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eXtreme Project Management
Book

eXtreme Project Management

Using Leadership, Principles, and Tools to Deliver Value in the Face of Volatility

Doug DeCarlo
Jossey-Bass, 2004
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Editorial Rating

7

getAbstract Rating

  • Applicable

Recommendation

The choice between “traditional project management” (TPM) and “eXtreme project management” isn’t an option that pertains to every endeavor – only to projects with complexities that would swamp TPM. Consultant Doug DeCarlo explains why eXtreme’s tools are better for programs that require major innovation, fast completion and strong financial returns. Extreme project management uses a “quantum,” diffuse mind-set – rather than TPM’s linear thinking – and DeCarlo carefully explains the differences. Alas, his faith in the positive impact of some amount of chaos extends a bit to his book, which calls upon every conceivable tactic, from team training to prayer in a pinch. He explains the importance of the project manager’s mental framework and advises focusing on team members’ emotions as well as their tasks. DeCarlo reviews eXtreme methods, vision, planning, evaluation, tools and other concerns. His book also details helpful scenarios. getAbstract believes that if project managers run into difficulties with this complete manual, their concerns will stem more from eXtreme’s very specific point of view about managing projects than from any technical issues with DeCarlo’s thorough text.

Summary

Getting Your Mind Right

Modern business has to work in a fluid environment. “Traditional project management” (TPM) methods are too stable and slow; they strive to be too linear and neat in a messy world. While “eXtreme project management” is chaotic, it allows you to work quickly and to develop just-in-time implementation, rather than writing plans that turn out to be more fiction than reality. If TPM is “Newtonian mechanics,” eXtreme is “quantum mechanics.” Using this approach requires changing your mind-set. With TPM, you build a long, step-by-step sequence of activities. With eXtreme, you accept uncertainty; you acknowledge that things will go wrong and that some matters are simply outside your reach. The traditional method tells you that security comes from tight control, but the eXtreme method allows you to find security by relaxing your grip to the right degree. Extreme project management is more like the approach of an improvisational jazz musician than that of a classicist working from a fixed musical score.

A Model for eXtreme Success: Manage Creativity Instead of Tasks

Using eXtreme project management helps you thrive amid the real world of change...

About the Author

Extreme project management teacher and facilitator Doug DeCarlo has worked with more than 250 project teams.

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