Stephen Carver

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Stephen Carver Project Management of the Battle
of Hastings Stephen.carver_at_alsconsultants.co.uk
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Guinness PLC
Strategy will involve change and change is
something that is here to stay. Managers
throughout the business and at all levels have
got to recognise the management of change as a
core skill and opportunities as managers of
projects will become a key building block of
experience in many peoples careers.
Tony Greener Chairman, Guinness PLC, now Diageo
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Major Threats to the Success of a Project
Key to graph A Bad communication between relevant
parties B Lack of planning in scheduling,
resources and activities C Milestones not being
met D No quality control E Costs getting out of
hand F Inadequate co-ordination of
resources G Poor overall management H Mis-manageme
nt of progress I Supplier skills
over-stretched J Supplier under-resourced
55
A
37
B
36
C
31
D
27
E
24
F
23
G
17
H
16
I
10
J
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
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People dont like to plan - Planning is
unnatural - It is much more fun just to do. And
the nice thing about just doing is that failure
comes as a complete surprise. Whereas if you
have planned, the failure is preceded by a long
period of despondency and worry
Sir John Harvey Jones
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Learning from the Past

• Those who cannot remember the
• past are condemned to
• repeat it

George Santayana Philosopher
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1066 Battle of Hastings

• Was not fought at Hastings
• Was not between the French English
• Harold did not die of an arrow in the eye
• Was mostly about Planning, leadership
• and luck!

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Planning Spectrum
LINEMANAGEMENT
PURE OPERATIONS
PURE PROJECTS
Reactive
Proactive
Increasing level of Planning
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Edward the Confessor
In royal majesty, wise in counsel A gracious
ruler for twenty-four years. Ruler of warriors,
son of Ethelred, Greatly distinguished, he ruled
Welsh, Scots and Britons too, Angles and Saxons,
his eager soldiers.
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Contenders for the Throne
Harold Godwinson
William, Duke of Normandy
Harald Hardrada
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ENGLAND
NORMANDY
Duke Richard I 942-96
Aelgifu
Ethelred 979-1016
Cnut 1016-35
Emma
Edmund Ironside
Arthur
Harold Harefoot 1035-40
Earl Godwin
Harthcanut 1040-42
Edward The Confessor 1042-66
Edith
Harold
Leofwine
Tostig
Gyrth
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Contenders for the Throne
Harold Godwinson
William, Duke of Normandy
Harald Hardrada
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Project Management

• A definition
• The discipline of assuring that meticulous
  attention is paid to EVERY Aspect
  of the project

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What you dont knowcan hurt BUT What you do
knowcan be managed
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1047Truce of God

• No private wars are to be allowed between
• Wednesday evening and Monday morning. They are
  also banned during Easter, Pentecost, Lent and
  Advent.
• Penalties for non compliance
• death and/or excommunication

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I was bred to arms since my childhood, and am
stained with the rivers of blood that I have
shed. William Duke of Normandy
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ENGLAND
NORMANDY
The Fearless
Duke Richard I 942-96
The Good
Duke Richard II 996-1026
Ethelred II The Unready
Cnut
Emma
?
Duke Richard III 1026-27
The Magnificent
Duke Robert I 1027-35
Claim?
Duke William 1035-87
William
The Bastard
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finally Edward sent Harold himself to
Normandy so that he could swear to me. On the
journey Harold was taken prisoner, and using
force and diplomacy, I rescued him. Through his
own hands he made himself my vassal and gave me a
firm pledge concerning the kingdom of
England. Duke William
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Contenders for the Throne
Harold Godwinson
William, Duke of Normandy
Harald Hardrada
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If you dont know whereyou are going, you
will probably end upsomewhere else.
Dr. Laurence J. Peter
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ENGLAND
NORMANDY
Duke Richard I 942-96
1
2
Aelgifu
Ethelred 979-1016
Cnut 1016-35
Emma
Arthur
Harold Harefoot 1035-40
Earl Godwin
Harthcanut 1040-42
Deal
Edward The Confessor 1042-66
Edith
Harold
Leofwine
Magnus
Tostig
Gyrth
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• I kill without compunction and remember all my
  killings.
• Harald Hardrada

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Battle of Stamford Bridge
Beset on all sides, Hardrada gripped the hilt of
his sword and carved a pathway through the living
flesh of his foes. Only when he had killed many
men was he stopped by a English arrow which
sliced through his windpipe
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Battle of Stamford Bridge
That was his death-blow and he fell at once to
the ground and when this happened the English
attacked so strongly that all those who had stood
near him were killed. But meanwhile in
Normandy..
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1066 The Battle of Hastings
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(No Transcript)
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William
Plan A Plan B Plan C Plan D
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ENGLAND
NORMANDY
The Fearless
Duke Richard I 942-96
The Good
Duke Richard II 996-1026
Ethelred II The Unready
Cnut
Emma
?
Duke Richard III 1026-27
The Magnificent
Duke Robert I 1027-35
Duke William 1035-87
X
The Bastard
William
The Conqueror
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How the Project Managers Scored
Hardrader Harold William
8
18
24
Total/30
Percentage
27
60
80
But .
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After the Battle
William built castles far and wide, Oppressing
the unhappy people, and things went ever from bad
to worse. Anglo-Saxon Chronicler