Do you want your project to succeed?This book provides the insights and tools you need. It explains why modern project management, largely focused on project controls, is not enough to make your project successful. You need the systems thinking approach to project management described here.This revised and expanded second edition includes all the guidance you need to design your project from the ground up to be successful – to ensure that your team is “on purpose” and that you accomplish that purpose!
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING!It’s tragic how so many good projects fail, and for the wrong reasons, even when one “checks all of the project management boxes.” Mark Steele reveals the flaws that bring projects down and prescribes a systemic approach that aligns purposes, resulting in projects designed for success. Read this book to incorporate the many nuggets of wisdom into your project practices. It could make the difference between failing and thriving!
Jason Magidson, PhD
Author, Engaged: Creating a Great Organization through Extraordinary Employee and User Engagement
Projects on Purpose is the go-to roadmap for project success. Any complex endeavor can benefit from these clear principles, synthesized in a way that helps the reader to lead challenging projects. Whether a new product launch, construction project, or technology innovation, these takeaways are applicable across the board. Mark Steele takes his wealth of knowledge and distills it down to what really matters.
Rachel Elias Wein
Founder and President, WeinPlus
A refreshing take on the Projected Management discipline. Reminiscent of my military past life - “Mission First – People Always”. Mark succinctly explains that without Purpose, this temporary project organization will be destined to fall into the trap of allowing PM tools to drive the project without looking at the project in a holistic manner. My copy is dog-eared and underlined and will be a must-read gift to the emerging leaders in my organization.
William Graf
Partner in Engineering Firm
Innovative. Well-presented. This work is a daring re-imagination of project management based on a deep understanding of systems thinking and decades of project experience.
John Pourdehnad, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
Mark Steele offers a clear path to accomplishing difficult tasks and increasing the possibility of project success.”
Phyllis Haynes
Award-Winning Video Producer and Journalist
As a 20-year Vet in the construction industry, I've seen many, many projects go sideways, and, in some cases, reverse. Almost all of those can be attributable to failures in communication and process. Mark's book is a crisp read on how to build a foundation for success. Practitioners should pick this up!!
Stephen Titus
I've been in the project management field for many years, and I've trained project managers in all industries. Mark's book has made me think about projects differently. For example, his definition of ‘project’ doesn't focus just on the deliverable; it puts the people front and center. So many studies on project management have found that it's the people and how they communicate that can make or break a project. Common sense but not commonly applied. I hope that people from all fields will embrace Mark's suggestions.
Ann Tomalavage, PE, PMP
Project Management Consultant and Educator
About the AuthorMark D. Steele, PE, is a project management consultant with over 30 years of experience across a range of project types and industries including construction, product development, manufacturing, software, and information technology. He holds a BS from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a MS from Villanova University.
