The DNA of Strategy Execution

1 INTRODUCTION: STRATEGY EXECUTION IN A DANCE–WORLD 1
Recognize the DANCE: The Need to Rethink and Redesign 3
Which Game Are You Playing? 5
Dealing with Complexity 8
Key Question How to Redesign and Organize for Increasing DANCE and Complexity? 9
The Evolution of Management Focus 10
Agile DANCE and Beyond 12
Approach 13
Question Everything 13
Focus on the Purpose of Business 14
Apps versus Operating System 14
Process versus Behavior 15
Simplicity 16
Holistic 16
Background 17
How Can You Use This Book? 17

2 AGILITY: RIGOR WITHOUT RIGIDITY 19
How to Reframe the Organizational Operating System and Mindset 20
Distinguishing Traditional versus Evolving Approaches 27
What Is Next–Generation Project Management and PMO? 28
Which Quadrant Is Your Organization in Today? 29
How to Achieve Balance 30
Finding Your Sweet Spot 32
Cultivating a Studio 33
How to Design Effective Boundaries 34
Fair Process and Procedural Justice 34
Communities and Collaboration 35
Seven Keys for Effective Project Management and PMO Focus and Results 37
Shaping the Future with Project Management and PMO 37
Key Takeaways 40

3 DNA OF STRATEGY EXECUTION 43
The Journey of Decoding the DNA 45
Decoding the Other DNA Elements 48
What Is the Big Deal about the DNA of Strategy Execution? 49
The DNA Under the Microscope 52
Developing DNA Intelligence 52
Getting Started: How to Apply the DNA to Project Management or PMO 55
Diagnosing the Pain 55
Stakeholder Empathy Map 56
Identifying the Customer? 57
What are the Roles, Types, Models, Frameworks, and Functions of a PMO? 58
Defining Your PMO 59
Developing aMission/Purpose for Your PMO 60
PMO Frameworks 61
What Type of PMO Approach Is Right for You? 62
Strategy Execution Office 64
Developing DNA Maturity and Intelligence 64
Key Takeaways 66

4 STRATEGY 69
What Is Strategy? 70
Strategy Is Not Planning 71
Whose Fault Is It, Strategy or Execution? 74
What Is the Role of Project, Program, Portfolio, and PMO in Strategy? 74
The DNA Strands of Strategy 75
Strategy as Design 76
How Can the PMO Link Strategy with Execution? 76
Selecting, Prioritizing, and Balancing: Portfolio Management 83
Resource Management: Is It Possible to Defy The Laws of Physics? 88
WhatWill You Say No To? 90
PMO s Role in Portfolio Management 91
Enabling Exploration and Innovation 92
Evaluating Results, Value, and Impact 93
Developing Project Management and PMO Strategy Intelligence 94
Key Takeaways 95

5 EXECUTION 97
What is Execution? 97
Execution versus Strategic Execution 98
Decoding the DNA Strands of Execution 99
People: Developing Strategy Execution Capabilities with the Right Talent 99
Developing Next Generation Talent and Skills 101
Designing Career and Learning and Development Programs 105
Process 105
Tips for Effective Process 107
Process versus Behavior 108
Classifying Processes Provides New Insights for Effective Execution 108
PMO Support and Services Related to Execution 109
Technology: Tools, Systems, Apps, and Bots 110
Types of Project Management and PMO–Related Tools 111
Tools Evaluation Resources 111
Next–Generation Tools with Project Intelligence (PI) 112
Flow 112
Designing an Adaptive Execution Platform 115
Principles of Design Thinking 116
Designing for Execution Agility 117
Designing a Scalable Adaptive Execution Platform 118
Assessing andMaturing Execution Agility 118
Building Execution Intelligence 119
Key Takeaways 120

6 GOVERNANCE 121
To Define Effective Governance, Understand its
Purpose 122
The Strands of Governance 123
Steering Body 123
Standards 124
Policies/Procedures 125
Gates 125
Review/Audit 127
Compliance 127
Responsibility and Accountability 127
Authority 128
Decision Rights 128
Rules/Guidelines 129
PMO Role in Governance 133
Adaptive Governance 133
Developing Governance Intelligence 135
Key Takeaways 136

