THE DNA OF STRATEGY EXECUTION “In a world where there are more questions than answers every leader will need to learn to dance to a different beat. In this insightful book, Jack Duggal has cracked the DNA of Strategy Execution. Ignore these insights at your own peril.” — Dr. Tony O’Driscoll Global Head, DukeCE Labs, Duke Corporate Education Fuqua School of Business, Duke University DECODE THE DNA OF MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY EXECUTION IN AN INCREASINGLY TURBULENT WORLD Just as DNA contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all living organisms, what if we could decode the elements of management and strategy execution? This insightful book offers new perspectives on age-old management challenges and illuminates better ways to organize and manage in an increasingly DANCE-world (Dynamic. Ambiguous. Non-Linear. Complex. Emergent). It puts the management DNA under the microscope, and shows how to develop, build and transform organizational project management and PMO capabilities essential for effective strategy execution. It provides a framework to measure what matters with a step-by-step approach to define and measure success and business value. The DNA of Strategy Execution: Next Generation Project Management and PMO provides innovative insights for organizational project management and PMO. Based on application and learnings from many organizations around the world, this book reveals a playbook for strategy execution that will help you: Decode the core elements of management and strategy execution DNA Design and build next-generation Project/Program Management and PMO platform essential for effective strategy execution Prepare your organization to effectively lead and implement agile transformation and organizational change Improve organizational project management (OPM) and PMO maturity Improve overall organizational effectiveness and innovation capabilities Whether you are a part of a startup, or an established incumbent organization, the impact of digitization and disruption requires a rethink and reset of how we organize and manage. This book presents a playbook for effective strategy execution with next-generation Project, Program and PMO capabilities.

Table of Contents:
1 INTRODUCTION: STRATEGY EXECUTION IN A DANCE-WORLD 1 Recognize the DANCE: The Need to Rethink and Redesign 3 Which Game Are You Playing? 5 Dealing with Complexity 8 Key Question–How to Redesign and Organize for Increasing DANCE and Complexity? 9 The Evolution of Management Focus 10 Agile DANCE and Beyond 12 Approach 13 Question Everything 13 Focus on the Purpose of Business 14 Apps versus Operating System 14 Process versus Behavior 15 Simplicity 16 Holistic 16 Background 17 How Can You Use This Book? 17 2 AGILITY: RIGOR WITHOUT RIGIDITY 19 How to Reframe the Organizational Operating System and Mindset 20 Distinguishing Traditional versus Evolving Approaches 27 What Is Next-Generation Project Management and PMO? 28 Which Quadrant Is Your Organization in Today? 29 How to Achieve Balance 30 Finding Your Sweet Spot 32 Cultivating a Studio 33 How to Design Effective Boundaries 34 Fair Process and Procedural Justice 34 Communities and Collaboration 35 Seven Keys for Effective Project Management and PMO Focus and Results 37 Shaping the Future with Project Management and PMO 37 Key Takeaways 40 3 DNA OF STRATEGY EXECUTION 43 The Journey of Decoding the DNA 45 Decoding the Other DNA Elements 48 What Is the Big Deal about the DNA of Strategy Execution? 49 The DNA Under the Microscope 52 Developing DNA Intelligence 52 Getting Started: How to Apply the DNA to Project Management or PMO 55 Diagnosing the Pain 55 Stakeholder Empathy Map 56 Identifying the Customer? 57 What are the Roles, Types, Models, Frameworks, and Functions of a PMO? 58 Defining Your PMO 59 Developing aMission/Purpose for Your PMO 60 PMO Frameworks 61 What Type of PMO Approach Is Right for You? 62 Strategy Execution Office 64 Developing DNA Maturity and Intelligence 64 Key Takeaways 66 4 STRATEGY 69 What Is Strategy? 70 Strategy Is Not Planning 71 Whose Fault Is It, Strategy or Execution? 74 What Is the Role of Project, Program, Portfolio, and PMO in Strategy? 74 The DNA Strands of Strategy 75 Strategy as Design 76 How Can the PMO Link Strategy with Execution? 76 Selecting, Prioritizing, and Balancing: Portfolio Management 83 Resource Management: Is It Possible to Defy The Laws of Physics? 88 WhatWill You Say No To? 90 PMO’s Role in Portfolio Management 91 Enabling Exploration and Innovation 92 Evaluating Results, Value, and Impact 93 Developing Project Management and PMO Strategy Intelligence 94 Key Takeaways 95 5 EXECUTION 97 What is Execution? 