After writing my first two books, Culture Is the Bass and Workplace Jazz, I realized there was something missing. I provided guidelines for company cultures and high‐performing agile teams, but I had not discussed how to manage projects and portfolios. I had created books around the people, and now I needed to consider the processes of effective decision‐making and project portfolio management (PPM).

I began to dive into other books on the subject. While they had a lot of great information, charts, and technical information, they were essentially … boring. They provided tools but in a very stiff and institutional manner. I didn't want to do that. The world didn't need another tome that people wouldn't read and only stuck on their shelves to be seen by others on a Zoom call.

This had to be different. Something that captured the reader and brought them through the processes of effective decision‐making and PPM without putting them to sleep. This book needed to create a story from which the reader could follow and learn.

Then the pandemic hit, which meant I had more time to reflect on this issue, as people's normal everyday way of doing things was severely disrupted. People began working at home, and team meetings became virtual. People were forced to shift what they were doing, but they found themselves in difficult spots because they didn't have a plan. Projects went off the rails or were canceled because there was no mechanism for making the shift. It became overwhelming.

In addition, new challenges and projects arose. Again, team leaders had to adapt to changing landscapes and find ways to get their teams to perform. New goals were established, but the process of achieving those goals became a hindrance.

If you were used to having a morning meeting and then walking over to your teammate in the next office to ask a question, and all of that was taken away, how can you adapt? In addition, the way in which projects were handled changed. The analog way of things now was shifting to digital. As a consultant, even I had to adjust and meet these new challenges. The difference I observed between the companies that survived and those that didn't was how they handled making effective decisions and if they had PPM processes that were easy to follow. With a strong understanding and process in place, they could handle whatever challenges they encountered. They could easily pivot when it was called for and create new projects with confidence and ease.

I had created an online program to teach PPM, which has been very successful, but how could I convert that knowledge into a book people would want to read? I fell back on the adage that authors know all too well. Write what you know.

I know PPM not only from a consulting position but from a practical one. I worked with a law firm and other large companies to create a PPM system that worked. I had those stories I could share.

The second piece is my musical background. It is the story of my soul, and I have used it in my first two books to illustrate culture and agile project management in a successful manner.

I still struggled with the last piece of the puzzle – the structure. How could I bring my life as a PPM expert and my life as a musician together into one cohesive story?

I reread the book The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox. It is a business fable, and while it is over 20 years old, it still is engaging. Its purpose is to transform management thinking. I was on to something.

I began thinking about a business fable, a story that would be both engaging and would teach the principles of PPM. It was time for me to dig deep into my own life and find the storyline. And so Jerry, the protagonist, was born. He is a musician who is given the opportunity to become the personnel manager for the symphony he is playing with. He becomes quickly overwhelmed and must figure out how to meet all the expectations of his job. In the background are serious marital problems as well as an injury. He finds he is juggling multiple balls, and he is about to drop all of them.

He looks up his professor from college who taught business management. Dr. Carl Richardson agrees to help Jerry for the price of a cup of coffee. We follow Jerry's progress, and we learn directly from Dr. Richardson the steps of PPM. The lessons he teaches Jerry are drawn directly from my online course. I draw upon actual experiences in both my business life and my personal one.

At the end of the book, I consolidate all the lessons Dr. Richardson teaches for easy reference and practical application. My goal is to show how these principles are applied even when there are challenges, such as a pandemic. Jerry's confidence builds, and eventually he is juggling only one or two balls (projects) at a time, and he has developed a system of prioritization and execution. This isn't easy or perfect, and he has to adjust his strategies when they aren't working.

I include parts of his personal life because this is the way in which we exist. We don't shut out our personal lives when we are engaged in business. He learns to use the lessons acquired from Dr. Richardson and begins applying them to his whole life. In the end, he is happier and more goal‐oriented. He isn't merely reacting to emergencies; he is predicting where they can occur and mitigating them. This lowers his stress, boosts his confidence, and improves his newly minted career and his family life.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would love to receive your feedback and hear your stories about your journey.