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Recent News
The release of the first of two new books in the series, "Agile Leadership & Management of Change - Winston Churchill" written by Mark Kozak-Holland. This book analyzes a period of time from WW II when Winston Churchill faced near defeat for the British in the face of sustained German attacks. The book describes the strategies he took to overcome incredible odds and turn the tide on the impending invasion. Aimed at business executives, IT managers, and project managers, the book extracts learnings from Churchill's experiences that can be applied to business problems today. The book is officially released on September 1st, 2009. Read more on this book.
| The release of the second of two new books in the series, "Project Lessons from the Roman Empire: An Ancient Guide to Modern Project Management," written by Jerry Manas, author of the international best-seller "Napoleon on Project Management," analyzes the leadership techniques, management processes, and project controls that led to the rise (and fall) of the Roman Empire. He takes each lesson learned from analyzing the ancient period and applies it to today's project management environment. A fascinating book that extends the popular article series Manas has published over the past few years. The book will be officially released on Jan. 1, 2010; however, it can be purchased in advance of its official publication. Just go to the following URL where a sample chapter is available for those who like to sample.
http://www.mmpubs.com/catalog/project-lessons-from-the-roman-empire-book-p-320.html |
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University of Denver
June 1st, 2009 - the Great Escape ran again in a MBA class for Project Management. The class provided several new reviews of the book.
PMI South Alberta Chapter
May 28th, 2009 - A large representative group (100+) gathered for a presentation of Project Lessons from the Great Escape.
PMI La Crosse
May 19/20th, 2009 - A presentation of Project Lessons from the Titanic at two locations of Rochester and La Crosse.
PMI Ann Arbor
May 18th, 2009 - A return to the chapter (fourth visit) saw a presentation of Titanic II (Risk Management).
Project World Canada - Toronto, ON
May 15th, 2009 - An audience of 25 assembled at Metro Centre for the full day Titanic workshop.
Project World Canada - Toronto, ON
May 13th, 2009 - An audience of about 60 assembled for Project lessons from the Great Escape.
PMI Manitoba
April 30th, 2009 - A double workshop including the Great Escape and Titanic presentations was attended by an audience of about 30.
PMI Thumb
April 14th, 2009 - An audience of about 40 assembled for this Great Escape presentation.
DAMA International Symposium + 9th Annual Wilshire Meta-Data Conference
April 8th, 2009 - Keynote presentation on Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise, to 200+ attendees.
PMI Buffalo Chapter
March 21st, 2009 - This mini conference brought representative from 15 PMI chapters. A small representative group gathered for a presentation of Project Lessons from the Great Escape.
PMI New Hampshire
March 18th, 2009 - Manchester, NH, an enthusiastic audience of about 70 assembled for Project Lessons from the Great Escape. At the outset a couple of skeptics questioned whether this could be classified as a project, in the end agreed it was. Much discussion on What if scenarios, like if the improvised signal system to come out of the tunnel had been better managed. Alarm would have gone much later, if at all, and more time to get POWs away from camp.
PMI Syracuse Chapter
March 17th, 2009 - St Patrick's day brought a cheery crowd with some spouses in tow, of about 40 for Project Lessons from the Great Escape.
PMI Durham Highlands Chapter
February 17th, 2009 - Home chapter for the speaker, an enthusiastic audience of about 70 assembled for Project Lessons from the Great Escape. Much interest in the Canadiam POWs, namely Wally Floody the tunnel king, (Charles Bronson's character was based on him. Wally was transferred to another camp in February 1944 and didn't take part in the escape.
Genworth Financial Project Group
December 8th, 2008 - Held in Oakville, Ontario and video conferenced to Richmond, Virginia the audience of about 30 PMs and BAs took part in an extended Great Escape presentation. Much discussion on how it compared to internal Genworth practices and processes.
Hewlett Packard Project Management University (PMU)
December 7th, 2008 - Held in Mississuaga, Ontario an audience of about 60 HP PMs assembled for the Great Escape presentation. Some discussion on the applicability of the PMBOK areas to the project.
PMI Ocean State Chapter
November 13th, 2008 - An enthusiastic audience of about 80 assembled for this Great Escape presentation. Some discussion on the conditions for the POWs and how the project was initiated.
PMI NYC Chapter Dinner Meeting
November 12th, 2008 - An audience of about 80 assembled for this Great Escape presentation. Much discussion on the planning of the project.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The PM Series Wrap-Up (Part 1 of 2)
November 17th, 2008 - This penultimate article wrap up the series and at the first 10 lessons learned.
University of Denver
November 1st, 2008 - the Great Escape is being incorporated into an MBA class for Project Management. This requires reviews of the book and the 1963 movie.
Project Canada – Vancouver, BC
October 29th, 2008 – An audience of about 35 took part in the full day Titanic Workshop. Some discussion on handling stakeholders and their perceived role in projects.
