Detailed Course Outline
Considering the Limits of Conventional Project Management
- Stretching the limits of conventional project management
- Rethinking the future of project management
Defining Complexity Science, Chaos Theory and Project Complexity Factors
Introducing complexity science and chaos theory
- Comparing and contrasting simple and complex systems
- Applying various complexity modelling techniques
Adopting the four-dimensional project complexity diagnostic tool
- Analysing project boundary conditions to understand the complexity of your project
- Determining the edge of chaos
- Assessing the significance of complex project risks
- Communicating project complexity factors to others
Employing an Adaptive Project Management Process
Beginning with adaptive principles
- Building with Agile software development
- Borrowing from the combat operations loop and the scientific method
The four-step adaptive project management process
- Implementing rolling wave planning and progressive elaboration
- Managing adaptive requirements, change and quality
- Scheduling, budgeting and metrics on complex projects
Minimising Scale on Strategic Projects
Aligning with corporate strategy and value engineering
- Executing portfolio management strategies
- Making the business case and delivering value
- Utilising business capability and purpose alignment models
Developing small, strategic batches of work
- Applying Van Creveld's Iron Rule and Occam's Razor
- Delivering minimal marketable features
Managing Pace on Complex Projects
Maintaining control through speed and agility
- Dealing with daily disruptions
- Employing fast-tracking and crashing
- Compressing the critical path
Incorporating Critical Chain and Lean techniques
- Evaluating Critical Chain project management
- Employing the theory of constraints and five focusing steps to eliminate waste and optimise flow
Exercising Strong Leadership
Leading adaptive teams
- Developing your core competencies
- Growing your sphere of influence and managing politics
Building CRACK teams
- Facilitating emergent organisation and self-management
- Agreeing on vision, goals, objectives and values
- Empowering and motivating the team
- Implementing effective feedback loops
Recognising and Managing Risks
Identifying and managing risks with scenario modelling
- Quantifying and mitigating risk threats
- Exploiting risk opportunities for disruptive innovation
Implementing probabilistic estimating tools and techniques
- Managing precision and accuracy
- Correcting estimating bias and reducing variability
- Revisiting the cone of uncertainty and order of magnitude estimating
- Leveraging PERT, Monte Carlo and Agile techniques
Building Your Personal Action Plan
- Putting it all together
- Analysing a real-world case study
- Assessing your own real-world projects
- Identifying specific actions you will take
- Gaining support and managing risks