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The Goldilocks Solution:
Getting It Just Right
Jan Asbjornsen, SCPM
program manager, Law & Corporate Affairs
Starbucks Coffee Company

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Goldilocks Solution
Have you heard of the Goldilocks
principle?
Something must be within a certain
range rather than extremes. Getting
something just right
Medication: the right dose
Economics: a sustained economic growth of
moderation
Astronomy: a planet must be within a certain
range of a star and galactic center to support
life

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Goldilocks Solution
What does Goldilocks have in
common with a
PMO/portfolio/program/project
management professional?
Ability to address a situation in a manner
that is just right: not too much or too little
Learning from experience how to “right
size”
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4. 403/18/16 4
Goldilocks Solution
So, how can the “Goldilocks Solution”
support your life in this world?
Let’s take a look……
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5. “Words of Wisdom”
To Contemplate
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“Words of Wisdom”
Quote from senior executive: am I
going to need a degree from MIT to
understand your presentation?
Can you make your point in 25 words
or less or at least on no more than
one page? KISP – Keep It Simple Please
If your listener has to ask you multiple
times for a definition of a term you
use, you might want to stop using it
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7. 703/18/16 7
“Words of Wisdom”, cont’d
Quote from customer: are you here to
help us or just prove how brilliant you
are?
Know the WIIFM (what’s in it for me)
for all stakeholders
Quote from executive: am I really
going to care about this next month,
next year……….
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8. 803/18/16 8
“Words of Wisdom”, cont’d
Defining what is out of scope can be
more important than what is stated as
in scope
Failure can live in unexpressed
assumptions
Perfect can be the enemy of good
(or good enough)
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9. 903/18/16 9
“Words of Wisdom”, cont’d
Don’t assume that management
knows the details of the work their
teams perform. If you need details,
ask the people who do the work
Is anything dire going to occur if this
doesn’t happen? Keep things in
appropriate perspective
If you’re an executive, know that
many people will hear your “can you
get this done by May 30th
” question as
a demand, not a question 9

10. 1003/18/16 10
“Words of Wisdom”, cont’d
Quick explanation of the difference
between risks and issues: an egg
sitting near the edge of a table is a
risk; the egg that has fallen to the
floor is an issue
Org change management is critical to
success: no matter how incredible the
product you deliver is, if the receiver
doesn’t understand how to integrate it
into their work and why it is important,
it is probably worthless 10

11. Things to Consider
For
Getting It “Just Right”
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12. 1203/18/16 12
Things to Consider
Assess the working environment.
What is the PMO/ Portfolio/ProgM/PM
maturity level of the:
Organization
Leadership
Team
Customer
Other resources and stakeholders
Is your purpose to execute/support
the company/department strategy,
just get work done, or other 12

13. 1303/18/16 13
Things to Consider, cont’d
Are everyone’s (leadership, team,
customer, you) expectations clearly
aligned, if not what can you do
Who is determining the final “value” of
your work and are his/her expectations
aligned
What is the priority of the following
elements: scope, schedule, cost,
quality
Who is making this decision and who
can change it
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14. 1403/18/16 14
Things to Consider, cont’d
What objections/obstacles/constraints
are you likely to encounter? Be
prepared to overcome them, if
possible
Have roles & responsibilities been
clearly defined. Are you sure?
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15. 1503/18/16 15
Things to Consider, cont’d
How much ambiguity exists in your
organization, processes, resources,
goals, objectives, etc.:
Can you counter it
How will you manage it
Note: studies show that in the absence of relevant
information, people will act as though there is no
information and decision making deteriorates
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16. 1603/18/16 16
Things to Consider, cont’d
What is the process and hierarchy of
decision making?
Who gets their say and who gets their
way?
Save yourself time and pain: review
lessons learned from previous, similar
work:
If a document is not available, ask
Look for: potential assumptions and
risks, and successes to repeat
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Things to Consider, cont’d
Establish success factors at the
beginning
How will each be measured
Have all impacted stakeholders been
identified? Ask everyone possible
Ensure that all stakeholders know the
WIIFM (what’s in it for me)
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Things to Consider, cont’d
Who is your audience for what
Have you considered their perspective
What language do they speak: technical,
marketing, call center, supply chain,
legal, construction …….
How can you relate/adjust the language
you usually use for
tools/deliverables/etc. to your audience
Example: The Project Charter is my contract
with you
Audience segmentation for targeted
message delivery 18

