Playbooks

I would not classify myself as a “process” person but I do believe strongly in structure, diligence and consistency where appropriate. To that end, I believe that playbooks are a very useful tool when defining a portfolio process or operating model. I am not suggesting to document hundreds of pages of process materials so much as have a structured document which outlines key functions, how they will work, the use of tools and the roles with accountabilities. I see many benefits in doing this…

• The act of documenting the playbook forces the team to think through the functions and how they will work
• Documenting roles and accountabilities is important to set and manage expectations of the team
• There is one place to go to as the handbook for how to operate with the portfolio, program or organization
• These can be used to share across other programs and organizations to help drive best practices and consistency

Playbooks should be seen as living documents and not a one-time process and so they should be reviewed on a regular basis and updated as needed. The PMO should maintain and update these documents and ensure that they get reviewed on a regular basis to sustain expectations.