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

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the 4PM podcast, where ideas take shape
and strategies find purpose.
I am Mounir Ajam, founder andCEO of Uruk Project Management,
and I have a deep-seated passionfor project management and
community development, growingon decades of global experience

(00:24):
across diverse industries androles.
I am here to guide you throughthe transformative power of the
4PMs project program, productand portfolio management, and
our focus on business integratedproject management.
Let's explore how integrationunlocks unparalleled value for
you and your organization.
Unparalleled value for you andyour organization.

(00:46):
Good day, friends.
Welcome back to another episodeof the 4PM Podcast.
I am your host, munir Ajam, and, as always, I'm grateful to
have you with me for anotherimportant episode about the real
world of project management.
Today's episode is a bitpersonal.
We're kicking off a new seriesfocused on my book Vision

(01:09):
Realized, and in this firstepisode, I want to tell you why
I wrote it.
If you're expecting pages oftechnical jargon or another PM
checklist, let me stop you.
This book and this conversationis about transformation.
Let me stop you.
This book and this conversationis about transformation.
Why is project management inits current form not working as

(01:30):
well as it should and why do weneed to look hard at how we lead
change in our organization.
Let's get into it.
The short answer to why I wroteVision Realized the high rate of

(01:51):
project management failures.
Plain and simple.
For years I have watched asorganization, as smart,
resourceful, committedorganizations consistently fall
short on delivering successfulprojects Deadline miss, budget
blown, value lost.
And we can't just keep blamingthe teams or the software or the

(02:15):
methodology, or thestakeholders or the sponsor.
The problem runs deeper.
I saw this repeatedly.
Project management is notembedded where it needs to be.
Project management is notintegrated with the business and
the rest of the organization.
Project management is nottreated as a strategic driver.

(02:39):
What we see is the commonconfusion, misguided focus,
chaos, and the list can go on.
In many cases, we are notequipped to deliver what
organizations actually needvalue.
We might talk about value, butmany cannot define it or

(02:59):
understand that delivering valuemust depend on business
integrated project management.
So this book was born out of aneed to challenge the current
mindset and today I want to walkyou through some foundational
thinking behind it.
Some foundational thinkingbehind it.

(03:22):
Let's start by zooming out.
When we talk about projects,programs or portfolios, we're
really talking about changeinitiatives and strategy
execution.
That's what they are.
We launch projects and programsto implement change and
transformation, and we useportfolio management to help

(03:43):
link and bridge strategyformulation with execution.
Whether you're developingsomething brand new or improving
something that already exists,you're changing the organization
in some way, and change doesn'thappen in isolation.
That's why successful projectsrequire much more than tracking

(04:06):
tasks and holding meetings.
They require leadership,clarity and strategic
integration.
And here's something importantwhen I refer to project
management, I'm not just talkingabout project scheduling or
progress reports.
I'm talking aboutorganizational project
management, the full picture.
This includes project program,product delivery and portfolio

(04:27):
management all working together.
That's the lens we need.
We need to stop seeing projectas side effort and start seeing
them as vehicles oftransformation.
Now let's talk about the heartof the book.

(04:47):
Project management must betransformed, and I'm not talking
about more tools or buzzwords.
I'm talking about a fundamentalshift in how we structure and
lead the function.
We need to stop treatingproject management like an admin
task.
Instead, we must establish itas a formally recognized

(05:07):
organizational function, justlike finance, hr or operations.
This is what Vision Realizeproposes.
It's the first book in a serieson transforming project
management.
I wrote it specifically for theexecutive level audience, the
leaders who actually have theauthority to create real,

(05:29):
lasting change.
In the book I explore thecurrent state of practice what's
working, what's failing andwhat's missing.
State of practice what'sworking, what's failing and
what's missing.
Then I make the case for change, because the truth is too many
organizations are using outdatedmodels, siloed teams and
piecemeal solution.

(05:49):
They're reacting instead ofleading, and that's not good
enough anymore.
So I propose a different visiona future where business
integrated project management isa core element of the
enterprise.
Where project management isconnected to strategy
formulation and directlyresponsible for strategy

(06:09):
execution.
Where the people leadingprojects have a seat at the
leadership table with the toolsand authority to deliver results
.

(06:31):
Vision Realize is just thebeginning.
It's the first book in atrilogy, each one building on
the next, to support sustainable, long-term transformation.
Let me give you a quickoverview.
Book one, vision Realized, isaimed at executives.
It explains why transformationis needed and lays out the
future.
Vision.
Book 2, successfulTransformation, is more hands-on
.
It will guide organizationsstep-by-step to develop an

(06:55):
effective and sustainableproject management function by
step to develop an effective andsustainable project management
function.
No-transcript.
Book three will go even deeper.
It will focus on variousspecialized topics that require
more detailed change topicswe've identified from decades in

(07:16):
the field.
This one will be acollaborative effort with other
project management experts.
Together, these three booksform a roadmap, from realizing
the problem to designing thesolution, to driving lasting
change.
And all of it is centered onone big idea embedding project

(07:36):
management into the DNA of theorganization, not as an
afterthought, not as a processchecklist, but as a true
leadership.
Discipline, discipline, allright, my friends.
That brings us to the end oftoday's episode of the 4 pm

(08:03):
podcast.
I wrote Vision Realize because Ibelieve in the power of project
management, but only when it'sdone right.
This book is not a lecture.
It's a conversation, achallenge, a wake-up call,
because the truth is, if wedon't transform how we lead
projects, our strategies willcontinue to face challenges and
less than optimal performance.
I invite you to read the book,not just as a practitioner, but

(08:28):
as a leader who is ready to asktough questions and take bold
action.
We'll continue this series overthe coming weeks, diving deeper
into the themes and insightsfrom the book.
So be sure to subscribe andfollow along and, as always, if
you found today's conversationhelpful, please share this

(08:48):
episode, leave a review andconnect with me on LinkedIn.
You can learn more about VisionRealized and the whole series
by visiting urukpmcom.
Until next time, stay focused,intentional and always lead
purposefully.