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Testimonials
From Events
References
From Events
"The presentation was
excellent. The parallels between the launching & sinking of the Titanic to
Project Management were astounding. I look forward to another of your
presentations."
Charles Pierce, PMP, Director of Programs, PMI NYC
"Mark: Your
presentation was great! Not only was it interesting to learn more about the
Titanic, but the correlations were so appropriate. Thank you for coming."
Kathy Z. Karpiel,
Worldwide IT Auditing, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
"Your presentation on
the Titanic was one of the memorable topics identified by our membership
during an after the year survey."
Jim Smith, Director of Programs, PMI Long Island
"Hi Mark, Attended
the Cincinnati PMI chapter meeting on 19 Sept, 2007. Your presentation was
not only riveting, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The best PMI presentation I have ever seen. Great Job…….!!"
Don Lykins
It seems that a
significant number of people enjoyed your 2 sessions (Workshops)...I have
read both books and really enjoyed them.
Jon Cook, PMI Manitoba
Conference
"Mark is a
captivating story teller with an important story to tell. The Titanic
project provides numerous lessons learned for project managers seeking to
avoid their own disasters." We will definitely want to schedule an encore
visit (the Great Escape) at some point in the next year or so.
Ryan Nelson MBA program
University of Virginia
"We received fabulous
feedback from your previous presentation from the membership and the board
LOVED it."
Allison Richardson,
Director of Programs, PMI OSC
"Your presentation was
excellent. Even though you title it as being related to IT Projects, the
content is applicable to all projects. Your book on CD is very reasonable
and I have several of my PMP's already lobbying with me to get their hands
on the ones I bought. From our Members, we received many excellent comments
on your presentation. PMI Western Michigan Chapter has had many excellent
speakers. I personally thought yours was the best one that we have had in
several years. I recommend your presentation for any PMI chapter. Please
feel to contact my VP Programs for a 2008 return visit."
Len Todd
President PMI Western Michigan
,
"Mark delivered an
interesting and timely presentation weaving the tenets of project management
with those of national (and international) leadership. His insights into how
Churchill approached his "project," (leading Britain through WWII), were
right on target and offered a unique perspective on how to achieve success
under the most difficult conditions imaginable."
Dave Maurer, Lieutenant Colonel,
US Army (Ret.) Vice President PMI, Washington DC
"This was a fascinating and very
relevant presentation to my projects. Communicating to the executives is so
critical and Mark did an excellent job highlighting what and how to do that.
It was very well organized and one of the best presentations I've seen."
Michelle Polito Strategy & Knowledge Mgmt
"Mark Kozak-Holland's
presentation of "Avoiding Project Disasters" uses a well known maritime
disaster "Titanic" to illustrate that had project management techniques and
methodologies been followed the ending may have been quite different. Risk
identification, assumptions and mitigations during any project are
frequently ignored or downplayed hoping for results that are wishful
thinking at best. Mark's unique analogies offer salient insight into
project details that can prove to be the difference in success or failure.
Highly recommended for those who seek to identify and resolve issues before
they arise."
Mark Wientjes Vice Chairman Professional Development, EBSIG
"Mark,
Thanks again for being our guest speaker. Thoroughly enjoyable and
insightfully delivered, the facts which you presented surrounding this
dramatic moment in history created a marvelous example of applied management
know-how. In spite of knowing the outcome, I found myself growing a bit
tense as you verbally advanced the calendar towards the historical date for
Germany’s invasion of Great Britain. The take-aways from your presentation
serve as both a teaching and reinforcement of very powerful winning
management techniques. Salute!"
Warm
regards, Jerry Behlau, VP-Programs
PMI –
Rochester, NY Chapter
"Thank you for the great
presentation! Keith indicated that the turnout was standing room only, and
that the audience was very engaged!"
Wendy Kotnik, PMP, VP of Programs
"Your presentation
today was outstanding! The comparison to the Titanic was brilliant!" Grace
Fan, Common Solution Delivery
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Over 119 Events to 7076 Attendees
Since the series started in 2002 there have been
numerous
presentations and workshops.
About the Lessons from
History Speaking Events
Mark Kozak-Holland puts a very different spin on
projects and complex business problems by applying
lessons from history. He has written
several books which use relevant
historical case studies to examine how projects and emerging technologies of
the past solved complex problems. These have been transcribed into a series of
presentations and workshops (see below).
Audience for
Lessons from
History Speaking
Events
Mark is a dynamic presenter and
delivers seminars for project managers, business executives, and decision
makers. Mark has been invited to speak to PMI chapters,
organizations, corporations, and at conferences (see testimonials).
Available
Presentations and Workshops
All
Lessons from History topics come as unique presentations or
workshops
(customizable to an organization's needs).
