PM-Perspectives

As global factors put downward pressure on portfolio spend, saying ‘yes’ to the right projects is more critical than ever. But as experience shows us, many organisations lack a structured portfolio management approach. Prioritisation and capital allocation are based instead on an annual ‘dash for cash’ process, which inevitably leads to dangerous and potentially far-reaching consequences:

• Business cases are hurriedly written without appropriate planning
• As a result, funds are locked in to initiatives where budgets are, at best, guesstimates
• Organisations overcommit, including to the wrong initiatives
• Unwieldy portfolios exacerbate capacity and capability challenges
• Projects inevitably run over budget or fall off the rails.

When portfolio allocations are cut – as is increasingly the case – we tend to see knee-jerk reactions causing additional down-stream impacts: such as, the cancellation of in-flight projects with interdependencies, and the subsequent loss of critical IP and delivery momentum, causing further delays and cost blowouts.

With more clients looking to build their portfolio management skills in response to these developments, this year's PM-Perspectives event will cover:

• the challenges and trends shaping portfolio management
• a first-hand account from one of our customers who ‘broke their annual planning cycle’
• the results of PM-Partners’ The State of Portfolios survey
• key benefits of a structured portfolio management approach
• why evolving your leadership skills is critical to effective portfolio management in today’s climate.

With special guest: Natalie Waters
LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning Report reveals that, of the most in-demand skills by job function, leadership is ranked second for project and programme managers, and comes fourth out of 10 as a skill companies need most. Management, communication and customer service were listed in the top three respectively, with project management placing sixth.

These results come as no surprise to our internationally acclaimed guest speaker, Natalie Waters, a leadership coach and human behavioural profiler who joins us to provide insights on why people behave the way they do and how to demonstrate positive leadership (even in a downturn). Natalie’s highly interactive session will help you understand what drives executive and stakeholder decision making and enhance your ability to create rapport with others, ensuring you're better equipped to action the learnings shared by our subject experts.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry peers while we explore how to work more proactively with stakeholders and prioritise your portfolios for maximum return.