IT Management Slideshow: CIO Guidebook for Taming Change

The spectre of change can spread uncertainty and fear within an organization, resulting in knee-jerk reactions, ill-conceived strategies and/or a lack of unified corporate response. Organizations that welcome change as a constant, lasting part of business are best positioned to survive and succeed, according to Pat Durbin and Terry Doerscher, co-authors of the new book, "Taming Change with Portfolio Management: Unify Your Organization, Sharpen Your Strategy, and Create Measurable Value" (Greenleaf Book Group/now available). Do not let the title fool you: "Portfolio" here does not refer to your personal investment assets. It refers to the "portfolio" of valued assets within a company: finances, inventory, equipment, and people. Durbin and Doerscher contend that organizations need to constantly evaluate these assets within the context of anticipating and successfully navigating change. Durbin is CEO and co-founder of Planview Inc., which provides software, training and consultation for these portfolio-management solutions, working with companies such as Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and Farmer's Insurance. Doerscher is Chief Process Architect for Planview. He is an 18-year veteran of the commercial nuclear industry, having held a number of engineering, project-management and planning positions.