Strategy Questions by A Project Manager - PMP

JONATHAN DONADO
Strategy Questions
by a Project Manager (PMP)
Chicago Chapter
Linkedin.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:
1
The Audience Questions
Linkedin.com/in/jonathandonadoJonathan Donado

15
Question #1
PMI – Project Management Institute
What are the best resources (web sites,
etc.) on strategy for Project
Management?

Question #2
Can we share some tools that help
keep things aligned with the
organizational strategy?
15

Aligning Strategy to Execution: Balance
Scorecard
BALANCE SCORECARD
Robert 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 strategy
2. Plan the strategy
3. Align the organization
4. Plan operations
5. Monitor and learn
6. 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?
15

Strategy >>> Implementation (PM)
http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/What-Is-Strategy-Execution.aspx

Question #4
Do you have a strategy development
template?
15

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?
15

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

Question #6
How can the PMO get a stronger voice
into the 'C' level suite if not property
represented through the
Organizational Chart ?
15

Strategy > PMO Voice

Question #7
How can we best bridge strategy and
project management ?
15

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?
15

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?
15

Strategy > Project Selection for Strategy
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tech-decision-maker/prioritize-projects-to-align-
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?
15

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?
15

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.
15

Question #12
How do you define a business strategy?
15

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".
15

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.
15

Strategy > Management to Support PMO
Strategy-Implementation.ashx
THE IMPACT ON PMOS ON
STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION: Conclusions

Question #14
How do you manage project and
strategy integration cross culturally?
15

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?
15

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)
15

Question #17
How do you get more funds for
resources? Best methods?
15

Question #18
As a case study, looking at Yahoo,
where did program and project
managers fail or was this more a
corporate strategy failure?
15

Question #19
Does all strategies include projects and
the underlying management of them?
15

Question #20
How do you ensure benefit realization
is tracked consistently and accurately?
15

Question #21
Does project management have any
influence on strategy?
15

Question #22
How does one get to be empowered to
say 'no' to a project, without hiding
behind process ?
15

Question #23
How does one put an end to pet
projects that do not align to the
mission/vision of the company ?
15

Question #24
How is the growth of Agile project
management impacting strategic
planning?
15

Question #25
How much does the PMO influence
either or both (agile project
management & strategic planning)?
15

Question #26
How much involvement in the strategy
from external PM?
(6 months contract)
15

Question #27
How should change of strategy be
communicated to all shareholders?
15

Question #28
How to effectively communicate
strategy up, down and across the
organization?
15

Question #29
How to identify the most effective
project management methodology for
a project?
15

Question #30
How to measure cost of risk for your
project ?
15

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 ?
15

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 ?
15

Question #33
If I gave you a laptop to plan your next
project, what software would you want
on it?
15

Question #34
I am interested to hear about the
alignment of strategy with PM
15

Question #35
In a large organization, how can a PMO
do a better job to help facilitate project
selection/prioritization across
departments?
15

Question #36
In an acquisition situation, when two
cultures are radically different, what
type of turnover would be expected?
15

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 ?
15

Question #38
Is having a $ value or cost avoidance
the only true measures of aligning
projects with business strategy ?
15

Question #39
Is it always necessary to have a
strategy defined around a project or is
it enough just to have scope and
deliverables ?
15

Question #40
What is the difference between tactical
and strategic ?
15

Question #41
Is there a recommended framework for
aligning strategy with performance ?
15

Question #42
Does this question of strategy and
projects differ in large organizations
versus start-ups ?
15

Question #43
Where have you seen project
management efforts fail during
strategic initiatives ?
15

Question #44
Please explain your experience in
expressing the value of PM's to upper
management.
15

Question #45
Project Management in the Federal
Government
15

Question #46
Project with PMO role in it, and
without
15

Question #47
What mechanisms do you recommend
to address outcomes when project
managers are contractors and no
longer at the company ?
15

Question #48
Share your few thoughts on best
business practices for Global Business
Management
15

Question #49
Should each project management team
possess own strategy?
15

Question #50
Should project strategy be dictated by
the shareholders or recommended by
the project manager ?
15

Question #51
Should a strategy be bottom up or top
down ?
15

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 ?
15

Question #53
When would a project be chartered
that does not align with the strategy
and why ?
15

Question #54
What are common techniques to align
PMO objectives with corporate
strategies ?
15

Question #55
What are some techniques to verify
strategic and project alignment ?
15

Question #56
What are some ways to communicate
that projects are not aligned properly
to affect change ?
15

Question #57
What are successful efforts you have
used to integrate project management
efforts into strategic development
efforts ?
15

Question #58
What are the major stumbling blocks to
align strategy with project
management ?
15

Question #59
What are the ramifications of strategic
misalignment in project management ?
15

Question #60
What are the ways that portfolio
management aligns company's project
management practices with its
corporate objectives ?
15

Question #61
What are ways to view a list of
strategic initiatives ?
15

Question #62
What characteristics needed of a PMO
leader ?
15

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 ?
15

15
Let’s stay in touch
Linkedin.com/in/jonathandonado
twitter.com/donadosays
Jonathan Donado
Bilingual senior general management executive
with expertise in international business and
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A).
www.branded.me/jonathandonado

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