Strategy for change

Posted on February 25, 2015March 2, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? Having determined the strategic direction for the company and stated the future state in terms of the vision the next step is to develop and deliver the strategy for change. This articulates the approach to be adopted and what work to undertake to pursue and deliver the strategic vision.

What it is not? It is not about developing a corporate strategic direction. Nor is it the definition of the strategic change that the initiative is expected to deliver.

What’s different afterwards? A clear route, employing appropriate approaches, to sympathetically achieve the change outcomes that the organisation requires is established and shared.

Compelling Business Case

Posted on February 25, 2015March 2, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? A compelling business case is the keystone for effective sponsorship; articulating clearly the balance between ‘desirability’ (benefits) and ‘do-ability’ (cost and risk) to enable good decision making.

What it is not? A compelling business case is not a ‘sales’ document designed to mislead by misstating the comparative value of a candidate project.

What’s different afterwards? Governance decisions are made based on the impact they have on promoting the required outcomes of the project, and where there is a conflict of interest in terms of resources or timing between projects, a rational basis for choice is available.

Portfolio prioritisation

Posted on February 25, 2015March 2, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? Project portfolio prioritisation schemes are mechanisms to make rational choices in circumstances of limited knowledge and complexly interacting constraints.

What it is not? Portfolio prioritisation is not a way of ensuring that everything is done nor is it a way of getting done as much as possible.

What’s different afterwards? Management has confidence that money is being invested wisely and that the effort is correctly focussed on a body of work that is desirable and achievable.

Structuring programmes

Posted on February 24, 2015March 2, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? Structuring programmes is a means to clearly articulate what needs to be done and by when in order to bring about measurable, valuable change that is truly embedded into an organisation. It results in the creation of tranches of work that must be delivered and these clearly highlight the full range of changes to working practices required.

What it is not? Programmes are not big projects, nor are they portfolios. Programme management is its own discipline – and while projects may be considered successful even if the benefits expected are not delivered, that is impossible for a programme.

What’s different afterwards? Programmes deliver a future state envisioned by the Board – decisions are made, driven by a benefits-led perspective in which stakeholders are not observers that dictate targets but are instead committed to the delivery of planned change.

Strategy to action

Posted on February 24, 2015March 2, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? ‘Translating strategy into action’ allows for the creation of a clear ‘line of sight’ between the strategic intent of the Board and the set of projects that need to be established to develop the necessary new or additional competences within the business to deliver the benefits of the strategy.

What it is not? It is not a way to establish an organisation’s strategy nor a way of proving it is the right strategy – it just shows how to implement the decided strategy.

What’s different afterwards? There are no silver bullets to reduce resource contention, but the value returned for the effort expended is maximised, with the portfolio selection process transparent and the sources of choices made open to rational challenge.

Knowledge management programme

Posted on February 25, 2014August 25, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? Knowledge management is an approach that capitalises on the knowledge and business experience embedded in the workforce, management, business processes and systems.

What it is not? Knowledge management is not is a ‘better / cleverer filing system’ – IT is always involved but is never the solution.

What’s different afterwards? An open environment that enables and motivates individuals to access, share and build on each other’s expertise and experience.

Structuring projects

Posted on February 25, 2010March 2, 2015 by PAshton

What is it? Structuring a project is a way to engage business and technical people in constructive discussions of a project’s terms of reference, based on challenge and clarity around the key factors that drive subsequent management actions and project behaviours.

What it is not? A technical ‘tick box’ exercise to document high-level requirements.

What’s different afterwards? Stakeholders and project teams have a concise and clear reference document that sets out the basis for decision-making and actions throughout the duration of the project.