By the time organizations reach Q4, portfolio overload becomes impossible to ignore. Initiatives outpace capacity, dependencies slip, and teams struggle to maintain momentum. Portfolio Triage offers a candid and practical way to regain control before value is lost. It provides a structured method for determining which work should proceed, which should be deferred, and which should be stopped entirely.

Portfolio Triage evaluates each initiative across three core factors that consistently appear in complex enterprise environments. These factors include delivery readiness, the potential to realize value before year end, and the execution risk created by attempting the work under compressed timelines. When readiness is low, value is uncertain, and execution risk is high, the responsible decision is to pause or terminate the initiative.

This approach reduces end-of-year burnout and protects organizational capacity by categorizing work into three outcomes:

 • Proceed immediately, for high-value work with low risk and strong readiness

 • Defer responsibly, for important initiatives that cannot deliver within the remaining time

 • Terminate without ceremony, for work that consumes capacity but has no meaningful return

The third category often provides the biggest gain in capacity and clarity. Portfolio Triage shields teams from unrealistic expectations, conserves budget, and prevents leadership from overextending the organization during the most critical period of the year. It is a practical tool for protecting value when time is limited.

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