October 28th, 2008 – An audience of about 60 assembled for this presentation of the Great Escape. Interesting questions on how well the project schedule was defined (of course nothing was ever written down) and managed.
PMI Binghamton Chapter Dinner Meeting
October 16th, 2008 - An audience of about 20 assembled for this Great Escape presentation, including local IEEE and APICS members. Interesting questions on unearthing stool pigeons and attempts to plant them in the camp.
PMI NYC Chapter Dinner Meeting
October 15th, 2008 - An audience of about 150 assembled for this Great Escape presentation. Some discussion on the PMs role in the implementation of a project, and the need to step back and manage the project holistically and without emotion.
Presentation for IT&T SIG
October 9th, 2008 - An audience of about 150 assembled on a conference call for this Great Escape presentation.
Article in CIO.com on What You Can Learn from IT's Biggest Project Failures
October 9th, 2008 - The Tech Disaster Awards: What You Can Learn from IT's Biggest Project Failures, By Jake Widman with quotes from Mark Kozak-Holland.
PMI CMIT Workshop University of Virginia
September 26th, 2008 - An audience of about 60 Great Escape workshop (2 hours). Very good discussion developed over the project leadership, Bushell’s role and his actions through the project. Was his leadership self centered? Also why were 3 tunnels started not 2 or 4?
PMI-MN Professional Development Day
September 24th, 2008 – two half day workshops on Titanic and the Great Escape. This workshop was a first as it allowed the audience to directly compare and contrast the two projects. Some discussion on the camaraderie between the POWs and how it impacted the project and morale.
PMI CVC Dinner Meeting (2 locations)
September 20th, 2008 – Two back to back presentations on the Great Escape at Southside and West End locations. Some interesting questions on how the Allied POWs were segregated and treated by nationality, intent to be used as bargaining chips later in the year.
PMO Conference Community of Practice
July 4th, 2008 - An audience of about 35 took part in the full day Titanic Workshop. Some in depth discussion on what do you with an out of control project stakeholder that can derail the project off course.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 24)
June 17th, 2008 - This article starts to wrap up the series and looks at the events in the month of September.
Intel PM Community of Practice
May 20th, 2008 - An audience of about 150 assembled for this conference call on Project Lessons from the Great Escape presentation.
PMI - Northern Alberta Chapter (NAC) Conference
May 6th, 2008 - Churchill's Demand Driven Supply Chain: Beaverbrook's Story. Professional Development Conference (PDC). An audience of 90 assembled for the presentation. The focus was on how Churchill and Beaverbrook overcame institutionalized resistance to change to implement a supply chain that changed the course of history. Recommendation to look up "Arms of Krupp" the story of Krupp steel who provided armaments for the German military.
PMI - Regina/South Saskatchewan Chapter Workshop
April 30th, 2008 - Professional Development Conference (PDC). An audience of 40 assembled for the full day workshop on Titanic which focused heavily on risk management. In all 7 risk exercises were completed across the project life cycle.
PMI - Regina/South Saskatchewan Chapter Lunch Keynote
April 29th, 2008 Professional Development Conference (PDC). An audience of about 240 assembled.
City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department Workshop
April 24th, 2008 - An audience of about 40 Senior Manager responsible for Emergency Management across the City of LA gathered for the two hour workshop. Some very interesting questions on the relationship between Ismay and Smith. The pseudo naval hierarchy and regimented discipline on board the ship probably limited what Smith could do, and how he could approach Ismay.
Project World Canada - Toronto, ON
April 19th, 2008 - An audience of 20 assembled at Metro Centre for the full day Titanic workshop. The principal objectives were to go through the timeline (of the construction project and maiden voyage) and examine things from a risk perspective.
Project World Canada - Toronto, ON
April 17th, 2008 - An audience of about 80 assembled for Project lessons from the Great Escape.
Nobilis - Washington DC
April 16th, 2008 - Lunch session for Project lessons from the Great Escape broadcast to several locations, with over 100 attendees from around the business.
PMI Washington DC
April 15th, 2008 - An amazing turn out to the presentation of Project lessons from the Great Escape. The world’s largest PMI (8,000 members) had over 400 attendees. The executive board continue to do a great job in growing this chapter learning lessons to be had for other chapters.
New Book Review of Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise
April 13th, 2008 by Anne Marie Smith (Mantua, NJ USA). "...modern business may not be engaged in the epic struggle that was World War II, but the use of concepts such as governance, and practices from historical events can give some perspective on their application in 21st century organizations." Follow this link to Amazon.
Fleming College Peterborough Ontario
April 11th, 2008 - Presentation of "Churchill's Demand Driven Supply Chain: Beaverbrook's Story" to Fleming College students in the post-graduate Global Supply Chain Management program. The focus was on how British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Canadian Lord Beaverbrook jump-started production of RAF aircraft in the wake of an invasion threat from Germany during World War II. Interesting points about Beaverbrook that he was a very wealthy man well before he took up the post.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 23)
March 17th, 2008 - This article starts to wrap up the series and looks at the events in the month of August. It tries to answer the most difficult question of any project, namely: Did it meet the requirements and reach its goals? Did the output (solution) achieve what it was designed to do? Did it assist in a critical situation and help the organization react to it? It starts to post mortem the solution.
