strategy questions by a project manager - pmp

JONATHAN DONADO

Strategy Questions

by a Project Manager (PMP)

Chicago ChapterLinkedin.com/in/jonathandonado

In Knowledge Sharing Meeting of the PMI Chicago Chapter about “How

Strategy is Aligned to Project Management?” facilitated by Jonathan

Donado, the following 63 questions were asked by the audience:

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The Audience Questions

Linkedin.com/in/jonathandonadoJonathan Donado

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Question #1

PMI – Project Management Institute

What are the best resources (web sites, etc.) on strategy for Project

Management?


Websites

Question #2

Can we share some tools that help keep things aligned with the

organizational strategy?

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Aligning Strategy to Execution: Balance Scorecard

BALANCE SCORECARDRobert Kaplan HBS in 1990s

What you measure is what you get

Aligning Strategy to Execution: Balance Scorecard

BALANCE SCORECARD

Aligning Strategy to Execution

Robert Kaplan &

Norton

2008. They present their management system, which houses six sequential stages intended to help organizations capture what they call an “execution premium”—a measurable increase in value derived from successful strategy execution. They outline six stages in this system:1. Develop the strategy2. Plan the strategy3. Align the organization4. Plan operations5. Monitor and learn6. Test and adapt

http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/What-Is-Strategy-Execution.aspx

Question #3

Do you determine strategy first and project management is the tool that

helps you manage the projects to complete the strategy?

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Strategy >>> Implementation (PM)

http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/What-Is-Strategy-Execution.aspx

Question #4

Do you have a strategy development template?

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Strategy > Business Model Canvas

http://www.peterjthomson.com/2013/11/value-proposition-canvas/

By Alexander Osterwalder “Business Model Generation”

Question #5

How can I get a PMO started in a company where I am the only PMP

certified person?

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Strategy > PM Influence

https://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Publications/PMI-Pulse-Impact-of-PMOs-on-

Strategy-Implementation.ashx

Question #6

How can the PMO get a stronger voice into the 'C' level suite if not property

represented through the Organizational Chart ?

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Strategy > PMO Voice



Question #7

How can we best bridge strategy and project management ?

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Strategy > PM Bridging the Gap

http://www.herbrubenstein.com/articles/Implementation.pdf

COMMUNICATION

TOOLS: BALANCE SCORECARD

FORMULATION: SIMPLE STRATEGY

PMO

Question #8

How did you become interested in the topic being discussed?

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Strategy > Personal Interest comes from

EXPERIENCE

ROLES

INTEREST

EDUCATION

POST-GRAD

MASTERS

COLLEGE

RESPONSABILITIES

Question #9

How do projects get chosen to align with new strategies?

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Strategy > Project Selection for Strategy

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tech-decision-maker/prioritize-projects-to-align-

with-strategic-plan-116516/

FUNDS (MONEY)

PRIORITIZE

EQUIPMENT

PEOPLE

Company resources are

limited /scarceNeed a project selection and

priority system to ensure strong link between projects and the strategic

plan

Question #10

How do we ensure that projects we've taken on are still delivering the

business value that was promised in the business case?

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Strategy > Delivery Business Value

http://https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_58.htm/

BUSINESS VALUE

1. Continuous support from

SPONSOR

2. Realistic Project

Requirements

3. Measuring ongoing results

4. Feedback / Communication

To continue to deliver business value is critical

that the following occur:

Question #11

How do you balance Strategy and resource loading?

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Strategy > Resource Loading/Allocation

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tech-decision-maker/prioritize-projects-to-align-

with-strategic-plan-116516/

Strategic Planning: Resource allocation begins at strategic planning when a company formulates its vision and goals for the future. The vision and strategic goals are accomplished through achievement of objectives.

Budgeting: Once you have set your objective, you will need to allocate sufficient resources to accomplish it. In practical terms, this is often a matter of project budgeting.

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Question #12

How do you define a business strategy?

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Strategy > Definition

“Business Strategic” is the direction/path and scope of an organization over the long-term: which achieves advantage for the organization through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets and to fulfil stakeholder expectations".

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Question #13

How do you get executives to be more transparent with the PMO with regards to the business strategy? It seems PMO

tends to be that last to know.

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Strategy > Management to Support PMO



THE IMPACT ON PMOS ON STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION: Conclusions

Question #14

How do you manage project and strategy integration cross culturally?

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Strategy > Cross Culture Project Management

Time Orientation

Individualism

Communication

Project Manager shall be culturally sensitive and promote creativity and motivation through flexible leadership. The PM needs to promote an environment of cross-cultural communication with respect and understanding of differences among team members.

