8/31/2011
A liberal adaptation of
General George S. Patton’s
philosophies and speeches
to public works project management
• Arguably the most effective
allied general in WW II.
• Captured more enemy,
liberated more territory in
any army in history.
• During Battle of the Bulge,
turned his entire army and
marched 70 miles to relieve
Bastogne.
• Killed in an automobile
accident in 1945
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Strong leader, held subordinates accountable
Highly disciplined, insisted on discipline
Unconventional, innovative, brilliant tactician
Risk taker but calculated the risk
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• Not a team player with
colleagues
• Not a strong planner nor a
brilliant strategist
• Strong ego, very flamboyant
• Not a diplomat
• Often spoke without
thinking
• Often a martinet to
subordinates
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Very profane, amazingly so!
Had a mistress
Purported bigot
Little tolerance for perceived
cowardice
• Created much controversy
What Can We Learn From This Great
General?
Quotes And Writings That Apply To
Project Management
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“A good plan vigorously executed on
time beats hell out of a perfect plan
late”
“A good plan, vigorously executed on time, beats
hell out of a perfect plan late”.
Patton was a believer in both planning and in
learning from past experiences. At the same time,
he recognized that an organization can spend too
much time planning – to the extent that the mission
becomes compromised. Each project demands a
project management plan that includes a Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS), budget and schedule; a
risk management plan and a quality control plan.
The public project manager must develop a plan
before project initiation but not spend so much time
on it that it detracts from project execution.
Staff Officers Are To Visit The Front
Daily
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“Staff officers are to visit the front
daily”.
This quote from his letter of instruction #1 to the
Second US Corps underlines the importance of
getting away from your desk and out to the
action. To the public works project manager, it
means getting out to the project site and
personally observing what’s there. It means
visiting the consultant’s offices to look over their
shoulder, observe progress.
An Army, Like Spaghetti, Is Best Led
From The Front
Soldiers, like spaghetti, are best led
from the front”.
Like the previous quote, Patton was a believer in
getting out to the action and in being visible to
the troops. This principal holds true for the
public project manager who must lead a team,
many members of which do not work directly for
the PM. This quote is not limited to the design
team but to the public, stakeholders and
coordinating and regulating agencies.
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A Pint of Sweat saves a
Gallon of Blood
“A pint of sweat saves a gallon of
blood”
Patton, in spite of his reputation for speed, never
moved with haste. His operations were planned
and he insisted on maximum effort from his
subordinates. In public project management where
we are, in fact, as stewards of the public trust, we
must insist on quality from consultants and an
appropriate level of design review including review
in the field. We must have checklists before
releasing projects for construction. It’s far cheaper
to correct the design than to fix problems during
construction
No Plan Ever Survives
First Contact With The Enemy
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“No plan ever survives first contact
with the enemy”.
In spite of our best efforts, as a project moves
forward towards completion, it will change. This
means that the project manager must be flexible
and must accommodate legitimate changes.
Don’t Tell People How To Do
Something,
Tell Them What To Do,
Let Them Surprise You With
The Results
“Don’t tell people how to do something, tell them what
to do, let them surprise you with the results”.
Although Patton has a reputation as a micro-manager
and he did spend a lot of time and effort immersed in
learning the details, he also believed in the importance
of individual initiative. Similarly the public project
manager should identify the end product, be familiar
with all aspects of the project yet not stifle innovation
by over-managing. Respect the necessary prerogatives
of the designers.
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Take Calculated Risks But
Don’t Be Rash
“Take calculated risks but don’t be rash”.
Patton accomplished great things because, in part, he
was willing to take risks including exposing himself
personally to enemy fire. Public project delivery
involves risk taking. An important task for the public
project manager is project risk analysis and the
development of a risk management plan. Not to do so
is rash and exposes the agency and the public to risk
and unnecessary cost.
There’s Only One Kind Of Discipline –
Perfect Discipline
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There’s only one kind of discipline –
perfect discipline”.
Patton insisted on maintaining a high level of
discipline even during combat operations. Soldiers
were expected to be clean-shaven and in clean
uniforms. To the project manager this means insisting
on checking, on accurate project reporting, meeting
schedules and respecting other team members
Questions/Discussion
Suggested Readings on Patton
• Axelrod, Alan , Patton on Leadership, strategic lessons for
corporate warfare, Prentice Hall Press, 1999
• Axelrod Alan, Patton, lessons in leadership, the great general
series, Palgrave Macmillan, 2006
• Brighton, Terry, Patton, Montgomery, Rommel, Masters of
War, Three Rivers Press, 2008
• D’Este, Carlo, Patton, A Genius for War, HarperCollins, 1995
• Farago, Ladislas, Patton: Ordeal and Triumph, Westholme,
2005
• Patton, George S. Jr, War as I knew It, Bantam Books, 1980
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Michael S. Ellegood, PE
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Michael Ellegood has over 40 years experience in civil engineering, including
significant experience in design and management of multi-million dollar public
works projects. He has held senior management positions with leading consulting
engineering firms and public sector agencies. Mike specializes in assisting public
works agencies in training, developing and implementing successful project
management protocols to deliver vital public infrastructure projects.
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As the recently retired Director of Pubic Works for Maricopa County (Phoenix),
Arizona, Mike was directly responsible for the Transportation, the Flood Control
and Solid Waste departments and had oversight of all capital improvements
accomplished by the County including the multi-billion dollar jail expansion
program. One of the fastest growing counties in the nation, the Transportation
Department routinely delivered over a hundred million dollars of public
infrastructure annually. Mike successfully introduced performance standards into
the project delivery system, resulting in the consistent delivery of the CIP with a
construction cost growth rate of less than 5%.
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