Project Manager Today’s 10th Risk Management Conference
March 13th, 2008 - Held in Birmingham in the U.K. saw the Project lessons from the Great Escape about the extreme risks facing airman plotting to escape from Stalag Luft III in World War II. The conference had very interesting presentations from Paul Mitchell who described the huge range of disparate, and sometimes conflicting risks, facing the team that created Arsenal's new Emirate's stadium and created a major London urban renewal scheme at the same time. Other speakers included Keith Baxter who showed that the extreme personal risks faced by mountaineers are also faced in business.
PMI Scotland Chapter, Edinburgh
March 10th, 2008 - An audience of around 30 met for the presentation on IT lessons from Titanic.
PMI Southern Alberta Chapter, Calgary
February 28th, 2008 - An audience of over 120 met for the presentation on business lessons from Titanic. Interesting question related to the atonement of Belfast workers of deficient shipping building practices that led to the manufacture of a poor quality product. Also more relevant today who should be responsible or guardian of the Disaster Recovery plans? Typically, this would lie with operations.
IEEE-SFV Chapter
February 13th, 2008 - Met at the Cal State Univ. Northridge, Faculty Club for a presentation on Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise. The audience had a wonderful and inspirational veteran from the Battle of Midway, 1942 (radio operator). See
http://www.ewh.ieee.org/r6/sfv/20080213MarkKozakHolland/20080213MarkKozakHolland.htm
ACP Orange County Chapter
February 13th, 2008 - A audience of about 35 assembled for lunch and a two hour presentation on business lessons from Titanic for contingency planners. Interesting question as to whether the emerging technologies on the ship where too advanced or far ahead for practical use. See www.acpoc.com
APICS-VENTURA Chapter
February 12th, 2008 - A smallish audience assembled for dinner and a presentation of Winston Churchill’s Demand Driven Supply Chain: Beaverbrook’s story. Interesting question related to the supply of fighters outstripping pilots, and so creating an inventory. See www.apics-vc
ACP Los Angeles Chapter + IAEM
February 12th, 2008 - An audience of about 30 assembled for lunch and a two hour presentation on business lessons from Titanic for contingency planners. The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting the goals of saving lives and protecting property during emergencies and disasters, see www.acp-international.com/la or www.iaem.com
APICS Los Angeles Chapter
February 11th, 2008 - Including LA, SGV, and Anaheim in special Professional Development Meeting (PDM). A audience of about 25 assembled for dinner and a presentation on business lessons from Titanic. Good trivia question, which actor played in of the two highest grossing movies (Titanic and Lord of the Rings).
Ministry of Agriculture, Edmonton, AB
January 18th, 2008 - First event of the year started with a half day workshop on Project lessons from the Great Escape. Run with a large group of project coordinator running a variety of very different projects, e.g., Bio-fuels, Bio-technology, Exports, Research and Development, IT, etc.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 22)
January 14th, 2008 - This article starts to wrap up the series and looks at the events in the months of June and July that determined the performance of the solution.
New Book Review of Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise
January 1st, 2008 - By Steve Neiderhauser (Dallas, TX USA). "Today's business gurus evangelize the benefits of story like a TV evangelist on a book tour. Still, there are few authors who use story to teach business strategy. Enter Mark Kozak-Holland who uses the stories of history to teach the lessons of the adaptive enterprise. Long after you've read and forgotten strategy concepts taught in standard text books, you'll find yourself remembering and applying adaptive enterprise concepts through the stories in Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise; stories that breathe life into the sense and respond organization." Follow this link to Amazon.
PMI Durham Highlands Chapter
December 13th, 2007. Last event of the year with my home chapter in Peterborough, ON. Many questions on Bushell's role in Great Escape.
Tenth Article in
December 11th, 2007. Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. article examines how Churchill set up a governance framework to transform the UK and support the solution as shown in Figure 1. The term governance as used in industry (especially in the IT sector) describes the processes that need to exist for a successful project.
PMI Kentuckiana Chapter Dinner Meeting
December 3rd, 2007 - A sizeable audience of about 80 assembled for a seasonal dinner and a presentation on Titanic lessons for IT, in Louisville, KY.
PMI Mass Bay Chapter Dinner Meeting
November 15th, 2007 - A sizeable audience of about 100 assembled for dinner and a presentation on Project lessons from the Great Escape, in Boston, MA.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 21)
November 17th, 2007 - This article looks at the fourth area of the overall project--Storey's Gate, Churchill's headquarters.
