A specialist publication by Andreas Hosang · Hosang Consulting
Project management as an organisational capability
From the capability of individuals to the capability of the organisation
How organisations develop the capability to lead demanding projects together, effectively and reliably.
Eleven chapters in four parts · three appendices
- 01Individual capabilityExperience and improvisation
- 02Shared principlesSharing knowledge and direction
- 03Reliable leadershipClarity and responsibility
- 04Organisational capabilityRepeatable and able to learn
Many companies do many things right. They have experienced people, satisfied customers and a way of working that has proven itself over the years. That is not a given but an achievement, and it is the starting point of this publication. I do not begin with what is missing, but with what is there and holds.
And yet many of these companies know a moment when an undertaking becomes particularly demanding: an internal change, a system introduction, an integration or a one-off customer order. Sometimes such a project comes under pressure; sometimes it is going well and is meant to become even more effective. In both cases, the demands on clarity, decisions, leadership and collaboration increase. This applies in times of change just as in the core business, and it only works in the long run if not everything depends on one person.
“The good is often the enemy of the best. Precisely because much is going well, the step that would turn good into very good is never taken.”
In eleven chapters, this publication shows
- why project work places different demands on leadership than recurring routines,
- why standard answers often fall short in demanding undertakings,
- how an organisation strengthens its ability to lead projects reliably and effectively without everything depending on individuals.
You need no prior knowledge for this, and nobody will accuse you of shortcomings. All it takes is the willingness to look with an alert, honest and benevolent eye at what already holds and where more is possible.
All chapters and appendices on one page, in the order of the publication.
For whom and for what
By leadership I do not only mean executive management. I mean every person who is responsible for results that several people achieve together, from the owner to the head of department to the team leader.
An organisation consists of its culture, its existing structure and its way of leading projects. This publication deliberately concentrates on how project work is handled: change initiatives as well as customer orders that are carried out as projects in the core business.
There is a clear boundary here. The culture and identity of an organisation are the foundation on which everything else builds. This publication does not create this foundation; it presupposes a culture that is fundamentally sound. Where the culture does not hold, other measures are needed that work at this deeper level. And anyone starting from scratch is in the situation of a start-up, which follows its own rules.
“An organisation capable of implementation is not one in which one person holds everything together. It is one in which nobody has to hold everything together any more.”
The trouser-pocket model
Everyone pulls their solution out of their own trouser pocket, off the cuff.
Three costs that remain invisible for a long time
- Not repeatable
- Not comparable
- Not able to learn
Shared method
A few load-bearing guard rails instead of a hundred detailed rules.
When this publication helps
An internal change is coming up. Eight questions decide whether the new reliably becomes the proven. → Chapter 5
A system is being introduced or an integration is coming up. The maturity model helps to make visible the organisational prerequisites that can be relevant when systems are introduced. → Chapter 7
A one-off customer order is handled as a project. Every organisation needs stable line structures and the ability to lead time-limited projects. Both can be part of the core business. → Chapter 1
Three perspectives and one tool
- What needs to be clarified?The eight areas of clarification→ Chapter 5
- Who carries which responsibility, and where?The five levels of responsibility in the reference model→ Chapter 10
- How far has the organisation come?The maturity level in six levels→ Chapter 7
- And your next undertaking?A thinking tool, not a test→ Chapter 11
The three perspectives cut across one another and cannot be reduced to one another.
How I handle evidence
These pages contain four kinds of statements, and you should be able to tell at any time which one you are reading:
- Evidence-based. The statement rests on a specific study that I name, and I say so when the evidence is disputed.
- Research points to it. There is relevant research, but the statement goes further than a single robust finding.
- Experience and thesis. The statement is a well-founded assumption from practice, but not proven.
- Open. I consider a question important and have no reliable answer to it.
Material for further depth is set apart under “For context” and “How I know this”. Anyone who skips these parts loses nothing of the line of thought. Everything together, including what I do not know, can be found under “Evidence, theses and open questions”.
Contents
Part I · The starting point
- 1Line and projectEvery organisation needs stable line structures and the ability to lead time-limited projects. Both can be part of the core business.
- 2When the new can no longer be handled by calling across the roomAs long as an organisation is small, the new succeeds on the side. That changes, and nobody decides when.
- 3From improvisation to a shared methodThe new is often handled by improvisation. With capable people this works surprisingly well, and that is exactly the trap.
- 4The usual answers and what they lackWhen the new stalls, many reach for the same remedies. Each is understandable, and each treats the visible rather than the cause.
Part II · The map
- 5The eight areas of clarificationEight questions decide whether the new reliably becomes the proven.
- 6An organisation that recognises itselfA story assembled from several real cases: much is going well, and yet something no longer runs smoothly with the new.
- 7Maturity level: where your organisation stands todayTwo pictures help to determine where you stand: the eight areas of clarification and the maturity level in six levels.
Part III · Clarity that lasts
- 8The three most common mistakesAnyone who wants to bring order to handling the new almost always stumbles over the same three stones.
- 9Knowledge that staysWhat can be delegated, what cannot, and why knowledge must not live only in heads.
- 10The reference model: working differently, leading togetherProjects are different. The way an organisation leads them does not have to be different from scratch every time.
Appendices
- Evidence, theses and open questions: What is backed by evidence, what research points to, what is experience and thesis and what remains open.
- Glossary: The technical terms, from governance to reference model, from HERMES to SIA.
- Sources of thought: Six sources that have shaped my thinking, expressly not evidence.
About the author
I, Andreas Hosang, write this publication and am responsible for it. It is published by Hosang Consulting. → Career
Further reading
- Article: Why transformation often fails not because of strategy, but because of missing capabilities
- Article: When knowledge leaves the organisation
- Publication: Go-to-Market Steering Model
If you are looking for support with a demanding undertaking, I describe how I work under “External Project Leadership and Project Management”.
The photos in this publication were generated with AI.