---
title: TOP Thinking on
description: For more than three decades, we have been challenging the orthodox thinking about strategy and project execution in our TOP Thinking blog.
---
[](https://www.totallyoptimizedprojects.com)
# TOP Thinking on
#### [The Power Of "Path Dependency"](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-power-of-path-dependency)
Path Dependency gives you control over both your project and its business value but is it is a concept too often ignored - learn more here
#### [The Need For "Engineered Thinking™" Techniques](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-need-for-engineered-thinking-techniques)
Shallow thinking on projects can lead to disaster and extra work. Use of the Engineered Thinking techniques can transform your thinking and your results. Learn more
#### [How Do You Prioritise 'Mandatory' Projects?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-do-you-prioritize-mandatory-projects)
Assessing a project’s strategic relevance and contribution is actually the second question you need to ask when prioritizing a project. The first question is, “Is this mandatory?”
#### [4 Key Differences Between Projects And Operations](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/4-key-differences-between-projects-and-operations)
Managing projects is fundamentally different to managing business-as-usual operations. They differ in four important ways.
#### [Why Are We Approving Projects Set Up To Fail](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/approving-projects-set-fail)
The business case or a summary of it is usually the key document for evaluation and approval of the project. This is inadequate. At the evaluation stage you also need to validate the project set up too as this can be an invisible driver of excessive costs.
#### [The Dangers Of One-Dimensional Thinking](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-dangers-of-one-dimensional-thinking)
Too many decisions on projects are made without cognizance of their downstream consequences—but do our processes enable these consequences to be known and considered?
#### [Degrees Of Failure Of Success?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/degrees-of-failure-of-success)
Whether we seek full success or allow degrees of success of failure determines the results we deliver. Allowing 'degrees of success' thinking is sloppy thinking
#### [The New Sixth Force Of Competition](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-new-sixth-force-of-competition)
Your organization can be rendered superfluous by a new market entrant. The strategic Five-Forces model no longer applies. A sixth force can override them all.
#### [How Poor Project Governance Sets Project Managers Up To Fail](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-poor-project-governance-sets-project-managers-up-to-fail)
Ineffective project governance can destroy a project manager perceived performance. PMs need to take control of their project's governance
#### [Do You Want To Be A Valued Project Manager?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/project-governance-for-project-managers-course)
Poor project governance can destroy your project, leaving you, as Project Manager, to wear the blame. Learn how to manage your project governance team.
#### [Delivering 'To Specification' v 'Implementation'](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/delivering-to-specification-v-implementation)
Effective project implementation delivers results. Delivery to specification delivers an output. The business wants results. Here's the differences
#### [Why You Should Not Aim To Deliver Your Project ‘On Budget’](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/why-you-should-not-aim-to-deliver-your-project-on-budget)
Being 'on budget' is not a primary measure of success. Delivering the optimum net value is success. The TOP Value Equation makes optimization possible
#### ["What Will This Do For The Profit?"](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/what-will-this-do-for-the-profit)
The first question you ask of a proposed project will impact its success. Ask, "What will this do for the profit?" and you've changed the conversation.
#### [How To Engage The Project Governance Team In Decision Making](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-to-engage-the-project-governance-team-in-decision-making)
Only a trained and educated business project governance team will make informed and lasting decisions that lead to success.
#### [Are We Making Projects Too Complex?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/are-we-making-projects-too-complex)
False bases cause current strategy and project delivery processes to be complex, unnecessarily. Execution can be simple
#### [How To Ensure Your Strategy Is Successfully Executed](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-to-ensure-your-strategy-is-successfully-executed)
To accurately measure your strategy's execution through your project portfolio is simple when you have the right tools.
#### [How Much Project Investment Value Do You (Inadvertently) Lose?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-much-project-investment-value-do-you-inadvertently-waste)
Over 50% of each project's potential value can be lost unnecessarily. It is your choice. You can choose to have project success—to deliver all the value possible.
#### [When Does A Project 'Fail'?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/when-does-a-project-fail)
Project failure is relative; most projects fail in part, 40% of projects fail overall in terms of net value delivered. This is avoidable if you use a value perspective.
#### [The Three Tenets And Four Critical Success Factors Of Change Management](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-three-tenets-and-four-critical-success-factors-of-change-management)
Change is about taking well thought through, planned, communicated and executed change actions. it really is that simple.
#### [Don't 'Align' Your Projects To Your Strategy](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/dont-align-projects-strategy)
How to powerfully, usefully and effectively measure each projects' strategic contribution.
#### [Why Change Is Not About People](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/why-change-is-not-about-people)
Change management is not about people it is about taking action. The reason it has been hijacked by 'the people people' is explained
#### [Change Management And How To Regain Control Of Your Future](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/change-management-and-how-to-regain-control-of-your-future)
Your organization's capability to change effectively determines its ability to control its future. It is time to insource this capability
#### [Isn't It Time For Business Leadership Of Projects?](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-time-for-business-leadership-of-projects)
Projects are currently delivered by 'project specialists'. Now is the time for business leadership to regain control of their projects and future
#### [Why Cost Cutting Is Not The Only Option](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/why-cost-cutting-is-not-the-only-option)
Cutting costs seems to be the first thought to management who need to improve business results. But it is not the only or necessarily the first option.
