest. I’ve included some appropriate references in the bibliography at the
end of Part I. All of these models group into the five different types of PMLC
models discussed in this chapter. These five types of models will not change
and you need to have a conversational knowledge of them. Once you un-
derstand these five models, when to use them, and their strengths and weak-
nesses, you will be armed with all that you will need to discuss the options
with the project and program managers and others who are close to the
projects. If you are a director that supports the infrastructure for those who
directly manage project and program managers, you will understand the
environment in which they must perform and how best to support them and
you will understand how the tools, templates, and processes they use will
vary as project type varies.
23](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-45-320.jpg)
![[184]
“Day and night,” promised Condon Adams, reaching
across the table to clasp Bob’s hand firmly in his own
and Bob knew that the older agent was a man of his
word and highly competent in his own peculiar way.
Cups of steaming coffee were set before them as well
as the plate of doughnuts which Adams had ordered.
They attacked the lunch with a will and Bob, draining
his cup of coffee a few minutes later, caught another
glimpse of the slender, slouching figure he had seen in
the main waiting room.
“Don’t turn around,” he said to Adams, “but when we
get up, look at the little fellow in the dark cap and suit.
He’s outside looking in the window. I had a feeling in
the station he was watching me.”
Condon Adams reached for the checks and stood up. In
reaching for his traveling bag he was able to turn
toward the broad glass window and get a good view of
the man Bob had described.
“I’ve never seen him before,” said Adams, “but he
doesn’t look like a very savory character.”
He paid the bill for their lunch and as they stepped out
of the restaurant and looked for a cab, the man in the
dark suit sidled up to them.
“You guys federal men?” he asked.
Bob and Condon Adams whirled toward him.
“What of it?” barked Adams.
“I was just askin’. If you are, I’ve got a message for
you.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-56-320.jpg)
![[185]
[186]
“Who from?” it was Bob now.
The little man shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Fellow down on the water
front gave me a note to give to the federals. Said one of
them was at a hotel. When I inquired there I learned
he’d gone to the station so I came along and thought
I’d try you.”
He reached for an inner pocket and too late Bob divined
what was happening. The street they were in was quiet
now and suddenly there was danger in the air.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-57-320.jpg)
![[187]
Chapter XXIII
SNAP AIM SCORES
★
Before Bob could reach for his own gun, the little man
had whipped a snub-nosed automatic from a shoulder
holster under his left shoulder and his eyes gleamed in
the dim street light.
“How nice of you to tell me you were federals; saved
me a lot of trouble. Smart guys, aren’t you? Well, get
going toward that car on the other side and don’t make
any bad steps.”
A cold rage gripped Bob. They had fallen into a neat
trap and probably would soon be as helpless as his
uncle, who had been kidnaped earlier in the evening. In
the meantime, the smugglers would have ample time to
run in a large sum of gems. Since they were willing to
take the desperate chance of abducting three federal
men, the amount must be tremendous.
Condon Adams started to set down his traveling bag,
but a sharp command from the little man stopped him.
“Carry that bag and carry it carefully,” he snapped. “You
guys are going for a long boat ride.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-58-320.jpg)
![[188]
They walked rapidly across the street. In fact, Bob was
in a hurry to reach the car. For some reason they had
not been searched and if he could get inside the sedan
he might be able to slip the revolver out of his shoulder
holster. Condon Adams lagged a little; perhaps
suspecting what was in Bob’s mind.
The door of the sedan opened as they neared and Bob
saw a man slouched at the wheel. There was no one
else in the car and Bob stepped into the sedan, his
muscles tense and his nerves cold.
“Stop!” the command was quiet but deadly and Bob
halted halfway to the seat.
“Back up and back up slow; I’m taking no chances on
gunplay.”
The driver of the car sat up quickly.
“Ain’t you searched them, Benny?” he asked.
“Shut up,” snapped the man on the pavement and Bob,
stepping back gingerly now, caught a glimpse of the
man with the gun. There was just a chance of success
for a desperate play and he took the chance.
The gun in the shoulder holster was unfamiliar as was
the holster, but Bob was half hidden by the darkness of
the interior of the sedan. His right hand, moving like a
flash, grasped the butt of the gun. Without attempting
to pull it from the holster, Bob simply elevated the
muzzle and pulled the trigger.
He fired by instinct as much as anything and a flash of
flame stabbed the night. On the echo of the shot came](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-59-320.jpg)
![[189]
[190]
a sharp cry and the man on the pavement leaped
backward, his own gun replying.
Bob fired again and through the haze of smoke and the
acrid smell of burning cloth saw the little man tumbling.
The driver of the car swung toward Bob, but before he
could get into the scrap, Bob jerked the gun from its
holster and clubbed him over the head with the barrel.
It was a savage blow, but he was dealing with men who
knew no mercy themselves. The driver slumped forward
in his seat and Bob, gun in hand, leaped from the car.
Condon Adams, who had been able to draw his own
weapon, was leaning over the man on the street.
“Great work, Bob. I thought they were going to get
away with this for a while.”
“Is he hurt badly?” asked Bob.
“Well, I don’t think he’s going to be doing any more
mischief for a good long time. Your first one caught his
right shoulder and the second one took his left leg—
that’s what I’d call disabling a gangster.”
“It was spot shooting. I didn’t have time to aim,”
explained Bob.
“Then I hope I’m not the target when you really aim,”
said the older federal agent.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-60-320.jpg)
![[191]
Chapter XXIV
AT THE HOSPITAL
★
A policeman on duty at the station, attracted by the
shooting, came on the run and Condon Adams flashed
his federal badge.
“Get an ambulance and get this man to a hospital. See
that a heavy guard is placed at his bed. We’ll take the
fellow in the car down to the central station with us and
make a personal report.”
The federal men remained on the scene until an
ambulance arrived. In the meantime Condon Adams had
handcuffed the driver of the car, who was now regaining
consciousness. He pushed him into the back seat,
tossed in his own traveling bag, and with Bob driving
the car, they started for the police station.
The trip was uneventful and they parked the car in front
of the station where a few hours before Bob had
telephoned the news of his uncle’s abduction to
Washington. The same night captain was on duty and
his eyes widened when he saw Bob and Condon Adams
with their handcuffed prisoner.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-61-320.jpg)
![[192]
Before the policeman could ply them with questions
Condon Adams explained what had happened.
“Throw this fellow into a solitary cell; I’ll question him
after I get back from the hospital,” he said.
“What charge shall I book him on?” asked the
policeman.
“Attempted abduction of a federal officer,” snapped
Adams, who then turned toward Bob.
“We’ll get over to the hospital now and see if the fellow
you clipped with a couple of bullets is ready to talk.”
They hurried outside the station, but Adams stopped
short when he saw the sedan at the curb.
“I forgot all about the car,” he said. “It’s probably stolen.
I’ll report it to the captain.”
By the time the older federal agent was back Bob had a
cab waiting at the curb and they told the driver to speed
them to the hospital.
“If we can get either one of these fellows to talk, it may
be the break that will open up this case,” mused Adams
as the cab roared along the now almost deserted
streets.
They pulled up at the hospital where a dim light glowed
over the entrance. There was no general admittance at
that hour of the night, but continued ringing of the bell
brought an orderly and they gained admission.
Condon Adams revealed their identity to the night
supervisor and asked the condition of the man who had](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-62-320.jpg)
![[193]
been brought in.
“He’s resting fairly comfortably,” said the nurse. “The
bullet in his shoulder has been removed and the one in
his leg will be taken out in the morning.”
“Case serious?” pressed Adams.
“I wouldn’t say so,” replied the nurse cautiously, leading
the way down the darkened corridor to a room where
the lights were aglow. She opened the door and they
stepped in, a nurse who had been near the bed rising as
they entered. A policeman on the other side of the bed
did likewise.
“Don’t make him talk too much,” cautioned the night
supervisor.
Bob looked at the man who had attempted to kidnap
them. His face was thin and marred with a sneer.
“You fellows can save your breath. I won’t talk,” he said,
an unpleasant whine in his voice, and Bob catalogued
him as a dangerous man when armed, but one who was
weak physically.
“We’ll see about that,” said Adams confidently. “The
boys down at the station are working over the fellow
who was driving for you. If you don’t talk here, we’ll
work you over when you get out.”
Bob knew that was only a threat, but he was interested
in the reaction in the face of the man on the bed and he
saw a weakening of the lines around the mouth as
though the thought of physical punishment was
unnerving.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-63-320.jpg)
![[194]
[195]
Condon Adams must have sensed the same thing for he
advanced with a threatening gesture of his fists and the
man on the bed cringed away from him.
“You can’t hit me,” he cried.
“Maybe not, but I’d like to,” scowled Adams, and Bob
knew that the older federal agent was sincere in that.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-64-320.jpg)
![[196]
Chapter XXV
BOB GETS READY
★
Adams plied the wounded man with questions, but all of
the answers were evasive and he finally turned to Bob.
“We’ll let him go for tonight. I’ll come back and see him
tomorrow and I’ll see him alone. I can make him talk.”
They left the room after admonishing the policeman on
guard to remain on the alert for any attempt to free the
wounded man.
Out in the hallway Condon Adams confessed to his
disappointment.
“I thought maybe he’d break and talk. He’s a weakling.
I’ll get it out of him later.”
“How much later?” asked Bob.
“That’s just it. I don’t know. It may be too late to help in
the hunt for your uncle.”
Down on the main floor of the hospital once more they
telephoned for a taxicab and when it appeared, gave](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-65-320.jpg)
![[197]
the driver orders to go to Bob’s hotel. They were silent
on the trip back into the heart of the city and when they
reached the hotel Condon Adams registered for a room
on the same floor as those of Bob and his uncle.
Bob went directly to his own room and made a final
inspection of the articles in his Gladstone bag. The rifle
and ammunition appeared intact and he removed the
revolver from the shoulder holster, cleaned it carefully
and refilled the chambers.
After that was done he inspected his coat. It appeared
ruined beyond repair for the revolver bullets had torn
through the cloth and sparks from the burning powder
had extended the area of the damage.
Bob removed the suit he had been wearing and got into
the comfortable and rough and ready corduroys which
he had brought with him. He laced up his boots and
then adjusted the shoulder holster, making sure that it
would swing free in case he faced any other
emergencies similar to the one which had confronted
them a little more than an hour before.
Condon Adams tapped on the door and then came in.
“About ready to start for Atalissa?” he asked.
Bob nodded.
“I can get a southbound local at 3 a. m. After about
three hours I change to an accommodation train that
finally winds up at Atalissa somewhere around noon.
Not a very pleasant ride, but I don’t want to attract
attention either by breezing in there in a car or a boat
and as the roads are none too good, I think the train is
the best bet.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-66-320.jpg)
![[198]
“How about communications out of the village? You may
need help in a hurry?”
“I haven’t checked up on them,” confessed Bob.
The older federal agent went to the telephone and after
a lengthy conversation with the hotel clerk, secured the
desired information.
“The telegraph office at the railroad station is open from
eight o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the
evening. The phone exchange, which seems to be
pretty much of a one horse affair, closes at nine o’clock
in the evening. If anything happens after that you’ll
have to get the operator out of bed in order to get a call
through. I’m making my headquarters here. Let me
know the minute anything turns up.”
“I’ll do that,” promised Bob, who, while he could not
exactly warm up to Condon Adams, felt sure that the
older man would bend every effort toward the recovery
of his uncle. “I’ll let you know where I can be reached in
Atalissa so you can get news to me the minute Uncle
Merritt is found.”
Condon Adams glanced at his wrist watch.
“You haven’t much time to lose if you’re going to make
that southbound local.”
Bob looked at his own watch. It was 2:45 o’clock. He
closed his Gladstone bag and tightened the straps.
Condon Adams walked ahead of him into the hall and
then as far as the elevator.
“Don’t take too many chances, Bob, and keep your chin
up. This thing is going to come out all right.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-67-320.jpg)
![[199]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-68-320.jpg)
![[200]
Chapter XXVI
“DON’T MOVE!”
★
Bob wished that he could feel the confidence of Condon
Adams’ words as he stepped into the elevator and
dropped toward the main floor. At the desk he turned in
his room key and then took a taxi to the same station
where earlier in the night, in company with Condon
Adams, he had captured two of the suspected gem
smugglers.
The young federal agent purchased his ticket for
Atalissa and the agent cautioned him about the change
at the junction. Then Bob picked up his bag and walked
through the now practically deserted waiting room and
out into the train shed where a stubby, three car train
was waiting for the final call of “booo-ard” to start its
jerking journey southward. An express car and a
combination baggage and mail car were behind the
engine while the rear car was a dimly lighted coach.
Bob climbed up the steps. The seats were of green
plush, and halfway up the interior of the car was a
wooden partition which marked the forward end of the
coach as the smoking compartment. There were only
two people in the rear half and Bob turned one seat](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-69-320.jpg)
![[201]
over so a double seat would be available. Then he stuck
his ticket in his hat band, folded up his corduroy coat for
a pillow, and curled up to make the best of the lonely
trip to Atalissa.
The federal agent had dropped into a light sleep when
the train started. He roused up long enough to hear it
roll over a bridge and then he went back to sleep, failing
to hear the conductor when he removed the ticket from
the band of his hat.
The local jerked and stopped and then jerked into
motion again. This operation was repeated a number of
times, but Bob slept heavily through it all, for his body
was near exhaustion. It was well after dawn when he
finally moved and he groaned softly as the blood started
flowing once more through his cramped legs.
Bob sat up and massaged his legs and arms. It was
quite clear out now and the local was rocking along a
desolate stretch of Florida east coast. Somewhere along
the line the other passengers had left the train and Bob
was now the only occupant of the coach.
He got up and walked to the water cooler. Fortunately
there was an ample supply of water and after bathing
his face and hands with the cool liquid, he felt much
refreshed though ravenously hungry.
