Innovation Lessons for Project Managers from the Creation of the First Jeeps
Paul Bruno, PgMP, PMP has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of project management and information technology. He holds bachelor’s degrees in management and computer software, as well as master’s degrees in business administration and history.
Projects represent change, and innovation often accompanies change. How we structure our project teams to facilitate necessary innovation can mean the difference between a successful or unsuccessful endeavor.
In 1940, the United States Army—woefully undermanned and under resourced—knew it needed a groundbreaking new vehicle for the coming conflict. How three firms structured the teams to develop their pilot models for the vehicle that became known as the Jeep provides a useful paradigm for how today’s creative organizations can build an environment where innovative projects can thrive.
The spring and summer of 1940 witnessed the resounding defeats of the French army and British Expeditionary Force at the hands of modernized German troops, who were designed to take advantage of the latest advances in technology. These included mobile vehicles and tanks used in formation to blast through enemy lines, as well as combined ground and air tactics.
The evacuation of the British from Dunkirk—and the final defeat of their French allies in June 1940—left only a thin line of English fighter planes between that island nation and total defeat.
Meanwhile, leaders of the United States Army, decimated by demobilization after World War I and budget cuts during the Great Depression, knew it was completely unprepared for this new type of mobile
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Published at Wed, 04 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000
