Complex Projects
Available in:
English
€ 59,00
The world famous physicists Albert Einstein (German) and
Nils Bohr (Danish), both Nobel Prize winners in respectively 1921 and 1922,
both tried to find a general theory for all physical processes such as
light, electricity, gravity, etc. in relation to time and space.
Einstein came up with his theory of relativity focused on the macro cosmos,
Bohr brought us the quantum theory, focused on the micro cosmos,
the atom. They communicated and as true scientists often disagreed with
each other. Although science advanced with major leaps, they did not succeed
in an overall applicable theory. And to my knowledge there is none to this
day.
On many occasions talking with friends about the incomprehensible consequences
of their theories, I often made the parallel with our profession,
studying management and organization in all its aspects. Entire libraries
are filled with management literature and new books, articles, proceedings,
and additional publications are flooding the world.
In every so many years someone comes up with a method or general
theory that promises to solve all our management problems. These hypes,
mostly 3-letter coded such as MBO (management by objectives), TQM (total
quality management), BPR (business process re-engineering), MBP (management
by projects), come and go, partly using each others achievements and
those from the past in an other setting. Each hype consists mainly of a
recombination of things we knew already and adding something special.
If it helps however there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe we live in
an era of management where only combination of knowledge and experience
areas produce the required innovation to cope with our current and future
problems and challenges. Will somebody someday come up with an all-comprising
management approach? Or is the human being and it’s way of cooperating
with others too complicated?
This book, it’s contents mainly project oriented, will add another
integrated approach, management by prevention (MBP). It is geared to start
processes of projects. An old Dutch saying claims that ‘a good start
is half the job’. This recognized knowledge prompted the European
International Project Management Association IPMA to erect a committee
on Project Start-Up to investigate the issue and come up with proposals.
A cooperation between some 12 professionals from different European
countries and US participation lasted for more than a decade, unraveling
the complexity of the project start-up processes and providing the
project management world with situational bounded approaches.
Participants took the results to their respective home countries for
implementation and possible adaptation. I did so for the Netherlands. The
results of some 20 years experience are laid down in this book. Enjoy reading
and applying its contents!
Alex van den Honert