Up ahead the engineer blasted his whistle for a highway
crossing and Bob felt the air brakes go on, the old
wooden coach jumping around in protest as the speed
dropped sharply. They clacked over switches and Bob,
looking ahead, could see a weather beaten station, on
the other side of which another train was standing. This,
he concluded, must be the junction.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-70-320.jpg)
![[202]
[203]
The conductor, coming back from the baggage car, gave
Bob his train check.
“Don’t have many passengers going to Atalissa,” he
said. “Them that wants to get there usually go by car or
boat.”
The local rocked to a creaking halt and Bob, his
Gladstone in hand, stepped down on the cinder
platform.
The accommodation which was to take him the rest of
the way to Atalissa was on the other side of the station.
The engine, an antiquated little affair, looked about like
a teakettle, but the two freight cars and the passenger
car on the back end were standard size equipment.
The conductor, in faded blue overalls, looked at Bob’s
ticket.
“Guess you’re the only passenger,” he said. “Well, we
might as well be going.”
“How about breakfast?” asked Bob.
“Hungry?” asked the conductor.
“Just about starved,” confessed Bob.
“Well, we stop at Ainsworth about ten miles down the
line. There’s a little place there where you can get a bite
to eat.”
There appeared to be nothing else to do so Bob climbed
up the steps of the old wooden coach and put his
Gladstone in the first seat at the rear. The engineer
whistled a wheezy “high ball” and the conductor swung](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-71-320.jpg)
![[204]
up on the back end as the accommodation started its
daily run for the seacoast.
The air in the coach was stuffy and Bob found it
pleasanter on the rear platform, watching the track wind
away in the distance and they swung around curves and
chugged their way up steep grades. It seemed
incredible that in such a peaceful appearing country
there must be located the headquarters for a relentless
band of smugglers.
The second stop of the accommodation that morning
was at Ainsworth and as the train slowed down for the
station, the conductor came back and spoke to Bob.
“We’ll be here about fifteen minutes. That ought to give
you time enough to get something to eat. Restaurant’s
right back of the station.”
Bob estimated that Ainsworth must be a village of some
two hundred souls and he was dubious about the
quality of the food which he would obtain, but when he
stepped inside the eating house he was agreeably
surprised by the cleanliness and an elderly woman took
his order with pleasing promptness.
Bob took a cold cereal, and ate it with relish while eggs
and bacon sputtered on a stove in the kitchen. When
they were ready he ordered coffee and several
doughnuts.
“Don’t need to hurry too much, they won’t go away
without you,” reassured the woman who waited on him.
But Bob finished in ample time to enjoy a leisurely walk
back to the train. When he reentered the day coach he
was surprised to find another occupant, a large, heavy-](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-72-320.jpg)
![[205]
boned man with a faded mustache and thinning hair.
What surprised Bob even more was to see a badge on
the other’s vest and he strolled forward through the car.
His eyes opened a little wider when he saw that the
badge worn by the other said, “Sheriff.”
The water cooler was a convenient place to stop and
Bob, studying the other man in leisure, drank two cups
of water.
Suddenly the sheriff spoke.
“Now that you’ve about sized me up, what’s on your
mind, Bud?”
Bob almost fell over backwards for he had tried to make
his observation of the other man altogether casual.
“Nothing,” he managed to reply, but the word failed to
carry conviction.
“Not trying to dodge the law, are you?” asked the
sheriff, and Bob noticed that a perfectly capable looking
gun was holstered under the other’s right shoulder.
“No,” said Bob.
“Then why are you carrying a gun?”
Bob started, almost guiltily, and his face flushed.
“That,” he retorted, “is none of your business.”
After the words were out he could almost have bitten
his tongue in two for if the sheriff pressed him for an
answer, he would be forced to reveal his identity and](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-73-320.jpg)
![[206]
[207]
such things as local sheriffs being involved in crime was
not altogether unknown.
“I’m making it my business right now,” snapped the
older man and before Bob could move, a gun appeared
in the other’s hands.
“Put up your hands and turn around. Do it slowly and
you won’t be hurt, but if you make one false move, I’ll
let you have it.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-74-320.jpg)
![[208]
Chapter XXVII
SHERIFF McCURDY TALKS
★
There was nothing else for Bob to do and with his hands
raised high above his head, he turned slowly and faced
the water cooler. He could imagine how Tully Ross
would have chuckled if he could have seen his
predicament now.
Firm hands whisked the gun out of the shoulder holster
and Bob heard the sheriff step back.
“Turn around slowly now, but keep your hands up.”
Bob obeyed the command and the sheriff waved him
toward a seat on the opposite side of the car.
“Now that you’ve got my gun, you’d better let me
explain,” said Bob.
“You can do your explaining in jail,” retorted the sheriff.
“No big-town gunman is going to run another trick on
me.”
The last words were said with grim determination and
Bob saw the sheriff’s jaw muscles tighten.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-75-320.jpg)
![[209]
“Turn up the lapel of my coat and you’ll find that you’re
making a mistake,” pressed Bob. “I’m an agent of the
bureau of investigation of the United States Department
of Justice.”
“You’re just a kid,” scoffed the older officer.
“Turn up the lapel of my coat and see what’s there. This
thing has gone far enough,” insisted Bob.
There was something in Bob’s voice which forced the
sheriff to act and he reached over cautiously and turned
up the lapel of Bob’s coat. The small badge which was
revealed there brought an instant change in his attitude
and he lowered the gun which he held in his hands.
“Looks like I’ve made a bad mistake,” he said. “I’m
sorry, but after what I’ve been through you can’t blame
me.”
The sheriff, who introduced himself as Abel McCurdy,
handed the gun back to Bob and the federal agent,
after breaking open the gun and looking at the
chambers, returned it to his shoulder holster.
“What’s happened?” asked Bob, for he recalled that only
a minute earlier the sheriff hinted at some trick of which
he had been the victim.
“Oh, it’s kind of a crazy story and I don’t suppose it
would interest a federal man,” replied the older officer.
“I’m interested in anything that’s going on around here,”
said Bob.
“Then you may run right smack into trouble,” cautioned
the other, and he shook his head a little sadly. “That’s](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-76-320.jpg)
![[210]
[211]
what was the matter with me—too interested in other
people’s business.”
“Tell me what happened,” pressed Bob, for he had a
feeling that in some way or another the sheriff might be
connected with the smugglers who were known to be
operating around Atalissa.
“There’s been some strange things going on along the
coast,” began the sheriff, “and I’ve been trying to figure
them out, but I didn’t have much luck until last night
when I was south of Atalissa. A big touring car came
roaring along the road and I stopped it. Car was going
too fast.”
“What happened?” asked Bob.
“Too much,” admitted the sheriff. “Fellow driving got
out, but when he did he had a machine gun in his hands
and I wasn’t any match for that even though I’m a
pretty good shot with a revolver. He handcuffed me with
my own handcuffs and made me get into the back seat
and then drove off like mad. After a while he stopped
and blindfolded me, and then went on for a time.”
“What did he look like?” asked Bob.
“Well, he was kind of short and heavy, I’d say.” The
sheriff went on with his description of the man who had
kidnaped him and before he was through Bob was
convinced that the other was Joe Hamsa.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-77-320.jpg)
![[212]
Chapter XXVIII
THEORIES
★
Bob felt it was time to reveal his real mission to the
seacoast and in clear, brief words he told the sheriff why
he had come down from Washington and what had
gone on since he had started south.
“You mean to say they had the nerve to kidnap your
uncle, a federal agent?” asked the sheriff.
“I’m sure they have him and the only thing we know is
that the start away from Jacksonville was made by
boat.”
The sheriff nodded.
“That would be a good way. Why, I can think of half a
hundred good places to hide a man along this section of
the coast.” Then the sheriff went on to explain that
shortly before dawn he had been dumped
unceremoniously out of the sedan after being released
from the handcuffs.
“Can you remember any stops?” asked Bob.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-78-320.jpg)
![[213]
“Only one. We must have been very close to the ocean,
for I was sure I could hear the sound of the surf.”
“Any idea in what direction you traveled?”
“Nothing that would help much. I was about two miles
from Ainsworth when I was dumped out, and I went in
there and got another gun and then decided to take the
train to Atalissa for I was only about a mile from there
when I was kidnaped last night.”
“Did you hear anything unusual when you stopped
where you thought you could hear the surf?” pressed on
Bob.
Sheriff McCurdy was silent for a time.
“Yes, there was one thing—a humming that was faint
and then increased in strength and finally died away.”
“It might have been a ’plane,” suggested Bob.
“Why, I hadn’t thought of that. Sure, that’s just what it
sounded like.”
“The driver of the car got out and came back a little
after.”
“After the humming had died away?”
“That’s right,” agreed the sheriff.
Bob was elated at this news. He felt that even before
his arrival at Atalissa he had stumbled upon a real clue
and he hoped upon a worthy aid in the doughty
southern sheriff.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-79-320.jpg)
![[214]
“Then he went on, later dumping you out of the car?”
pressed Bob.
The sheriff agreed.
“He was none too gentle in dumping me out,”
complained the sheriff. “I’d just like to get my hands on
him for a few minutes. Believe me, I’d make his bones
ache.”
There was no question about the irritation or the
sincerity of the officer and Bob couldn’t help but
suppress a chuckle, for he believed the sheriff perfectly
capable of manhandling Joe Hamsa.
Bob felt that the time had come to be perfectly frank
with the sheriff.
“I’m down here on a smuggling case,” he explained.
“I’m going to need your help and I may need it badly.”
Then he went on to relate in detail everything that had
taken place since he had left Washington, revealing
even the kidnaping of his uncle. When he was through
the sheriff whistled through his whiskers.
“I’ve kind of suspected that something queer was going
on south of Atalissa, but there were no complaints and I
never was able to pick up anything. You think the fellow
who kidnaped me was the man on the train with you
when you came south?”
“From your description, I’m positive it was Hamsa,”
replied Bob.
“Then he’s a tough customer if he escaped from that
river and got down here so rapidly.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-80-320.jpg)
![[215]
[216]
“One thing we’ve got to remember,” cautioned Bob, “is
that the gang is compact and apparently extremely well
organized.”
The sheriff was silent for a time.
“Think that plane landing last night might have brought
in smuggled gems?”
“I don’t know,” confessed Bob. “Everyone in the
department has a feeling that the gang is pointing
toward one more big smuggling operation. If the gems
had come in last night I have a feeling that more than
one man would have been with Hamsa to get them. It
just doesn’t seem logical that one man, even though he
might be the leader of the gang, would handle this end
of the game. I’d be more inclined to think the contact
last night was for the purpose of making final plans.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-81-320.jpg)
![[217]
Chapter XXIX
MORE CLUES
★
The sheriff turned this over in his mind for some time as
the train rumbled along the rough right-of-way. Then he
nodded and agreed with Bob.
“Looks like you’re right. That means we may be in for a
busy time when the actual contact is attempted.”
“We’ll be busy enough, if we can learn where the
contact will be made,” retorted the young federal agent.
“What about your uncle?” asked the sheriff.
The exultation which had marked Bob’s features
vanished.
“I don’t honestly know. From the reputation of this gang
I should fear the worst, but for some reason I have
unbounded faith in my uncle’s ability to take care of
himself in a crisis. The last we knew was that he
disappeared from the waterfront and shortly after that a
motorboat sped down the river.”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/2655164-250724233059-cac3ed02/85/Executives-Guide-To-Project-Management-Organizational-Processes-And-Practices-For-Supporting-Complex-Projects-1st-Edition-Robert-K-Wysocki-82-320.jpg)
Executives Guide To Project Management Organizational Processes And Practices For Supporting Complex Projects 1st Edition Robert K Wysocki
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- 6. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:37 Page 2
- 7. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:37 Page 1 Executive’s Guide to Project Management
- 8. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:37 Page 2
- 9. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:37 Page 3 Executive’s Guide to Project Management Organizational Processes and Practices for Supporting Complex Projects ROBERT K. WYSOCKI John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- 10. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:37 Page 4 Copyright # 2011 by Robert K. Wysocki. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wysocki, Robert K. Executive’s guide to project management : organizational processes and practices for supporting complex projects / Robert K. Wysocki. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-118-00407-4 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-118-08924-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-08925-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-08926-2 (ebk) Printed in the United States of America 1. Project management. 2. Executives. I. Title. HD69.P75W954 2011 658.4004—dc22 2011007520 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
- 11. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:38 Page 5 To all of those executives in my client organizations who have reached out for help with understanding and establishing a supportive environment for managing complex projects.
