1. Why do project managers and senior general managers see the reasons for project difficulty differently?
2. Why do the potential problems correlate more strongly with poor performance than the actual problems?
3. Overall, what do you conclude are the reasons for poor project performance?
4. Relate the findings in this article to the PM in Practice SF Turnback project control process and the PM in Practice Johnson Controls project management procedures.
5. Of the types of control discussed in the chapter, which type(s) is this article referring to?

Few project managers would argue the need for controlling their projects according to established plans. The challenge is to apply the available tools and techniques effectively. That is, to manage the effort by leading the multifunctional personnel toward the agreed-on objectives within the given time and resource constraints. Even the most experienced practitioners often find it difficult to control programs in spite of apparent detail in the plan, personnel involvement, and even commitment. As summarized in Table 1, effective program management is a function of properly defining the work, budgets, and schedules and then monitoring progress. Equally important, it is related to the ability to keep personnel involved and interested in the work, to obtain and refuel commitment from the team as well as from upper management, and to resolve some of the enormous complexities on the technical, human, and organizational side.
Responding to this interest, a field study was initiated to investigate the practices of project managers regarding their project control experiences. Specifically, the study investigates: