Find the recurring behavior
Some organizations approve initiatives individually without assessing opportunity cost. Others collect every executive’s wish list but never reject or delay anything. Even formal models can fail when their criteria reflect revenue alone while strategy also calls for efficiency or internal capability.
Make the process credible
Examine which pattern describes your portfolio, then address the specific weakness. Criteria should reflect the full strategy, capacity should constrain commitments, and leaders should respect decisions even when favored projects lose priority. Overly rigid governance can also undermine trust. The objective is a workable decision process that withstands real executive pressure, not merely a polished scoring exercise.