PPM, otherwise known as Project Portfolio Management generally refers to the overall management of a somewhat related group of projects within the organization. Organizations differ – from company to company – on how they define project categories and group projects together, but when practicing PPM, projects are usually managed within a portfolio based on similar project characteristics.


Similar characteristics can mean many things. It may be a similar technology used for the solution, it may be groups of projects serving customers in the same industry, it may be projects falling in the same estimated price range, it may be projects of similar complexity or a variety of other potential project-related similarities. It depends on how each organization using PPM chooses to categorize and group projects to the best of their advantage.


PPM purpose


The main purpose of PPM is usually to determine the best mix and prioritization of projects in relation to the organization's overall goals and business strategy. As you can guess, these goals usually fall into one of three categories: financial strategy, business strategy, or technical strategy. All this is done while intending to honor constraints imposed by your executive management or possibly even external real-world factors. Typical attributes of projects being analyzed in a project portfolio management process include each project's total expected cost, consumption of scarce resources (people, equipment, etc.), expected timeline and schedule of investment, expected nature, magnitude and timing of benefits to be realized, and relationship or inter-dependencies with other projects in the portfolio.


PPM vendors


There are many software vendors in the marketplace that state they are providing full-scale project portfolio management solutions. These solutions market themselves as offering the ability to analyze an organization’s portfolio of projects and group them to the benefit of the organization and the needs of the company’s key decision-makers. These tools incorporate projects together like an investment portfolio so that they can be tracked as a whole rather than just as individual projects. Most of these PPM tools offer their own measurement tools allowing users to analyze the performance of their entire project portfolio as a whole in terms of resource usage, cost measurements, progress reporting, and overall budget forecasting among other key reporting factors.


This ability to treat projects as a part of a larger group – a ‘portfolio’ – is often very enticing to executives in organizations who are more interested in how a group of projects are performing on a high-level and how that relates to the company’s performance and financial goals then to be involved in the day to day detail of ongoing individual projects. These executives aren’t usually so much concerned with the minute details of each project – they care more about how the similarly categorized projects are affecting their organization’s overall financial bottom line, strategic goals and initiatives, and resource availability. And if multiple projects are being run for one customer, it can provide the executive with a high-level view of how the company is performing for that one critical client without the need to get progress and financial information from multiple places and often several different project managers when going on site for a critical meeting with that one very important corporate client.


Summary


PPM allows for a nice consolidation of information across projects with similar characteristics or similar reporting needs. It can save project managers, program managers, and definitely executives’ time and effort – as well as dollars - by allowing for the high-level management view they need across the many projects they are overseeing. Tools that offer this type of project and program management can be very beneficial to organizations.

You have been working in your growing organization as a project manager for the past five years leading a couple dozen customized implementations for the enterprise software package your company produces. You've also led a few smaller internal projects including some development initiatives to perform upgrades and incorporate new features for the software products you are implementing for your company's external project clients.


Now your organization is considering taking the next step in building a true project management infrastructure. You are certainly one of the more experienced and qualified project managers in the organization so you'll like be asked to advise on and help plan for the creation of the PM infrastructures - most likely in the form of a project management office (PMO). Where do you start? Do you hire first or research and plan first so new PMs and a director can be part of these efforts as well?


Below is my list - yes, in order of how they should happen - of five key steps that need to occur as you build your new PMO.


Plan the reporting structure. Before you do anything else, hire anyone and put any project management tools and policies in place, plan how the PM reporting structure is going to happen. This will set the stage for any hiring that needs to be done. Do you need a PMO director? Likely. Should that position come from inside or outside the organization? I vote outside, but that’s up for debate. Every successful PMO has to have C-level buy-in and support. Without it the PMO is doomed to fail – in my opinion and from my observation. But does this newly formed PMO need a CPO, or Chief Project Officer? Likely not – at least not at this early stage. The position of CPO is a new concept and an organization creating a new PMO likely won’t have funding for such a C-level position from the outset.


