Chapter 3. eXtreme Concepts

"I don't care about what anything was designed to do, I care about what it can do."

” Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) ^[1]

^[1] Apollo 13 , Ron Howard, Director; Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger, Writers, 1995.

There are a number of values that underpin eXtreme project management. These values result in project management behaviors that are:

• Participative: The management of projects is based on meaningful participation of stakeholders.

• Proactive: Project management is a creative and proactive problem-solving process.

• Open : Everything about the project is shared openly with all stakeholders.

• Outward-oriented: The focus of the project manager is outwards toward the stakeholders.

• Trusting: The project team is treated as professionals who are to be trusted.

In addition, eXtreme project management incorporates radical concepts such as these:

• Project management is completely different from technical management.

• Context is more important than content.

• Whole-of-life project management.

• The project manager is a facilitator and integrator rather than a manager.

• Senior management are executive project managers.

• Scenario planning rather than macroplanning.

• Participative rapid planning.

• Virtual teams rather than traditional teams .

This chapter explores these concepts in more detail and provides the framework for the eXtreme project management tools and techniques.