Companies are managing more and more projects while having less and less time to correct mistakes. The temptation to rely uncritically on safe tools, techniques, or frameworks is understandable, but in fact, these must be interpreted and used by people capable of coordinating them and adapting them to the context.
Separating the technical dimension from the human one in project management, according to Marco Sampietro, is a “logical stretch”: the success of projects depends precisely on the balance between methodological rigor and the quality of organizational interactions. Consistently advancing this perspective, Project Management. Un approccio integrato a metodologie e comportamenti (EGEA, 2026, in Italian) has reached its third edition.
After an initial section that clarifies what a project is and how it differs from (and intertwines with) business processes, the book guides the reader through the entire life cycle: from ideation to planning, from execution to closure, all the way to the realization of benefits. This backbone is complemented by chapters devoted to operational tools (time, cost, risk, stakeholders), organizational models, Agile, and the impact of artificial intelligence. The text alternates explanations, business cases, and in-depth boxes, offering multiple levels of reading.
Sampietro suggests that uncertainty is a structural component of projects: initial estimates are inevitably imprecise, and the task of management is to reduce error, not eliminate it. From this stem recommendations that may seem counterintuitive: invest time in planning, reuse solutions that have already been tested instead of “reinventing the wheel,” and accept that many decisions will need to be revisited along the way.Equally relevant is the emphasis on the role of actors (project manager, sponsor, team) and on relational dynamics: leadership, communication, and stakeholder management become levers just as decisive as technical tools.
The book is aimed at a broad audience: project management specialists, function managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who increasingly find themselves working through projects. It is useful for those seeking an operational guide, but also for those who want to better understand contemporary organizational dynamics. In particular, it may prove valuable for those who need to coordinate cross-functional teams or manage complex initiatives.
On the same topic, Marco Sampietro is the Director of the Executive Program in Project Management. Strategie, comportamenti e tecniche per gestire i progetti con efficacia (in Italian).
- Publisher: EGEA
- Publication date: 2026
- Pages: 272
- ISBN/EAN: 9791222982076
- Format: Print, ePub, Digitabook.
MARCO SAMPIETRO is Associate Professor of Practice in Leadership, Human Resources, and Digital Technologies at SDA Bocconi School of Management. He also teaches Project Management and Agile Management at the Department of Management and Technology of Bocconi University.
