Cover to Cover

Organizational Project Management: Linking

Strategy and Projects
edited by Rosemary Hossenlopp
Chapter 3, How to Align Project Work with
onsidering just the title, readers
Strategic Vision. Raju Rao describes successmight expect this book to explain
ful techniques for aligning project work with
organizational project management
strategy. Several methods, models, and prin(OPM) beginning to end. Instead, it
ciples offered provide ways to think about
is a collection of contributions reflective of
individual situations.
the gap between general and project manage Chapter 4, Proven Business-Leader Actions for
ment. Editor Rosemary Hossenlopp mainProject Success. Michael OBrochta convinctains that classical project management
ingly weaves the argument for why business
needs updating in the organizational context.
leaders are important for project success,
She says the solution is OPM because it coorwhich in turn is important for business success.
dinates project, program, and portfolio man Chapter 5, Executive Imperatives: The Role
agement, helping close the gap between
of Project Sponsorship in Organizational
project work and operations or the customer.
Success. Randall Englund speaks to being an
In the preface, Hossenlopp identifies
effective sponsor by reducing organizational
what she calls myths about project managetoxins and creating green organizations
ment that need to change. Myths are barriers,
with respect to a healthy, aligned project
or narrowly focused limiters, to professional Management Concepts, 2010, ISBN:
environment, well supported by executives.
development of individual project managers 9781567262827, paperback, 193 pp.,
Chapter 6, Successful Business Transwho need to be more broadly focused and $37.05 Member, $39.00 Nonmember.
formation. Folake Dosunmu maintains that
business outcomeoriented. One myth she
OPM is the framework for business transformation, thus
cites is the proclivity of the profession to think project managealigning operations and project resources with strategy.
ment is about project managers. She goes on to say what must be
Chapter 7, The Effect of Culture on Projects. Abdur Rafay Badar
adjusted and points the reader to the chapters that further
tackles culture and its effects on OPM, offering tools for conaddress these myths. This confuses the books intent.
sidering both individual and organizational behavior.
The book is organized into four parts. Unfortunately, the
Chapter 8, Performing Assessments that Dramatically
table of contents does not reflect this structure, although nicely
Improve Business Results. Sara Nez says assessing the projdetailed subheadings for each chapter show the reader key
ect environment leads to organizational improvement,
points addressed. Beyond the books navigational issues, the
including significant business results as implied with one
contributors have useful things to say about achieving OPM,
South American service delivery organization.
which the editor tags an emerging trend. The authors present
Chapter 9, OPM Practices: The Turnaround of Indian
major current perspectives on OPM. Some decry the unrecogRailways. Pavan Kumar Gorakavi shares a case study of how
nized value of OPM. One notable observation in Chapter 2 seems
different OPM practices lead to the turnaround, providing an
to capture the current state of affairsthe project domain, not to
interesting map of practices to results.
speak of OPM, is not even recognized in major management
Chapter 10, Sustainable Success: Leaders Who Transform.
books. The ten chapters are summarized as follows.
Marcia Daszko poses that effective transformational leader Chapter 1, OPM: Delivering Business Results from Enterprise
ship is essential for organizational success, presumably in the
Strategy. Russ McDowell describes what OPM is about via cureffort to realize OPM.
rent standards relating to OPM. The challenge is changing the

way most organizations work.

Chapter 2, Organizational Alignment: The Intersection of
Strategy and Project Work. Jim Sloane uncovers methods to
align project work and organizational strategy through what
others are writing and then offers his own course of action.
Project Management Journal, Vol. 42, No. 3, 104
2011 by the Project Management Institute
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).
DOI: 10.1002/pmj.20235

104

April 2011 Project Management Journal DOI: 10.1002/pmj

Readers should find relevant topics that might help with

application in their own settings. They should also take advantage of the current bibliographies the contributors assembled,
as they reflect the literature on the emerging state of OPM.

Reviewed by Paul E. Shaltry, PMP, Partner, Catalyst Management Consulting,

LLC, Worthington, OH, USA.