Main Challenges:

https://www.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recent_papers/2009%20PMI%20Anbari%20Cultural%

20Differences.pdf

Question #15

How do you use the tools discussed at your job?

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Strategy > Tools Used

https://www.gwu.edu/~umpleby/recent_papers/2009%20PMI%20Anbari%20Cultural%

20Differences.pdf

Tool Used: Business Plans, SWOT, Business Model Canvas, Balance Scorecard, Porter 5 Forces, McKinsey 7s

Question #16

Wouldn’t your company’s business strategy dictate whether or not to

initiate a project ? (internal or external clients)

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Question #17

How do you get more funds for resources? Best methods?

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Question #18

As a case study, looking at Yahoo, where did program and project

managers fail or was this more a corporate strategy failure?

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Question #19

Does all strategies include projects and the underlying management of them?

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Question #20

How do you ensure benefit realization is tracked consistently and accurately?

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Question #21

Does project management have any influence on strategy?

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Question #22

How does one get to be empowered to say 'no' to a project, without hiding

behind process ?

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Question #23

How does one put an end to pet projects that do not align to the mission/vision of the company ?

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Question #24

How is the growth of Agile project management impacting strategic

planning?

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Question #25

How much does the PMO influence either or both (agile project

management & strategic planning)?

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Question #26

How much involvement in the strategy from external PM? (6 months contract)

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Question #27

How should change of strategy be communicated to all shareholders?

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Question #28

How to effectively communicate strategy up, down and across the

organization?

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Question #29

How to identify the most effective project management methodology for

a project?

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Question #30

How to measure cost of risk for your project ?

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Question #31

I have seen a lot of divestment by formerly large companies, e.g., HP,

Abbott, and parts are being sold off. Does strategy come first before

projects, programs and portfolios ?

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Question #32

I majored in MIS, specializing in IT project management. While I have a little PM

experience from past work experience I have never been a real PM. How do I get

started towards a true PM career ?

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Question #33

If I gave you a laptop to plan your next project, what software would you want

on it?

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Question #34

I am interested to hear about the alignment of strategy with PM

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Question #35

In a large organization, how can a PMO do a better job to help facilitate project

selection/prioritization across departments?

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Question #36

In an acquisition situation, when two cultures are radically different, what type of turnover would be expected?

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Question #37

In the arena of IT, much focus is on new/shiny features that will advance

strategic objectives. How can we help the business to understand the

importance of underlying ?

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Question #38

Is having a $ value or cost avoidance the only true measures of aligning projects with business strategy ?

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Question #39

Is it always necessary to have a strategy defined around a project or is

it enough just to have scope and deliverables ?

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Question #40

What is the difference between tactical and strategic ?

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Question #41

Is there a recommended framework for aligning strategy with performance ?

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Question #42

Does this question of strategy and projects differ in large organizations

versus start-ups ?

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Question #43

Where have you seen project management efforts fail during

strategic initiatives ?

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Question #44

Please explain your experience in expressing the value of PM's to upper

management.

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Question #45

Project Management in the Federal Government

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Question #46

Project with PMO role in it, and without

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Question #47

What mechanisms do you recommend to address outcomes when project managers are contractors and no

longer at the company ?

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Question #48

Share your few thoughts on best business practices for Global Business

Management

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Question #49

Should each project management team possess own strategy?

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Question #50

Should project strategy be dictated by the shareholders or recommended by

the project manager ?

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Question #51

Should a strategy be bottom up or top down ?

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Question #52

Since many functions tend to become siloed over time, what steps can a

Project Manager take to insert themselves into the strategy

conversation ?

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Question #53

When would a project be chartered that does not align with the strategy

and why ?

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Question #54

What are common techniques to align PMO objectives with corporate

strategies ?

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Question #55

What are some techniques to verify strategic and project alignment ?

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Question #56

What are some ways to communicate that projects are not aligned properly

to affect change ?

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Question #57

What are successful efforts you have used to integrate project management

efforts into strategic development efforts ?

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Question #58

What are the major stumbling blocks to align strategy with project

management ?

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Question #59

What are the ramifications of strategic misalignment in project management ?

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Question #60

What are the ways that portfolio management aligns company's project

management practices with its corporate objectives ?

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Question #61

What are ways to view a list of strategic initiatives ?

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Question #62

What characteristics needed of a PMO leader ?

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Question #63

What is the best example of a project well aligned with strategy that you have led? How did that alignment

affect the project outcome ?

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Jonathan Donado

Bilingual senior general management executive with expertise in international business and

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A).

www.branded.me/jonathandonado