This core set of factors was identified as the framework for success through four separate avenues of investigation:

1. Interviews with executives on how they tackle project troubles and where they see the biggest benefits.
2. Research surveys with hundreds of project stakeholders on what is lacking in their projects and impeding their success.
3. Literature Research using time-tested and respected business books (see below) many of which are research works themselves.
4. Experience from nearly three decades of assisting companies in resolving core project failure issues (not just fixing a single project). These are not simply researched topics. These techniques have been used successfully.

Partial List of Referenced Works:

Project alignment, executive sponsorship, change management, governance, leadership, and common understanding. These six business issues are topics of daily discussions between executives, middle management, and project managers; they are the pivotal problems plaguing transformational leadership. Any one of these six, when improperly addressed, will hex a project's chances for success. And, they do—daily—destroying the ability companies to turn vision into value.

Without the foundation of a common understanding of goals and core concepts, such as value being critical to success, communication stops and projects fail.

Without change management, users fail to adopt project deliverables, value is lost, and projects fail.

Without maintaining alignment between corporate goals and projects, projects miss their value targets and projects fail.

Without an engaged executive sponsor, scope increases, goals drift, chaos reigns, value is lost, and projects fail.

Without enough governance, critical connections are not made, steps are ignored, value is overlooked, and projects fail.

Too much governance slows progress, companies cannot respond to business pressures, value drowns in bureaucracy, and projects fail.

Without strong leadership defining the vision and value, goals are not set, essential relationships do not form, teams do not develop, essential decisions are not made, and projects fail.

Numerous educators and textbook authors were consulted on the layout, content, and questions at the end of each chapter. The goal was to develop a post-graduate-ready book containing practicum with a slight textbook feel and accompanying curriculum. MBA and extended studies courses focusing on project management, business leadership, transformational leadership, governance, and strategy will all find Filling Execution Gaps a priceless supplement to your curriculum.

Additional material, template curriculum, and potential answers to some of the questions will be available online for free.

Evaluation copies for educators will also available. Simply This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Filling Execution Gaps is available through most major online and brick-and-mortar stores. Independent book sellers may need to order it for you. It should be available for shipping on November 7, 2017.

Here are some specific options: