Reviews
"For more than a decade, I have been closely familiar with Laufer's research, consulting, writing and teaching. I am also familiar with the research behind his upcoming book, which exhibits the same depth of thought and creativity typified by all of Laufer's professional activities. All white-collar work today is project work. Experienced and less experienced project managers alike have all been waiting too long for this breakthrough in project management. In giving us the "real story" of project management,Breaking the Code of Project Managementcombines therigorofGood to Greatwith theconvictionofOrganizing Geniusand thespiritofIn Search of Excellence.No project manager can afford not to read and re-read this superb book." Dr. Edward J. Hoffman, Director, NASA Academy of Program and Project Engineering and Leadership, Praise for "Breaking the Code of Project Management"Many of us have been preaching for some years that the traditional analytical tools of project management best exemplified by CPM scheduling, have tiny impact on project success and failure. It's actually all about the behavior and interactions of people. Dr. Laufer has brought into one book an account of all the people factors, considered perhaps for the first time as a whole system. The perceptions and scholarship are inspiring and the breadth of supporting data and opinion impressive. Getting a large body of differently skilled and differently motivated people to work together to achieve a single goal whilst everybody is constantly assaulted by the unexpected is the real project management challenge. This book will be a tremendous help to the profession in meeting the challenge. Dr. Martin Barnes, President, Association for Project Management; former Chairman, Council of the International Project Management Association This is an extraordinary book and an exceptional resource for project managers. The experience I had in reading Breaking the Code was repeated flashes of "That's it!" A series of "nuggets of wisdom" that I would want to pass on to protégé project managers. Fairly simple concepts that are not necessarily difficult to implement, but are not intuitive and typically learned only through trail by fire. It reads like the combined wisdom and experience of hundreds of years, distilled down into the important 1% and presented as a workable model of project management mastery. It should be revisited on a regular basis to inform every project manager's changing reality, so be prepared to see dog-eared copies of this book on desks everywhere.Scott Tibbitts, Managing Director, SpaceDev Inc.; Founder, Starsys Research Inc. This is a significant book. Anyone who has read the typical offerings on project management should read this one as an antidote. Anyone who hasn't studied the standard works should start here and skip the others. "Breaking the code" means overcoming the standard procedures for managing projects. It also means figuring out how to really be successful. The book does both.Laufer helps us let go of the convenient fictions about well-ordered situations. Managers should be so lucky. Laufer shows that a "permanent white water" mentality is more apt. The tools that fit well-ordered situations aren't of much use in turbulent and complex environments. Fortunately, Laufer provides a set of strategies that are much more suited to the challenges facing project managers. And he gets this all across with a continuous stream of real-life stories.Dr. Gary Klein, author of "Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions"All white-collar work today is project work. Experienced and less experienced project managers alike have all been waiting too long for this breakthrough in project management. In giving us the "real story" of project management,Breaking the Code of Project Managementcombines therigorofGood to Greatwith theconvictionofOrganizing Geniusand thespiritofIn Search of Excellence.No project manager can afford not to read and re-read this superb book. Dr. Edward J. Hoffman, Director, NASA Academy of Program and Project Engineering and LeadershipThis book is the breakthrough in projct management we've all been waiting for real principles illustrated by real stories told by real people. Un, "Many of us have been preaching for some years that the traditional analytical tools of project management best exemplified by CPM scheduling, have tiny impact on project success and failure. It's actually all about the behavior and interactions of people. Dr. Laufer has brought into one book an account of all the people factors, considered perhaps for the first time as a whole system. The perceptions and scholarship are inspiring and the breadth of supporting data and opinion impressive. Getting a large body of differently skilled and differently motivated people to work together to achieve a single goal whilst everybody is constantly assaulted by the unexpected is the real project management challenge. This book will be a tremendous help to the profession in meeting the challenge." Dr. Martin Barnes, President, Association for Project Management; former Chairman, Council of the International Project Management Association "This is an extraordinary book and an exceptional resource for project managers. The experience I had in reading Breaking the Code was repeated flashes of "That's it!" A series of "nuggets of wisdom" that I would want to pass on to protégé project managers. Fairly simple concepts that are not necessarily difficult to implement, but are not intuitive and typically learned only through trail by fire. It reads like the combined wisdom and experience of hundreds of years, distilled down into the important 1% and presented as a workable model of project management mastery. It should be revisited on a regular basis to inform every project manager's changing reality, so be prepared to see dog-eared copies of this book on desks everywhere."Scott Tibbitts, Managing Director, SpaceDev Inc.; Founder, Starsys Research Inc. "This is a significant book. Anyone who has read the typical offerings on project management should read this one as an antidote. Anyone who hasn't studied the standard works should start here and skip the others. "Breaking the code" means overcoming the standard procedures for managing projects. It also means figuring out how to really be successful. The book does both. Laufer helps us let go of the convenient fictions about well-ordered situations. Managers should be so lucky. Laufer shows that a "permanent white water" mentality is more apt. The tools that fit well-ordered situations aren't of much use in turbulent and complex environments. Fortunately, Laufer provides a set of strategies that are much more suited to the challenges facing project managers. And he gets this all across with a continuous stream of real-life stories."Dr. Gary Klein, author of "Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions" "All white-collar work today is project work. Experienced and less experienced project managers alike have all been waiting too long for this breakthrough in project management. In giving us the "real story" of project management,Breaking the Code of Project Managementcombines therigorofGood to Greatwith theconvictionofOrganizing Geniusand thespiritofIn Search of Excellence.No project manager can afford not to read and re-read this superb book." Dr. Edward J. Hoffman, Director, NASA Academy of Program and Project Engineering and Leadership "This book is the breakthrough in projct management we've all been waiting for real principles illustrated by real stories told by real people. Unlike other books on the subject, Breaking the Code of Project Management tackles central issues and