#### [What To Do When You Don't Have The Staff For Your Projects](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/what-to-do-when-you-dont-have-the-staff-for-your-projects)
Organizations believe they don't have the staff required for them to be fully involved in and lead projects. But this limitation can be easily overcome
#### [How To Make This Time Different](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/why-will-this-time-be-different)
Projects will continue to fail unless you do something different, such as define your project's Value Equation to define and then deliver the full value
#### [How To Lose Money, Fast](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-to-lose-money-fast)
You can lose money fast on projects by one simple step - not implementing an effective benefits management process. And this is very expensive.
#### [The Price of Advice - How To Buy Consultancy](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-price-of-advice-how-to-buy-consultancy)
Many organizations struggle to get value from their use of consultants. This is because they have the wrong idea about consultants. Read and learn.
#### ["Not Interested"](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/software-vendors-are-not-interested-in-delivering-value)
Software companies may promise the world but are fundamentally not interested in helping you realize the benefits available from their software. Beware.
#### [If It's Broke, DON'T Fix It!](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/if-its-broke-dont-fix-it)
The lack of project success shows project delivery process are broke. They need to be fixed. Start by defining a new set of project success measures
#### [Death Of An Organization](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/death-of-an-organization)
Following orthodox project management methodologies can lead to the death of your organization or at least continued project failure. It is time to change.
#### [How To Become A 'Strategic PMO'](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-to-become-a-strategic-pmo)
Talk of 'Strategic PMOs' is worthless unless you know what it is, how it works and have the knowledge and tools to do it. Now all of this is available.
#### [Kicking off 2016 - Essential Reading on Value Delivery](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/kicking-off-2016-essential-reading-on-value-delivery)
Essential reading for 2016 - new TOP ebooks available on Amazon - to create and sustain a 'value delivery' mindset.
#### [Taking On Projects Beyond Your Capability To Deliver](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/taking-projects-beyond-capability-deliver)
Invisible driver of excessive costs Your organization has a range of capabilities - areas where it is particularly strong and effective that deliver the organization’s services and determine its competitiveness.
#### [Project Success Starts By Defining Your 'Desired Business Outcomes'](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/project-success-starts-with-defining-your-desired-business-outcomes)
Your clear, specific, and measurable 'desired business outcomes' should be drafted at the very start and should then drive every aspect of your project. But sadly, few projects identify them...
#### [How To Burst The "Project Bubble"](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/how-to-burst-the-project-bubble)
Business managers can tend to lose sight of their business context and goals when on projects. To combat this you need to change the measures of success
#### [Time For Projects To Move Out Of The 'Iron Age'](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/time-for-projects-to-move-out-of-the-iron-age)
It is time to replace the Iron Triangle measures with the TOP Value Triangle measures as the basis for increasing project success
#### [How Reframing The 'Iron Triangle' Can Change The Game](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/the-need-to-reframe-the-iron-triangle)
The orthodox Iron Triangle inadvertently encourages the scope and specification to be the first element compromised. When you reframe the Triangle you can see why that's wrong.
#### [Why Brand-Name Consultants Won't Deliver Value](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/why-brand-name-consultants-wont-deliver-value)
The major brand-name consultancies are not set up or intending to deliver measurable value to their clients. Here's why and what you can do about it.
#### [10 Ways The Iron Triangle Measures Can Destroy Project Success](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/10-ways-the-iron-triangle-measures-can-destroy-project-success)
The orthodox project success measures of 'on time, on budget' are not benign; they are dangerous as they encourage the destruction of value
[**](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/page/2)
### TOPics
- [Benefits Management (29)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/benefits-management)
- [Business Case (24)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/business-case)
- [Business Simplification (5)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/business-simplification)
- [Capability Development (38)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/capability-development)
- [Capital Investment (24)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/capital-investment)
- [Change Management (17)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/change-management)
- [Consultants (1)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/consultants)
- [Costs and Waste (16)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/costs-and-waste)
- [Engineered Thinking/Ideas/Innovation (8)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/engineered-thinking-ideas-innovation)
- [Fifteen Critical Insights (15)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/fifteen-critical-insights)
- [Idea / Project Initiation (3)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/idea-project-initiation)
- [Mental Models, Beliefs and Myths (18)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/mental-models-beliefs-and-myths)
- [Outcomes Thinking (10)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/outcomes-thinking)
- [Path Dependency (10)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/path-dependency)
- [Prioritization (13)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/prioritization)
- [Process Management (11)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/process-management)
- [Productivity Improvement (7)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/productivity-improvement)
- [Program / Project delivery (40)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/program-project-delivery)
- [Project Controls (52)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/project-controls)
- [Project Governance (90)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/project-governance)
- [Project Management (4)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/project-management)
- [Project Success (46)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/project-success)
- [Project Validation (2)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/project-validation)
- [Risk Management (5)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/risk-management)
- [Scope Management (5)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/scope-management)
- [Standards/Frameworks/Methods (14)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/standards-frameworks-methods)
- [Strategic Project Portfolio Management (16)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/strategic-project-portfolio-management)
- [Strategy Execution (39)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/strategy-execution)
- [The TOP Four Lenses (1)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/the-top-four-lenses)
- [TOP compared to orthodox approaches (7)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/top-compared-to-orthodox-approaches)
- [Value Delivery (83)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/value-delivery)
- [Value Equation (60)](https://blog.totallyoptimizedprojects.com/top-thinking/topic/value-equation)
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