The 4PM Podcast
Transforming 4PM through: Integration to Deliver Value!
The 4PM Podcast is the newest platform in the UrukPM Outreach Trio.
The outreach trio includes the Applied Project Management YouTube Channel, the Applied Project Management Blog Site, and the 4PM Podcast. We will use these three platforms in an integrated way to provide maximum flexibility and benefits to our community.
In these podcast episodes, we will discuss various topics related to 4PM. In this context, 4PM refers to project, program, product, and portfolio management.
Our topics include various educational content such as case studies, books, practical tips, the latest trends, the pioneering Uruk Platform, and future interviews with respected project management experts and thought leaders.
Do you have topics or questions that you would like us to discuss? Please share!
The 4PM Podcast
Why did I write Vision Realized?
In this special and personal episode, host Mounir Ajam kicks off a powerful new series exploring his book Vision Realized. Rather than another guide full of PM buzzwords and checklists, this book—and this conversation—is about transformation.
Why is traditional project management falling short? Why are so many organizations missing deadlines, blowing budgets, and failing to deliver true value?
Mounir shares the deeper “why” behind writing Vision Realized—a call to embed project management into the DNA of organizations as a strategic, leadership-driven function. He explains how Business-Integrated Project Management can help close the gap between strategy and execution.
This episode sets the stage for a trilogy of books and a movement toward real, sustainable change in how we lead projects and transformation initiatives.
Whether you're a project leader, executive, or change-maker, this conversation is your invitation to rethink the future of project management.
Explore more project management insights at www.urukpm.com
Connect with Uruk Project Management:
Uruk PM | Blog
Uruk Project Management | LinkedIn
Uruk PM | Twitter
Uruk PM | Facebook
Uruk PM | Instagram
Uruk PM | Youtube
#UrukPM #ProjectManagement #Podcast
Welcome to the 4PM podcast, where ideas take shape and strategies find purpose. I am Mounir Ajam, founder and CEO of Uruk Project Management, and I have a deep-seated passion for project management and community development, growing on decades of global experience across diverse industries and roles. I am here to guide you through the transformative power of the 4PMs project program, product and portfolio management, and our focus on business integrated project management. Let's explore how integration unlocks unparalleled value for you and your organization. Unparalleled value for you and your organization. Good day, friends. Welcome back to another episode of the 4PM Podcast. I am your host, munir Ajam, and, as always, I'm grateful to have you with me for another important episode about the real world of project management.
Speaker 1:Today's episode is a bit personal. We're kicking off a new series focused on my book Vision Realized, and in this first episode, I want to tell you why I wrote it. If you're expecting pages of technical jargon or another PM checklist, let me stop you. This book and this conversation is about transformation. Let me stop you. This book and this conversation is about transformation. Why is project management in its current form not working as well as it should and why do we need to look hard at how we lead change in our organization. Let's get into it.
Speaker 1:The short answer to why I wrote Vision Realized the high rate of project management failures. Plain and simple. For years I have watched as organization, as smart, resourceful, committed organizations consistently fall short on delivering successful projects Deadline miss, budget blown, value lost. And we can't just keep blaming the teams or the software or the methodology, or the stakeholders or the sponsor. The problem runs deeper. I saw this repeatedly. Project management is not embedded where it needs to be. Project management is not integrated with the business and the rest of the organization. Project management is not treated as a strategic driver. What we see is the common confusion, misguided focus, chaos, and the list can go on. In many cases, we are not equipped to deliver what organizations actually need value. We might talk about value, but many cannot define it or understand that delivering value must depend on business integrated project management. So this book was born out of a need to challenge the current mindset and today I want to walk you through some foundational thinking behind it. Some foundational thinking behind it.
Speaker 1:Let's start by zooming out. When we talk about projects, programs or portfolios, we're really talking about change initiatives and strategy execution. That's what they are. We launch projects and programs to implement change and transformation, and we use portfolio management to help link and bridge strategy formulation with execution. Whether you're developing something brand new or improving something that already exists, you're changing the organization in some way, and change doesn't happen in isolation. That's why successful projects require much more than tracking tasks and holding meetings. They require leadership, clarity and strategic integration.
Speaker 1:And here's something important when I refer to project management, I'm not just talking about project scheduling or progress reports. I'm talking about organizational project management, the full picture. This includes project program, product delivery and portfolio management all working together. That's the lens we need. We need to stop seeing project as side effort and start seeing them as vehicles of transformation. Now let's talk about the heart of the book. Project management must be transformed, and I'm not talking about more tools or buzzwords. I'm talking about a fundamental shift in how we structure and lead the function. We need to stop treating project management like an admin task. Instead, we must establish it as a formally recognized organizational function, just like finance, hr or operations. This is what Vision Realize proposes.
Speaker 1:It's the first book in a series on transforming project management. I wrote it specifically for the executive level audience, the leaders who actually have the authority to create real, lasting change. In the book I explore the current state of practice what's working, what's failing and what's missing. State of practice what's working, what's failing and what's missing. Then I make the case for change, because the truth is too many organizations are using outdated models, siloed teams and piecemeal solution. They're reacting instead of leading, and that's not good enough anymore. So I propose a different vision a future where business integrated project management is a core element of the enterprise. Where project management is connected to strategy formulation and directly responsible for strategy execution. Where the people leading projects have a seat at the leadership table with the tools and authority to deliver results.
Speaker 1:Vision Realize is just the beginning. It's the first book in a trilogy, each one building on the next, to support sustainable, long-term transformation. Let me give you a quick overview. Book one, vision Realized, is aimed at executives. It explains why transformation is needed and lays out the future.
Speaker 1:Vision. Book 2, successful Transformation, is more hands-on. It will guide organizations step-by-step to develop an effective and sustainable project management function by step to develop an effective and sustainable project management function. No-transcript. Book three will go even deeper. It will focus on various specialized topics that require more detailed change topics we've identified from decades in the field. This one will be a collaborative effort with other project management experts. Together, these three books form a roadmap, from realizing the problem to designing the solution, to driving lasting change. And all of it is centered on one big idea embedding project management into the DNA of the organization, not as an afterthought, not as a process checklist, but as a true leadership. Discipline, discipline, all right, my friends. That brings us to the end of today's episode of the 4 pm podcast.
Speaker 1:I wrote Vision Realize because I believe in the power of project management, but only when it's done right. This book is not a lecture. It's a conversation, a challenge, a wake-up call, because the truth is, if we don't transform how we lead projects, our strategies will continue to face challenges and less than optimal performance. I invite you to read the book, not just as a practitioner, but as a leader who is ready to ask tough questions and take bold action. We'll continue this series over the coming weeks, diving deeper into the themes and insights from the book. So be sure to subscribe and follow along and, as always, if you found today's conversation helpful, please share this episode, leave a review and connect with me on LinkedIn. You can learn more about Vision Realized and the whole series by visiting urukpmcom. Until next time, stay focused, intentional and always lead purposefully.