Think Like a CEO

Gregory L. Seawright

I want to share with you my take on how a Program/Project Managers should view each project as part of a wider organizational need and treating projects like businesses.

Think Like a CEO

So what does it really mean for a Project Manager to think like a CEO and treat projects like a business?

First and foremost, it means understanding how organizations work and creating value for their shareholders, customers and the various business units.

For shareholders, the business creates value when it provides a return on its investment (ROI) that meets their expectations for the amount of risk a company/shareholder has invested. The problem is that many projects won’t directly impact a company’s bottom line. Project managers also need to consider the project’s overall impact on the company’s tactical and strategic objectives to see where the project creates value. For example, new product projects often impact profitability and create high levels of profit, while a project that focuses on breaking into a new market probably won't break even. But both projects to some degree will contribute to the company’s overall strategy/bottom line.