Book By: Laura Barnard
Reviewed By: Russ Parker
The IMPACT Engine: Accelerating Strategy Delivery for PMO and Transformation Leaders
Publisher: Page Two
Pages: 336
Edition: First
Authors Pages:
Cost/Purchase Price:
Amazon:
- $26.96 – Hardcover (as of 7 Nov 24)
- $9.99 – Kindle (as of 7 nov 24)
(As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases)
Overview of "The IMPACT Engine"
The Impact Enginge consists of 336 pages and consists of 14 chapters.
The chapters within the book are grouped into the stages of Laura’s IMPACT Engine – allowing you to get a feel for the process she is teaching.
These sections are broken into:
Stage One:
New Role, New Mindset
Chapter 1 – 3: Sets the stage for The IMPACT Engine System and your mindset as the IMPACT Driver
Stage Two:
Assess the Organization
Determining the problem – what does the leadership and organization want
Stage Three:
Define High-Impact Services
Find the right solutions to meet the problems!
Stage Four:
Plan the Impact Journey
Develop the IMPACT delivery framework – work with stakeholders!
Stage Five:
Deliver Sustainable Value
Focus on the deliver and leading the organization through their change
Stage Six:
Evolve Your Impact Engine
Ensure continuous value for the organization and find your place at the table for future solutions!
First off, I’ve been listening to Laura’s podcast (linked below in this review) for about 18 months now. And for this review – I will fit some biases I have for Laura as I give you my feedback for this book.
As a project manager, I do have an appreciation for and interest in the PMO. Maybe it’s the miltary in me, but I enjoy thought of having a subset within the organization that focuses on the strategic alignment of my project to the organizations mission.
But the main question is – are all PMO’s doing it right? Are strategic goals aligning to projects – allowing the project managers to do what they do best and bring value.
Who Should Read?
This book is targeted for PMO professionals, especially those that are just starting off who want to make an IMPACT for their company.
But it is more than just for Project Management Offices (PMOs).
It’s a holistic book that takes you from problem to solution. And a resource that even a Project Manager and your stakeholders could learn a thing or two from reading.
The easiest way to put it would be – if you are involved with projects, in any way – this is a book you might want to read. And let me tell you why.
What I Enjoyed About The Book:
From the introduction, I knew this was going to be a worthwhile book. Properly titled “I Wish I Had Me When I Was You” – Laura immediately shows her expertise in an organization that hasn’t been around for all that long.
She is basically a pioneer in the PMO space. She took the punches, the long meetings, the unrealistic deadlines, and everything we love to hate – and built herself a system.
An IMPACT system that she proves can work.
This book is the lessons learned from all her years of hard work. Making it a resource that you can use to ensure that you have Her for where You are right now.
Throughout the book, Laura explains critical topics in a way that is easily understandable, relatable, and implementable in your own PMO’s. Whether that is taking the time to understand and address the right problem to changing management within your organization through habits.
Laura has a solution for your problems. The flow of the book is great – allowing you to not just comprehend, but to also develop your own plan of implementation.
I also enjoyed that this book is full of charts, images, and quotes that support and reinforce the concepts throughout the book.
A quote I really like and I think we all should focus on sometimes:
This book was an enjoyable read that I truly think anyone within the project management field could learn from and become better by reading.
What I Didn’t Enjoy About The Book:
Really, not a lot I can say I don’t like about this book.
Anything I say that I wish was in the book – it’s on her resources page that comes with the book. Because with the book, you get a TON of resources that allow you to actually follow along with the book and apply what you are reading in your PMO’s!
If I had to say one thing – I’d say the purple book. Noticeable (I did have two people what I was reading), but purple isn’t really my style with the usually black or gray shirt and beard.
Overall Rating:
About the Author
Laura Barnard
Summarized from page 315 of The Impact Engine:
With three decades of experience, Laura Barnard has spearheaded efforts to ensure the project management community achieves a higher return on investment.
Her groundbreaking IMPACT Engine System is a system that can drive organizations to new levels of business impacts.
Laura also has a non-profit, Project Management for Change – which has a mission to elevate the profile of the project management professions while changing the world for the better – one project at a time.
The 2021, Laura was recognized as the World PMO Influencer of the Year by PMO Global Alliance.
Laura has many contribution – check them out at her PMI Community Profile.
Link to Author Website:
Link to Author Podcast:
The Risk Blog
Thank you for checking out this book review for: The IMPACT Engine: Accelerating Strategy Delivery for PMO and Transformation Leaders by Laura Barnard
I highly recommend you pick up this book, take notes, and apply some of its contents in your daily life and projects!
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