What Business Need does the project/initiative address?
Business Needs is the first business fundamental and for good reason. Whether it is an IT, HR project or anything else: Business Needs Must Come First!
Use the insights, checklists and tools on this page to explore the Business Need for your project or initiative.
Projects can easily lose sight of the business need they were meant to address. This ‘project myopia’ is increasingly prevalent in a time of fast-changing business needs and priorities.
The solution is to adopt a ‘Business First’ perspective – putting the needs the business ahead of the project plan. It requires ongoing strategic conversations about the project to ensure that it stays connected to what matters to the C-suite. Find out more here
Is there a direct link between the objectives/scope of the project and the needs of the business? Use the panel on the ‘project chassis' one pager to explore: What underlying business need(s) does the project address? Specifically:
- How does it address key business priorities?
- How does it further the strategy/vision?
- What problem/opportunity does it address?
- How will it build/extend org. capability/capacity?

The ‘Business First Test' checks for signs of ‘Project Myopia' (i.e. where a project looses sign of business needs) the level of clarity and alignment with respect to Business Needs:
Ask key stakeholders, sponsors and project team members to describe the business need that the project / Initiative addresses/must address.
Of course, you could simply tell people what the business need is, however to effective engage stakeholders it is better to ask, rather than simply to tell.

Delivering a project on time and to budget is no longer enough. The real measure of success is the extent to which a project or initiative addresses business needs and priorities. Explore this topic here:
Projects as the Building Blocks of Your Strategy
2.2 mins 6 min.
Your Project Portfolio: The Million-Dollar Question
Strategy Under Pressure: How the pandemic has up-ended strategy
Strategic Initiatives: Are You Focused on Survival or Revival?