Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
Who Moved My Deliverables?
Tom's latest eBook has been released on Amazon: "The 7 Myths of IT Integrations". Tom is also a Program Director for a large Midwest corporation and has been an adjunct faculty member at Walsh College. He has managed global web initiatives, data center moves and large multi-million dollar programs.
I was in a routine status meeting the other day when I watched a project manager get into a pointed disagreement with the CIO of the company over what the objective of her project was. The PM maintained that earned value is what should be focused on, along with number of tasks started on time, budget variance, phase-gates completed, etc. The CIO, correctly so, commented, “Look that’s all great…but at the end of the day I still want to know what I am delivering to the business, when and how much it’ll cost. That hasn’t changed in over 30 years.”
It struck me just how true the CIO’s comments were and the fact that the PM failed to communicate her message to the CIO effectively. I have noticed that there are a growing number of PMs that don’t necessarily identify with the service or product that their project is delivering. They almost seem to think that the templates, reports and plans ARE the project deliverables. In their mind, these documents represent the tangible fruits of the project manager’s effort.
In the case of IT, this may be a strange phenomenon of having had managers come up through the software coding ranks. Now that the individual has achieved the coveted position of project manager, they feel somewhat naked without having something tangible that represents their contribution. However, …
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