Many project teams today realize that they need to develop their own solutions on top of the standard techniques in order to cope with their project’s dynamic changes, uncertainty, or complexity.  In fact, research shows that although the conventional approach to project management provides the necessary basic guidelines for managing projects, it is not enough to guarantee a project’s success.  This presentation will address the current myths in the traditional guidelines and contrast them with the dynamic realities of today’s projects.

The conventional approach to project management is based on a predictable, fixed and relatively simple model.  Sometimes the conventional model seems decoupled from changes in the market, technology, or business environment.  However, only few projects today are fixed, certain, or simple.  Rather, they are unpredictable, changing, and involve a great deal of uncertainty and complexity.  Dr. Aaron J. Shenhar will offer a framework to deal with such projects in a highly flexible and adaptive way.  This discussion will also show that this model can be applied on top of the current organizational processes to increase the chances of project success.  These ideas formed the motivation for the book on “Reinventing Project Management:  The Diamond Approach to Successful Growth and Innovation” by Aaron Shenhar and Dov Dvir, Harvard Business School Press, 2007.  The book was ranked among the top five best business books of 2007.

Dr. Aaron J. Shenhar

Dr. Shenhar is the Institute Professor of Management and the founder of the Project Management Program at the Stevens Institute of Technology.  He is also the CEO of the Technological Leadership Institute, a consulting and training company in technology and project leadership.  Dr Shenhar holds five academic degrees in engineering and management from Stanford University and the Technion in Israel.  He is the recipient of the Engineering Manager of the Year Award of IEEE and the first PMI Research Achievement Award.  Dr. Shenhar accumulated over 20 years of technical and management experience as an executive in a leading high-tech organization in the defense industry in Israel.  In his academic career, he published over 150 publications in innovation management, project management, and the management of professionals in technology-based organizations.  He served as a consultant to leading high-technology organizations such as 3M, Honeywell, Dow Jones, NASA, BMI, Liz Claiborne, IAI, and the US Army.

Many of you have asked how can I transfer from being a PM in Telecom to a PM in Pharma, or how can I leverage the skills I have as a PM into other business fields.  You ask we answer.  We have assembled a panel of professionals who have been able to do both successfully.  Come listen to their stories and get tips on how you can do the same.