Hire the PMO director. Next, hire a PMO director. My vote is that this person should come from outside – not inside – the organization. Why? Partly just because I’ve seen too many failures from organizations who took a resource manager who was in between jobs and put them in charge of the PMO. Bad call. But also, the PMO director should be unbiased and focused solely on the success of the PM infrastructure. No favorite executives or department managers. They should also not end up leading projects. The director needs to be focused on PM career development for his staff and focused on the satisfied customers that each project should be producing. He needs to help rundown big issues, remove roadblocks, implement and enforce policies, report up to senior management and gain visibility for his fledgling PM organization.


Create templates and define tools to start with. Next, define policies that the PMO and PMs will follow. Create templates to start with, but be flexible to change as the PM organization gains traction and goes through learning and growing pains. And pick a good project management scheduling tool to start with. You can always change it later – there are hundreds of options out there now.


Hire project managers. Hire experienced project managers. Some of these should be from within the organization because well-connected PMs can get things done internally for their projects faster than those that are new to the organization. But keep it a mix. And don’t staff with just certified PMs. Go for experience over certification, but certification is definitely great - just not the only reason to hire someone. Look for successes.


Make an announcement to the company and customers. Finally, roll the PMO out to the company the project client base with confidence. Announce all the players in the PMO and tout their experience. Indicate any current or just-about-to-start projects. Make it sound as important and visible as possible…taking creative freedoms along the way. The idea here is to be bold and confident and gain publicity for the new PM infrastructure so it gets used and everyone takes note of it. If you can get the announcement to come from or be co-authored by a C-level, all the better.


Summary / call for input


PMs…what do you have to add to his list? PMO directors…what are your thoughts on this list or your own key steps to building a good PMO? What has worked for you and your organization and what is to be avoided?

As much as we’d like to say what we do is world conquering, end all, cutting edge, state of the art project management… end the end it is, well, project management. And as far as project reporting goes, it is project reporting. You can have whatever templates in place to show a client how detailed you can be and how you can create wonderful and informative dashboard reports that can basically relay up to the minute information and project status in green, yellow and red that will give CEOs and project sponsors such good project health information they will be able to consume it through osmosis while they are sleeping, yet it’s still just project reporting. The sun will truly rise tomorrow without it.


What we do as project managers, as leaders of mice and men on projects, is important and is – at times – world conquering – but some just don’t realize it at the time. When we look back on a long project and see the landscape of where we’ve been and what we accomplished – as a team – despite (or inspite of?) all the adversity, issues and risks, it is often amazing to think that we reached our final destination at all. Do you ever feel that way? Like, how the heck did we actually pull this off? You say things out loud like, “Remember that time five months ago when the client was ready to pull the plug on the project and over a couple of beers we talked them into giving us a shot at making things right?” Ever had that happen? I have…with the world’s largest casino/gaming organization but it was over the phone, not over beers but they did agree and it all worked out ok…thankfully. It was 10 years ago, but I remember that phone conversation like it was yesterday.


Return to the basics


The bottom line is this…it’s all about best practices. It’s not about following some strict guidelines set forth by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK). It’s not about being a Project Management Professional (PMP) with some praise-worthy earned and paid for certification from PMI. It’s not about being the craziest Creative Director in the country or the world and taking amazing risks that no one else would (or maybe it is, actually). But what it is about is doing your best to stay the course and stick to some project management best practices that got you to where you are in the first place.


Enjoying the crazy


Taking risks is great and you have to do that as a project manager and creative lead. Making crazy 11th hour decisions is a must on many, most or all projects (I forget which) and backing those decisions up by confidently moving forward even if you’re scared to death or made those decisions with almost no solid information or history to base them on. On some projects you find yourself sticking with creative team members who suffered right along with you and made mistakes that they learned from and you helped them through or made rogue decisions that you had to call them on and talk yourself out of giving them another chance and not just replacing them on the project. Those are the real-life things that happen on projects every day of our lives and it’s probably why we continue to be project managers. It’s not nearly as boring as our spouses, family and friends think it probably is. It’s actually pretty interesting, always different, sometimes fun and even exciting, and we get to work with great people. And every once in awhile we get to pull off the unbelievable from the inevitable epic failure and say…”Wow, we did that together – but how?!?”. That’s fun. But don’t tell anyone.


Share your thoughts


How about you? Do you find managing projects to be mundane or do you occasionally have those moments where it is actually exciting and a bit of a rush to lead a great group of individuals through ups and downs and highs and lows and periodic failures, and unexpected successes? At the end of the day, you’re glad you did it, aren’t you? Share your thoughts and experiences…

Consulting. Training. Adopting.

