Strategic Goal Setting for Multiple Projects

Most companies default to one of three goal-setting frameworks: SMART, OKRs, or BHAG. Over the past 3 years I’ve used these three frameworks. Each of them have a use case, but they have one major: they all assume your plan will go smoothly. So earlier this year we switched to WOOP and haven’t looked back… What’s WOOP? ▪️ Wish – What are you actually trying to achieve? ▪️ Outcome – What does success look like? ▪️ Obstacles – What's most likely to derail it? ▪️ Plan – What's your exact response when it does? It's that third step—identifying the obstacles—that makes WOOP different from all the other frameworks. We recently rolled out a new process to speed up partner onboarding. Goal was simple: reduce time-to-close by 30%. But we knew upfront that document turnaround would be the killer—legal reviews, internal approvals, endless back-and-forth. So we planned for it. We built a shared dashboard to track every doc in real-time. Our company admin stays on top of everyone—nudging, following up, making sure nothing falls through the cracks. That one move—calling out the obstacle early and assigning clear ownership—kept everything moving. This approach has worked for us in both our businesses, even though obstacle planning looks completely different. At Eastman Residential , we're developing and repositioning rental housing and student housing across multiple markets—tons of moving parts, regulatory hurdles, construction delays. At Cosign, we're streamlining one process: connecting renters with cosigners and improving occupancy / conversions for landlords. Different friction points, same framework.

When you’re in the weeds. You lose sight of the forest. As a PM or PMO leader, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds of tasks and meetings. Here are 5 ways to maintain your balance: 1. Set Clear, Measurable Goals → Align your daily tasks with strategic outcomes. → E.g. for PMs: Break down large strategic goals into clear, actionable project deliverables that tie back to company growth. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Set quarterly KPIs that reflect both project performance and alignment with overall business objectives, ensuring every project contributes to the organization’s strategy. 2. Prioritize Based on Impact → Focus on the projects that move the needle. → E.g. for PMs: Use a scoring model to evaluate project value against resources and impact, ensuring priority is given to high-value tasks. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Evaluate portfolio health regularly to ensure the most strategically important projects are prioritized across all teams and resources are allocated effectively. 3. Communicate the Vision Regularly → Help your team see the bigger picture. → E.g. for PMs: Take time during project kickoffs to connect each task to a larger business goal, helping the team understand the “why” behind their work. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Hold quarterly strategy sessions to remind teams of the larger vision and how each department's efforts align with the overall business strategy. 4. Make Data-Driven Adjustments → Use metrics to guide both strategy and execution. → E.g. for PMs: Track project performance through regular checkpoints and adjust execution strategies when metrics show a shift in progress. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Implement dashboards to continuously measure both project outcomes and alignment with strategic goals, adjusting resource allocation as necessary to keep on track. 5. Create Cross-Functional Collaboration → Break silos and encourage communication. → E.g. for PMs: Involve stakeholders from different departments early in the process to ensure project deliverables meet cross-departmental needs and expectations. → E.g. for PMO Leaders: Facilitate regular cross-functional reviews to ensure all teams are aligned with the long-term vision and that execution strategies are adaptable to shifting organizational priorities. Strategic vision without tactical execution is just a plan. Tactical execution without strategic vision is wasted effort. Strike the balance, and you’ll achieve real, impactful success. -- 👍 + ♻️ Like + Repost if this resonates with you. 🔔 Follow me (Hussain Bandukwala) for more content like this.