PMI Minnesota PDD Symposium
October 30th, 2007 - An audience of about 25 assembled for a full day workshop on Titanic lessons for IT, just North of Indianapolis, IN.
PMI WorldWide Global Congress
October 9th, 2007 - An audience of about 140 assembled for an extended presentation on Titanic lessons for IT, in Atlanta, GA. Questions about the retrofit to the Olympic, in other words were lessons learned applied to future project iterations.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 20)
October 17th, 2007 - This article looks at at the third area of the overall project--the Bentley Priory and the RAF Fighter Command Headquarters..
PMI Central Indiana Chapter Dinner Meeting
September 20th, 2007 - A sizeable audience of about 130 assembled for dinner and a presentation on Titanic lessons for IT, just North of Indianapolis, IN. Some discussion on whether brittle steel played a role, typically not as all ships at the time had the same quality of steel.
PMI SW OHIO Dinner Meeting
September 19th, 2007 - A sizeable audience of about 140 assembled for dinner and a presentation on Titanic lessons for IT, just North of Cincinnati, OH. Some interesting questions related to the the inquiries recommendations changing the approach to ship design.
APICS Rock Valley Chapter
September 18th, 2007 - An audience of about 25 assembled for the meeting and the presentation on Titanic lessons for IT, in Rockford, IL.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 19)
September 17th, 2007 - This article looks at at the second area of the overall project--the mechanization and automation of the production of intelligence.
PMI Huron Valley Chapter at Ann Arbor, MI
September 17th, 2007 - An enthusiastic audience of about 35 assembled for Project Lessons from the Great Escape. This was a third lessons-from-history presentation with this chapter.
PMI Rochester NY Dinner Meeting
September 12th, 2007 - A fourth visit to this nearby chapter in NY (home from home). A fair size audience of 60 PMs came for the presentation of Project Lessons from the Great Escape. Some interesting questions explored areas of the project like why did the escape cause so much commotion in Germany at the time, and the importance of Big X's role (Roger Bushell).
Project Management Symposium Plano Center . Plano . Texas . USA
August 6th, 2007 - An audience of about 35 assembled from the symposium for the 50 minute presentation on Titanic lessons for IT. This was followed by a book signing session over lunch.
New Book Review of Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise
August 2nd, 2007 - By Charles Ashbacher. "There is a great deal of business management knowledge that can be learned from this book. It has been said many times that the modern global business competition is just the next generation of warfare. While that is certainly debatable, the points of the debate are not about the fact, just about how far the analogy can be extended. As can be seen here, there are many similarities between modern total war between nations and competition between businesses." Follow this link to Amazon.
Press Release Article on the Great Escape
August 2nd, 2007 - As more soldiers are kidnapped in Iraq this article states there are important lessons to be learned from the lives of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) from the Second World War; especially, their state of mind, spirit, and resilience.
Center for the Management of Information Technology Activities
July 13th, 2007 - An audience of about 30 assembled from the University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce (Leesburg, Va) for a 2 hour workshop on Titanic lessons for IT. Great discussion related to Titanic's business case, and the relevance of calculating and measuring the business value of a project to an organization.
Ninth Article in
July 10th, 2007 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This ninth lesson-from-history article examines more closely how the solution was tested to the breaking point and put into operation as a "sense and respond" or adaptive solution in readiness for the forthcoming air battle.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 18)
July 9th, 2007 - This article looks at how Lord Beaverbrook focused on the problems of fighter production and took an unorthodox approach that brought in ideas and best practices from other industries.
PM World Today - Project Lessons from the Great Escape
July 4th, 2007- This article puts forward the notion of the Great Escape as a project in its own right, simply on the risks that were taken, the management of risk, and the lessons learned. How often do you come across a project were you are putting your life on the line with the outcome of a project?
Article in the National Post Financial Magazine
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007. This article by Cooper Langford, highlights how the Great Escape was a primer on the many hallmarks of great project management. Specifically, LEADERSHIP, TACTICAL SAVVY, RESOURCEFULNESS, ADAPTABILITY and ABILITY TO LEARN.
Press Release Article on the Great Escape
July 2nd, 2007 - As more soldiers are kidnapped in Iraq this article states there are important lessons to be learned from the lives of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) from the Second World War; especially, their state of mind, spirit, and resilience.
PMI Keystone - Harrisburg, PA
June 13th, 2007 - An audience of about 50 assembled for a presentation of Titanic. Lots of question at end mainly related to executive sponsors and projects.
PMI WestLake Erie Chapter - Toledo, OH
June 12th, 2007 - An audience of about 30 assembled for a presentation of Titanic.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 17)
June 4th, 2007 - This article looks at how Lord Beaverbrook and his leadership style made an immediate impact at the Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP).
Fourth Article in Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine
June 1st, 2007 - Guest Column: Winston Churchill's Supply Chain
This article further explores the sense and control (adaptive) system that was created by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command.