- 12. FFIRS 04/06/2011 16:34:38 Page 6
- 13. FTOC 04/14/2011 13:37:49 Page 7 Contents Foreword xi Preface xv INTRODUCTION 1 The Nature of Project Complexity and Uncertainty 1 The Risk Mitigation and Business Value Roles of the Senior Management Team 2 Organizational Culture and Velocity 3 How to Carefully Manage the Creative Process 3 About this Book 3 Who Should Read this Book 7 PART I CHALLENGES TO SUPPORTING COMPLEX PROJECTS 9 CHAPTER 1 The Project Landscape 11 The Nature of Project Complexity and Uncertainty 13 Goal and Solution Clarity 14 Through the Eyes of Senior Management Team Members 19 Putting It All Together 22 CHAPTER 2 Project Management Life Cycle Models 23 Traditional Project Management 24 Agile Project Management 28 Extreme Project Management 32 Emertxe Project Management 35 How to Choose the Best Fit Project Management Life Cycle 36 Putting It All Together 39 vii
- 14. FTOC 04/14/2011 13:37:49 Page 8 CHAPTER 3 The Complex Project Team 41 What Is a Complex Project Team? 41 Complex Project Team Position Family 42 Complex Project Manager Use of the Complex Project Team Profile 49 Senior Management Team Applications of the Complex Project Manager Position Family Profile 50 Putting It All Together 52 PART I SUMMARY 53 Organizational Challenges and Mitigation Strategies 53 Executive Bookshelf 56 PART II IMPROVING PROJECT SUCCESS WITH HUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGIES AND PROCESSES 59 CHAPTER 4 Project Manager, Business Analyst, Business Process Professional, and Information Technology Professional Integration 61 Position Families 62 An Historical Perspective 63 Complex Project Team and Complex Projects 66 Putting It All Together 78 CHAPTER 5 A Professional Development Model 79 The Professional Development Plan 80 Role of the Senior Management Team in the Personal Development Program 88 Putting It All Together 89 CHAPTER 6 Integrating the Project Manager, Business Analyst, Business Process Professional, and Information Technology Professional into the Project Landscape 91 Project Complexity Assessment 91 Generalists Versus Specialists 94 Project Manager, Business Analyst, Business Process, and Information Technology Skill Profile 96 Mapping the Project Managers and Business Analysts into the Project Landscape 100 Putting It All Together 101 viii Contents
- 15. FTOC 04/14/2011 13:37:49 Page 9 PART II SUMMARY 103 Organizational Challenges and Mitigation Strategies 103 Executive Bookshelf 106 PART III IMPROVING PROJECT RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) USING AGILE PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT 107 CHAPTER 7 The Project Birth and Death Process 109 Project Birth Process 110 Project Maturation Process 118 Project Death Process 118 Putting It All Together 119 CHAPTER 8 Agile Project Portfolio Management Process 121 What Is a Project Portfolio? 122 What Is Agile Project Portfolio Management? 123 Putting It All Together 133 CHAPTER 9 An Agile Portfolio Strategy 135 Adapting the Project Management Life Cycle Models to the Agile Project Portfolio Management Model 135 Problem/Opportunity Prioritization 137 Strategic Alignment Model 138 Alternatives to the Strategic Alignment Model 140 Putting It All Together 150 PART III SUMMARY 151 Organizational Challenges and Mitigation Strategies 151 Executive Bookshelf 155 PART IV ESTABLISHING AND MATURING AN ENTERPRISE PROJECT SUPPORT OFFICE 157 CHAPTER 10 Organizing and Defining Your Project Support Office 159 Definition of a Project Support Office 159 Spotting Symptoms that You Need a Project Support Office 166 Organization and Placement of a Project Support Office 171 Steps to Establishing a Project Support Office 173 Putting It All Together 174 Contents ix
- 16. FTOC 04/14/2011 13:37:49 Page 10 CHAPTER 11 Growing and Maturing Your Project Support Office 175 Project Support Office Stages of Growth 175 A Step-by-Step Plan 177 Challenges to Implementing a Project Support Office 182 Putting It All Together 183 CHAPTER 12 The Future of the Project Support Office 185 Hub and Spoke BP4 SO 187 Putting It All Together 199 PART IV SUMMARY 201 Organizational Challenges and Mitigation Strategies 201 Executive Bookshelf 203 EPILOGUE Next Steps 205 Define Your Role in Supporting Complex Projects 205 How Will You Make It Happen? 205 Final Thoughts on the Book 209 About the Author 211 Index 213 x Contents
- 17. FBETW 04/06/2011 17:0:38 Page 11 Foreword This outstanding work closes a huge and costly gap in our 21st-century business practices, that of managing and capitalizing on complexity. It represents a real-world, practical guidebook for senior managers and execu- tives to furnish and continually nurture the environment for success in the 21st-century global economy. If you are a member of senior management and you want to prepare yourself to handle complexity in this competitive global ecosystem, this book prepares you to take responsibility and to take action. Executives of standout companies, businesses that have flourished in spite of the financial crisis of late, have learned to capitalize on complexity. The first thing they did was to admit to the following six points: 1. Projects execute strategy by implementing the changes needed to react to the relentless dynamics of the marketplace. 2. Successful projects are critical to our economic survival. 3. As executives, strategy execution is our job; therefore, diving into the world of projects is our job! 4. Projects are investments and part of a portfolio that has an investment strategy that needs our attention, support, and expertise. 5. Complexity is here to stay; it is only going to get worse; and we must learn to not just manage complexity, but also capitalize on it to remain competitive. 6. It is through creativity and innovation that we will enable a company to capitalize on complexity. This work is groundbreaking in that it deals with establishing an organi- zational infrastructure to accommodate the challenges faced by senior man- agement to effectively support complex projects. Implementing the business practices needed to support complex projects is a learning process that de- mands an understanding of complexity, a focus on creativity, and business practices that are adaptive and flexible. For senior management teams, the objective is clear: risk reduction and increased return on project investments. Literally every organization is in a discovery mode as it attempts to con- verge on the most effective structures, processes, and practices for executing xi
- 18. FBETW 04/06/2011 17:0:38 Page 12 complex projects. However, the need is critical, and we must not shy away from the challenge because we don’t have the total solution. As Wysocki says, ‘‘It’s time for the senior management team to take back control of their investments in projects and programs.’’ The role of the senior manager is changing significantly. Senior managers possess power and influence; and only they can provide the empowering organizational culture and flexible infrastructure needed to deploy complex, creative, innovative solutions. In these pages, Wysocki presents a straightforward, enlightening, prag- matic guide for senior managers to begin to transition to an organization that thrives on complexity. Each section of the book is organized in a similar manner, with an overview of contents, followed by material that presents practical tools, templates, and processes that provide an infrastructure to support the needs of complex innovation projects. Each section concludes with a summary of the challenges facing senior management in providing the necessary infrastructure and support. The strategies presented here are relatively easy to explore intellectually, but they will require diligence on the part of the senior leadership team to customize them to ‘‘fit’’ in your environment, to implement them, and to continually refine and improve them so that they remain effective. Of particular interest is a groundbreaking approach to staffing complex projects that consists of a framework referred to as a complex project man- ager position family, consisting of the convergence of the four professional disciplines critical to the success of complex projects: Project Management, Business Analysis, Business Process Management, and Information Technol- ogy. This framework for complex project leadership includes these pro- fessionals at all levels, from individual-contributor staff positions, to professional positions in each discipline, and finally, to executive-level pro- cess and practice directors. Using this straightforward framework allows senior executives, resource managers, portfolio and program mangers, as well as complex project managers to ensure the complex project team is appropriately skilled and balanced across the four disciplines based on the complexity of the project. Through a real collaborative effort relying on the synergies of the four professionals each with a differing expertise and per- spective, the complex project team will have the technical skill base and leadership prowess to succeed. Also of considerable interest to me as a member of the International In- stitute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a proposed new definition of a require- ment, one that relates to the need of a requirement to generate business benefits, either in the form of value to the customer or wealth to the organi- zation. Once it is understood that business benefits are the only real measure of project success, it becomes much easier to establish the critical business requirements early in the project—those referred to as ‘‘firm basic require- ments’’ by the Standish Group that are not expected to change. Approaching xii Foreword
- 19. FBETW 04/06/2011 17:0:38 Page 13 business requirements in terms of business value makes it appreciably easier to make important decisions about the project scope and approach. This work makes a significant contribution to our quest to manage and capitalize on complexity. It is the only discussion I have found that concen- trates exclusively on the role of the senior management team in fostering the supportive and adaptive environment needed for success in this complex, ever-changing world we find ourselves in. This new leadership approach involves changes in the behavior of the senior team relating to three entities: 1. The Project. Once the complexity of a project is well understood, there are a number of specific activities that senior management can engage in, from matching expertise to the complexity profile, to giving the com- plex project team the physical space that is needed for the team to col- laborate and interact, to minimizing distractions and other assignments to the key team leaders, to understanding and accepting that as more is learned the team will adapt their approach. 2. The Project Portfolio. To manage the portfolio of complex projects, the same flexible, adaptive approach is needed. On a regular basis, the portfolio is assessed and appropriate decisions are made, often resulting in significant changes to the portfolio of complex projects. This is the ‘‘sweet spot’’ of the senior management team when they are striving to capitalize on complexity to achieve innovation, for it is through these complex project portfolios that strategy is executed, value is added for the customer, wealth is earned for the organization, and competitive- ness is maintained or advanced. 3. The Project Support Office. The executive teams of standout organiza- tions maintain and support an entity that provides a collection of services to complex project teams. The senior team tolerates and encourages dif- ferent project support models, depending on the complexity of the team structure and the number of different business lines and applications that are impacted by the complex project, program, or portfolio. My conclusion: This is a must addition to the reference library for mem- bers of the senior management team. Kathleen B. Hass, PMP Principal Consultant, Kathleen Hass & Associates, Inc. Director, International Institute Of Business Analysis award-winning author of ‘‘The Business Analysis Essential Library’’ and Managing Complex Projects: A New Model, the 2009 PMI Book of the Year Foreword xiii
- 20. FBETW 04/06/2011 17:0:39 Page 14
- 21. FPREF 04/06/2011 16:56:14 Page 15 Preface The contemporary project environment is characterized by a high degree of complexity, uncertainty, and risk. There is a never-ending stream of books, articles, webinars, podcasts, and blogs offering a variety of solutions for managing these projects and quick fixes for everything from requirements gathering to change management. Everybody seems to have a silver bullet to offer the project manager. The best I can say about the present plight of the project manager is that he/she is expected to perform in an environment that even the best among them is struggling to succeed in. Let’s face it, we are in the midst of an evolution in project management and only the best and most effective organization-wide approaches have any chance of success. Unfortunately the much-needed help has not yet come to the rescue. Executives, directors, and senior-level managers (a.k.a. senior manage- ment team, [SMT]) are expected to tolerate all of this ambiguity and no one is offering them any silver bullets. Well, first of all, there aren’t any silver bul- lets for them or their project managers either. But there are strategies for the SMT that can improve the plight of their project managers and establish an environment to contribute sustainable business value. These strategies are the focus of this book. This will be the first ‘‘how to’’ book written specifi- cally for the SMT. It is written to be your guide and constant companion. xv
- 22. FPREF 04/06/2011 16:56:14 Page 16
- 23. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:55 Page 1 Introduction The contemporary world of projects and project management is racing ahead without constraint. Project and program managers are faced with a continuously changing array of tools, templates, and processes. Everyone seems to have their own approach with little in the way of standards or best practices. Performance comparisons across projects are difficult at best. Learning opportunities are not shared in any organized way. It would not be unfair to say that the project world of most organizations is spinning out of control. The business world is the beneficiary of this unbridled change. Time to market has never been more critical than it is now. And an organization’s ability to achieve that speed is dependent on their ability to be flexible and creative. Every critical process must align and must be lean and mean. Supporting the design and implementation of those processes from the perspective of the senior management team (SMT) is the topic of this groundbreaking book. The Nature of Project Complexity and Uncertainty The state of complexity and uncertainty at the project level exacerbates the management of programs and portfolios and the supporting infrastructure on the part of the SMT. You are a member of your organization’s SMT and have clearly been taken out of your comfort zones. This book will share in- frastructure and processes you need to take back control of your project environment. Understand at the outset that this will be a daunting task but it is a necessary task. The continued success of your organization depends upon it. Despite the best intentions and efforts of you and the rest of the SMT, it won’t happen by next Tuesday. It is in fact a continuous process im- provement effort. 1
- 24. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:56 Page 2 The Risk Mitigation and Business Value Roles of the Senior Management Team Complex projects are high-risk projects and require a great deal of creativity to be completed successfully. That calls upon you as a member of the SMT to assume a role that may be new to you and that you might not be comfortable with. You need to understand the risks and how best to mitigate them. You need to understand the creative process and how to support it but not inter- fere with it. Every member of the SMT must be sensitive to the creative and flexible environment needed to support complex projects. As you consider the templates, tools, and processes that you support in this effort, avoid mak- ing the following demands on complex project managers: & Requiring rigid adherence to defined processes & Regularly scheduled meetings with no action items & Written status reports & Forcing them to use specific tools, templates, and processes & Micro-management Instead, leave room for the following: & Empower your project managers to take exception to defined processes with justification & Meetings called for a specific purpose with a timed agenda and action items & Passing information in documents rather than meetings & Discussing problems with affected parties in meetings rather than documents & Utilize exception reports whenever possible & Empowerment accompanied by responsibility and accountability & Use of tools, templates, and processes when their use adds value not just work Risk Mitigation Complex projects are wrought with many risks some of which are not known until well into the project. Many of them can be mitigated by the SMT. Chapter 2, Project Management Life Cycle Models, offers some help. Business Value The best way to assure maximum business value from complex projects is to take the client, project manager (PM), and business analyst (BA) at their 2 Introduction
- 25. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:56 Page 3 word. If they say a specific deliverable will be realized and its value will be X, take their word for it and stay out of their way as they work to achieve it. But hold them accountable for planned deliverables and the expected busi- ness value at the appointed project review times. If they fail to deliver on this project, they will not get the same treatment from you on the next project. My management philosophy is to offer project managers and teams a ‘‘long rope’’ first and only when they have not lived up to expectations to ‘‘shorten the rope.’’ Empowerment is earned! Organizational Culture and Velocity The familiar nursery rhyme ‘‘Jack be nimble, Jack be quick’’ was never more appropriate to the business world as it is today. If your organization is to be successful, it must be flexible and adaptive and do it quickly. If you can’t quickly do something that needs to be done to protect or enhance your mar- ket position, there is an existing or new competitor out there who will. So you have to cultivate a culture of quick change response! How to Carefully Manage the Creative Process Being creative is one key to succeeding in the world of complex and un- certain projects. Creative people have a difficult time conforming to process and procedure. They have a strong desire to go with their flow with the expectation that something good will come of it. They might be right on or out in left field but that is the uncertain nature of what they do. Your job is to establish an environment and portfolio of support services in which they can operate, but to the extent possible, hold them accountable for what they do. So, like Jack, you have to be nimble and be quick. About this Book The book is organized around four major topics: & Understanding the challenges to managing complex projects & Improving project success through HR staffing processes and practices & Improving project Return on Investment (ROI) using agile project port- folio management & Establishing and maturing an enterprise project support office Each of the four topics is presented as a standalone part. Whatever your position within the SMT you can focus on the parts of the book that About this Book 3