Managing multiple projects? What if there’s a way to evaluate and learn across all of them as a unified whole, instead of treating them separately? That’s portfolio-level Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL). This is a great resource that shows you how to connect the dots, track overarching goals, and maximize impact across your entire programme. Here’s what you’ll learn from this guide: 1. What Portfolio-Level MEL Really Means ↳ Understand how portfolio-level MEL differs from project-level evaluation. It focuses on strategic insights across a collection of projects rather than isolated outcomes. 2. Aligning Projects with Broader Objectives ↳ Learn how to connect individual project goals to overarching organisational or programmatic strategies, ensuring a cohesive approach to achieving impact. 3. Key Principles of Portfolio-Level MEL ↳ Discover the foundational principles that drive successful portfolio-level MEL, including adaptability, inclusivity, and the integration of learning into decision-making. 4. Designing an Effective MEL System ↳ Get step-by-step guidance on creating a MEL system that tracks performance, fosters accountability, and supports learning across diverse projects. 5.Tools and Methods for Data Collection ↳ Explore practical tools and techniques to aggregate and analyze data at the portfolio level, ensuring consistency while accommodating project-specific nuances. 6. Overcoming Common Challenges ↳ Address typical challenges like data inconsistency, varying project timelines, and ensuring stakeholder buy-in with expert advice from the guide. The document is written for the Norwegian context, but has wider applicability. 🔔 Follow me for daily content #PortfolioEvaluation #Portfolio

Founders, the reason why you are not structuring your annual strategic planning efficiently. Many founders struggle with setting clear, measurable, and aligned goals across their organization. This often leads to misalignment and inefficiencies. Here's a structured approach to your annual strategic planning. Goal Setting: - Ensure that everyone works towards the same outcomes. - Break down high-level objectives into specific targets for each leader. - Emphasize the importance of clear, measurable, and aligned goals across your organization. Financial Planning: - Create a robust financial plan, which includes setting revenue targets, budgeting expenses, and forecasting cash flow. - Plan for multiple scenarios, taking into account potential risks and opportunities. Performance Metrics: - Track performance through key metrics. - Regularly review them to adjust strategies as needed. - Identify the most critical metrics that align with the company's goals. Your North Star. Team Alignment: - Involve all your team members in the planning process to push ownership and accountability. - Keep regular communication and updates to keep everyone informed and motivated. - Ensure that the entire team is aligned with the strategic plan. Review and Adapt: - Review the strategic plan regularly to assess progress and make necessary adjustments. - An iterative approach will allow your company to stay agile and responsive to changing market conditions. It will not slow down your velocity. It will not create bureaucracy within your organization. It will make your team feel connected, accountable, and responsible. It will make your team feel part of the decision-making process. It will increase your team's throughput. Let's connect and discuss your strategic planning.

Assessing Project Alignment in IT Portfolio Management: Assessing project alignment is not just a task but a crucial responsibility in IT portfolio management. It ensures that each project contributes meaningfully to the organization's strategic goals. This process involves a thorough evaluation of how proposed or ongoing projects align with the organization's long-term vision and objectives. By doing so, organizations can prioritize initiatives that drive growth, innovation, and competitive advantage. 1) Understanding Strategic Goals:  Before delving into project alignment, it's essential to have a clear understanding of the organization's strategic goals. These goals could range from market expansion and product development to cost reduction and customer satisfaction enhancement. For instance, a company aiming to expand its market share might prioritize projects that enhance its digital presence or develop new product lines. 2) Evaluating Project Scope and Deliverables: The second step in assessing project alignment is evaluating each project's scope and deliverables. This involves understanding the project's objectives, the required resources, and the expected outcomes. For example, a project to develop a new software application should be assessed based on its potential to improve operational efficiency or enhance customer experience. 3) Impact on Business Objectives: Next, it is crucial to assess each project's potential impact on the organization's business objectives. This involves analyzing how the project will contribute to achieving strategic goals. For instance, a project focused on implementing a new customer relationship management (CRM) system should be evaluated based on its ability to improve customer satisfaction and retention rates. 4) Prioritizing Projects Based on Alignment: Once projects are assessed for alignment, they can be prioritized based on their strategic importance. This involves ranking projects according to their potential impact on strategic goals, resource requirements, and risk factors. Projects that demonstrate strong alignment and high potential impact are given priority, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and the organization's strategic success is propelled. IT project managers role in assessing project alignment is vital to IT portfolio management. It enables organizations to focus on initiatives that drive strategic success. By systematically evaluating project scope, deliverables, impact on business objectives, and feasibility, you ensure that your project portfolio is aligned with your organization's long-term vision and goals. This strategic focus not only enhances project outcomes but also contributes to the organization's overall growth and competitiveness.