Instead of a call to action, in times of crisis people need “holding” – guidance on how to move with purpose. Holding acknowledges difficulty without giving in to powerlessness. Here are some pragmatic ways you can hold your organization.
The messy, uncertain time at the start of a new project can be a swamp – or a time of powerful innovation. Here’s how to take advantage of it.
The timing of a good decision is like a Goldilocks moment – not too soon and not too late. A technique called the last responsible moment can help you identify when that is.
CLARC spells out the kinds of help that managers and supervisors must provide during change.
Spreading your organization’s precious resources thinly over too many active projects is a recipe for lots of disappointment. It’s better to do fewer projects well by concentrating effort on them, even if that means fewer projects.
An effective portfolio manager is like an air traffic controller, ensuring that all projects in the portfolio are monitored and managed together.
Facilitators use the consolidation technique to intentionally build up a series of small agreements, like a bricklayer laying a sturdy foundation brick by brick and layer by layer.
Managing projects as a portfolio helps ensure alignment, just as flying in formation helps birds stay on course, avoid collisions, and conserve energy.
Effective portfolio management puts people front and center. Here are some ideas to stay focused on people.
This picture shows one of my favorite analogies for how portfolio management, project management, and strategy development should fit together.