PMI Madison Chapter - Madison, WI,
May 17th, 2007 - An audience of about 50 assembled for a presentation of Titanic.
PMI NorthEast Winsconsin Chapter - Green Bay, WI
May 15th, 2007 - An audience of about 50 assembled for a joint presentation of Churchill followed by Titanic.
Eric Hoffer Book Award Winners - Business 2007
May 10th, 2007 - Notables: Churchill’s Adaptive Enterprise: Lessons for Business Today, Mark Kozak-Holland, Multi-Media Publications .
PMI North Alberta Conference
May 8th, 2007 - An audience of about 110 assembled for a presentation of the Great Escape. Many questions related to all aspects of the project and discussion of how ex-PoWs contributed to the presentation and the book. See The Great Escape Memorial Project. In the afternoon an audience of about 50 assembled for a Titanic part II presentation with a focus on Risk Management. Good questions on Ismay post disaster.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 16)
May 7th, 2007- This article switches gears and looks at how Churchill’s organization prepared itself for the air battle to meet his short-term objectives of staving off the invasion.
Eighth Article in
April 27th, 2007 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This eighth lesson-from-history article examines more closely the interfaces for information exchange and how the solution was integrated and prepared for testing and operation, in readiness for the forthcoming air battle.
PMI Manitoba - Conference
April 25th, 2007 - The first workshop was Project Lessons from Titanic (3.5 hours). This was followed in the afternoon by Churchill the Agile PM workshop (3.5 hours).
PMI Ocean State Chapter Dinner Meeting
April 12th, 2007 - An audience of about 60 assembled for a presentation of Project Lessons from Titanic. Good questions on comparing Titanic to the Challenger shuttle disaster and design flaws that crept in through the O rings.
PMI Long Island Chapter Dinner Meeting
April 11th, 2007 - An audience of about 60 assembled for a presentation of Project Lessons from Titanic. Interesting debate on Ismay and how you would convince him to change his outlook, a tall order.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 15)
April 9th, 2007- With an invasion imminent, this article discusses how Winston Churchill stiffened resolve, took the offense with decisive action and focused on the moral dimension of events.
Third Article in Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine
April 7th, 2007 - Guest Column: Winston Churchill's Supply Chain
This article looks at the demand side of the Supply Chain, namely where the fighters were directed to: Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command.
Seventh Article in
March 30th, 2007 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This seventh lesson-from-history article examines how the basic components of the solution came together and were integrated into a complex sense-and-respond solution.
Project World Canada - Toronto, ON
March 29th, 2007 - An audience of about 60 assembled. Preceded by an excellent presentation by Bruce Anderson - "The Mulberry Artificial Harbour Project - D-Day Lessons in Project Risk." Potentially another great lesson from history.
PMI DVC - Philadelphia Dinner Meeting
March 15th, 2007 - An audience of about 100 assembled in a great location overlooking Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Great questions related to getting the executive to recognize the value of non-functional requirements.
CSCMP, ASTL, APICS - Washington DC
March 14th, 2007 - An audience of supply chain specialists gathered to hear about Churchill's Supply Chain, and how Lord Beaverbrook turned fighter production around. Interesting questions on the pull model (supply and demand).
Nobilis - Washington DC
March 14th, 2007 - Lunch session broadcast to several locations. Great questions on controlling Bruce Ismay.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 14)
March 5th, 2007- This article discusses how Winston Churchill personally communicated using both verbal and non-verbal communication to fight the mood of defeatism, build confidence and get buy-in into his plan.
PMI Binghamton - New York Dinner Meeting
February 22nd, 2007 - One of the most picturesque locations for an event related to Titanic. Great questions related to non-functional requirements and command and control.
PMI New York City Dinner Meeting
February 21st, 2007 - In the heart of Manhattan a large audience of about 150 assembled to hear about Titanic. Post presentation questions focused on leadership and the actions on the ship.
Sixth Article in
February 13th, 2007 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This sixth lesson-from-history article examines in more detail Storey's Gate, Churchill's Bunker and the Cabinet War Rooms, a collaborative environment for decision-making, and its relationship to the Map Room.
Second Article in Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine
February 11th, 2007 - Guest Column: Winston Churchill's Supply Chain
This second lesson-from-history article looks at the RAF's WWII supply chain in more detail at how this was done and the key leaders involved, namely Lord Beaverbrook. Churchill appointed Beaverbrook as its minister, a close confident he had known since they both served in the First World War cabinet of Lloyd George. Churchill could trust him and gave him a clear mandate to transform fighter production. Beaverbrook, a newspaper magnate, was a no-nonsense man who could cut through the red tape of government bureaucracy. He was an outsider who would take a very different approach to accelerate production, lock-stepping the supply chain to the daily demands of RAF Fighter Command.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 13)
January 24th, 2007- This article looks at how Churchill put in place a communication plan to bolster morale in the government, media and public.
