Portfolio Management made easy ft. Andy Jordan
Portfolio management can be complex – not least because everyone seems to have a sense of what it is, but not the same sense as each other! In this podcast, portfolio management guru Andy Jordan speaks to Elise Stevens about why a portfolio is not simply a collection of projects and programs.
Andy is the founder and President of Roffensian Consulting, which delivers training across all areas of portfolio, program and project management. Andy believes that the portfolio must come first. It’s the vehicle which allows an organisation to deliver on its strategy and the projects and programs just get slotted in along the way.
Over many years, Andy has learned the best place to start is by defining what portfolio management means to you.
Points raised in this podcast:
- The portfolio is the vehicle by which the organisation delivers on its strategy. It’s not just about reporting on projects and programs.
- Portfolio management is a business discipline which helps organisations focus on what projects to undertake and improves the quality of project management.
- Portfolio managers should focus less on scope and budget and more on benefit. If a project is on time and on budget but fails to achieve its goals, it’s a failed project.
- Senior executives rarely think their organisation is good enough – even when it’s kicking goals! Portfolio management is a great way to find areas to improve.
- Sometimes, convincing executives they need to commit to portfolio management is tricky. Start with a small-scale initiative and nail it.
- An organisation’s portfolio can be compared to an investment portfolio. What stock you have is less important than whether it performs. Focus on the return on investment of the projects and programs.
- When the portfolio is considered as a vehicle to deliver on strategy, projects and programs can be slotted in and out as needed.
About Andy Jordan:
Andy Jordan is a business, project and thought leader with experience in a range of industries including software development, financial services, telecommunications, corporate education and the public sector. He founded Roffensian Consulting in 2007, driving business transformation through portfolio, program and project management. Andy is also a speaker and the author of Risk Management for Project Driven Organizations: A Strategic Guide to Portfolio, Program and PMO Success.