Strategic… you keep using that word…
It seems more and more we’re seeing ‘strategic’ (or ‘strategy’) added to everything project-related (much like ‘Agile’ is) -
? Strategic Project Management
? Strategic Project Managers
? Strategic Projects
? Strategic PMOs
And I get it, we all want to feel that our work is important and provides value. ’Strategy’ is much sexier than ‘business as usual’.
And the other alternative is an even more painful proposition - that we’re doing things that are either pointless or provide no value.
But adding adjectives and descriptors doesn’t make it so.
And in the words of Se?or Montoya, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” ??
Merriam-Webster defines ‘strategic’ as -
What do all of these definitions have in common?
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They denote that for something to be considered ‘strategic’ it has to be aligned with, or important or critical to the ‘strategy’.
This means that ‘strategic’ is a designation determined by the strategy.
In other words, you, or your dept, cannot define yourself as ‘strategic’. Only the owners of the strategy, or the strategy itself can determine if you, your dept, or the work you’re doing is strategic.
You as the Project Manager, or PMO Leader, don’t get to determine if you’re a ‘strategic’ anything. Strategic describes the work you’re doing, which is determined strategic by the strategy. And even if you are actually working on something strategic in nature, it doesn’t make ‘you’ strategic.
Plus, and I know I’ll hurt some feelings here - it just makes you (and by extension, all of of us) look silly (and a bit desperate).
Name another dept or role that adds ‘strategic’ in front of their title - Strategic Accounting, Strategic Sales, Strategic Software Engineer, Strategic Executive Assistant, Strategic Grocery Cashier.
See, it doesn’t work.
BUT, and here’s the important part - not being ‘strategic’ doesn’t mean ‘unimportant’.
Strategy is about movement and stretching the boundaries, about reaching the next rung. But no organization operates in a 100% ‘strategic’ mode. In order to enact a strategy, the org still needs the foundational aspects of the org to keep going, to support the majority of the business while the strategy tests the edges (*especially* if things go sideways and the strategy doesn’t work).
I would guess that most orgs operates at a minimum 50% strategic/50% ‘keep the lights on’ split (probably closer to 25%/75%). Remember, a key part of any strategy is also ‘remaining in business’. So that ‘keep the lights on’ work is still ‘valuable’ as it’s what allows the organization to remain in business and pursue its strategy.
And if you’d like to be involved in projects that are more strategic in nature, then I suggest focusing on improving the delivery of the projects you are involved in, and showing that you can deliver regardless of what category the project falls into.
Simply changing your title isn’t going to do it.
Befriend those who seek the truth. Shun those who have found it.
6 个月Teaching my Bid Management classes, when we got to the topic Opportunity Qualification I would advise that the word Strategic acquires the meaning "Loses Money."
Helping People Earn the PMP on their 1st Try | Owner - 44Risk PM, LLC | Project Manager | ATP Instructor for PMP | PMP, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP | US Marine Corps Retired
6 个月Strategic can be a catch-phrase thats used to sound a certain way. But being strategic is a way of thinking and a way of approaching a problem.
Supporting organizations Bridge Vision to Achievements | Can help your organizations deliver products to market faster while lowering costs and increasing competence!
6 个月I differentiate between “aligned with the strategy” and "strategic.” Every project/program must align with strategy! However, I view strategic projects/programs as the most significant in terms of organizational value and success.
Business Analyst | Squirrel Matador ???
6 个月Great post, and great use of that meme. It helps to know what the strategy is in the first place! But that's another topic...
Product Management | Agile Methodologies | Product Strategy | ICP-ATF & ICP-ACC | Developing Holistic Product | Inclusive UX | Cross-functional Team Leadership
6 个月Read the post Bill! Then I saw your headline is "Bringing strategy & execution together" and I wonder if you wrote this post about yourself? ?? I've had potential clients for instance, make mention of specific things which live in the same toolkit - Collaboration is often used, then separately SH engagement/management as if they do not make use of a collaborative mindset at all. Strategic/Strategy is used separately from Innovation, Governance, Research and Prioritisation. I guess this is a case of the internal vernacular of an org assigning added weight to words that make use of the same toolbox. Much like they often mention Agile but only practice Scrum and believe they are identical when we know Scrum is a small part of Agile but Agile is not just Scrum. Strategic probably is a forewarning that more buttoned up people are preferred. Think buzzcuts and army time. Meeting at 1400 ?? There is a joke you may have heard in some way about the corporate vernacular - it is comprised of using jargon/buzzwords at every given opportunity to convey they are explicitly knowledgeable about a thing they're absolutely failing in. You've surely come across companies saying they're Agile because they do Sprints/Spotify ??