Fifth Article in
January 22nd, 2007 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This fifth lesson-from-history article examines article examines in more detail Storey's Gate, or Churchill's Bunker, and the executive dashboard and decision-making environment, or Map Room.
PMI Northeast Wisconsin - Green Bay, WI - Dinner Meeting
January 12th, 2007 - Quite an eventful trip resulted in a 4 hour layover at Chicago Airport, meant a hour delay in the proceeding. A core group hung on and made the trip worth while. Back in May to present again.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 12)
January 8th, 2007- This article discusses Churchill's background, and why he was so uniquely qualified. It also poses the question: What is a good background for a PM, what are the most desired traits and how important is previous project experience along with the battle scars?
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 11)
December 27th, 2006 - This article discusses the tactical choices Churchill made to meet the short-term objectives of his project, and the initial designs of the solution.
Project Management University Atlanta Georgia
December 8th, 2006 - A back to back presentation with 10 question quiz, tried for the first time.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 10)
November 27th, 2006 - This article looks at how Churchill sets up a governance framework to transform the United Kingdom. Churchill inherited a governance framework but knew it was flawed, as he faced insistent criticism that there was no central direction of the economic effort.
Fourth Article in DM Direct
November 22nd, 2006 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This fourth lesson-from-history article examines article examines in more detail Bletchley Park, the role of intelligence and ultimately knowledge management.
Article on PRWeb
November 14th, 2006 - Designing Tall Buildings Post 9-11: Lessons from Titanic
As the construction of Freedom Tower proceeds at the site of the devastated World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, it raises questions about the feasibility of rapid evacuation from a tall building in a disaster scenario. Over 95 years ago, similar questions were being considered on the construction project that produced the ill-fated ocean liner Titanic. In examining the Titanic project, there are a number of lessons from history that can be taken away and applied to the construction of today's skyscrapers.
ICE 2006 Conference CIPS in Edmonton
November 7th, 2006 - ICE 2006 Conference brought together CIPS and the creative energies of Technology. Good discussion on risk management and how it related to Titanic each stage of the project life-cycle. Here is a review of the presentation by Basil Vandegriend.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 9)
October 23, 2006 - This article looks at how Churchill laid out a strategy with short- and long-term objectives.
Article in Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine
October 18th, 2006 - Guest Column: Winston Churchill's Supply Chain
How the RAF's WWII supply chain is a model of excellence for today's businesses. Today's organizations are striving to move to a more effective demand-driven supply chain. Not only must it be more resilient and cost-effective but, also be able to respond directly to continually shifting customer needs, and be able to reduce lead times. Here is a review of the article by Jason Busch
PMI Buffalo Professional Day 2006
October 18th, 2006 - Lots of discussion on Non-Functional requirements and how these need to be prioritized in comparison to Functional requirements. Also some questions related to whether the presentation was applicable to non-IT projects, like in the construction industry. In short, yes the characteristics are very similar.
Goodyear Akron OH Breakfast Meeting
October 18th, 2006 - Despite a strike there was a high turn out of 65 participants. Much discussion on the role of Bruce Ismay or the project sponsor in projects today. For example, how do you offset executive pressures for meeting a delivery date when you know the scope can not be met.
PMI Michigan Capital Area Chapter MI Dinner Meeting
October 17th, 2006 - An enthusiastic group showed a lot of interest in the decision making process during the final hours of Titanic, and the strained brelationship between the project sponsor Bruce Ismay and Captain EJ Smith played a factor in this.
PMI Huron Valley MI Dinner Meeting
October 16th, 2006 - Despite a late start the presentation ended in a lengthy question period. Some interesting questions included: What mistakes/blunders did Churchill make in May to October 1940? What alternative strategy did Churchill have if the USA had not entered the war? Did Churchill get any push back on the team leaders that he brought in?Why was Churchill elected out of power in 1945?
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 8)
October 10th, 2006 - This article looks at how Churchill’s position as PM was at considerable risk, and how he turned things around with the most significant speech of his career. Churchill later said “wars are not won by evacuations,” in all honesty to emphasize the point he knew the hard road ahead.
New Review of Titanic Lessons for IT Project
October 2006 - Book Review by Regan Windsor for Reader Views (9/06).
"Just as project management companies can gain valuable insight for future projects through the analysis of both successful and, more importantly, failed projects the project management world can benefit from an analysis of the failure of one of the world’s most famous failed projects. Not only does “Titanic Lessons for IT Projects” highlight the importance of testing, design, and ensuring the project does not become blinded by external agendas, it does so by providing real life analysis from an intriguing and thorough analysis of a historical legend. Full of fascinating facts and analysis it is easy to forget you are learning the facets of project management!"