- 26. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:56 Page 4 are in your area of interest. Each topic is discussed from the perspective of the organization and how its SMT can establish the infrastructure and processes to support the management of complex projects, programs, and portfolios. There are several books that describe the management of complex projects. They range from the definitive work of Kathleen B. Hass (Man- aging Complex Projects: A New Model, Vienna, VA: Management Con- cepts, 2009) to an earlier groundbreaking book by Jim Highsmith (Agile Software Development: A Collaborative Approach to Managing Complex Systems, New York, NY: Dorset House, 2000). The focus of these and all the other current books about complex project management is the proj- ect. None deal with establishing an organizational infrastructure to ac- commodate the challenges to senior management of effectively supporting complex project management. How best to support complex projects is a learning process and few organizations have made much progress. The history of project failures and the underlying causes are testimony to that lack of progress. Complex projects by nature are high- risk projects and this book is the first to discuss practical mitigation strate- gies that can be supported and implemented by the SMT. Their objective is risk reduction and increased return on investment. Complex projects are usually high-risk, high-business-value, mission-critical projects and for that reason alone the SMT should be making every effort to establish an environment for the realization of that business value through a marked improvement to the successful execution of complex projects, programs, and portfolios. This is the first book that examines the management of complex and uncertain projects from the perspective of the SMT. It is a practical, self-con- tained ‘‘how to’’ guide for executives and senior managers like yourself. It should be your constant companion and desk reference because it collects in one place the relevant ‘‘how to’’ information for understanding and estab- lishing an environment for improving complex project performance. There are two perspectives that I will share with you: & The Present Perspective. The infrastructure that is needed today is well-defined. It consists of the four major topics listed previously that define this book. The complete ‘‘how to’’ description is described so that a clear path to implementation is given to the SMT. & The Future Perspective. Even with today’s infrastructure defined and implemented, the SMT’s work is not done. Implementing the most effec- tive infrastructure will always be a work in progress. Each organization is different and so is their infrastructure. Literally every organization is in a learning and discovery mode as it attempts to converge on the most 4 Introduction
- 27. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:57 Page 5 effective structure, process, and practice for succeeding with complex projects. In each Part of the book I will share with you what I foresee as the infrastructure of the future and why your SMT should embark upon a long-range plan to achieve that future. My writing style is conversational. I want you to feel like we are sitting across from one another in front of a roaring fire enjoying a fine wine and discussing how you can make a difference to your organization’s support of complex projects. My writing style is also practical. I do not offer theory or academics although what I have to say is grounded in experience and practice that works. If the practices I am sharing here are not theoretically sound, some- one needs to re-examine the theory. I speak from the perspective of having directly experienced the semblance of ideas that I am advising you to con- sider in constructing your organization of the future. My writing style supports implementation. I want to give you enough of a head start to be able to implement this infrastructure. That will not be easy but at least you will have the beginnings of a roadmap. What I have to offer in this book is practical and, at the same time, theoretically sound. In addi- tion in most cases I will give you a sufficient start on implementation. Why I Wrote this Book I am in the somewhat unique position of having over 45 years of progres- sive experience in information technology, business systems design and development, and project management. From my vantage point I have seen history repeat itself several times, I have seen several disruptive inno- vations in technology launched and become critical and pervasive in the organization. I can see trends that others of less experience cannot. Right now we are experiencing a confluence of rapid change, complexity, and the emergence of global competition from the dining room tables of startup companies in every corner of the planet. Many CEOs have lost con- trol of their organization and don’t know how to regain it. That conclusion is documented in a recent study by IBM and is discussed in Chapter 1, The Project Landscape. It’s time for the SMT to take back control of their investments in projects and programs. To do that you need to cultivate your part of the organization so that it can respond to a changing project environment with flexible and adaptive tools, templates, and processes, as well as the infrastructure to sup- port the project and program investment decisions. I intend to demonstrate just how the SMT as the leadership team can make that happen. Why I Wrote this Book 5
- 28. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:57 Page 6 Overview of the Book The following abbreviations are formally defined later in the book: & Project manager (PM) & Business analyst (BA) & Business process professional (BPP) & Information technology professional (ITP) The major parts of the book include: Part I: Challenges to Supporting Complex Projects & Chapter 1: The Project Landscape & Chapter 2: Project Management Life Cycle Models & Chapter 3: The Complex Project Team & Part I Summary: Part II: Improving Project Success with Human Resource Strategies and Processes & Chapter 4: Project Manager, Business Analyst, Business Process Pro- fessional, and Information Technology Professional Integration & Chapter 5: A Professional Development Model & Chapter 6: Integrating the Project Manager, Business Analyst, Business Process Professional, and Information Technology Pro- fessional into the Project Landscape & Part II Summary Part III: Improving Project Return on Investment (ROI) using Agile Proj- ect Portfolio Management & Chapter 7: The Project Birth and Death Process & Chapter 8: Agile Portfolio Management Process & Chapter 9: An Agile Portfolio Strategy & Part III Summary Part IV: Establishing and Maturing an Enterprise Project Support Office & Chapter 10: Organizing and Defining your Project Support Office & Chapter 11: Growing and Maturing your Project Support Office & Chapter 12: The Future of the Project Support Office & Part IV Summary Each Part is organized in the same way. The Part is introduced with an overview of its contents followed by three chapters of content mate- rial that presents tools, templates, and processes that provide an infra- structure to support the needs of projects, programs, and portfolios. The Part concludes with a summary of the challenges facing the SMT in pro- viding the needed infrastructure and support. A bibliography of selected 6 Introduction
- 29. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:58 Page 7 materials is provided for more in depth reading for those who have that interest. Who Should Read this Book The primary market for this book is the SMT that I have already mentioned with the formal definition given below. For the purposes of this book, I will separately identify executive, direc- tor, and senior manager level professionals when I need to refer to them specifically. Collectively I will refer to them as the SMT. The executives are C-level professionals who have responsibilities at the enterprise level. The directors own processes and lines of business that support managers of proj- ect, program, and portfolio managers. The senior managers have direct roles and responsibilities for managing project, program, and portfolio managers. So whenever I use the titles executive, director, or senior manager I am referring to these individuals. The titles project manager, program manager, and portfolio manager will further differentiate managerial positions below the SMT level. & Executives: C-level professionals who have responsibilities at the enterprise level. For example, Chief Information Officer or Chief Tech- nology Officer & Directors: Own processes and lines of business that support managers of project, program, and portfolio managers. For example, Director of DEFINITION: Senior management team The senior management team comprises every executive, director, and sen- ior manager at all levels in the organization with management responsibility for the design, development, support, and stewardship of: & The project and program portfolio of the organization & The human resources who manage and staff all types of projects & The tools, templates, and processes used to support all projects & Standards, performance measurement, and compliance monitoring This includes all of those who manage the managers of projects, programs, and portfolios as well as those who support those who manage projects, programs, and portfolios. Who Should Read this Book 7
- 30. CINTRO 04/13/2011 10:4:58 Page 8 Human Resources, Director of Project Management Office, or Director of Business Process Management & Senior managers: Direct roles and responsibilities for managing the managers of project, program, and portfolios. For example, Manager of Capital Acquisition Programs or Manager of Applications Development Those who consult to the SMT or have the ear of the SMT are this book’s secondary target market. This book will give them the entry they need to partner with the SMT for the benefit of the organization. The trends are clear. SMT focus is shifting from the business value prom- ised by the individual project to maximizing the return on investment from a portfolio of projects. Every manager above the level of project manager who is interested in protecting that investment will find great value in this book. 8 Introduction
- 31. PART01A 04/11/2011 11:35:28 Page 9 PART I Challenges to Supporting Complex Projects There is no simple accepted definition of a complex project. The best we have to offer are some of its characteristics from the proceedings of the 2008 NASA Project Management Challenge Conference (Mulenburg, Jerry, ‘‘What Does Complexity Have to do With It? Complexity and the Manage- ment of Projects,’’ 2008): & Details: Number of variables and interfaces & Ambiguity: Lack of awareness of events and causality & Uncertainty: Inability to pre-evaluate actions & Unpredictability: Inability to know what will happen & Dynamics: Rapid rate of change & Social Structure: Numbers and types of interactions Complex projects are filled with uncertainty and unexpected change. Complexity, uncertainty, and the pace of the project all contribute positively to project risk. Risk increases as any of these three variables increases. In most cases these projects are trying to find solutions to critical problems whose solutions have evaded even the most creative professionals. These projects can also be seeking to take advantage of heretofore untapped busi- ness opportunities without a clear path as to how to do that. If organizations are to be successful in this environment they must: & Employ management processes that are flexible. & Empower the client and the project team. & Provide an open environment in which creativity can flourish. & Base decisions on what is best for adding business value. & Avoid encumbering project managers with non-value-added work. 9
- 32. PART01A 04/11/2011 11:35:28 Page 10 These are significant challenges because they require senior managers to step outside of their comfort zone and embrace frequent change and high risk. The Project Landscape (Chapter 1) It is not sufficient to simply say that complex projects are filled with uncer- tainty, risk, and unexpected change. That does not give a senior manager anything concrete to help them support such projects. In order to act intelli- gently senior managers need some structure that defines complex projects and stipulates strategies for dealing with different types of complex projects. The purpose of Chapter 1 is to define a simple but intuitive project classifica- tion scheme that can be used as an infrastructure to organize and discuss senior manager support strategies. Project Management Life Cycle Models (Chapter 2) Accompanying the complex project landscape are several Project Manage- ment Life Cycle (PMLC) Models. These models map to the project landscape and provide an intuitive senior management strategy and approach to gen- erating business value. Chapter 2 defines these models and summarizes their characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and when to use them. The Complex Project Team (Chapter 3) The complex project manager is not your father’s project manager. The most effective among them are a multidisciplinary professional who can adapt to the uncertainty, unexpected change, and risk they are asked to manage. In Chapter 3 you will learn about those disciplines and the goal of the human resource executive to develop such professionals. 10 Challenges to Supporting Complex Projects
- 33. C01 04/08/2011 8:39:57 Page 11 CHAPTER 1 The Project Landscape The first bit of business for you as a member of the senior management team (SMT) is to understand the project environment within which your project, program, and portfolio managers and their teams must work, and within that environment, the challenges you will face in establishing and supporting an effective project management environment. The needs of that environment have changed dramatically in the last 15 years especially with respect to the tools, templates, and processes that support it. The result is confusion and the introduction of yet another silver bullet every Tuesday. Those silver bullets appear very enticing but let me make it clear that there are no silver bullets now nor have there ever been. There are strategies and you are going to learn them from this book but they will require work on your part in order to implement them and continuing attention from your office for them to become and remain effective in your organization. I recog- nize your dilemma in the faces and through the reactions of my client orga- nizations as they attempt to support complex project management and offer you what I have learned over the years. Let me try to put this in a context that relates directly to the SMT. A recent worldwide survey (IBM, ‘‘Capitalizing on Complexity: Insights from the Global Chief Executive Officer Study,’’ 2010) conducted by IBM from Septem- ber 2009 through January 2010 reported that over half of the 1541 executives from the 60 countries that they interviewed admitted that they were not pre- pared to support the complex and uncertain environment in which they were forced to conduct business and they didn’t know what to do about it. If that isn’t a wake-up call to action, I don’t know what is. The following quote from that IBM report highlights the efforts of stand- out organizations to manage complexity. Their efforts provide a roadmap for us. The effects of rising complexity call for CEOs and their teams to lead with bold creativity; connect with customers in imaginative ways, 11
- 34. C01 04/08/2011 8:39:57 Page 12 and design their operations for speed and flexibility to position their organizations for twenty-first century success. To capitalize on com- plexity, CEOs: & Embody creative leadership. CEOs now realize that creativity trumps other leadership characteristics. Creative leaders are com- fortable with ambiguity and experimentation. To connect with and inspire a new generation, they lead and interact in entirely new ways. & Reinvent customer relationships. Customers have never had so much information or so many options. CEOs are making ‘‘getting connected’’ to customers their highest priority to better predict and provide customers with what they really want. & Build operational dexterity. CEOs are mastering complexity in countless ways. They are redesigning operating strategies for ulti- mate speed and flexibility. They embed complexity that creates value in elegantly simple products, services, and customer interactions. The messages from this survey are clear and validate the goal of this book. The solution offered herein is a logical approach to mitigating the complexity problem that over half of the CEOs interviewed admitted having. Which half of the population do you align with? If you want to prepare your- self to handle complexity, this book is mandatory reading and prepares you to take action. If you are a standout organization, congratulations but you should still read this book because in these pages you will find some gems to help you stay on top of changing complexity and uncertainty. There was a time when you may have distanced yourself from projects. Your feeling was that projects were operational level activities and of little importance to someone at your management level. In the past 20 years you’ve probably rethought that position and now see projects as invest- ments and part of a portfolio that has an investment strategy. You may in fact be the manager that determines that strategy. For that reason you are challenged to do what you can to maximize the return on investment (ROI) to your organization from the projects you recommend for the portfolio and that you support directly. How you have responded to this situation de- pends on your roles and responsibilities with respect to the project, the proj- ect teams, and the portfolio. You may have primary responsibility for supporting or managing project managers or have a role supporting those who do have primary responsibility for supporting or managing project managers. In any case, this book offers you the advice you will need to help you and your organization succeed. The business environment has changed significantly in the last 20 years and has ushered in new project management challenges that the old ways 12 The Project Landscape
