Idea in Brief
The Context
A study of some 16,000 major projects—bridges, dams, power stations, rockets, railroads, information technology systems, and even the Olympic Games—reveals a massive project-management problem.
The Results
Only 8.5% of projects were delivered on time and on budget, while a mere 0.5% were completed on time and on budget and produced the expected benefits. In other words, 99.5% of large projects failed to deliver as promised.
The Outlier
Master architect Frank Gehry consistently defies those odds, producing projects of staggering beauty while meeting time and budget targets. Interviews with Gehry and his colleagues reveal four lessons, described here, for successfully managing big projects.