Where adaptive project management delivers the most
Adaptive project management is particularly effective wherever certainty of planning and the ability to adapt are needed at the same time. In the automotive industry, for example, milestones and documentation requirements are anchored in the traditional way while development cycles are run in an agile manner. In IT transformation projects the overall structure is planned traditionally and individual subprojects are delivered iteratively. And in change projects a strategic frame provides the stable basis while the operational delivery and feedback loops stay agile.
This assumes that the project managers know what they are doing. Adaptive project management is more demanding than applying a single method: it requires a deep understanding of both worlds and the ability to decide according to the situation.
The most common mistake when starting with adaptive project management
The most common mistake when starting with adaptive project management: copying the framework another company uses without checking whether it fits your own situation. The first step always has to be an honest analysis of your own project landscape. Which projects are running right now? Which phases can be planned and which cannot? What do stakeholders, regulators and clients require?
On that basis you can define which phases are run traditionally and which are run in an agile way, and that decision should be documented explicitly in the project charter. Nothing creates more friction in adaptive projects than unclear expectations about how work is actually done. Clear roles, adapted tools and, something that is often underestimated, targeted qualification of the project teams are the other building blocks of a successful start.
