Best of PPM: November 2021

WHAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION THIS MONTH

• Not everyone needs OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). All teams are made of people, and people vary. That's a feature, not a bug. (6 min read)
• Cloud-based supercomputing is changing R&D. The cloud has made the processing power of the world's most powerful computers accessible to a wider range of companies than ever before. But where should companies start? What kinds of projects could benefit from this investment? (8 min read)
• What does a post-pandemic PMO look like? Is it agile? Can you do that? Do you need this at all? In today's more volatile and complex world, it is important to develop the PMO from its administratively supporting, KPI-controlling role to a driver of change. (13 min read)
• Change consultants recommend you do these 3 things. Don't. Creating a sense of urgency around change, starting with a quick and easy win and Preparing a stakeholder map are at best a waste of time, and at worst can send your change initiative in the wrong direction. (6 min read)
• There is an inherent tension between roadmaps and OKRs. Every roadmap is a plan, but a plan is worth nothing if not executed upon, and that means putting timelines on it. But how can you commit to results that would happen in the future? Honestly, you can't. But there is still a lot you can do to help everyone understand where you are going and how. (8 min read)
• Team performance depends on its communication patterns. Many of us know instinctively what it feels like to be part of a great team. But even if we deep down know what a great team looks and feels like, the steps we need to take to create such a team aren't always obvious. (6 min read)
• Innovation Is everyone's business. To build innovation in your organization's DNA, people need permission to innovate; the time, training and resources to innovate; and the motivation to do so without fear of failure. (5 min read)
• CIOs need five things from their CEOs and boards to transform IT. But for all the consensus around priorities, boards and CEOs fail much too often to deliver. To make things happen, CIOs themselves have an important role to play. (12 min read)
• Scrum (and actually quite a bit of Agile) is really for expectation management. It is most useful in complex environments, since that is where expectation cannot be successfully managed with top-down control. (6 min read)
• 3 group presentation pitfalls — and how to avoid them. Putting together an effective group presentation takes teamwork and coordination so it doesn't look like a patchwork quilt. And yet, many of us never budget the time to fully prepare. (6 min read)

 A QUOTE THAT MADE US THINK

Many "best practices" were created for a world that no longer exists.
In the face of chance, the routines that once moved you forward often become the ruts that hold you back.
No practice is ever perfect. The day you stop being open to improving is the day you start stagnating.

— Adam Grant