7 CONNECT 137
Disconnected and Adrift 139
Power of Connections 139
The DNA Strands of Connect: How and What to Connect 140
Connecting Customers, Stakeholders, Networks, and Connections (Identifying the Invisible) 141
Connecting Silos: Bridging theMatrix 145
Connecting Business Activities and Organizational Priorities 147
Connecting Interfaces and Interdependencies 149
Holacracy: Antidote to theMatrix? 150
Connecting Is Communicating 151
Why Communication Is Not Enough You Need aMarcomStrategy 152
Leveraging Social Media 153
Relationships: Strengthening Relationships and Developing Partnerships 153
Community and Collaboration 155
Developing Connect Intelligence 156
Key Takeaways 157

8 MEASURE 159
Why Does Measurement Continue To Be Elusive and Challenging? 160
The DNA Strands of Measure 163
Objectives 163
Key Results 165
Reporting: Presentation and Communication 170
Action What CanWe Do with the Measures? Are the Measures Actionable? 172
Learning AreWe Getting Effective Feedback? AreWe Learning and Adjusting? 173
Defining and Measuring Project Success 173
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) 176
Developing An Integrative Approach: Strategy Execution Measurement Framework 177
Measuring and Showing PMO Value 181
Illuminating PMO Value 187
Sustaining PMO Value: Managing Value Dissipation and Benefits Erosion 187
Next–Generation Measures 188
ProjectManagement Artificial Intelligence (PI) 188
Developing Measure Intelligence 189
Key Takeaways 191

9 CHANGE 193
Change Is the Catalytic Element in the DNA of Strategy Execution 194
Change Is Hard 195
The DNA Strands of Change 197
Awareness 197
Anticipation 199
Absorption 200
Adoption 201
Customer 202
Choices 206
Communication 208
Connectors 208
How to Develop Change Intelligence 210
Dealing with Change Resistance 210
How to Get Results without Being a Nag 211
From Managing Change to Changemaking 212
Changing the World with Change Intelligence 214
Key Takeaways 215

10 LEARN 217
Traditional PM and PMOs Are Not Organized for Learning 218
Need for a New Perspective 219
Learning from Failure 220
How to Make Failure Survivable 222
The DNA Strands of Learn: 7 C s of Cultivating a Learning Environment 224
Culture 224
Curiosity 226
Capture 226
Community and Collaboration 230
Curation 231
Correcting (Self–Correction and Application) 232
Continuous Innovation 233
Moving from Continuous Improvement to Continuous Experimentation, Iteration, and Innovation 233
Meta–Learning 234
Developing Learning Intelligence 235
Key Takeaways 235

11 SIMPLIFY: BUILDING THE DEPARTMENT OF
SIMPLICITY 237
Kill the PMO? 238
Why Is Simplicity a Strategic Imperative in Today s Disruptive Dance–world? 239
Optimizing for Efficiency versus Optimizing for Simplicity 239
Why Is Simplicity Hard? 240
PM and PMO Principles of Simplicity 241
How to Build a Department of Simplicity 243
Rethinking Maturity: Subtraction, Not Addition 246
Creating Viral Customers & Stakeholders 247
Developing Simplify Intelligence 248
Key Takeaways 249

12 BALANCE: DANCE–ING ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS 251
Learning to DANCE 254
Agile Being Agile 256
Beyond Agile:What s Next? 257
Thriving at the Edge of Chaos 257
What Is the Next Generation? 258
Ten Skills for Next–Generation Project Management and PMOs 259
Application Questions 261
Feedback Loops: Project Management/PMO Delight Index (PDI) 263
Ben or BoB? 264
A APPLICATION OF DNA OF STRATEGY EXECUTION 267
B PMO FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES SERVICE CATALOG 273
BIBLIOGRAPHY 279
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 293
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 295
INDEX 297