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The Language of Why
Aaron is the former editor of ProjectsAtWork.com
It hasn't always been the case, but project leaders and business executives are on speaking terms these days. And the language they're talking is portfolio management. Regardless of why this dialogue has been difficult to kick into gear, the benefits when it happens are real: cost savings and resource efficiency through strategic alignment, for starters.
Project portfolio management (PPM) is the language of why and what. At its core, PPM is about optimizing the execution of strategy, from planning and budgeting, to prioritization and resource allocation, to project oversight and review.
Above all else, strategy is the driver — the "Big Why" that determines what types of new projects and other initiatives are needed to achieve business goals, and what existing projects should be continued, delayed or buried.
Despite the best intentions and tools, some PPM efforts have struggled for lack of a discernible, or well-communicated, strategy. After all, the "how" of project management is only valuable once the "what" — a knowledge management system, increased security, a PMO, a better widget — has been shaped into a tangible project. And it should all start, every single time, with that "why" — the goals and objectives, the vision, the reason for being.
But intentions (even the best) and tools (even the best-of-…
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"When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge." - Albert Einstein |