Strategic Decision-Making

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Scott M. Graffius Speaking on Strategic Leadership at Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute

09 August 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

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Recommended Citation

Graffius, S. M. (2026, August 9). Scott M. Graffius Speaking on Strategic Leadership at Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-speaking-at-pmi-silicon-valley.html

About This Article

Source information and links for materials cited are provided in the References section.

Introduction

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, and international speaker specializing in advanced AI, teamwork tradecraft, and organizational agility (inclusive of PPPM and PMO leadership). He has led initiatives that have generated more than $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations worldwide. His work—including research on human teams and human-AI teams and the half-life of engagement on social media, among other areas—is widely adopted, frequently cited, and recognized for its practical impact.

Graffius will deliver a talk on strategic alignment, “10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment,” at an event of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

The session is for those involved in or interested in project management, program management, portfolio management, PMO leadership, or organizational agility.

It will span all three areas of the Project Management Institute Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (formerly Strategic and Business Management), Power Skills (formerly Leadership), and Ways of Working (formerly Technical Project Management), with Business Acumen as the primary focus.

The session will be held on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Everyone (PMI Silicon Valley Chapter members as well as non-members) is invited. Register here.

About "10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment"

How does your organization assess proposals for new projects? Is there a well-defined scoring and prioritization process—based on alignment with the business’ strategic objectives and other key factors—to quickly and easily identify the objective value of each proposal? If the answer is “no,” keep reading. If the answer is “yes,” you’re still likely to find practical information and examples in this talk that you can adapt and adopt to improve the process at your organization.

This session will help you develop and enhance the contributions you make to your organization by being able to:

Understand the benefits of scoring and prioritizing project proposals based on strategic alignment and other key factors.
Identify selection and prioritization criteria appropriate for your unique organization, leveraging the flexible framework and some or all of the 10 factors presented during the talk.
Put the practical, actionable information presented to use. During the session, we will run an example project proposal through the process, step by step. And you will receive a summary “cheat sheet” digital download that you can reference as a guide to help implement or improve this process at your organization.

The presentation draws on the speaker’s first-hand, real-world experience, with his guidance supported by related standards, best practices, and recommendations from the Project Management Institute, MIT, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and others.

About the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMISV)

Founded in 1997, the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMISV) is a nonprofit professional community serving project management practitioners throughout California’s Silicon Valley. As a local chapter of PMI, PMISV brings together professionals to advance the practice of project management through knowledge sharing, professional development, networking, and community engagement.

PMISV provides a diverse range of programs and opportunities, including educational events, workshops, and professional development initiatives. Its mission is to support the interests and needs of its members by providing leadership and forums for expanding and sharing project management knowledge, skills, and experience.

About the Project Management Institute

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global professional association dedicated to advancing project, program, and portfolio management. Founded in 1969, PMI develops professional standards, publications, certifications, and educational resources used by practitioners and organizations worldwide. Its work spans traditional, agile, and emerging approaches to managing projects and delivering value. PMI’s standards and research have helped shape the evolving discipline of project management and its application across industries.

References

The following are select references for this article.

They are not the references for the talk itself. Those references will be provided seperately to session participants.

Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Scott M. Graffius. https://scottgraffius.com/

Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Scott M. Graffius: Bio. https://scottgraffius.com/bio.html

Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Scott M. Graffius [LinkedIn]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottgraffius/

Project Management Institute (n.d.). Project Management Institute. https://www.pmi.org/

Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute (n.d.). Virtual Meeting - 10 Ways to Score and Prioritize Project Proposals Based on Multiple Factors, Including Strategic Alignment. https://www.pmisv.org/events/calendar/general-events/pm-in-sight-fremont/pm-insights-fremont-virtual-meeting-10-ways-to-score-and-prioritize-project-proposals-based-on-multiple-factors-including-strategic-alignment

Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute (n.d.). Welcome to the PMI Silicon Valley Chapter. https://www.pmisv.org/

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About Scott M. Graffius

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Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.

He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.

He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, his first book, earned 17 awards.
Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, his second book, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority.
Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, his third book and his first work of fiction, was released in April 2025. The book trailer is on YouTube.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops. Graffius has conducted 98 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BMC Software,
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition
The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition
Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition
The Practice Standard for Project Estimating – Second Edition

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

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Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

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Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Discover Scott’s Books

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

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List of Additional Articles

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How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, August 9). Scott M. Graffius Speaking on Strategic Leadership at Silicon Valley Chapter of the Project Management Institute. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/scott-m-graffius-speaking-at-pmi-silicon-valley.html

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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

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Content Acknowledgements

Names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

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#ProjectManagement
#StrategicAlignment
#ProjectPrioritization
#ProjectSelection
#PortfolioManagement
#ProgramManagement
#PMO
#OrganizationalAgility
#MultiCriteriaDecisionAnalysis
#StrategicDecisionMaking
#Speaker
#PublicSpeaker
#PublicSpeaking
#ConferenceSpeaker
#PMISpeaker
#CorporateSpeaker

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Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

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Copyright

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Tags: Project Management • Strategic Alignment • Project Prioritization • Project Selection • Silicon Valley • Strategic Decision-Making • Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) • Corporate Speaker • PMI Speaker • Conference Speaker • Public Speaking • Public Speaker • Speaker • Organizational Agility • PMO • Program Management • Portfolio Management