Real projects need real expertise. Let us help you identify, organize, define, and train your people on your processes. Whether building a PMO (project management office), organizing your portfolio, or generating data insights, Project Insight is your trusted advisor for all things work management.

It’s important to take care of yourself and get the most from life. Below are 10 practical ways to look after your mental health. Making simple changes to how you live doesn’t need to cost a fortune or take up loads of time. Anyone can follow this advice. Why not start today?

1. Talk about your feelings

Talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled.

2. Keep active

Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and your other vital organs healthy, and is also a significant benefit towards improving your mental health. 

3. Eat well

Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.

4. Drink sensibly

We often drink alcohol to change our mood. Some people drink to deal with fear or loneliness, but the effect is only temporary.

When the drink wears off, you feel worse because of the way the alcohol has affected your brain and the rest of your body. Drinking is not a good way to manage difficult feelings.

5. Keep in touch

There’s nothing better than catching up with someone face to face, but that’s not always possible. You can also give them a call, drop them a note, or chat to them online instead. Keep the lines of communication open: it’s good for you!

6. Ask for help

None of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel or when things don’t go to plan.
If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help. Your family or friends may be able to offer practical help or a listening ear.

Local services are there to help you.

7. Take a break

A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health.
It could be a five-minute pause from cleaning your kitchen, a half-hour lunch break at work, or a weekend exploring somewhere new. A few minutes can be enough to de-stress you. Give yourself some ‘me time’.

8. Do something you’re good at

What do you love doing? What activities can you lose yourself in? What did you love doing in the past?

Enjoying yourself can help beat stress. Doing an activity you enjoy probably means you’re good at it, and achieving something boosts your self-esteem

9. Accept who you are

We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like someone else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to learn new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self-esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.

10. Care for others

‘Friends are really important… We help each other whenever we can, so it’s a two-way street, and supporting them uplifts me.’

Caring for others is often an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) security is an essential part of overall IT security that manages digital identities and user access to data, systems, and resources within an organization. IAM security includes the policies, programs, and technologies that reduce identity-related access risks within a business. IAM programs enable organizations to mitigate risks, improve compliance, and increase efficiencies across the enterprise.

What Are the Benefits of IAM Security?

IAM is a cybersecurity best practice and ensures greater control of user access. By identifying, authenticating, and authorizing users, while prohibiting unauthorized ones, IAM security improves the efficiency and effectiveness of access management throughout the business.

Enhance Security and Mitigate Risks

A 2020 security study study found that 50% of organizations indicate identity and access management programs are the most effective security tool to protect against insider threats. Meanwhile 75% of organizations that use identity and access management solutions saw a reduction of unauthorized access incidents. Overseeing appropriate access through the right IAM security framework goes a long way towards bolstering an organization’s risk management and security posture.

When managing access within the organization, IAM security also ensures that users have the right access privileges required for their job. Without it, bulk approvals for access requests, frequent changes in roles and departments, and the lack of suitable processes for access reviews contributes to excessive access privileges—opening up the organization to insider threats and magnifying risk throughout the business.

Increase Operational Efficiencies

IAM security empowers organizations to do more with less. Many security teams today are understaffed and overextended, but are expected to manage and protect increasing numbers of devices, data, users, and systems. By leveraging IAM programs to automate and streamline access management, organizations can boost operational efficiencies. One study found that 49 percent of organizations view operational efficiency as an IAM program driver.

Improve Compliance

As regulatory compliance and industry mandates like SOX, HIPAA, and GDPR have become increasingly stringent and more complex in recent years, organizations face more auditing, compliance reviews, and mandatory reporting. IAM security solutions that automate data collection, reporting, and access reviews enable companies to limit access to only those individuals who need it and stay more compliant to industry standards. By leveraging strategic IAM security policies, organizations can ensure data is strictly controlled and prove they are taking proactive steps to meet ongoing compliance requirements.

What Tools are Effective for IAM Security?

Organizations today typically use leading IAM security tools through best of breed solution partners—from identity governance solutions to privileged access management to access intelligence tools offered either on premise, on cloud or through hybrid model. These tools make up the technology solutions that support the overall IAM security framework and are essential in establishing a solid foundation for identity and access management.

