We need to be clear about what we are talking about in the context of alignment. And we need to be clear about what alignment actually gives us in the context of portfolio management. In other words, just what is the problem we are trying to solve here?
Managing Change: Whose Job Is It, Anyway?
Managing organizational change is one of the big, hairy elephants in the room when we manage projects. It is one we all recognize and know about, but that we struggle to deal with effectively–or even sometimes to discuss. Why this is, and why this should be, is a bit of a mystery.
Improving Project Selection
Project initiation decisions live in the space between strategy and project management. To ensure the right strategic initiatives are supported, organizations need to reframe how these decisions are made, be it politics or processes. Here’s an executive-level roadmap with critical questions to begin a reality check.
The Paperless PM: Is It Even Possible?
Many, many years ago now, we were promised the paperless office. So what happened to the vision? What happened to the dream? What happened to all that lovely hippie stuff about a paperless society full of tree huggers? In a word: reality.
Evaluating Project Opportunities
What should executives and other decision-makers look for when evaluating a proposed initiative? Three ‘C’s’ — comprehensiveness, confidence and consultation — are helpful guidelines in making project initiation decisions. Here are eight questions that can be used to assess their presence in new opportunities.
Exercising Agency
When it comes to project initiation decisions, does your organization follow a rational, considered process? Most projects are beholden to politics, proceeding as the result of advocacy, persuasion and bargaining. And it is often the committed actions of an individual project “shaper” who wields the greatest influence on any given project’s approval.