Portfolio Management - Influencing the weather?
Speakers
Steve Jenner is a leading author and practitioner in portfolio and benefits management. He began his career in the UK Civil Service, where he rose to senior roles including Director of Criminal Justice IT, overseeing one of Europe’s largest IT-enabled business change programmes and pioneering portfolio and benefits management in the Cabinet Office. Since leaving government, Steve has become a globally recognised thought leader, author of Managing Benefits and Managing Portfolios, and co-author of Management of Portfolios. He also serves as Chief Examiner for APMG’s Managing Benefits and Managing Portfolios certifications.
Stuart helps PMO and portfolio leaders build strategy-aligned portfolios and prove ROI. A guest lecturer on project prioritization at the University of Oxford, he speaks widely on killing pet projects, focusing investment on value, and using decision science (AHP) to make clear, defensible choices.
About this webinar
“A good deal of corporate planning … is like a ritual rain dance. It has no effect on the weather that follows, but those who engage in it think it does. Moreover, much of the advice related to corporate planning is directed at improving the dancing, not the weather.”
— Russell Ackoff
Too often, PMOs fall into this trap—busy with process and paperwork, yet unable to prove their impact. In this session, portfolio management expert Steve Jenner joins Stuart Easton to explore how PMOs can shift their focus from “improving the dancing” to actually “changing the weather.”
Drawing on decades of experience in government and industry, Steve challenges PMO leaders to put benefits realization at the heart of everything they do. He shares insights on why so many PMOs are under pressure, how to engage executives in meaningful decisions, and what it takes to prove that portfolios deliver measurable value.
You’ll discover how to:
- Recognize when your PMO is focused on activity rather than outcomes
- Refocus on benefits as the true measure of value delivered
- Balance business‑as‑usual work with strategic change initiatives
- Act as the organizational “conscience,” challenging assumptions and driving better choices
- Apply Steve’s six success characteristics: be benefits‑led, evidence‑based, fast & frugal, active, disciplined, and transparent
Whether you call it benefits, results, impact, or value, the message is clear: if a PMO isn’t making a measurable difference, it’s missing its purpose.