We all make mistakes from time to time right? Nobody’s perfect. We do our best when leading projects but it will never be perfect, never really be enough to cover everything and ensure that all is running smoothly, everyone has all the information they need, everyone is on the same page and the customer is 100% satisfied. It's not unlike marriage. You may think it's all perfect till you wake up one day and find out it's not because you've been ignoring something or not fully or properly communicating. You never know how what you are leaving out affects those around you or the project you are managing. It's not always the things you say and do – it may be the things left unsaid or what you didn't do.


The important thing? Stick to best practices. Do what you said you would do. Manage thoroughly and stay connected. Listen well. Follow up with everyone frequently. The frequent communication and touch points are more important than you think. We all make mistakes every time out. For me, it usually comes down to this list. I think we are all probably guilty of the things listed here on likely every project every time out. Be aware. Consider these...


Cancelling meetings. Not much to talk about at this week’s team meeting or at the weekly formal customer status meeting? Then just cancel it, right? Wrong! Canceling project meetings during slow times is a very bad habit to get into. People who are supposed to attend regularly and contribute may start to consider your meetings as less important than other work they need to do and your overall attendance may dwindle. People have other meetings they could be attending or other work to do – likely on some other important project they are working on. Don't give them a reason to start skipping your meetings. At that point you will be missing key stakeholders and contributors when you need them most. They won't be available for that next important decision. Empty seats mean project trouble, extra meetings to get the info you badly need and discussions that are time wasters when you could have just obtained the info in the meeting you canceled. So never cancel - even if you just go around the room for a brief update from each attendee. You never know when you’ll catch a critical piece of info or an update that means a lot to someone there but otherwise would have just fallen through the cracks. And the attendees will be happy your meeting lasted only 15 minutes – they will consider your meetings as important and not time wasters.


Assuming everyone is on the same page. The worst thing you can do as a project manager is assume anything. Especially when it focuses on communication. In my opinion effective and efficient communication is Job One for the project manager. Always communicate well and followup after meeting with notes to make sure everyone exited with the same info and understanding. Otherwise you may have individuals heading off on new tasks or making key decisions based on inaccurate info or understanding. That will always result in problems, re-work and extra time and $$ spent that you can’t afford to lose.


Failing to communicate. Communication is Job One for the project manager as I stated above. No project manager runs through every project communicating efficiently, effectively and perfectly throughout the entire engagement. We've all dropped the ball at some point. Whether it's a fail in keeping our team informed, listening properly to an update or key information input from a team member or some other update from the customer or a stakeholder on the project... it has happened... on every single project we've ever managed.


Forgetting to highlight the wins. On just about every project we manage there are some extraordinary efforts that we let go unnoticed or fail to pay attention to as project managers. It is critical that we as team managers and project leaders pay attention to the big efforts and big wins on the projects and call out those individuals – or the entire team – as they happen. And it's nice to tell the team “good job!” But is that enough? Maybe. But an even better thing is to announce it to the enterprise. Put out a company-wide email project status update calling out the excellent performance of those involved. You'll get rewarded as a project leader tenfold from your team and the individuals called out in the form future respect and project performance. It's truly a win-win situation.


Asking the customer. Are you reaching out to the customer? Involving them enough in key decisions? Asking them periodically how they think things are going... is there anything concerning them? Do they feel well informed? Don't let trouble or concerns brew. Customers always have some level of concern – it's their nature and they may or may not feel that they are being full informed. You won't know until you ask. So ask. You many uncover a concern they have that you didn't know about but can very quickly alleviate by bringing them up to speed in a certain area... or showing them that there is no need to be concerned. Perhaps the result will be adding a little info to the status report every week. Ask – you won't be sorry.


Summary / call for input


The bottom line is this – no one is perfect and we are all making mistakes every time out on ever project. We are probably making five others on every project. Look at any red flags from the team, customer, stakeholders, senior management – even your gut – and don't take them lightly. Address them and move on. Usually there is no big issue and an extra five minutes spent here or there communicating or investigating is well worth the time and effort.


How about our readers? How do you feel about this list? What would you add to it? Please share your experiences and thoughts and discuss further.