- 35. C01 04/08/2011 8:39:57 Page 13 simply cannot support. Business as usual with respect to projects no longer works and may have never worked. Contemporary projects are projects of high complexity and great uncertainty and you must deal with them under those conditions. All of the simple projects have been done! Specifically: & Complex project managers need the confidence and support of their management. & Complex project teams must be empowered so they can be successful. & Complex project portfolios must be aligned with staff resources. & Complex projects are unique and so are their management approaches. & Complex projects are high-risk projects. & Complex projects require a creative approach to discovering solutions. & Complex projects require meaningful client involvement. & Complex projects require flexible support services. In the pages that follow you will see just how you can and must posi- tively impact all of these challenges. So let’s get started with a brief introduc- tion to the complex project environment. Understanding that environment is the foundation on which you will be able to build your support strategy. The Nature of Project Complexity and Uncertainty Kathleen B. Hass (Managing Complex Projects: A New Model, Vienna, VA: Man- agement Concepts, 2009) offers the most in depth treatment of complexity that we have. She describes complexity in terms of: & Time, cost, and size & Team composition and performance & Urgency and flexibility of cost, time, and scope & Clarity of problem, opportunity, and solution & Requirements volatility and risk & Strategic importance, political implications, multiple stakeholders & Level of organizational change & Risks, dependencies, and external constraints & Level of IT complexity In a paper written shortly after her book was published (presented at the 2010 PMI Global Congress Proceedings, Washington, DC) she updates the complexity definition with a four-point scale (Independent Projects, Moderately Complex Projects, Highly Complex Projects, and Highly Complex Programs) and displays the values for a specific project in the form of a spider chart. Figure 1.1 is a hypothetical example adapted from her updated definition and published with her permission. The Nature of Project Complexity and Uncertainty 13
- 36. C01 04/08/2011 8:39:57 Page 14 The project illustrated in Figure 1.1 is highly complex as indicated by the project complexity score on Level of IT Complexity and Clarity of Problem, Opportunity, and Solution. At the Enterprise Level the complexity scores on Level of Organizational Change, Requirements Volatility and Risk, and Stra- tegic Importance, Political Implications, and Multiple Stakeholders are sug- gestive of a very complex project. All five of these factors should alert senior managers that corrective actions on their part should be in place to mitigate the potential adverse effects. This book offers infrastructure and support ad- vice to that end. Goal and Solution Clarity I like simple and intuitive models and I spent a lot of time defining and rede- fining project categories before I found a classification scheme that met my criteria and my specific needs. The one I am using here I have used for almost 20 years. It works and has never failed to live up to my expectations. FIGURE 1.1 Project Complexity Spider Chart Adapted from: Project Complexity Model 2.0, Kathleen B. Hass # 2010, Kathleen B. Hass & Associates, Inc. 14 The Project Landscape
- 37. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:1 Page 15 Every project has a goal and hopefully there is a plan that defines how you will reach that goal (a.k.a. a solution). So I define the project landscape around the two fundamental project variables: goal and solution. In my clas- sification scheme these two variables can have only one of two values: clear or not clear. I experimented with more than two values for each variable but that only added complication without adding value. Those two values for each variable generate the four-quadrant matrix shown in Figure 1.2. I don’t know where the dividing line is between clear and not clear but that is not important to this landscape anyway. These values are conceptual not quantifiable. A given project can exhibit various degrees of complexity and uncertainty that position it in one of the four quadrants at a particular point in time. As a project is undertaken the complexity and uncertainty originally associated with it will often change. That could justify changing its quadrant and also changing how the project is managed. The implications of that change can be significant and you will want to be involved. In Chapter 2 this situation is discussed. If you impose a quantitative metric on each factor represented in the spi- der chart in Figure 1.1, you can create a project complexity score and an enterprise complexity score on every project and rank them in terms of com- plexity. That would be an interesting academic pursuit but is beyond the scope of this book. At this time I prefer a qualitative interpretation of a single project’s complexity. Knowing each project’s complexity extends to the com- plexity level of the project portfolio. In Part III, Improving Project Return on Investment (ROI) Using Agile Project Portfolio Management, we discuss the alignment of portfolio complexity with staff resources. In this book my inter- est will be on Enterprise Complexity and how the SMT can take action that will mitigate the impact of project and portfolio complexity. FIGURE 1.2 The Four Quadrants of the Project Landscape Goal and Solution Clarity 15
- 38. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 16 Traditional Projects Traditional projects are the simplest of the four types and are the ones you probably think about when you first envision a project. You assume there is a nice, neat, and clean statement of the goal, and a statement of how that goal will be achieved, and that all the relevant players have the same under- standing of what that means. Nice but not too likely. Testimonial data that I have collected from all over the world suggests that about 20% of all busi- ness projects are of this type. Does that surprise you? Until recently you probably haven’t paid much attention to these projects. You viewed them mostly like operational projects and not wor- thy of your time or attention. Let the appropriate business unit managers worry about them. That attitude is no longer appropriate because these projects are at last recognized as investments and part of a portfolio of other similar projects. There is now an ROI component to projects and portfolios and someone has to be responsible for protecting the invest- ment and assuring the delivery of business value. This applies to proj- ects in all four quadrants. Traditional projects are well-defined and low risk and generally follow a fixed methodology. The plan is developed along with a schedule of deliver- ables and other milestone events. A formal change management process is part of the game plan. Progress against the planned schedule is tracked and corrective actions are put in place to restore control over schedule and bud- get. These projects often take advantage of templates that have been devel- oped over the course of repeating similar projects. A nice neat package, isn’t it? All is well until the process gets in the way of product development. For example, if the business situation and priorities change, and result in a flurry of scope change requests to accommodate the new business climate, an in- ordinate amount of time will then be spent processing change requests at the expense of value-added work. The schedule slips beyond the point of recovery. The project plan, having changed several times, has become a contrived mess. Whatever integrity there was in the initial plan and schedule is now lost among the changes. Had this situation been a possibility, a better choice of management approaches could have been made. Agile Projects Next in the order of complexity are those projects whose goal is clearly documented and understood, but how to achieve that goal (the solution) is not. Maybe only minor features of the solution are not yet decided and no one is too worried. On the other hand, maybe most of the solution has evaded discovery and everyone is (or should be) worried. Testimonial data 16 The Project Landscape
- 39. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 17 that I have collected from all over the world suggests that about 70% of all business projects are of this type. Does that surprise you? Is that a call to action for you? To further complicate the situation suppose the project is a critical mission project and an acceptable solution (one that delivers a spe- cific level of incremental business value) must be found. These are called agile projects and you have probably depended on the business managers and technical staff to craft management approaches to find these elusive solutions. Without senior management intervention there will be dozens of management approaches with little coordination or stan- dard practices linking them. Such a situation is chaotic from a management perspective and certainly contributes to the conclusions reached in the IBM study quoted previously. This is not a hands-off situation for you. It is very much a hands-on situation requiring your attention. There is a management role for you with significant responsibilities. A major focus of this book is to help you understand those roles and responsibilities and how to take charge. I hope I have your attention. Agile projects are all together different than Traditional Projects. Managing an agile project is really nothing more than organized com- mon sense. So when the process you are using gets in the way, you adapt. The process is changed in order to maintain focus on doing what makes sense to protect the creation of business value. Unlike traditional projects, agile project management processes expect and embrace change as a way to a better solution and as a way to maximize business value within time and budget constraints. That means choosing and con- tinually changing the PMLC Model to increase the business value that will result from the project. Realize that to some extent scope is a varia- ble in these types of PMLC Models. Extreme and Emertxe Projects Next in the order of complexity are those projects whose goal is not clearly defined and whose solution is either not known (extreme projects) or known (emertxe projects). Emertxe is not a nonsense quadrant but is a new term for you and is defined in Chapter 2. Emertxe is a type of research and development project where the solution is known but its application to a business goal is not. These two quadrants are discussed together because the roles and responsibilities of the SMT are the same regardless of which quadrant we discuss. These two quadrants house a variety of research and development projects. It is a world that demands creativity and bold ven- tures. Both types of projects are very complex, they present a great deal of uncertainty and are high risk. They exhibit a high failure rate. The role and responsibilities of the SMT members in extreme and emertxe projects are Goal and Solution Clarity 17
- 40. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 18 very different from the agile projects and even more different from the tradi- tional projects. Significance of Project Type to the SMT Every project that ever existed or will exist falls into only one of these four quadrants at any point in time. This landscape definition is robust and is not affected by external factors or change of any kind. It is a landscape that will remain in place regardless of technology or its impact on the business envi- ronment. The quadrant in which the project lies will be an initial guide to the project team when choosing a best fit PMLC Model and adapting its tools, templates, and processes to the specific project. As the project work com- mences and external factors are at play, the goal and solution may change or become clearer and the project’s quadrant may change and perhaps the PMLC Model will then change as well, but the project is always in one quad- rant. The decision to change the PMLC Model for a project already underway may be a big change and needs to be seriously considered. The SMT will want to understand that there are the costs of change, abandonment, bene- fits, advantages, and disadvantages associated with a mid-project change of PMLC Model. More on that in Chapter 2. Beyond goal and solution clarity and completeness there are several other factors to consider in choosing the best fit PMLC Model and perhaps modify- ing it to better accommodate these other factors. By way of example, one of those factors is the extent to which the client has committed to be meaning- fully involved. If the best fit PMLC Model requires heavy and meaningful client involvement, as every agile, extreme, and emertxe project does, and the proj- ect team doesn’t have their meaningful involvement, you may have to ask the project manager to fall back to an approach that doesn’t require as much cli- ent involvement. Alternatively you may want to recommend a workshop or other strategy to encourage that client involvement before the project begins. In such situations I have had good results imbedding the client orientation and involvement training into the project work itself. Regardless of the type of projects the question you need to answer is ‘‘On which of these projects am I going to invest my resources?’’ I’ll help you an- swer that question in Part III, Improving Project Return on Investment (ROI) Using Agile Project Portfolio Management. For the human resource executive the question is ‘‘How can I build a cadre of professionals to continuously align with the demands of the project portfolio?’’ I’ll help you answer that question in Part II, Improving Project Success with Human Resource Strategies and Pro- cesses. If you are a project support office director the question is ‘‘What func- tions and services must I provide in order to improve the likelihood of the portfolio achieving its ROI?’’ I’ll help you answer that question in Part IV, Establishing and Maturing an Enterprise Project Support Office. 18 The Project Landscape
- 41. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 19 Through the Eyes of Senior Management Team Members I suspect that for many of you this chapter was your first exposure to just how broad and deep the world of projects can be. It never ceases to amaze me that even after more than 40 years of practicing project management I am still encountering new challenges and learning wondrous things about this amazing and evolving discipline of project management. It all starts with a project and they can be as varied as anything you can envision. I’ve been involved in a three-month project where I was the project manager, the client, and the entire project team. At the other extreme I have participated in a project where the project team was over 10,000 members spread out over a seven-year timeline. Projects are unique and you should begin to appreciate the fact that their management is also unique and that means that the infrastructure and support of the SMT must be flexible so that it can adapt to a variety of changing situations. Project management is not just a matter of blindly following processes and procedures, or routinely filling in forms and writing reports, but rather it is a challenging world where project managers and clients may be called upon to function at the limits of their creativity and to be courageous at all times. It is a world in which you will continually face situations you have never faced before and will have to look inside your toolkit and concoct workable strategies to support projects and project portfolios. It is a project world filled with risk. For those of you who were once project or program managers it’s no secret to you that the project management landscape has changed and con- tinues to change. With the change comes a constant challenge to the project team and their clients to reassess project conditions and adjust their ap- proach to managing the project. While you are no longer in that role the challenge extends to your office. You live in a world where the character- istics of the project, the portfolio, and the environment within which these take place are constantly changing and those changes should inform senior managers as to the tools, templates, and processes that will be most effective in meeting their infrastructure and support needs. Resign yourself now to the reality that you are going to have to pay attention all the time and be ready to respond with changes that will continue to support the project managers, teams, and clients and keep success within their grasp. We are not in Kansas anymore! The discipline of project management has morphed to a new state; and as this book is being written, that state has not yet reached a steady one. It may never reach a steady state. The business world is in a constant state of flux and change and that will always be a fac- tor influencing the effective management of the accompanying projects. That will continue to influence how you approach supporting projects and the project team. Expect your approach to also be in a constant state of flux and change. Take courage; it’s not as grim as it may seem. In this book I am Through the Eyes of Senior Management Team Members 19
