What is missing with traditional project execution? What projects have in common is that they are multidisciplinary and team members have to learn to work together, they need to be both creative and disciplined, and to work to a common aim. Approaches are needed that supplement the science of project execution (Process, Plan, Schedule, etc.) with the art of project execution (Leadership, Trust, Ownership, Teamwork, etc.) This will improve project effectiveness, efficiency and success rate. Helping the team to deliver the right outcomes in the right way.

1. The Art and Science of
Project Execution
Jim Siler and Shaun West

2. What is missing with tradi.onal
project execu.on?
What projects have in common is that they are
mul.disciplinary and team members have to learn to work
together, they need to be both crea.ve and disciplined,
and to work to a common aim.
Approaches are needed that supplement the science of
project execu.on (Process, Plan, Schedule, etc.) with the
art of project execu.on (Leadership, Trust, Ownership,
Teamwork, etc.)
This will improve project effec.veness, efficiency and
success rate. Helping the team to deliver the right
outcomes in the right way.

3. Our Story
Jim Siler – Experience in mul.ple project cultures has shown me
that the soL skills are the ones that make a difference. A company
focused on process and repor.ng was constantly inven.ng more
reports and missing the cri.cal issues. An expansion of trust and
ownership leads to a “can do” spirit in the project teams. Team
turned around and gained a reputa.on of being the team that
delivered the hard jobs.
Shaun West - experienced with projects in different environments
from product R&D projects to mul.-year, mul.-million dollar long-
term service agreements and more laSerly student based-
innova.on projects. A small project team can deliver major results
when they work collabora.vely. Large teams oLen become bogged
down in process and losing focus on what they were tasked to
deliver.

4. Suppor.ng Quota.ons From Sr. Project People
“Process does not deliver
projects. Leadership
does, and has to trump
process.”
Jack Futcher
“Leadership is the most
cri.cal skill; everything
else you can buy on the
street.”
“You can’t write enough rules to
manage complexity; … as risk
and complexity increases, it is
not sufficient. Leadership is
required.”
Hilary Mercer
“People strive when trusted; [this]
drama.cally enhances their commitment
and skills, which benefits the project.”
Chris3an Placines
Project Leader
NASA’s Jet
Propulsion
Laboratory,
Mars
Pathfinder.
Chief
Engineer JPL
Brian Muirhead
“What’s the key factor in
success . . . . People! Openness to
change, … but mostly a_tude. “The
breakthroughs … have come from
building a “team” based not on IQ
but on EQ.” Brian Muirhead
Peter Wilson
“The quality of results from any
collabora.on effort are driven by
trust and respect”
Jim Highsmith
Jim Highsmith
Cutter Consortium
Author 3 Agile
Books

5. What does research say:
Interviews of scores of
experienced major project and
company leaders of project
execu.on companies revealed
that PM literature and training
focus on the science or process
of PM. While the actual result
is insured by the “art” of PM.
Our experience is strongly in
agreement with the need for
both the “art” and the
“science” of PM.
What PM literature teaches and what PMs say they need:
99 1 55 45
1. The art of project leadership: Delivering the world’s largest projects
McKinsey Capital Projects & Infrastructure Prac.ce September 2017

6. Why the “Art” is important
Company Results in like
industries or divisions within
Companies are 20% - 33%
higher when the right
organiza.onal climate is
present
Source: Hey / McBer
“Healthy” or beSer led
companies increased their
earnings by 18%
Source: McKinsey
Leadership style is
part of the “Art” of
Project ExecuEon
Control the climate and get beIer results!
How to control the climate?

7. To address the gap between Art and
Science we offer three program op.ons
¡ Single day ”introducEon” to the art of project execu.on
¡ Two day ”immersion” to the art of project execu.on
¡ Five day ”block week” to the art of project execu.on
¡ Prac.cal examples are used, coupled with the use of videos
to support classroom learning-by-doing
¡ Focus on the art-of-project-execu.on
¡ Links to the science-of-project-execu.on
Introduc.on Immersion Block week
Art Science %

8. A program to link Science with Art in the
Project Execu.on Environment
Learning outcomes
¡ Understanding of the importance of both the art and science of project execu.on
¡ Able to iden.fy when art is more important than science
¡ Able to iden.fy when science is more important than art
¡ To understand it is not just about process
¡ It is about the complica.on of working with people
¡ To be able to reflect and learn from own and colleagues experiences

9. One-day ”introduc.on”
Day one
am What do you know?
- Project challenges
- Best prac.ce for effec.ve
project execu.on
pm Project Execu.on
- Controlling
- Sharing
- Repor.ng
- Leadership and culture
end Reflec.ons on the day
- Lessons learnd
- What could you use
- What was not understood

10. Two-day ”emersion”
Day one Day two
am What do you know?
- Project challenges
- Best prac.ce for effec.ve
project execu.on
Apollo 13 – bring them home
- Challenge
- Team work
- NASA video
Pathfinder – execu.on lessons
and crea.vity
pm Project Execu.on
- Controlling
- Sharing
- Repor.ng
- Leadership and culture
Wind turbines in Antarc.ca
- Team management
- Risk management
end Reflec.ons on the day
- Lessons learned
- What could you use
- What was not understood
Reflec.ons on the two days

11. Five-day ”block week”
… Day three Day four Day five
am
Two day Immersion plus
Cri.cal problem solving
- Crea.vity in projects
Different type of
projects
- Each team is given a
different project brief
Presenta.on prep
- Time to work on case
and prepare
presenta.on
pm Team Building
- The art of
communica.on
Project execu.on in
services
- External customers
- Internal stake holders
- Leadership and culture
and why they maSer
- Team presenta.ons
- Presenta.ons
- Group feedback
- Vo.ng and award
Reflec.ons on the day Reflec.ons on the day Closing and reflec.ons
on the week
end

12. Summary:
The Art & Science of Project Execu.on
¡ What it is not
¡ A cut and paste of the PMI
¡ A cut and paste of Agile
¡ 101 PowerPoint slides
¡ What is it
¡ Experience based balance of Art & Science
¡ Interac.ve relevant lessons in both art
and science of project management
¡ What you will get from it
¡ Perspec.ve / insight on both science and
art and how they compliment & need
each other
¡ A chance to prac.ce both
¡ A discussion with experienced
prac..oners
¡ Reflec.ons on your own experience