The Language of Why

Project portfolio management (PPM) is the language of why and what. At its core, PPM is about optimizing the execution of strategy, from planning and budgeting, to prioritization and resource allocation, to project oversight and review.

Above all else, strategy is the driver — the "Big Why" that determines what types of new projects and other initiatives are needed to achieve business goals, and what existing projects should be continued, delayed or buried.

Despite the best intentions and tools, some PPM efforts have struggled for lack of a discernible, or well-communicated, strategy. After all, the "how" of project management is only valuable once the "what" — a knowledge management system, increased security, a PMO, a better widget — has been shaped into a tangible project. And it should all start, every single time, with that "why" — the goals and objectives, the vision, the reason for being.

But intentions (even the best) and tools (even the best-of-breed) can't provide that vision.