Starting 2025 Strong – Five Strategies to Align Project Benefits with Business Goals
February 14, 2025
Introduction
Imagine this: your team has been clamoring for a new project management tool to streamline operations. Deadlines are slipping, priorities are muddled, and resources are stretched thin. After months of deliberation, you greenlight a $2M investment in a state-of-the-art system. The initial feedback is glowing—team members praise the sleek features and smoother workflows. But soon, the same old challenges creep back: missed deadlines, poor prioritization, and resource mismanagement.
That’s when the truth hits: the real issue wasn’t the tool. It was a gap in portfolio management knowledge among your project managers, who had hoped technology could fix what training and strategy should have addressed. To make matters worse, you discover that a $50,000 tool, combined with proper training, could have delivered the same results—or even better.
Now you’re left questioning: Was the juice worth the squeeze? This story highlights a common dilemma in benefits realization—investing effort and resources into solutions that fail to address the root cause. Let’s explore how to focus your efforts to consistently deliver greater value.
The Juice, the Squeeze, and the Question of Value
The metaphor of the “juice” and the “squeeze” resonates deeply in project management. The “juice” represents the tangible and intangible value derived from projects, while the “squeeze” symbolizes the investments—time, resources, and risks—required to achieve that value. Every project promises benefits, but do those benefits truly justify the effort, time, and resources invested? How do we decide if the ‘juice’ (the benefits) is worth the ‘squeeze’ (the effort)?
As organizations strive to maximize value, the stakes are higher than ever. According to PMI’s 2024 report, traditional measures of project success—time, scope, and budget—are no longer sufficient. Instead, project success now hinges on value delivery, stakeholder satisfaction, and measurable benefits.
In practice, this shift means asking tough questions:
- Are we solving the right problem?
- Are the resources we’re allocating justified by the value we expect to deliver?
- Are we balancing effort with outcomes to avoid diminishing returns?
Where Did This Phrase Come From?
The first time I heard the phrase “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” was from one of my senior executives, the Group Chief Information Officer at ANSA McAL. The GCIO had a knack for thought-provoking questions, and this was one of his favorites. Whenever our team presented a potential solution to a business problem, he would lean back, take a moment, and ask, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” It was his way of challenging us to critically evaluate whether the expected outcomes justified the effort, resources, and risks involved in an initiative.
The vivid imagery of squeezing fruit to extract juice serves as a powerful metaphor for evaluating effort versus reward. But how often do we stop to consider whether our “squeeze” aligns with the actual outcomes we seek? Let’s dig deeper.
Misplaced Investments: The Risk of Thirst-Driven Decisions
The thirst for value often drives organizations to pursue ambitious initiatives. Yet, this drive can sometimes cloud judgment, leading to misplaced investments. PMI’s largest-ever study on project success revealed that value delivery often hinges on a clear understanding of desired outcomes and alignment with strategic goals.
However, many organizations still rely on surface-level solutions without addressing the root cause of their challenges. For instance, investing in a costly project management tool might improve workflows temporarily, but without addressing communication gaps or unclear objectives, true benefits remain elusive.
A benefits realization process offers a structured approach to aligning projects with strategic goals. For more on building a strong BRM foundation, check out my earlier posts: Why Benefits Realization Matters More Than Ever in Today’s Projects and Starting 2025 Strong – Five Strategies to Align Project Benefits with Business Goals. By identifying, planning, and tracking benefits, organizations can improve the likelihood of delivering measurable and meaningful results.
More Squeeze Does Not Mean More Juice
A critical project pitfall is the assumption that greater effort automatically leads to greater rewards. Before committing effort to a solution, it’s essential to identify the underlying pain points. Misdiagnosing problems can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities. For example, declining productivity may prompt investments in software, but the root cause could lie in inadequate training or misaligned goals. Root cause analysis helps clarify what the organization is truly ‘thirsty’ for—ensuring that solutions are purpose-fit. When the root cause isn’t clearly articulated, even a well-executed project can fail to deliver meaningful results. Effective benefits realization requires addressing real pain points, not just their symptoms.
Managing the Squeeze: Balancing Effort and Outcomes
Striking the right balance between effort and outcomes is critical. An effective BRM framework will emphasize accountability, collaboration, and continuous reassessment to ensure that projects remain aligned with their goals. Stakeholder engagement plays a pivotal role in managing this balance. By involving stakeholders early and often, organizations can avoid costly missteps and ensure that their projects address real needs.
Worth the Squeeze? Wrapping It All Up
Ultimately, the value of any project lies in how well its outcomes justify its efforts. As PMI’s research reminds us, success is about delivering value that is “worth the effort and expense”.
To consistently deliver meaningful results, organizations must embrace a value-driven mindset. This means prioritizing root cause analysis, aligning efforts with strategic goals, and adopting robust benefits realization practices.
So before committing to your next big project, map out the expected benefits and ask: Does this plan address the root cause—or just the symptoms? In other words, is the juice really worth the squeeze?
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