97 Execution versus Strategic Execution 98 Decoding the DNA Strands of Execution 99 People: Developing Strategy Execution Capabilities with the Right Talent 99 Developing Next Generation Talent and Skills 101 Designing Career and Learning and Development Programs 105 Process 105 Tips for Effective Process 107 Process versus Behavior 108 Classifying Processes Provides New Insights for Effective Execution 108 PMO Support and Services Related to Execution 109 Technology: Tools, Systems, Apps, and Bots 110 Types of Project Management and PMO-Related Tools 111 Tools Evaluation Resources 111 Next-Generation Tools with Project Intelligence (PI) 112 Flow 112 Designing an Adaptive Execution Platform 115 Principles of Design Thinking 116 Designing for Execution Agility 117 Designing a Scalable Adaptive Execution Platform 118 Assessing andMaturing Execution Agility 118 Building Execution Intelligence 119 Key Takeaways 120 6 GOVERNANCE 121 To Define Effective Governance, Understand its Purpose 122 The Strands of Governance 123 Steering Body 123 Standards 124 Policies/Procedures 125 Gates 125 Review/Audit 127 Compliance 127 Responsibility and Accountability 127 Authority 128 Decision Rights 128 Rules/Guidelines 129 PMO Role in Governance 133 Adaptive Governance 133 Developing Governance Intelligence 135 Key Takeaways 136 7 CONNECT 137 Disconnected and Adrift 139 Power of Connections 139 The DNA Strands of Connect: How and What to Connect 140 Connecting Customers, Stakeholders, Networks, and Connections (Identifying the Invisible) 141 Connecting Silos: Bridging theMatrix 145 Connecting Business Activities and Organizational Priorities 147 Connecting Interfaces and Interdependencies 149 Holacracy: Antidote to theMatrix? 150 Connecting Is Communicating 151 Why Communication Is Not Enough—You Need aMarcomStrategy 152 Leveraging Social Media 153 Relationships: Strengthening Relationships and Developing Partnerships 153 Community and Collaboration 155 Developing Connect Intelligence 156 Key Takeaways 157 8 MEASURE 159 Why Does Measurement Continue To Be Elusive and Challenging? 160 The DNA Strands of Measure 163 Objectives 163 Key Results 165 Reporting: Presentation and Communication 170 Action—What CanWe Do with the Measures? Are theMeasures Actionable? 172 Learning—AreWe Getting Effective Feedback? AreWe Learning and Adjusting? 173 Defining and Measuring Project Success 173 Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) 176 Developing an Integrative Approach: Strategy Execution Measurement Framework 177 Measuring and Showing PMO Value 181 Illuminating PMO Value 187 Sustaining PMO Value: Managing Value Dissipation and Benefits Erosion 187 Next-Generation Measures 188 ProjectManagement Artificial Intelligence (PI) 188 Developing Measure Intelligence 189 Key Takeaways 191 9 CHANGE 193 Change Is the Catalytic Element in the DNA of Strategy Execution 194 Change Is Hard 195 The DNA Strands of Change 197 Awareness 197 Anticipation 199 Absorption 200 Adoption 201 Customer 202 Choices 206 Communication 208 Connectors 208 How to Develop Change Intelligence 210 Dealing with Change Resistance 210 How to Get Results without Being a Nag 211 From Managing Change to Changemaking 212 Changing the World with Change Intelligence 214 Key Takeaways 215 10 LEARN 217 Traditional PM and PMOs Are Not Organized for Learning 218 Need for a New Perspective 219 Learning from Failure 220 How to Make Failure Survivable 222 The DNA Strands of Learn: 7 C’s of Cultivating a Learning Environment 224 Culture 224 Curiosity 226 Capture 226 Community and Collaboration 230 Curation 231 Correcting (Self-Correction and Application) 232 Continuous Innovation 233 Moving from Continuous Improvement to Continuous Experimentation, Iteration, and Innovation 233 Meta-Learning 234 Developing Learning Intelligence 235 Key Takeaways 235 11 SIMPLIFY: BUILDING THE DEPARTMENT OF SIMPLICITY 237 Kill the PMO? 238 Why Is Simplicity a Strategic Imperative in today’s Disruptive Dance-world? 239 Optimizing for Efficiency versus Optimizing for Simplicity 239 Why Is Simplicity Hard? 240 PM and PMO Principles of Simplicity 241 How to Build a Department of Simplicity 243 Rethinking Maturity: Subtraction, Not Addition 246 Creating Viral Customers & Stakeholders 247 Developing Simplify Intelligence 248 Key Takeaways 249 12 BALANCE: DANCE-ING ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS 251 Learning to DANCE 254 Agile Being Agile 256 Beyond Agile:What’s Next? 257 Thriving at the Edge of Chaos 257 What Is the Next Generation? 258 Ten Skills for Next-Generation Project Management and PMOs 259 Application Questions 261 Feedback Loops: Project Management/PMO Delight Index (PDI) 263 Ben or BoB? 264 A APPLICATION OF DNA OF STRATEGY EXECUTION 267 B PMO FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES SERVICE CATALOG 273 BIBLIOGRAPHY 279 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 293 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 295 INDEX 297