Creating the Project Office: A Manager's Guide to Leading Organizational Change (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) [Hardcover]

Randall L. Englund (Author), Robert Graham (Author), Paul C. Dinsmore (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787963984 | ISBN-13: 978-0787963989 | Publication Date: February 10, 2003 | Edition: 1

Creating the Project Office is written for managers who are searching for ways to transform their organizations into more effective and efficient project-based workplaces. As this important book reveals, there is no more effective way to make that change than to create a project office tailored to the needs of the organization. While a project office model leads to better products from projects, it is also a vehicle for generating overall organizational change-- by transforming the organization from function-based to project-based. This model incorporates projects into the very fabric of the organizational strategy and revitalizes organizations, creates competitive advantage, and increases shareholder value.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The authors have produced another thought provoking, next generation look at the project based organization, change, politics, and role of the project office. The journey they depict expands and challenges the status quo and gives them a prominent place as thought leaders on the future of project management. This book's premise, that projects are vehicles of change and change is the life blood of world-class companies, makes it a must read for project managers, program managers, and portfolio managers."
— Dalton Weekley, President, Human Systems Knowledge Networks, Inc.

"These authors have scored again with the latest evolution of their collective insight. This text will serve a broad audience spanning both academic and industry needs— anyone seeking a solid framework for launching project management initiatives now has a new, valuable reference and implementation guide."
— Ray M. Haynes, director, University Alliances Technology Development, office of the chief engineer, TRW Space Electronics, and retired professor of engineering management, Cal Poly University

"If you are a practicing project or program manager faced with the challenge of driving a multi-organizational complex project, this book is for you. While not providing exactly a how-to recipe, Englund and his colleagues describe from personal experience what works and what remarkable results can be achieved with passion, persistence and good upper management sponsorship."
— Peter Rosenbladt, Hewlett-Packard R&D; Manager (retired)

"What's a project office and why do you want one? Different organizations are at different points along a continuum on the use and acceptance of project offices. While there is no simple or secret answer to creating a project office and leading organizational change, Englund, Graham, and Dinsmore construct a compelling case that the process of implementing a project office will, itself, be a catalyst for organizational change."
— Arnold M. Epstein, Office of Project Management and Engineering Support, United States National Nuclear Security Administration

From the Inside Flap

If organizations are to succeed they must develop and maintain positive results and create value from all their projects. But too often projects fail to live up to company expectations-- the revolutionary new product never makes it to the marketplace or service leaves customers dissatisfied.
Creating the Project Office is written for managers who are searching for ways to transform their organizations into more effective and efficient project-based workplaces. As this important book reveals, there is no more effective way to make that change than to create a project office tailored to the needs of the organization. While a project office model leads to better products from projects, it is also a vehicle for generating overall organizational change-- by transforming the organization from function-based to project-based. This model incorporates projects into the very fabric of the organizational strategy and revitalizes organizations, creates competitive advantage, and increases shareholder value.
The project office concept fundamentally changes the way an organization thinks about projects by determining what projects are most critical to organizational strategy, reducing the overall number of projects, and building a solid business case for each project. The project office consolidates project-related tasks in the organization and facilitates project selection, the training of project managers, project mentoring, and the development of career paths for project managers. Using an enterprise project management system, projects become more efficient and more innovative producing higher-quality products or services.
The authors-- Randall Englund, Robert Graham, and Paul Dinsmore-- are recognized experts in the field of project management and here offer managers the information they need to create a successful project office implementation plan. Step by step, Creating the Project Office shows how to:
* Develop action plans to apply proven techniques and processes and implement a project office in any organization
* Identify the barriers and develop a course of action that will enable change toward project-driven results
* Lead a change process at any level in an organization
* Avoid potential pitfalls that often derail project office efforts
In addition, Creating the Project Office includes illustrative case examples.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (February 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787963984
• ISBN-13: 978-0787963989
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusually rich, March 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Creating the Project Office: A Manager's Guide to Leading Organizational Change (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) (Hardcover)

This book takes the leading thinking in implementing organizational change and applies it directly to the challenge of implementing project management. The authors then advance the art through the application of their extensive experience and original thought that leaves the reader-practitioner with a step-by-step guide to implementing a project management office.

The major strength of this manuscript is its revelation of the organizational challenges in creating a project office, their causes, and straightforward advice on navigating the pitfalls. The knowledge and experience of the authors comes through with `been there, done that' credibility. The reader leaves with a deeper understanding of their organization and the means for achieving their goal of implementing a project office.

I thought Part One was one of the best discussions I have seen of the organizational change factors involved in implementing a project office. It provided thorough overall coverage on the existing body of work in organizational change and provided an application to project management. The author's contribution of speaking truth to power is valuable.

I found the manuscript replete with illustrative material. I particularly liked the anecdotes from Greek mythology and literature. This book is unusually rich in supporting the principles advocated with clear `how-to' instructions. As a practitioner reading the book, I found myself saying: "Yes, that works," "I wish I had thought of that sooner," and "I am going to use that tomorrow." - a manuscript reviewer

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Common sense applied to change management, wrapped in a bow!, December 1, 2004

By 

Dean McRobie "ex-scifi reader" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Creating the Project Office: A Manager's Guide to Leading Organizational Change (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book on recommendation from a previous reviewer and was amazed by the breadth, depth, and more importantly pace of the book. The book moves quickly and does not spend a lot of time on theory, more time on examples (drawn mainly from Englund's work at HP).

The high level process applies as a general change management agenda, but applied through the lense of a PMO or project office. The annecdotes and lessons learnt provide an excellent framework for either internal "change agents" or external consultants to structure a successful organizational change and increase in proejct delivery quality.

The examples and frameworks in the book are easily understood and presented in a way that they can be reused or applied to many different project management challenges. I highly recommend this book to program managers or IT consultants who are intereste in affecting change in any organization.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for PMO builders, December 24, 2008

By 

Joaquin Peña Fernandez "book reader" (Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Creating the Project Office: A Manager's Guide to Leading Organizational Change (Jossey-Bass Business & Management) (Hardcover)

Hello,

I have read about 50% of the book and it's helping me a lot with the building of the PMO in my site.

It helps you on how to face this process focusing on the intagibles, not on the process.