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Format |
Length |
Audience |
Description |
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Presentation |
1 hour |
up to 500 |
Standard
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Presentation |
1 - 2 hours |
up to 200 |
Extended Q&A
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Workshop |
4 hours |
up to 50 |
Half day
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|
Workshop |
8 hours |
up to 50 |
Full day
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Available
Speaking
Event Topics
This
includes a repertoire of engaging topics that help explain today’s
world and
provide lessons-from-history. These have been popular for public
organizations such as PMI Chapters and Professional Development Days. Download
abstracts and short sample presentations to understand the
format and the
learning objectives of these events.
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Topic
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Description
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Audience
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Titanic lessons
for IT Projects (Part I)
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IT projects from
"hell" that will turn into an operational disaster, focus on
IT
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PMs, IT
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Titanic lessons for IT Projects
(Part II)
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Focus
on Risk Management,
stage by stage analysis continues the story, and disseminates myths
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PMs, IT
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Titanic lessons for business
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Business lessons from Titanic’s
disaster, general presentation and the role of
executives in projects
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Business (keynote)
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Avoiding Project Disasters - Titanic
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This interactive workshop probes
in more detail every stage of Titanic's construction project
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Business, PMs,
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Project lessons from Great
Escape (Part I) |
Examines how an Escape Committee (PMO) were able to initiate a project of
inordinate scale |
PMs, IT, Business
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Project lessons from Great
Escape (Part II) |
A focus
on Risk Management the
presentation analyzes the project from a risk
perspective |
PMs, IT, Business
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Project lessons from the Great
Escape |
This interactive workshop probes
in more detail the initiation and execution of the Great Escape
project |
PMs, IT, Business
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Churchill the Agile PM |
Winston Churchill's “agile”
approach to projects and his skills as a PM in the summer of 1940 |
PMs, IT, Business
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Churchill’s Adaptive
Enterprise
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How Winston Churchill created an Adaptive Enterprise (organization) in 1940
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PMs, IT, Business
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Churchill’s Supply Chain
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Beaverbrook's story, how
zero inventories and
Just-In-Time
manufacturing created a demand driven supply chain in 1940
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PMs, IT, Business
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Churchill’s
Agile Project |
This interactive workshop probes
in more detail into
Churchill's strategy,
solution, and project |
PMs, IT, Business
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Titanic Lessons for IT Projects (Part I)
Every year we experience IT
projects from "hell" that we know will turn into an operational disaster.
But do any come close to a Titanic's
track-record of four years in development (1909-1912) and 4 days in
operation? Imagine you are in one of
Titanic’s
lifeboats. As you look back you wonder how such a disaster could have
happened. What were the causes? How could things go so badly wrong? No one
had expected it. Titanic’s
maiden voyage was a disaster waiting to happen as a result of the
compromises made in the project.
You will learn
from
Titanic's construction project and voyage, and how to take stock to understand key issues of project management to ensure success
long after deployment.
Download an
abstract or short sample of the
presentation in PDF format.
Based on articles published in
Gantthead.
Titanic
Lessons for IT Projects (Part II)
A good follow up to part I this
presentation looks predominantly at risk management
and how principal stakeholders
could have been more carefully managed.
You will learn
how risk figured in Titanic's
construction project, in terms of how risks where identified, analyzed and
then managed through each stage of the project. Part II also dispels some of the common myths around
Titanic like the impact of the quality of steel, and the cold temperature. The story of Californian
is revealed in some detail, and how the risk adverse captain refused to budge
during that night.
Learn how to apply Titanic’s
lessons on risk management to a
project today.
Download an
abstract
or short sample of the
presentation in PDF format.
Titanic Lessons for Business
This presentation highlights the
lessons from Titanic’s
disaster to a general business audience, and is the least technical presentation in the series. It focuses on the business view of
the story, and
the role of executives and steering committee.
You will learn
from the successes and mistakes of
Titanic's construction project,
how the executive sponsor can unwittingly compromise the project, and how to apply Titanic’s
lessons to a business
today.
Download
an
abstract.
Based on an article published in
the National Post.
Avoiding Project Disasters - Titanic
- Workshop
The long version of the original Titanic presentation follows the book
closely in a
workshop
style. This is targeted for organizations
with Project Management Offices, and a Project Management Practice, looking
to provide best practices to these bodies. By
careful examination of
each project stage you will
learn
how a project that was
so well
initiated
became severely compromised through executive pressures to offer the
ultimate passenger experience. The workshop highlights the balance that
Project Managers need to achieve between the business and the technical
sides of a project.
Exercises include keeping a risk log through the project
stages. Download
an
abstract.
Based on articles published in
Gantthead.
Project Lessons From the Great Escape (Part I)
This
presentation analyzes the Great
Escape project and
the efforts of the project escape committee using modern project management
methods and the nine knowledge areas of the Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). You will learn
from the successes and mistakes of the project
how the nine PMBOK Knowledge Areas came into play within the project
planning and execution, where people really put their lives on the line.
