Hi Reader,
We've all sat through those project presentations to leadership where the Geeky PM drones on, and not only is everyone bored, they secretly message each other about how to make a quick escape.
Over time, I've learned to work on five key areas to strengthen when pitching projects to leadership:
- Understand what's happening in the industry and market trends
- Look at the entire organization's priorities
- Financially smart decision-making
- Strategically thinking ahead with innovative ideas
- Creating a robust support system for projects
All of these collectively build upon our business acumen. You might ask, what exactly is business acumen in our projects?
Business acumen means project managers can effectively align their projects with the big picture of organizational strategy and global trends, ensuring their projects are impactful, sustainable, and in tune with the dynamic business environment.
The Project Management institute (PMI), our professional organization committed to advancing the project management profession, recently introduced the “PMI Talent Triangle”, a framework defining the key skill sets necessary for success in project management. The key skill sets are Ways of Working, Power Skills and Business Acumen.
Why do we need business acumen?
Business acumen is really just understanding how a business works—and how your work fits into the bigger picture. It’s about knowing what matters to your company (like making money, saving time, keeping customers happy), and making decisions with those goals in mind.
As a project manager, it means you’re not just focused on tasks and timelines. You’re thinking about how your project supports the overall strategy, how it affects the bottom line, and what the risks and rewards are if things change. It’s that ability to zoom out and see the full puzzle—not just your piece of it.
Let's talk business acumen
In the past, business acumen was something project managers rarely had the time to develop. We often just have enough time to focus on assigned tasks, staying separate from the broader business perspective.
This shift is exciting. It means we get to be more than execution arms—we get to be strategic partners. And PMI’s Talent Triangle is putting this front and centre. Business acumen isn’t a “nice to have” anymore—it’s a core competency.
Finally, even our professional association has caught on—PMI is emphasizing the need for project managers to connect with leadership in a way that goes beyond the technical.
It’s about speaking the language of the business, not just the project.
This is what leadership needs from project managers, especially when evaluating the value of company projects, as we discussed in last week's article.
So the next time you’re prepping a presentation, skip the dry status update or any added fluff.
Show how your work actually moves the needle.
Tie your metrics to strategy.
Highlight risks and opportunities like an executive would.
Let’s stop clearing the room—and start commanding it.
|
Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
|
Attention Project Professionals!
Are you on the hunt for a project management role and feeling frustrated with the current market? We can help!
Our online offering "Get a PM Job: Selling Yourself with Impact" series is live! We are offering a 50% discount right now with code FIRST50.
|
How We Can Help
Be sure to add our email address to your contacts to stay updated on all the good PM stuff we’re doing.
Another great way to keep us out of your spam folder is to reply to this message with your favorite emoji!
|
Recent Articles
Communicate Project Value: Win over executive stakeholders
Please share with your colleagues!