- 42. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 20 going to clearly point the way for you. I want to imbue you with some basic principles that should transcend change and protect you from the latest sil- ver bullet. If you really understand what I am presenting, you will have an enduring strategy for delivering effective project management support for every type of project. A Creative Environment Must Be Flexible Burdening the project manager or portfolio manager with excessive meet- ings, reports, and formal documentation does not add business value and may in fact adversely compromise the likelihood of success. The new envi- ronment is one of greater trust and empowerment of the project manager and their client. Give them the flexibility to succeed and stay out of their way. Their efforts must be spent on value-added work and they must avoid wasting time on non-value added work. This does not mean they have complete freedom to do as they please. They don’t. If you are a senior manager directly responsible for their perform- ance, request them to state the progress they expect at milestone events and hold them responsible for delivering it. Chapter 2, Project Management Life Cy- cle Models, and Part III, Improving Project Return on Investment (ROI) Using Agile Project Portfolio Management offer more details for your consideration. Flexibility here refers to the project management process. If you are im- posing a one-size-fits-all approach on your project teams, they have no flex- ibility. Complex project failure is almost a dead certainty. The process is the process is the process. Not a very comforting situation if the process gets in the way of common sense behaviors and compromises your project manag- er’s ability to deliver value to your client. Wouldn’t you rather be following a strategy that allows your project managers to adapt the project management process to the situations rather than being bound to a process that just gets in the way? One of my clients allows their project manager to submit their reason to management and the client for not following a required process and they are held responsible for the outcome. This empowerment has in- creased team morale and improved project success. Rather than follow a management by exception rule wouldn’t it be better to have a process that includes these management choices as built-in features and then depend on the competency of the project manager to make the right choices? Then you can fairly hold them accountable for the results. Adaptability Is the Key to Project Success The less certain you are of project requirements, functionality, and features the more you will have to be adaptable with respect to process and proce- dure. Adaptability is directly related to the extent to which the team 20 The Project Landscape
- 43. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 21 members are empowered to act. The ability of the team to adapt increases as empowerment becomes more pervasive. Remember make it possible for the team members to be productive by staying out of their way as much as pos- sible. One way to stay out of their way is to clearly define and agree with them about what they are to do and by when but be careful not to overstep your role as an effective manager of project managers by telling them how to do it. Don’t impose process and procedure that stifles team and individual creativity! This would be the death knell of an agile project. Rather create an environment that encourages that behavior. Don’t encumber the team mem- bers with the need to get sign-offs that have nothing to do with delivering business value. Pick them carefully and trust them to act in the best interest of the client. Change Is Essential Plan-driven project management approaches like those used for traditional projects are not designed to effectively respond to change. They are change intolerant. Change upsets the order of things as some of the project plan is rendered obsolete and must be redone. Resource schedules are compro- mised and may have to be renegotiated at some cost. The more that change has to be dealt with the more time is spent processing and evaluating those changes. That time is forever lost to the project. It should have been spent on value-added work. Instead it was spent processing change requests. Agile and extreme projects are different. For those projects to succeed there must be change and it must be frequent. Remember the project team and clients are searching for something that does not presently exist. The journey to find that missing solution must continually adapt to learning and discovery, and that won’t happen in the absence of change. Meaningful Client Involvement Is a Critical Success Factor As the project type changes from traditional to agile, to extreme, and to emertxe meaningful client involvement changes from nice to have, to criti- cal, and even essential. The most recent Standish Group CHAOS Report (‘‘Chaos Summary for 2010,’’ The Standish Group International, Inc.) lists lack of user input as the major factor that causes projects to become chal- lenged. In that same report the three major reasons why projects succeed are: & User involvement & Executive management support & Clear statement of requirements These three themes run continuously through this book. Through the Eyes of Senior Management Team Members 21
- 44. C01 04/08/2011 8:40:3 Page 22 Putting It All Together So in this chapter you gained some insight into the contemporary world of projects. This may be enough depth for you to effectively discharge your role and responsibilities to supporting the project environment. If you sup- port those who support project and program managers, you should read Chapter 3, The Complex Project Team. If your role and responsibility is to directly support project and program managers, you should read Chapter 2, Project Management Life Cycle Models, and then read Chapter 3. 22 The Project Landscape
- 45. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:22 Page 23 CHAPTER 2 Project Management Life Cycle Models The purpose of Chapter 1 was to define the project landscape. There you were introduced to the four types of projects that populate the project landscape. Every project that ever existed or will exist fits into one and only one of the four quadrants in that landscape at any one time. That landscape gives you a high-level understanding of the range of complexity and uncer- tainty associated with projects. Above all it is intuitive and gives you a frame- work within which to understand the various project management life cycle (PMLC) models and how the senior management team (SMT) interacts with them. Even though there are dozens of specific approaches you may have heard of (Waterfall, Rational Unified Process [RUP], Scrum, Dynamic Systems Development Model [DSDM], Spiral, Evolutionary Waterfall, Adaptive Soft- ware Development [ASD], Prince2, Microsoft Solution Framework, Feature Driven Development [FDD], Crystal, and Extreme Programming [xP] are but a few of the more popular ones) you don’t need to burden yourself with knowing any of them. If you feel compelled to know about them, be my guest. I’ve included some appropriate references in the bibliography at the end of Part I. All of these models group into the five different types of PMLC models discussed in this chapter. These five types of models will not change and you need to have a conversational knowledge of them. Once you un- derstand these five models, when to use them, and their strengths and weak- nesses, you will be armed with all that you will need to discuss the options with the project and program managers and others who are close to the projects. If you are a director that supports the infrastructure for those who directly manage project and program managers, you will understand the environment in which they must perform and how best to support them and you will understand how the tools, templates, and processes they use will vary as project type varies. 23
- 46. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:22 Page 24 To create a cadre of successful project and program managers every SMT member has a role to play in creating and supporting an environment conducive to the process and practice of exemplary project and program management. This chapter defines that PMLC environment and your role in supporting it. Figure 2.1 shows how the five PMLC Models are distributed across the four quadrants of the project landscape defined in Chapter 1. Once a project has been classified into a quadrant the project manager will de- cide which of the five PMLC Models provides the best fit. As an SMT member you will want to validate the project manager’s decision. Once the PMLC Model has been approved the project manager will decide from a list of specific PMLC approaches the one that is a best fit for man- aging that type of project. As an SMT member you need not concern yourself about that decision except to know that there is a process that the project manager follows to make that decision. Traditional Project Management Testimonial data that I have gathered from over 10,000 project managers worldwide suggests that not more than 20% of all projects require some form of traditional project management (TPM) approach. TPM is the first and oldest of all the approaches. Modern TPM dates from the mid-1950s. The engineering and construction industries use TPM appro- aches almost exclusively. The waterfall systems development model and FIGURE 2.1 Project Management Life Cycle Models 24 Project Management Life Cycle Models
- 47. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:23 Page 25 some of its variations are also based on TPM. The Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is also based on those traditional models. The two models discussed in the following sections are special cases of the TPM approach. Linear PMLC Models Every PMLC Model discussed in this book comprises five processes: & Scope & Plan & Launch & Monitor and control & Close Let’s start with the simplest TPM approach—the Linear PMLC Model. Figure 2.2 illustrates the linear approach to project management. Note that in the Linear PMLC Model the five processes are each exe- cuted once in the order shown in the figure. There is no looping back to repeat a process based on learning from a later process. This is a major weakness of all Linear PMLC Models in that knowledge gained from one process, such as Launch, cannot be used to revise and improve the deliverables from a previously completed process, such as Scope. There is no going back to improve deliverables. Even though you might successfully argue that going back and improving the solution is in the best interest of the client. It probably is, but if that is the possibility you are willing to accept, you should make the decision at the beginning of the project and choose a PMLC Model that includes repeating processes as a result of learning and discovery during project execution. And there are several to choose from. Many of the more popular ones are identified in this chapter. DEFINITION OF LINEAR PMLC MODELS A Linear PMLC Model consists of a number of dependent phases that are executed in a sequential order with no feedback loops. The complete solution is not released until the final phase is complete. Scope Plan Launch Monitor and Control Close Project FIGURE 2.2 Linear PMLC Model Traditional Project Management 25
- 48. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:23 Page 26 Examples of the Linear PMLC Model include: & Standard Waterfall Model & Rapid Development Waterfall Model & Feature-Driven Development Model (parallel variation) CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECTS THAT USE A LINEAR PMLC MODEL In order to use a Linear PMLC model a project should: & Have a clearly defined goal, solution, and requirements. & Expect few scope change requests. & Be a routine and repetitive project. & Use established templates. STRENGTHS OF LINEAR PMLC MODELS Projects that correctly use a Linear PMLC Model will: & Allow the entire project to be scheduled & Know all of the resource requirements and when they are needed & Not require the most skilled resources & Scale to large projects & Work well even if the team members are geographically distributed WEAKNESSES OF LINEAR PMLC MODELS On the other hand there are a few weaknesses that come with the choice of using a Linear PMLC Model. The weaknesses you should be aware of include: & Plan and schedule do not accommodate change very well & Costs too much compared to other models & Takes too long & Requires detailed plans & Must follow a defined set of processes & Is not focused on customer value & Deliverables are not available until the end of the project Incremental PMLC Models On the surface, the only difference between the Linear and Incremental PMLC models is that the deliverables in the Incremental Model are released according to a schedule. That is, a partial solution is initially released and then at some later point in time additional parts of the solution are added to the initial release to form a more complete solution. Subsequent releases add to the solution until the final increment releases the complete solution. The decision to use an Incremental PMLC Model over the Linear PMLC 26 Project Management Life Cycle Models
- 49. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:23 Page 27 Model is a market-driven decision. In both models the complete solution is known at the outset. Getting a partial solution into the market is viewed as a way to get an early entry position and therefore create some leverage for generating increased market share. All of this incremental release happens in a linear fashion, as shown in Figure 2.3, so that in the end the solution is the same as if a Linear PMLC Model had been followed. Ideally the project ends with the same deliver- ables and at approximately the same time. There is some additional manage- ment overhead associated with the Incremental PMLC Model and so those projects will finish later than the Linear PMLC Model. The sequence Launch Increment through Next Increment is strung out in series over time. They are expressed using a feedback loop in Figure 2.3 for economies of space. The entire process is still a variation of a linear model. DEFINITION OF INCREMENTAL PMLC MODELS An Incremental PMLC Model consists of a number of dependent phases that are repeated in sequential order with no feedback loops. Each phase releases a partial solution. Examples of Incremental PMLC Models include: & Staged Delivery Waterfall Model & Feature Driven Development Model (sequential variation) CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECTS THAT USE AN INCREMENTAL PMLC MODEL Pro- jects that otherwise would use a linear model but must deliver business value earlier in the development life cycle can modify the model to take ad- vantage of the incremental approach. In order to use an Incremental PMLC Model a project should: & Be of low complexity & Have few scope change requests & Use a well-understood technology infrastructure & Be low risk STRENGTHS OF INCREMENTAL PMLC MODELS Incremental PMLC models are the first that we discuss that are customer-facing. That is they consider what Scope Plan Launch Increment Monitor and Control Increment Close Project Close Increment Yes No Next Increment FIGURE 2.3 Incremental PMLC Model Traditional Project Management 27
- 50. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:23 Page 28 brings value to the customer as the overarching driver for the strategies. I count among the strengths the following: & Produces business value early in the development life cycle & Able to better use scarce resources through proper increment definition & Can accommodate some change requests between increments & More focused on client value than the linear approaches WEAKNESSES OF INCREMENTAL PMLC MODELS On the other hand there are a few weaknesses that come with the choice of using an Incremental PMLC Model. The weaknesses I have identified and are worth mention- ing include: & Requires heavy documentation & Must follow a defined set of processes & Encourages scope change requests & Must define increments based on function and feature dependencies & Requires more client involvement than the Linear PMLC Model & Partitioning the functions and features into increments may be problematic Agile Project Management What about those cases where what is needed is clearly defined but how to produce it isn’t at all that obvious? These types of projects occupy a space in the landscape somewhere between traditional and extreme projects. Many managers have observed that the vast majority of their projects are a closer fit to agile project management (APM) projects than TPM projects. Clearly TPM won’t work when the solution is not known. For TPM to work you need a detailed plan; and if you don’t know how you will get what is needed, how can you generate a detailed plan? Two model types fall into the APM quadrant. The first is the Iterative PMLC Model. The second is the Adaptive PMLC Model. Iterative PMLC Models As soon as some of the details of a solution are not clearly defined or per- haps are even missing, you should favor some form of Iterative PMLC Model. The Iterative PMLC Model is shown in Figure 2.4. You might notice that this is quite similar to production prototyping. That is, a working solution is delivered from every iteration. The objective is to show the client an intermediate and perhaps incomplete solution and ask 28 Project Management Life Cycle Models
- 51. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:24 Page 29 them for feedback on changes or additions they would like to see. Those changes are integrated into the prototype and another incomplete solution is produced. This process repeats itself until either the client is satisfied and has no further changes to recommend or the budget/time runs out. The Iter- ative PMLC Model differs from the Incremental PMLC Model in that change is expected. In fact, change is a necessary part of this model. Iterative PMLCs definitely fall in the class of projects that provide op- portunity to learn and discover. In Figure 2.4 the learning and discover- ing experience takes place as part of each feedback loop. With each iteration, more and more of the breadth and depth of the solution is pro- duced. That follows from the client having an opportunity to work with the current solution and give feedback to the project team. The assump- tion is that the client learns and discovers more details about the solution from the current iteration. In the prototyping mode the development team usually takes client input and presents alternatives in the next ver- sion of the prototype. You can see then that there is a strong collabora- tive environment in APM approaches that is usually not present and not required in TPM approaches. DEFINITION OF ITERATIVE PMLC MODELS An Iterative PMLC Model consists of a number of phases that are repeated in groups with a feedback loop after each group is completed. At the discretion of the customer the last phase in a group may release a partial solution. Examples of Iterative PMLC Models include: & Evolutionary Waterfall Model & Prototyping & Rational Unified Process The definition allows for several types of iteration. Iteration can be on requirements, functionality, features, design, development, solutions, and others. CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECTS THAT USE AN ITERATIVE PMLC MODEL An Iter- ative PMLC Model is appropriate when most but not all of the solution is clearly known. This strategy requires a solution that broadly covers the Scope Plan Iteration Launch Iteration Monitor and Control Iteration Close Project Close Iteration Yes No Next Iteration FIGURE 2.4 Iterative PMLC Model Agile Project Management 29
