Summary
At the outset of his book, John Brinkworth explains the problem of "The Divide" by exclaiming simply that: "Business and projects tend not to mix. They do not understand each other".[17] The whole book is then devoted to addressing that problem in all the ways that trouble can arise as a consequence of the progressive activities of a project.
This is indeed a wonderfully pragmatic book that identifies almost all of the hurdles that every project naturally encounters at the interface between itself and its contributing stakeholders, all through its life span. By identifying the needs of both sides, John points to ways in which natural but serious differences can be reconciled. The trick is to bring both sides together both formally and informally so that a mutual understanding of each other's interests can be achieved, one that leads to trust and cooperation.
This book is well worth keeping handy, for reviewing in part as your project proceeds through its life span. This will help the reader to spot any resistance to progress that might otherwise go unnoticed, and what to do about it. We only wish that we had had the advantage of the insights provided in this book when we started practicing project management, at first in the construction industry.
R. Max Wideman
Fellow, PMI
17. Ibid, p1
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Downside