Category Archives: Portfolios

Will this PMO flourish or fade? Vanguard Solutions is struggling with a chaotic collection of projects that often run late, cost much more than expected, and disappoint customers.  Tyra Frerichs, […]

Attaining the highest levels of project management maturity is expensive, difficult, and has diminishing returns. Don’t be satisfied lingering at level 1, but don’t feel bad if you’re not at level 5.

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. 

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. 

This simple dashboard for a small portfolio it is a great way to communicate, monitor status, and encourage good discussions about what projects can or should be undertaken.