Effective program and project management delivers results.

So focus on Alignment—in every situation, everywhere, and at all times. Whether it’s a question of how existing organizational structures are set up or what the structure, mandate, and scope of Strategy Execution initiatives are, you want the lion’s share (rule of thumb: 80%) to fit within the structure you choose. If that’s not the case, you haven’t chosen the right structure and haven’t issued the right mandates. But even if it is, there’s still more than enough left to fine-tune. During execution, you must always maintain the right level of agility, if only because there are always natural dependencies between initiatives within organizations. Many process innovation projects also require customized IT support—and thus coordination.

Project management is not a role but an ecosystem

The crucial role played by project or program management can best be described as an ecosystem. On the one hand, project or program management serves as the connector and orchestrator of the “hard” and substantive aspects of Strategy Execution; on the other hand, it also coordinates the “soft” aspects of change management. Project and program management must be infused with the warmth of good leadership to allow the “ecosystem” to flourish.

What happens with Accelerators 1 and 2 when the initiative selects and initiates a project?

• A highly experienced program manager explained that one of her most important tasks is to thoroughly map out all stakeholders and their positions, interests, strengths, and weaknesses. In other words, people. Based on that overview, she chooses the interventions. Programs are a human endeavor. So that’s what you need to understand best. She did this very thoroughly at the beginning.
• That same program manager pointed out that you’re not quite there yet. That would be too superficial. Some dynamics among stakeholders are so complex that you sometimes have to spend an hour in an intense discussion with someone on your program to truly understand the people and the dynamics. You have to put yourself in their shoes. There’s nothing vague about that—it’s absolutely essential.

And what about accelerators 3 and 4—when you start harvesting and then engage in learning and securing?

• There was a manager who was annoyed by the ritualistic nature of the monthly progress reports. “Hours are spent on these progress reports, which are barely read before the steering committee meeting. During the meeting, I see blank stares.” So should we just stop doing them? No. It’s just part of the process, but it can be improved. He simplified the format, struck a clear balance between hard, soft, and project-related aspects, and added Storytelling as a soft progress point: what story from the past month do we need to know because it serves as a catalyst for implementation?
• The idea that 80% of time should be spent on execution rather than on analysis and design is widely accepted. But little attention is paid to managing this. One executive at a publishing group does this explicitly. He ensures that the analysis and design phases do not take up more than 20% of the time and budget, and he monitors this closely.
• I asked one of the best program managers I know about the secret to running successful programs. His answer: “Make sure the program manager and his project leaders view the program as a business.” He cultivates that mindset from the very beginning. The fact that programs are often relatively separate from the line organization for a while carries significant risks but also offers advantages. You have to capitalize on those. According to him, one of the advantages is that you can establish a strong subculture—in the best sense of the word—a culture that’s determined to make things happen, even in the face of adversity. He always organizes an “entrepreneurship afternoon” with practical questions such as: What do you need to be successful? This is your business—what needs to happen? What’s holding you back?