xix
Preface
Creativity is a word that means so many things to so many dierent people.
Yet, like most abstract concepts, everyone has an intuitive sense of what
it is but has diculty explaining it in concrete terms. Many people and
organizations seek to grasp it, knowing all too well that, once in posses-
sion, it can turn mediocre performance to levels of greatness not foreseen
by any individual or organization.
While this book also covers creativity for individuals, the primary
purpose is to enable and harness the creativity of project teams to achieve
even greater than expected levels of performance.
In my thirty-plus years in the corporate environment, I have had the
pleasure of witnessing and managing teams that had creativity lie dormant
and, when the circumstances became right, let the creative juices ow.
ese juices, if not managed and led satisfactorily, can either destroy or
enhance a person’s and an organization’s performance.
Project managers need to identify ways to capitalize on the creative
talents of their people and manage them in a way that not only achieves
the vision of a project but does so in a way that exceeds expectations.
By exceeding expectations, I am not advocating gold plating, which is
giving customers more than what they want. Rather, I mean enticing
stakeholders, especially the project team, to perform in a manner that far
exceeds the expectations of everyone by creating and improving processes
and products, as well as services, which result in innovation.
If you think creativity does not matter, just look at the dierences between
those companies that place little value on it and those that do. Companies
that fail to embrace the importance of creativity oen discover themselves
lacking the ability to adapt and thrive in a dynamic, changing economy.
While their products or services may have reigned supreme for a moment in
time, their success is oen eclipsed by their overcondence and arrogance.
ey get complacent and their output of products or services becomes routine
and protective. ey are too reluctant to change their processes or products.
Firms can arise out of nowhere, taking down a behemoth in an industry
through the application of creativity, and become the new market leaders.
I remember watching a television interview with Bill Gates, the
founder of Microso. He said something to the eect that one of his
xx • Preface
biggest fearsisthat someone in a garage could develop soware that could
essentially jeopardize his company. at’s just how powerful creativity is.
Contrary to popular belief, creativity is not reserved for madmen or
people of dysfunctional behavior. Everyone on a project team has it, and
every team uses it to some degree or another. Unfortunately, creativity is
like energy. It resides in everyone, but for the most part remains untapped.
In this book, I want to provide project managers with thoughts, tools, and
techniques that will enable them to tap creative energy and direct it to
achieving the goals and objectives of projects.
I also want to thank Ameeta Chainani for taking time to review the
manuscript and providing insights for improving it.
Ralph Kliem
President, LeanPM, LLC
http://www.theleanpm.com
Ralph@theleanpm.com
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