- 52. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:24 Page 30 requirements but may be missing some of the details. The missing details will come to light as the client works with the most current solution in a prototyping sense. The use of intermediate solutions is the pathway to dis- covering the details of the complete solution. In order to use an Iterative PMLC Model a project should: & Have a nearly complete solution & Have known alternatives for missing solution parts STRENGTHS OF ITERATIVE PMLC MODELS Iterative PMLC Models depart from the linear and incremental models in that the complete solution is no longer defined. What is defined is a solution whose breadth spans the expected solution but whose depth does not. This affords some breathing room for change that is not provided by linear and incremental strategies. Iterative PMLC Models do have a number of strengths that encourage their use as long as they satisfy the necessary conditions. I count among the strengths the following: & Customer can review current solution for suggested improvements & Can accommodate scope changes between iterations & Adapts to changing business conditions WEAKNESSES OF ITERATIVE PMLC MODELS On the other hand there are a few weaknesses that come with the choice of using an Iterative PMLC Model. The weaknesses I have identified and are worth mentioning include: & Requires a more actively involved client than TPM projects & Final solution cannot be specified at the outset of the project & Risk of losing team members between iterations Adaptive PMLC Models At some point where even less is known about the solution an Iterative PMLC Model will no longer be a good fit and an Adaptive PMLC Model will be used instead. Here the missing pieces of the solution extend to function- ality that is missing or not clearly defined. The most extreme APM projects are those projects where almost nothing about the solution is known. In other words the less you know about the solution the more likely you will choose an Adaptive PMLC Model over an Iterative PMLC Model. The deci- sion to use an Adaptive PMLC Model instead of an Iterative PMLC Model is a matter of fit and feel and not the result of any quantitative indicator. Un- fortunately all of the current Adaptive PMLC Models were designed for soft- ware development projects. Since not all projects are software development 30 Project Management Life Cycle Models
- 53. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:24 Page 31 projects that left a serious gap in the PMLC Model continuum. In my consult- ing practice this was a serious shortcoming in the agile space and led me to develop the Adaptive Project Framework (APF) for application to any type of APM or extreme project management project. APF is an APM approach that spans the gap between TPM and extreme project management approaches for all types of projects. I have successfully used APF on product development, business process design, process improvement, and research and development (R&D) projects. Figure 2.5 is a graphic portrayal of how the Adaptive PMLC is structured. At the process group level it is identical to the Iterative PMLC model. Within each process group the differences become obvious. There are a host of iterative and adaptive approaches to managing APM projects that can be used when the goal is clearly defined but how to reach the goal—the solution—is not. Imagine a continuum of projects that range from situations where almost all of the solution is clearly and completely defined to situations where very little of the solution is clearly and completely defined. This is the range of projects that occupy the APM quadrant. As you give some thought to where your projects would fall in this quadrant, consider the possibility that many, if not most, of your projects are really APM projects. If that is the case, shouldn’t you also be considering using an approach to managing these projects that accommo- dates the goal and solution characteristics of the project rather than trying to force fit some other approach that was designed for projects with much different characteristics? DEFINITION OF ADAPTIVE PMLC MODELS An Adaptive PMLC Model is one that proceeds from iteration to iteration based on very limited specification of a solution. Each iteration learns from the preceding ones and redirects the next iteration in an attempt to converge on an acceptable solution. At the discretion of the customer an iteration may release a partial solution. Examples of Adaptive PMLC Models include: & Adaptive Project Framework (APF) & Adaptive Software Development (ASD) & Scrum & Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM) Scope Plan Cycle Launch Cycle Monitor and Control Cycle Close Project Close Cycle Yes No Next Cycle FIGURE 2.5 Adaptive PMLC Model Agile Project Management 31
- 54. C02 04/06/2011 15:32:24 Page 32 CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECTS THAT USE AN ADAPTIVE PMLC MODEL In addi- tion to a clearly defined goal and not clearly defined solution, projects that correctly use an APM approach have several defining characteristics including: & A critical problem without a known solution & A previously untapped business opportunity & Meaningful client involvement is essential & Adaptive projects use small co-located highly skilled teams STRENGTHS OF ADAPTIVE PMLC MODELS Adaptive PMLC Models bring some unique strengths to the project. I count among the strengths the following: & Do not waste time on non-value added work. & Provide maximum business value within the given time and cost constraints. & Current solution is a production-ready solution. WEAKNESSES OF ADAPTIVE PMLC MODELS On the other hand there are a few weaknesses that come with the choice of using an Adaptive PMLC Model. The weaknesses I have identified and are worth mentioning include: & Must have meaningful customer involvement & Cannot identify exactly what will be delivered at the end of the project Extreme Project Management The third project type are those projects whose solution and goal are not known or not clearly defined. Here you are in the world of pure research and development, new product development, and process improvement projects. These are high-risk, high-change projects. In many cases they are also high-speed projects. Failure rates are often very high. When so little is known about the goal and solution one might be con- cerned about how to approach such projects. What tools, templates, and processes will work in these cases? Will any of them work? This can be a high anxiety time for all but the most courageous, risk-taking, flexible, and creative project teams. Very heavy client involvement is essential. When you are venturing into the great unknown you won’t get very far unless the sub- ject matter expert is on your team. At the same time the generalist will help keep your options open. Both the generalist and the specialist are critical members of the extreme project team. What do you do if what is needed is not clearly defined? What if it isn’t defined at all? Many have tried to force fit the traditional approach into these 32 Project Management Life Cycle Models
- 55. Random documents with unrelated content Scribd suggests to you:
- 56. [184] “Day and night,” promised Condon Adams, reaching across the table to clasp Bob’s hand firmly in his own and Bob knew that the older agent was a man of his word and highly competent in his own peculiar way. Cups of steaming coffee were set before them as well as the plate of doughnuts which Adams had ordered. They attacked the lunch with a will and Bob, draining his cup of coffee a few minutes later, caught another glimpse of the slender, slouching figure he had seen in the main waiting room. “Don’t turn around,” he said to Adams, “but when we get up, look at the little fellow in the dark cap and suit. He’s outside looking in the window. I had a feeling in the station he was watching me.” Condon Adams reached for the checks and stood up. In reaching for his traveling bag he was able to turn toward the broad glass window and get a good view of the man Bob had described. “I’ve never seen him before,” said Adams, “but he doesn’t look like a very savory character.” He paid the bill for their lunch and as they stepped out of the restaurant and looked for a cab, the man in the dark suit sidled up to them. “You guys federal men?” he asked. Bob and Condon Adams whirled toward him. “What of it?” barked Adams. “I was just askin’. If you are, I’ve got a message for you.”
- 57. [185] [186] “Who from?” it was Bob now. The little man shook his head. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Fellow down on the water front gave me a note to give to the federals. Said one of them was at a hotel. When I inquired there I learned he’d gone to the station so I came along and thought I’d try you.” He reached for an inner pocket and too late Bob divined what was happening. The street they were in was quiet now and suddenly there was danger in the air.
- 58. [187] Chapter XXIII SNAP AIM SCORES ★ Before Bob could reach for his own gun, the little man had whipped a snub-nosed automatic from a shoulder holster under his left shoulder and his eyes gleamed in the dim street light. “How nice of you to tell me you were federals; saved me a lot of trouble. Smart guys, aren’t you? Well, get going toward that car on the other side and don’t make any bad steps.” A cold rage gripped Bob. They had fallen into a neat trap and probably would soon be as helpless as his uncle, who had been kidnaped earlier in the evening. In the meantime, the smugglers would have ample time to run in a large sum of gems. Since they were willing to take the desperate chance of abducting three federal men, the amount must be tremendous. Condon Adams started to set down his traveling bag, but a sharp command from the little man stopped him. “Carry that bag and carry it carefully,” he snapped. “You guys are going for a long boat ride.”
- 59. [188] They walked rapidly across the street. In fact, Bob was in a hurry to reach the car. For some reason they had not been searched and if he could get inside the sedan he might be able to slip the revolver out of his shoulder holster. Condon Adams lagged a little; perhaps suspecting what was in Bob’s mind. The door of the sedan opened as they neared and Bob saw a man slouched at the wheel. There was no one else in the car and Bob stepped into the sedan, his muscles tense and his nerves cold. “Stop!” the command was quiet but deadly and Bob halted halfway to the seat. “Back up and back up slow; I’m taking no chances on gunplay.” The driver of the car sat up quickly. “Ain’t you searched them, Benny?” he asked. “Shut up,” snapped the man on the pavement and Bob, stepping back gingerly now, caught a glimpse of the man with the gun. There was just a chance of success for a desperate play and he took the chance. The gun in the shoulder holster was unfamiliar as was the holster, but Bob was half hidden by the darkness of the interior of the sedan. His right hand, moving like a flash, grasped the butt of the gun. Without attempting to pull it from the holster, Bob simply elevated the muzzle and pulled the trigger. He fired by instinct as much as anything and a flash of flame stabbed the night. On the echo of the shot came
- 60. [189] [190] a sharp cry and the man on the pavement leaped backward, his own gun replying. Bob fired again and through the haze of smoke and the acrid smell of burning cloth saw the little man tumbling. The driver of the car swung toward Bob, but before he could get into the scrap, Bob jerked the gun from its holster and clubbed him over the head with the barrel. It was a savage blow, but he was dealing with men who knew no mercy themselves. The driver slumped forward in his seat and Bob, gun in hand, leaped from the car. Condon Adams, who had been able to draw his own weapon, was leaning over the man on the street. “Great work, Bob. I thought they were going to get away with this for a while.” “Is he hurt badly?” asked Bob. “Well, I don’t think he’s going to be doing any more mischief for a good long time. Your first one caught his right shoulder and the second one took his left leg— that’s what I’d call disabling a gangster.” “It was spot shooting. I didn’t have time to aim,” explained Bob. “Then I hope I’m not the target when you really aim,” said the older federal agent.
- 61. [191] Chapter XXIV AT THE HOSPITAL ★ A policeman on duty at the station, attracted by the shooting, came on the run and Condon Adams flashed his federal badge. “Get an ambulance and get this man to a hospital. See that a heavy guard is placed at his bed. We’ll take the fellow in the car down to the central station with us and make a personal report.” The federal men remained on the scene until an ambulance arrived. In the meantime Condon Adams had handcuffed the driver of the car, who was now regaining consciousness. He pushed him into the back seat, tossed in his own traveling bag, and with Bob driving the car, they started for the police station. The trip was uneventful and they parked the car in front of the station where a few hours before Bob had telephoned the news of his uncle’s abduction to Washington. The same night captain was on duty and his eyes widened when he saw Bob and Condon Adams with their handcuffed prisoner.
- 62. [192] Before the policeman could ply them with questions Condon Adams explained what had happened. “Throw this fellow into a solitary cell; I’ll question him after I get back from the hospital,” he said. “What charge shall I book him on?” asked the policeman. “Attempted abduction of a federal officer,” snapped Adams, who then turned toward Bob. “We’ll get over to the hospital now and see if the fellow you clipped with a couple of bullets is ready to talk.” They hurried outside the station, but Adams stopped short when he saw the sedan at the curb. “I forgot all about the car,” he said. “It’s probably stolen. I’ll report it to the captain.” By the time the older federal agent was back Bob had a cab waiting at the curb and they told the driver to speed them to the hospital. “If we can get either one of these fellows to talk, it may be the break that will open up this case,” mused Adams as the cab roared along the now almost deserted streets. They pulled up at the hospital where a dim light glowed over the entrance. There was no general admittance at that hour of the night, but continued ringing of the bell brought an orderly and they gained admission. Condon Adams revealed their identity to the night supervisor and asked the condition of the man who had
- 63. [193] been brought in. “He’s resting fairly comfortably,” said the nurse. “The bullet in his shoulder has been removed and the one in his leg will be taken out in the morning.” “Case serious?” pressed Adams. “I wouldn’t say so,” replied the nurse cautiously, leading the way down the darkened corridor to a room where the lights were aglow. She opened the door and they stepped in, a nurse who had been near the bed rising as they entered. A policeman on the other side of the bed did likewise. “Don’t make him talk too much,” cautioned the night supervisor. Bob looked at the man who had attempted to kidnap them. His face was thin and marred with a sneer. “You fellows can save your breath. I won’t talk,” he said, an unpleasant whine in his voice, and Bob catalogued him as a dangerous man when armed, but one who was weak physically. “We’ll see about that,” said Adams confidently. “The boys down at the station are working over the fellow who was driving for you. If you don’t talk here, we’ll work you over when you get out.” Bob knew that was only a threat, but he was interested in the reaction in the face of the man on the bed and he saw a weakening of the lines around the mouth as though the thought of physical punishment was unnerving.
- 64. [194] [195] Condon Adams must have sensed the same thing for he advanced with a threatening gesture of his fists and the man on the bed cringed away from him. “You can’t hit me,” he cried. “Maybe not, but I’d like to,” scowled Adams, and Bob knew that the older federal agent was sincere in that.
- 65. [196] Chapter XXV BOB GETS READY ★ Adams plied the wounded man with questions, but all of the answers were evasive and he finally turned to Bob. “We’ll let him go for tonight. I’ll come back and see him tomorrow and I’ll see him alone. I can make him talk.” They left the room after admonishing the policeman on guard to remain on the alert for any attempt to free the wounded man. Out in the hallway Condon Adams confessed to his disappointment. “I thought maybe he’d break and talk. He’s a weakling. I’ll get it out of him later.” “How much later?” asked Bob. “That’s just it. I don’t know. It may be too late to help in the hunt for your uncle.” Down on the main floor of the hospital once more they telephoned for a taxicab and when it appeared, gave
- 66. [197] the driver orders to go to Bob’s hotel. They were silent on the trip back into the heart of the city and when they reached the hotel Condon Adams registered for a room on the same floor as those of Bob and his uncle. Bob went directly to his own room and made a final inspection of the articles in his Gladstone bag. The rifle and ammunition appeared intact and he removed the revolver from the shoulder holster, cleaned it carefully and refilled the chambers. After that was done he inspected his coat. It appeared ruined beyond repair for the revolver bullets had torn through the cloth and sparks from the burning powder had extended the area of the damage. Bob removed the suit he had been wearing and got into the comfortable and rough and ready corduroys which he had brought with him. He laced up his boots and then adjusted the shoulder holster, making sure that it would swing free in case he faced any other emergencies similar to the one which had confronted them a little more than an hour before. Condon Adams tapped on the door and then came in. “About ready to start for Atalissa?” he asked. Bob nodded. “I can get a southbound local at 3 a. m. After about three hours I change to an accommodation train that finally winds up at Atalissa somewhere around noon. Not a very pleasant ride, but I don’t want to attract attention either by breezing in there in a car or a boat and as the roads are none too good, I think the train is the best bet.”
