X3 – Conduct a focused communication

What

This focused communication informs everyone in the organization of the Value we’ve recently generated and our strategy for generating Value in the future.

Why

This focused communication has multiple advantages, including the following:

• Everyone stays informed of the programs and projects that are being run or will be run in the near future, which reduces conflicts and surprises and generates useful ideas from a larger audience.
• It reminds everyone that programs and projects are done to generate Value and that their activities should be aligned with the defined purpose and contribute to the generation of Value.

Who

Focused communications in the portfolio management system are sent by the portfolio manager.

How

This focused communication sends the following information:

• A simplified copy of the Value Generation Matrix along with a short description
• A short report of the benefits realized from programs and projects (if not done in program or project levels, such as in activity G03 of P3.express)

The information can be emailed, or alternatively, the activity can be turned into an organizational event where everyone is gathered, the information is shared, and some extra exciting activities are added to celebrate the achievements and make it a pleasant experience for everyone.

If there are only a few active post-program and post-project cycles in the organization, their focused communications (e.g., activity G03 of P3.express) can be done in their layers. Otherwise, it’s usually best to bring their focused communications into the portfolio management layer and unify them to reduce the amount of communication and keep them more effective.

The portfolio manager should encourage recipients to share their opinions after receiving the message.

Remember that this communication targets a broad range of audiences in the organization. Therefore, it’s important to keep it simple, short, and non-technical.