Forest for the Trees: Missing the Bigger Picture

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲

The phrase “can't see the forest for the trees” means becoming so focused on the small details that you miss the bigger picture. When applied to managing a portfolio or program of work, it refers to the risk of getting too caught up in the specifics of individual projects or tasks and 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼.

If you're managing a portfolio your primary focus should always be in the overarching strategic goals.

When we run an Ignite big-room planning workshop, we rapidly and collaboratively narrow down hundreds of initiatives to a committed "Top 20" initiatives. These are the "must-haves," the initiatives that deliver the most strategic value for the organization across different departments/siloes.

Once we have commitment to a plan, we now have to build confidence in execution. So ensure going forward to establish a regular cadence that:

1) Focuses first on identifying and resolving blockers or impediments for critical initiatives.

2) Recognises blockers that could affect multiple initiatives, addressing them proactively.

3) Sets up a simple, pragmatic process for accepting new initiatives—only those that add more value than the current top priorities. This will ensure that lower-priority work is removed, keeping the team within capacity to deliver what matters most.

4) Once you’ve solidified the "front door" process, pay attention to the "back door"—making sure you're not losing focus or resources on initiatives that should be deprioritised.

5) It’s acceptable to work on lower-priority initiatives, as long as they don’t interfere with or consume the capacity needed for higher-priority work.

When it's time for the next Ignite big-room planning session to recalibrate for the next 90 days, make sure you’ve identified the common causes of any impediments you’ve faced. Use this as an opportunity to address those root causes in the upcoming period.

Avoid getting bogged down in micromanaging project issues. Keep a holistic view and make the necessary adjustments to keep your portfolio moving in the right direction to achieve the organization’s high-value strategic goals.

Finally, focus on building a 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 within the team, this will make them formidable and will always over-achieve.

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AdaptivOrg + Seisma, SEISMA GROUP, Insights

Robert Cass 🟢 🟡 / 🔵 🔴, Sushrut Kamath, Devon White, Annie Spiteri, Jason Wu, Betty Trajkovski, Anthony Kandi, Brendan Walker, Simone Hambrook, Robert Hogeland