- 67. [198] “How about communications out of the village? You may need help in a hurry?” “I haven’t checked up on them,” confessed Bob. The older federal agent went to the telephone and after a lengthy conversation with the hotel clerk, secured the desired information. “The telegraph office at the railroad station is open from eight o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the evening. The phone exchange, which seems to be pretty much of a one horse affair, closes at nine o’clock in the evening. If anything happens after that you’ll have to get the operator out of bed in order to get a call through. I’m making my headquarters here. Let me know the minute anything turns up.” “I’ll do that,” promised Bob, who, while he could not exactly warm up to Condon Adams, felt sure that the older man would bend every effort toward the recovery of his uncle. “I’ll let you know where I can be reached in Atalissa so you can get news to me the minute Uncle Merritt is found.” Condon Adams glanced at his wrist watch. “You haven’t much time to lose if you’re going to make that southbound local.” Bob looked at his own watch. It was 2:45 o’clock. He closed his Gladstone bag and tightened the straps. Condon Adams walked ahead of him into the hall and then as far as the elevator. “Don’t take too many chances, Bob, and keep your chin up. This thing is going to come out all right.”
- 68. [199]
- 69. [200] Chapter XXVI “DON’T MOVE!” ★ Bob wished that he could feel the confidence of Condon Adams’ words as he stepped into the elevator and dropped toward the main floor. At the desk he turned in his room key and then took a taxi to the same station where earlier in the night, in company with Condon Adams, he had captured two of the suspected gem smugglers. The young federal agent purchased his ticket for Atalissa and the agent cautioned him about the change at the junction. Then Bob picked up his bag and walked through the now practically deserted waiting room and out into the train shed where a stubby, three car train was waiting for the final call of “booo-ard” to start its jerking journey southward. An express car and a combination baggage and mail car were behind the engine while the rear car was a dimly lighted coach. Bob climbed up the steps. The seats were of green plush, and halfway up the interior of the car was a wooden partition which marked the forward end of the coach as the smoking compartment. There were only two people in the rear half and Bob turned one seat
- 70. [201] over so a double seat would be available. Then he stuck his ticket in his hat band, folded up his corduroy coat for a pillow, and curled up to make the best of the lonely trip to Atalissa. The federal agent had dropped into a light sleep when the train started. He roused up long enough to hear it roll over a bridge and then he went back to sleep, failing to hear the conductor when he removed the ticket from the band of his hat. The local jerked and stopped and then jerked into motion again. This operation was repeated a number of times, but Bob slept heavily through it all, for his body was near exhaustion. It was well after dawn when he finally moved and he groaned softly as the blood started flowing once more through his cramped legs. Bob sat up and massaged his legs and arms. It was quite clear out now and the local was rocking along a desolate stretch of Florida east coast. Somewhere along the line the other passengers had left the train and Bob was now the only occupant of the coach. He got up and walked to the water cooler. Fortunately there was an ample supply of water and after bathing his face and hands with the cool liquid, he felt much refreshed though ravenously hungry. Up ahead the engineer blasted his whistle for a highway crossing and Bob felt the air brakes go on, the old wooden coach jumping around in protest as the speed dropped sharply. They clacked over switches and Bob, looking ahead, could see a weather beaten station, on the other side of which another train was standing. This, he concluded, must be the junction.
- 71. [202] [203] The conductor, coming back from the baggage car, gave Bob his train check. “Don’t have many passengers going to Atalissa,” he said. “Them that wants to get there usually go by car or boat.” The local rocked to a creaking halt and Bob, his Gladstone in hand, stepped down on the cinder platform. The accommodation which was to take him the rest of the way to Atalissa was on the other side of the station. The engine, an antiquated little affair, looked about like a teakettle, but the two freight cars and the passenger car on the back end were standard size equipment. The conductor, in faded blue overalls, looked at Bob’s ticket. “Guess you’re the only passenger,” he said. “Well, we might as well be going.” “How about breakfast?” asked Bob. “Hungry?” asked the conductor. “Just about starved,” confessed Bob. “Well, we stop at Ainsworth about ten miles down the line. There’s a little place there where you can get a bite to eat.” There appeared to be nothing else to do so Bob climbed up the steps of the old wooden coach and put his Gladstone in the first seat at the rear. The engineer whistled a wheezy “high ball” and the conductor swung
- 72. [204] up on the back end as the accommodation started its daily run for the seacoast. The air in the coach was stuffy and Bob found it pleasanter on the rear platform, watching the track wind away in the distance and they swung around curves and chugged their way up steep grades. It seemed incredible that in such a peaceful appearing country there must be located the headquarters for a relentless band of smugglers. The second stop of the accommodation that morning was at Ainsworth and as the train slowed down for the station, the conductor came back and spoke to Bob. “We’ll be here about fifteen minutes. That ought to give you time enough to get something to eat. Restaurant’s right back of the station.” Bob estimated that Ainsworth must be a village of some two hundred souls and he was dubious about the quality of the food which he would obtain, but when he stepped inside the eating house he was agreeably surprised by the cleanliness and an elderly woman took his order with pleasing promptness. Bob took a cold cereal, and ate it with relish while eggs and bacon sputtered on a stove in the kitchen. When they were ready he ordered coffee and several doughnuts. “Don’t need to hurry too much, they won’t go away without you,” reassured the woman who waited on him. But Bob finished in ample time to enjoy a leisurely walk back to the train. When he reentered the day coach he was surprised to find another occupant, a large, heavy-
- 73. [205] boned man with a faded mustache and thinning hair. What surprised Bob even more was to see a badge on the other’s vest and he strolled forward through the car. His eyes opened a little wider when he saw that the badge worn by the other said, “Sheriff.” The water cooler was a convenient place to stop and Bob, studying the other man in leisure, drank two cups of water. Suddenly the sheriff spoke. “Now that you’ve about sized me up, what’s on your mind, Bud?” Bob almost fell over backwards for he had tried to make his observation of the other man altogether casual. “Nothing,” he managed to reply, but the word failed to carry conviction. “Not trying to dodge the law, are you?” asked the sheriff, and Bob noticed that a perfectly capable looking gun was holstered under the other’s right shoulder. “No,” said Bob. “Then why are you carrying a gun?” Bob started, almost guiltily, and his face flushed. “That,” he retorted, “is none of your business.” After the words were out he could almost have bitten his tongue in two for if the sheriff pressed him for an answer, he would be forced to reveal his identity and
- 74. [206] [207] such things as local sheriffs being involved in crime was not altogether unknown. “I’m making it my business right now,” snapped the older man and before Bob could move, a gun appeared in the other’s hands. “Put up your hands and turn around. Do it slowly and you won’t be hurt, but if you make one false move, I’ll let you have it.”
- 75. [208] Chapter XXVII SHERIFF McCURDY TALKS ★ There was nothing else for Bob to do and with his hands raised high above his head, he turned slowly and faced the water cooler. He could imagine how Tully Ross would have chuckled if he could have seen his predicament now. Firm hands whisked the gun out of the shoulder holster and Bob heard the sheriff step back. “Turn around slowly now, but keep your hands up.” Bob obeyed the command and the sheriff waved him toward a seat on the opposite side of the car. “Now that you’ve got my gun, you’d better let me explain,” said Bob. “You can do your explaining in jail,” retorted the sheriff. “No big-town gunman is going to run another trick on me.” The last words were said with grim determination and Bob saw the sheriff’s jaw muscles tighten.
- 76. [209] “Turn up the lapel of my coat and you’ll find that you’re making a mistake,” pressed Bob. “I’m an agent of the bureau of investigation of the United States Department of Justice.” “You’re just a kid,” scoffed the older officer. “Turn up the lapel of my coat and see what’s there. This thing has gone far enough,” insisted Bob. There was something in Bob’s voice which forced the sheriff to act and he reached over cautiously and turned up the lapel of Bob’s coat. The small badge which was revealed there brought an instant change in his attitude and he lowered the gun which he held in his hands. “Looks like I’ve made a bad mistake,” he said. “I’m sorry, but after what I’ve been through you can’t blame me.” The sheriff, who introduced himself as Abel McCurdy, handed the gun back to Bob and the federal agent, after breaking open the gun and looking at the chambers, returned it to his shoulder holster. “What’s happened?” asked Bob, for he recalled that only a minute earlier the sheriff hinted at some trick of which he had been the victim. “Oh, it’s kind of a crazy story and I don’t suppose it would interest a federal man,” replied the older officer. “I’m interested in anything that’s going on around here,” said Bob. “Then you may run right smack into trouble,” cautioned the other, and he shook his head a little sadly. “That’s
- 77. [210] [211] what was the matter with me—too interested in other people’s business.” “Tell me what happened,” pressed Bob, for he had a feeling that in some way or another the sheriff might be connected with the smugglers who were known to be operating around Atalissa. “There’s been some strange things going on along the coast,” began the sheriff, “and I’ve been trying to figure them out, but I didn’t have much luck until last night when I was south of Atalissa. A big touring car came roaring along the road and I stopped it. Car was going too fast.” “What happened?” asked Bob. “Too much,” admitted the sheriff. “Fellow driving got out, but when he did he had a machine gun in his hands and I wasn’t any match for that even though I’m a pretty good shot with a revolver. He handcuffed me with my own handcuffs and made me get into the back seat and then drove off like mad. After a while he stopped and blindfolded me, and then went on for a time.” “What did he look like?” asked Bob. “Well, he was kind of short and heavy, I’d say.” The sheriff went on with his description of the man who had kidnaped him and before he was through Bob was convinced that the other was Joe Hamsa.
- 78. [212] Chapter XXVIII THEORIES ★ Bob felt it was time to reveal his real mission to the seacoast and in clear, brief words he told the sheriff why he had come down from Washington and what had gone on since he had started south. “You mean to say they had the nerve to kidnap your uncle, a federal agent?” asked the sheriff. “I’m sure they have him and the only thing we know is that the start away from Jacksonville was made by boat.” The sheriff nodded. “That would be a good way. Why, I can think of half a hundred good places to hide a man along this section of the coast.” Then the sheriff went on to explain that shortly before dawn he had been dumped unceremoniously out of the sedan after being released from the handcuffs. “Can you remember any stops?” asked Bob.
- 79. [213] “Only one. We must have been very close to the ocean, for I was sure I could hear the sound of the surf.” “Any idea in what direction you traveled?” “Nothing that would help much. I was about two miles from Ainsworth when I was dumped out, and I went in there and got another gun and then decided to take the train to Atalissa for I was only about a mile from there when I was kidnaped last night.” “Did you hear anything unusual when you stopped where you thought you could hear the surf?” pressed on Bob. Sheriff McCurdy was silent for a time. “Yes, there was one thing—a humming that was faint and then increased in strength and finally died away.” “It might have been a ’plane,” suggested Bob. “Why, I hadn’t thought of that. Sure, that’s just what it sounded like.” “The driver of the car got out and came back a little after.” “After the humming had died away?” “That’s right,” agreed the sheriff. Bob was elated at this news. He felt that even before his arrival at Atalissa he had stumbled upon a real clue and he hoped upon a worthy aid in the doughty southern sheriff.
- 80. [214] “Then he went on, later dumping you out of the car?” pressed Bob. The sheriff agreed. “He was none too gentle in dumping me out,” complained the sheriff. “I’d just like to get my hands on him for a few minutes. Believe me, I’d make his bones ache.” There was no question about the irritation or the sincerity of the officer and Bob couldn’t help but suppress a chuckle, for he believed the sheriff perfectly capable of manhandling Joe Hamsa. Bob felt that the time had come to be perfectly frank with the sheriff. “I’m down here on a smuggling case,” he explained. “I’m going to need your help and I may need it badly.” Then he went on to relate in detail everything that had taken place since he had left Washington, revealing even the kidnaping of his uncle. When he was through the sheriff whistled through his whiskers. “I’ve kind of suspected that something queer was going on south of Atalissa, but there were no complaints and I never was able to pick up anything. You think the fellow who kidnaped me was the man on the train with you when you came south?” “From your description, I’m positive it was Hamsa,” replied Bob. “Then he’s a tough customer if he escaped from that river and got down here so rapidly.”
- 81. [215] [216] “One thing we’ve got to remember,” cautioned Bob, “is that the gang is compact and apparently extremely well organized.” The sheriff was silent for a time. “Think that plane landing last night might have brought in smuggled gems?” “I don’t know,” confessed Bob. “Everyone in the department has a feeling that the gang is pointing toward one more big smuggling operation. If the gems had come in last night I have a feeling that more than one man would have been with Hamsa to get them. It just doesn’t seem logical that one man, even though he might be the leader of the gang, would handle this end of the game. I’d be more inclined to think the contact last night was for the purpose of making final plans.”
- 82. [217] Chapter XXIX MORE CLUES ★ The sheriff turned this over in his mind for some time as the train rumbled along the rough right-of-way. Then he nodded and agreed with Bob. “Looks like you’re right. That means we may be in for a busy time when the actual contact is attempted.” “We’ll be busy enough, if we can learn where the contact will be made,” retorted the young federal agent. “What about your uncle?” asked the sheriff. The exultation which had marked Bob’s features vanished. “I don’t honestly know. From the reputation of this gang I should fear the worst, but for some reason I have unbounded faith in my uncle’s ability to take care of himself in a crisis. The last we knew was that he disappeared from the waterfront and shortly after that a motorboat sped down the river.”
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