Targeted focus: Applying Level 2 to prioritise project management energy

Not all parts of project management matter equally. And yet, most PMs spread their energy thin—treating every knowledge area like it deserves the same attention. In reality, high-impact project leaders know how to focus strategically, and that starts with diagnosing which parts of the project need their energy most.

This is where Level 2 of the Project Diagnosis Framework becomes a game-changer. There is a universal principle for successful project management, which is that the project manager should manage a project contingent on its situation. Project Diagnosis, which is a concept I developed some 20 years ago, gives the project manager laser-focus on the project issues that absolutely need focus.

Project firefighting starts with knowing what might burn

When projects get chaotic, PMs often default to firefighting—reacting to issues as they flare up. But the smartest project leaders know that real control comes from predicting where the fire is likely to start—and preparing accordingly. It’s called predictive capability.

That’s exactly what Level 2 of the Project Diagnosis Framework is designed for.

Level 2 helps you zoom in on the ten core project management areas, giving you a structured way to assess which domains are likely to cause friction or failure. These areas, based on industry standards like PMBOK(R), include:

• Integration management

• Scope management

• Schedule management

• Cost management

• Quality management

• Resource management

• Communications management

• Risk management

• Procurement management

• Stakeholder management

Here’s the catch: these ten areas aren’t equal in every project. Some will be stable and predictable—others will be volatile, underdeveloped, or unusually risky. A project manager rarely has time to address every single challenge in a project. He or she needs to think and act strategically. Level 2 diagnosis lets you assess these areas upfront so you know where to apply extra attention, strategy, and oversight.

Think of it as your pre-fire plan. Instead of waiting for something to burn, you’re identifying the dry patches, loose wiring, or unattended heat sources in your project setup.

Equipped with superb foresight, is how Super PMs stay ahead of the chaos—by diagnosing early, focusing where it matters, and managing proactively instead of reactively.

If only I had a crystal ball! Well, with project diagnosis you effectively can.

All 10 PM areas aren’t created equal—here’s how to rank them

You only have so much leadership attention, stakeholder bandwidth, and team capacity. You need to apply pressure in the right places. Here’s a practical way Super PMs apply Level 2:

Step 1: Evaluate each PM area against the project context

For each knowledge area—like risk, scope, or procurement—ask:

• Is this area a primary risk point for this specific project?

• Will weaknesses here directly impact delivery or customer outcomes?

• Is there high uncertainty, complexity, or novelty in this domain?

Step 2: Apply a simple weighting system

Use a 1–10 scale to rate the relative importance or strategic weight of each area:

• 8-10: This area is mission critical. It must be handled with precision and high energy.

• 4-7: Medium impact. Needs attention, but standard practices will suffice.

• 1–3: Low impact. Minimal tailoring or effort required.

This creates a diagnostic heatmap of where energy should go. For example:

• A project with a complex regulatory environment might score a 5 on stakeholder or communications management.

• A project reusing well-known technology might score a 2 on quality planning because the methods are stable.

• A project using an entirely new suppliers will need a high emphasis on procurement management, including release criteria, capacity planning and communication

Step 3: Redirect resources and focus accordingly

Now comes the pivot: don’t treat all areas the same in your planning and oversight. Increase:

• Governance and review for high-weight areas

• Expert input for critical PM domains

• Tailored tools and workflows where the risk is highest

• Deeper analysis for priority areas

Meanwhile, de-emphasise or automate lower-weight areas so your time and team energy isn’t diluted. This is how you turn project management into strategic delivery—not just process compliance.

Personal Story: Process Innovation

In the noughties I was working in multiple project and program management roles with Smiths Detection, who developed chemical agent detection systems. One of those roles was to design a major revamp of their Project Management System. I was also giving a comprehensive training program to project managers, engineering managers and technical leads.

I noticed that many of the project managers were simply drowning in complexity and were facing challenges left, right and centre. This meant that they were always on the back foot and fire-fighting the numerous technical and project challenges that would inevitably crop up. I wanted to give them a more structured way and a more systematic way to identify problems early, and to focus their attention where it really mattered.

Based on the principle that a project manager should manage a project contingent on its situation, I developed a Project Diagnosis step for the project set-up phase. This simply used a template structured around the 10 Project Management Areas described in PMI’s PMBOK(R) guide.

• Integration management

• Scope management

• Schedule management

• Cost management

• Quality management

• Resource management

• Communications managementRisk management

• Procurement management

• Stakeholder management

Since Level 1 Diagnosis only addresses the absolute and relative importance of Scope, Schedule, Cost and Quality, this expanded diagnosis framework and process was called Level 2. To cut a long story short, the process optimization had the desired effect. Project managers were able to focus their attention and energy in the places where it was most needed.

Since this initial process optimisation, I have always advised organisations to use Project Diagnosis as an essential process step in the Project Set-Up Phase. It helps with focus and intensified efforts where it is mostly needed.

How this creates immediate value

By using Level 2 to prioritise effort:

• PMs know where to perform in-depth investigation, strategizing and planning

• Teams get clarity on what matters most

• Stakeholders see alignment with risk and value

• PMs free up time from low-leverage activities to focus on execution power zones

• Diagnostic insights from Level 2 feed directly into smarter planning, escalation management, and communications

And best of all? This approach helps prevent over-engineering less important project processes, which can be a quiet killer of momentum.

Conclusion

Every project has its own fingerprint—and its own PM pressure points. Super PMs don’t manage by default, they manage by design. Level 2 of the diagnosis framework gives them a practical, powerful way to spot where project management energy is needed most—and where it isn’t. It’s not about doing more; it’s about focusing better. Because when you know where to push, you don’t need to push everywhere.