Project Leadership

We frequently talk about "changing society," but society has always been changing. Today, "change" seems to have become an intrusive concept, possibly because change occurs at a much faster pace than before, and the consequences are much more extensive.Even small changes have greater consequences than we were previously aware of. "Chaos theory" predicts that a butterfly flapping its wings in Australia can set off a tropical storm in the Atlantic two years later.The global impact of human activity on the environment is another relevant example, which is why it is important to understand that even the smallest change can have a devastating effect. As a result, the small projects we initiate should be treated with respect since they might be the start of larger, more important, and decisive changes that affect ourselves, our organizations, and our community in the long run. Most practical books and manuals deal with large, complex projects which are not unnatural. Using projects to solve problems has never been more popular than it is today. By the end of the last century, 25% of the world's spending was managed through projects according to some reports, and many projects are clearly very large and very costly. Keeping track of them requires good management and good tools. Project planning and project organization need to be sound, and every step must be controlled down to the very last detail. That's where this book will help you.If a large project starts going off the track and is heading for failure, it will cost the organization dearly and have many other adverse effects as well. This book guides project leaders to accomplish the projects successfully. But most projects are not enormous. To run the projects that we in this book will call SMPs - Small- and Medium-Sized Projects - the tools and methods we need are much simpler and are explained thoroughly in this book.