PMI Rochester NY Dinner Meeting
September 26th, 2006 - A third visit to this nearby chapter in NY. A fair size audience of 45 PMs asked some good questions. One in particular related to controls around changes made to the initial design. For example, did the Architects go through a change mechanism when they compromised the bulkhead wall heights because of the First Class Dining room? The question really pertains to the fact that with a change order you would expect a risk assessment on the impact to the project. The answer is yes some risk analysis would have been done but not in a formal way as carried out today.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 7)
September 23rd, 2006 - This article looks at how Churchill, faced with the destruction of the British Expeditionary Force, is left with no option but to evacuate straining the Allied relationship to breaking point as we turn gears to Dunkirk and the end of the Battle of France.
PMI Mass Bay MA Dinner Meeting
September 22nd, 2006 - A visit to the historic town of Portsmouth, NH, was followed by a short drive to Boston, MA. A large audience of 150 PMs provided some well thought out questions. One related to the argument whether today's rate of project failure was actually improving, it is according to Standish Group. Another question dwelled on the role of Bruce Ismay (Executive Sponsor) to the Architects, there was no project manager, so Thomas Andrews was the closest thing. Could the Architects simply have said no? Here is a review of the presentation by Michelle Runge.
PMI NH Dinner Meeting
September 21st, 2006 - A long but very scenic drive to Manchester, NH. Some very interesting questions related to Titanic's sister ship Britannic, and how this ship's short career ended in disaster, by a sea-mine or torpedo, even though the builders Harland and Wolff had transferred lesson learned from Titanic.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 6)
September 5th 2006 - When we last left you, Churchill was thrust into the cauldron of war on May 10, 1940, and assessed problems ahead of him. This article looks at how the project went from bad to worse.
Third Article in
August 18th 2006 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This third lesson-from-history article examines article examines in more detail the supply chain run by Whitehall. Within an incredibly short time frame, Whitehall revolutionized the fighter supply chain and turned it to a demand-driven model, driven by and synchronized closely to Bentley Prior. The example reveals how the concepts of supply chain visibility and agility, just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing and zero inventories were introduced to offset a pending disaster.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 5)
August 14th 2006 - As our Lessons from History series continues, Churchill assesses the problems that could have catastrophic consequences.
Lights Out at PMI CVC Dinner Meeting (Richmond West End)
July 20th, 2006 - Have you ever arrived at a speaking event and the local area is suffering a power outage. With stifling temperatures outside (100+) the room quickly warmed up and the presentation was going to be done with handouts to 70+ attendees (Kinkos to the rescue). Fortunately the power came back on with less than 5 minutes before the presentation start. The organizers handled the tough situation superbly.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 4)
July 10th 2006 - Churchill becomes the PM, taking over an all-important project and taking steps to boost the confidence of British politicians.
PMI Washington DC
July 18th, 2006 - Another phenomenal turn out to the presentation of Churchill the Agile PM. The world’s largest PMI had over 350 attendees and interest was high with many veterans in the audience. President Andrew Anderson said "he will never look at Winston in the same way." The executive board have done a great job in growing this chapter in leaps and bounds, and there are many learning lessons to be had for other chapters. May be an idea for a white paper or even a book. Great question related to the presentation as to "why did British industry go down the toilet after the war?"
Workshop on Agile Project Management
June 13th, 2006 - Mark ran a 3 hour workshop on Agile PM which kicked off with the basic concepts. The workshop then introduced "Churchill the Agile PM" as a case study, to put forward some of the key practices of agility embodied by his leadership style, and characteristics of the project. The workshop concluded with a discussion on the degrees of agility a project can undertake.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 3)
June 12th, 2006 - This article looks at the changing face of war from September 1939 to May 1940. Technology had changed war so that when it broke out, the Allies were grappling with how to respond, grounded in the mindset of the World War I.
North Alberta PMI Conference
June 2006 - Interesting discussion emerged after the Titanic presentation. Often mariners / sailors show up to the this presentation but this time it was an ex-submarine engineer for the Royal Canadian Navy. The discussion on functional versus non-functional requirements was of particular interest as on a submarine these are of paramount importance. In fact, most of the requirements gathered are non-functional. Taking this to a logical conclusion there are certain "mission critical" vehicles, submersibles, space craft, high altitude jets, that operate in a extremely hostile environment were this applies.
Second Article in DM Direct
May 19th, 2006 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. This second lesson-from-history article examines this decision-making environment at Bentley Prior more closely, how it was at the center of an integrated air defense system, and part of an overall sense-and-respond system used by RAF Fighter Command.
New Spin on Titanic
May 31st, 2006 PMI CTT - A new presentation on Titanic that incorporated a Risk Analysis of all the stages of Titanic's construction project. Each stage was analyzed with a risk process which identified the risks, and a risk response plan. The outcome was interesting in that it further reinforced earlier conclusions on the sinking. The presentation also analyzed the story of Californian and Captain Lord who was blamed by the British inquiry. Was he capable of launching a rescue and saving passengers?
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 2)
May 30th, 2006 - The second article in this series looks at the background to the "Project From Hell" that Churchill acquired, the events that led to it and how intransigence allowed problems to fester and get worse.
