Conclusion

The most innovative companies of today and tomorrow will continue to push the project management envelope. For them, being able to effectively define, plan, and execute projects in a dynamic and fastpaced environment will be the difference between merely surviving and flourishing. The individuals leading these groundbreaking efforts know that their projects are challenging the status quo and that the classic PM thinking "just doesn't feel right". Project management is no longer just an academic exercise; it is needs to be a tactical tool that will help organizations reach their goals. Only those approaches that resonate with the team and organization will be given serious consideration, with techniques that create synergy between process and creative freedom being paramount. Agile PM swings the pendulum back to the creative side, while remaining in the background to facilitate project and organizational success.

While the theory of project management discusses the full project lifecycle, the practical application has largely focused on the planning stage. This focus is reflected and propagated by the predominant project management tools on the market, which are principally designed to automate planning activities such as timeline creation and resource allocation. However, in agile project environments, successful project management requires a shift of focus to the execution stage, because the inherent uncertainty of the environment places limits on how far into the future you can effectively plan your project. Agility is about making the right decisions during project execution (as well as planning); agile PM is about creating the environment and tools to support those decisions.

The successful companies of the future will move to better integrate their business and project decision making, thus creating realtime and two-way feedback between the project and the business. To this end, they will have to redefine traditional roles, organize around projects differently, and develop a new infrastructure that rethinks project definition and planning efforts in such a way as to support the execution efforts.

Taking the first step on the way to agility will be easy. Most likely, it will be energizing. Innovative organizations always appreciate new ideas, including ways to reap greater rewards from their investments in project management. They are also looking for the leaders who will champion these new ideas for the business. Agile project management is an evolution that is already under way in the subconscious of many project managers and organizations. This book documents some of the practices, tools, and attitudes that I've seen used successfully in agile environments. It is my hope that you will take some of these ideas, customize them to your unique business, and improve your overall project management effectiveness.