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Things to Consider, cont’d
What is the hierarchy of
communication: who needs to know
what, when, and how
Periodically check for understanding.
Written communications can be
misinterpreted and people miss
information given in meetings
Send at least decisions and action items
Don’t assume people heard you the first
time
Repeat, repeat, repeat…early & often!19

20. 2003/18/16 20
Things to Consider, cont’d
Are there enough human resources
with the right allotment of time
Do the available human resources
have the right skills? If not, what can
be done - reprioritization of work,
contract resources, etc.
Are there enough material resources?
What do you need and who will pay
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Things to Consider, cont’d
Do you have a way to assess when
you’ve exceeded your organization’s
“capacity” (people, budget, time, other
resources…..)
How does your customer and team
view risk management: a benefit or
something negative? How will you
make it a positive notion
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Things to Consider, cont’d
Is there an established methodology
If not, what processes, tools, templates,
etc. will be used
If yes, what is required/what is not/what
is nice to have
What will you do differently for technical
vs. non-technical work
What has a higher priority in your
environment: being true to the
academics of the methodology or
practical application
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23. 2303/18/16 23
Things to Consider, cont’d
Simple Timeline
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24. 2403/18/16 24
Things to Consider, cont’d
Simple Swimlane Diagram
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25. 2503/18/16 25
Things to Consider, cont’d
Simple Portfolio
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# SPA Owner Resource(s)  Project/ActivityName Start Finish 30 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24 3 10 17 24 31 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22
1
2 
3
4
5
6 
7
8
9
10
13
12
L&CA BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO
SEPTMAY AUG
Q4 FY14Q3 FY14
JULYAPR JUNE
KEY- FY14
Projects
Annual Activities
Support/Maintenance Activities
Programs
L&CAInitiatives
Unplanned Work
OCT
Q1 FY14
NOV FEBJAN
Q2 FY14
MARDEC

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Things to Consider, cont’d
What level of budget management is
expected and needed
Are budget tracking
mechanisms/reporting available
Have sustainment activities,
appropriate handoffs, and
responsibilities been included in the
plan
What kind of reporting will be needed
by whom and when
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27. 2703/18/16 27
Things to Consider, cont’d
Who is responsible for organizational
change management
Who and what will be impacted by the
results of the project and how will you
ensure that it is being addressed
Are you able to change course (or
influence the change) at the first sign
that the ship is taking on water
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28. 2803/18/16 28
Things to Consider, cont’d
Do you have a strategy for supporting
emotional intelligence on your team,
with your customers, etc.
Anticipate what could cause emotional
responses from whom and diffuse it
before it happens
If it happens, think about how you will
respond
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29. 2903/18/16 29
Things to Consider, cont’d
Since people generally remember
less than 25% of the initial training
they receive, what else can be done
to increase retention ongoing
How can you flex your style,
deliverables, etc. to accommodate
the needs of the business while
optimizing your expertize
How are you recognizing and
celebrating successes
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30. 3003/18/16 30
Things to Consider, cont’d
Is a professional PM managing the
program/project? If not, what is the
impact and what accommodations
can be made
Is the PMO manager managing
projects? Is it appropriate for your
environment and the project
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31. Summary
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Summary
At the end of the day, will you be
viewed as someone who provided
significant value and got it “just right”,
or
Will you be viewed as someone who
was just messing with their stuff?
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Summary
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The End
Q&A
A two page checklist is available
Contact:
Jan Asbjornsen, SCPM
jasbjorn@starbucks.com
206-318-1346