Are you are working on a situation at the initial and growth stages of a business? This post explores the opportunities, risks, and impacts of being the ‘first mover’ during the growth stage of a business. The decision to be a first mover is not clear cut, and it can just as often be advantageous … Read more
What do you get when you combine Agile with Strategy? If there is such a thing, I would call it Strategic Agility Competency. Strategy, like project management, is plagued with the dilemma that while planning is good, the world changes so fast that the time it takes to plan can result in a changed value … Read more
This post examines the Boston Consulting Group Growth Share Matrix – developed by Bruce Henderson of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) back in the early 1970s – and how it might relate to your projects. As the name implies, the Growth Share Matrix allows you to visualize a product or service business related to the … Read more
I have previously talked about the product life cycle, and how it is helpful in project planning to have perspective on what your project is supporting in terms of the product life cycle stages. That applies to businesses that produce and sell products. There is another model, similar in structure, about the business development life … Read more
The S curve is a simple concept that illustrates natural phenomena – and thus is helpful in modeling, planning, and tracking in many applications. This post explores how it can be helpful in project planning, status reporting, project portfolio management (PPM), and in developing company strategy and tracking toward strategic goals. The S curve is … Read more
It makes a big difference in solving a problem if you ask the right question, and within the right context. This post explores the realm of three distinct contexts in which you could find yourself with projects supporting a high potential growth situation. Strategy Dynamics and Managing Project Timing in Growth Companies focused on the … Read more
There are two sides to strategy: a static side and a dynamic side. Both are relevant, applicable, and useful in thinking strategically. There are multiple ways of thinking about strategy statics and dynamics. I find it very useful to think in terms of the approach outlined by Hamilton Helmer in his book “7 Powers: The … Read more
The product life cycle framework is a simple and useful strategic model for product-oriented businesses. There are four product life cycle stages in the Product Life Cycle model. If well understood and carefully mapped to your situation, the product life cycle can inform the selection of project management methodology and other critical approaches for managing … Read more
The value chain provides a holistic way to look at a business’s configuration in terms of where and how it adds value, and at what cost and profitability. Project management fits well into the value chain structure related to the portfolio management process as well as project execution. The value chain framework originated from a … Read more
Power and strategy fit like hand in glove. While power – and sometimes strategy – may have negative connotations to some at times, this article is simply about the raw truth. The truth is that organizations, like people, need to do well in order to survive and thrive, and it helps immensely to be in … Read more