Download
an
abstract.
Project Lessons From the Great Escape (Part II)
This
presentation
analyzes the Great Escape project
from a risk perspective, one of the riskiest project ever conceived. You will learn about the types
of risks that were encountered, and how well the risks were managed (and not)
by the escape committee across the each stage of the project lifecycle, and
into the operation.
Risk response planning became an integral part of
Roger Bushell's daily activities.
Download
an
abstract.
Project Lessons From the Great Escape
- Workshop
The long version of the original
Great Escape presentation follows the book
closely in a
workshop
style. It examines how Roger
Bushell became the Big X (Project Manager) and led the Great Escape project.
It looks at his background, experience, and project management techniques.
You will learn how Bushell and the
project escape committee
enabled a project team of over 600 to
effectively work together to a common objectives.
This is targeted for organizations
with Project Management Offices, and a Project Management Practice, looking
to provide best practices to these bodies. Exercises
focus on the project charter and all nine
PMBOK
Knowledge
Areas. Download
an
abstract
or short sample of the
presentation in PDF format.
Churchill the Agile PM
Most people are very familiar with
Winston Churchill but may not be familiar with his “agile” approach to
project management and his skills as a PM in the summer of 1940. In June 1940 Winston Churchill was
facing defeat. Not only did he have to stave off an imminent enemy invasion
but, he had to quickly turn the UK economy around.
You will learn how
through a
governance framework he had to deftly organize the institutions and
resources around him to maximum effect. He had to focus slender resources on
the immediate threat, unify a disparate economy, and put it onto a war
footing to sustain total economic warfare, and direct its output to military use.
All the time he had to manage the situation and events happening around him.
Download an
abstract or short sample of the
presentation in PDF format...\Presentations\Sample
Based on articles published in
Gantthead.
Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise
Today organizations must sense
changing situations and respond to these rapidly. They must understand the
impact of business events in real-time, compare these against various
scenarios, make sound decisions and take actions to counter competitive
threats. This presentation is about reacting to these events proactively so
organizations can stay ahead of their competition. It reaches back into
history to show how an organization under pressure built an Adaptive
Enterprise, using the emerging technologies of the day.
You will learn how
In June 1940 Winston
Churchill was facing defeat and had to focus resources on the immediate threat,
and move the overall organization to a highly agile state.
Download an
abstract or short sample of the
presentation in PDF format.
Based on a series of articles published in DM Review.
Churchill’s Supply Chain
The
Supply Chain is seen as a relatively recent phenomena but Winston Churchill
established this as part of his Adaptive Enterprise.
The goal was to improve the supply chain and focus on producing essentials
that tied to specific demands.
Under the influence of Lord Beaverbrook this is the
story of how the fighter supply chain
was re-engineered in 1940, by the Ministry of Air Production. Production of
fighters was limited to two proven types which
were already in quantity production to improve agility and speed up output.
Fighter production was simplified by reducing the number of small and
disparate components.
You will learn how
best practices were brought in from the automobile
manufacturing industry. Business processes and
infrastructure components were connected which allowed
the production line to be broken out from large scale factories to much
smaller facilities. As a result, of all these initiatives a demand driven
fighter supply chain was
established that overtook Axis fighter production and supported the RAF to
sustain a prolonged air battle.
Download an
abstract or short sample of the
presentation in PDF format.
Based on articles published in
Supply and Demand Chain Executives.
Churchill’s Agile Project
- Workshop
Following the timeline from May to
October 1940 this interactive
workshop
follows the book closely and
probes in
more detail Churchill's strategy, project, and
solution. You will learn how
he set clear short and long term goals, created and enacted a communication
strategy to support his goals. From a people perspective
you will learn how
he set up a governance framework to
overcome institutional resistance, selected his project team and supported
his leaders. Churchill continuously challenged preconceived notions,
evaluated emerging technologies, and prioritized various initiatives. You
will learn how
the project
created a solution,
and took a broad view of the
solution elements. As the
solution became available in iterations
Churchill
used its information to enhance
decision making, and metrics to guide
and track
actions.
Download an
abstract...\Presentations\Sample
Based on articles published in
Gantthead.
Contact
Information
For bookings of Mark
for seminars, conferences, lectures,
and
rights relating to his publications. Please call Mark at (905)-206-4263
or
mark.kozak-holl@sympatico.ca
Mark is very passionate about history and believes it has relevance in
business today. Mark seeks out the wisdom of the past to help others avoid
repeating mistakes and to capture time-proven techniques. When you engage
Mark for an event you get more than just
the talk. You will walk away with a memorable experience, a story that will
stay with you, and will challenge your assumptions long afterwards.
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