New Book
April 2006 - Author Jerry Manas, author of several brilliant series on lessons from Rome and Napoleon, has completed his first book Napoleon on Project Management.
What is it about Napoleon Bonaparte that has led recognized modern-day leaders to study his principles—and countless books on management and leadership to quote his maxims? For one, Napoleon rose from relative obscurity to rule all of Western Europe in but a few years—something the Romans took centuries to accomplish. He brought order out of chaos. He crafted an administration and civil code that is still in use today. His troops adored him, and the people admired him. Even his arch rival, the Duke of Wellington said, "In this age, in past ages, in any age, Napoleon."
Website Award
April 2006 - The lessons-from-history has been awarded a prestigious Website award from MyShelf.Com a book-related site aimed at readers and writers. MyShelf surf a large percentage of publisher and author sites, and present this award for "contributions to the reading passion." The selection criteria for choosing a site were: Appearance (visibility, clarity), Surf-friendly, Bookaholic worthy.
Gantthead.com - Churchill: The Agile PM (Part 1)
April 17th, 2006 - Move over, Titanic! There's a new Lesson From History series in gantthead town. This series is about the leadership of Winston Churchill the PM, Prime Minister--or better still, Project Manager--who came into office in a period of calamitous change and faced a potential disaster.
PMI NorthEast Ohio Chapter
March 15th, 2006 - Here is a review of the presentation in the NEO chapter update.
PMI Great Lakes Chapter
March 14th, 2006 - A very high turn out in excess of 100.
New Review of Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise
January 2006 - Book Review by Stacy Goff, PMP with a rating of (4.5/5).
First Article in DM Direct
November 11th, 2005 - Churchill's Decision-Making Environment published in DM Direct Newsletter. Today's organizations are faced with the problem of instilling improved decision-making with their employees at all levels. Some organizations have been able to achieve a leadership position through the use of tools like executive dashboards and real-time event models, and processes for institutionalized decision-making and competitive intelligence analysis. In the right combination, these can give employees an enterprise view of their business and the ability to engage in insightful customer dialogues based on meaningful intelligence.
Adapt to Change Tour
September/October 2005 - Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise is keynote. For CIOs in today’s fast-changing business climate, there’s a new reality: you’re no longer running an IT function; you’re driving a business.
Edmonton – September 21 Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel; Vancouver – September 22 Four Seasons Hotel; Toronto – September 27 Metro Toronto Convention Centre; Calgary – September 28 Calgary Roundup Centre; Halifax – October 4 The Lord Nelson Hotel; Montreal – October 6 Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain; Ottawa – October 12 Ottawa Marriott Hotel
Winston Churchill, the Agile Project Manager
October 2005 - Today’s pace of change has reached unprecedented levels only seen in times of war. As a result, project management has changed accordingly with the pressure to deliver and make things count quickly. This audiobook looks back at a period of incredible change and mines lessons that Project Managers can use today. Winston Churchill, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, was swept into power. With depleted forces and no organized defense, the situation required a near miracle. Churchill had to mobilize quickly and act with agility to assemble a defense. He had to make the right investment choices, pour resources in, and deliver a complete project in time to save his country. This audio looks at Churchill as an agile Project Manger, turning a disastrous situation into an unexpected victory.
Titanic Lessons for IT Project
September 2005 - Building upon the popularity of the first book in the Lessons from History series, this book presents lessons for IT project managers harvested from the project that designed, built, and launched the R.M.S. Titanic. Full of practical advice, this book builds on the most notorious "failed project" in recent memory, the sinking of an "unsinkable" ship.
Endorsements from PMI WDC
August 2005 - Washington DC, the world’s largest PMI presentation of "Titanic - Projects from hell." Photos from event.
Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise: Lessons for Business Today
July 2005 - This book analyzes a period of time from WW II when Winston Churchill faced near defeat for the British in the face of sustained German attacks. The book describes the strategies he took to overcome incredible odds and turn the tide on the impending invasion. The historical analysis is done through a modern business and information technology lens, describing Churchill's actions and strategy using modern business tools and techniques. Aimed at business executives, IT managers, and project managers, the book extracts learnings from Churchill's experiences that can be applied to business problems today. Particular themes in the book are knowledge management, information portals, adaptive enterprises, and organizational agility.
Testimonials and Track record
Taken from PMI chapters and event venues for presentations delivered from the lessons from history series.
New Publisher
July 2005 - Multi-Media Publications has agreed to publish new editions of the current titles in the series and to add new books. Multi-Media specialize in Project Management titles.
Article in the National Post
Monday, October 18th, 2004 Section: Financial Post: FP Edge Page: FE9 Byline: Mark Kozak-Holland. Plan for the unthinkable: Advanced Reading: There are business lessons to be learned from the mistakes made in building Titanic.
If you have any questions regarding these please contact mark.kozak-holl@sympatico.ca