"The Airport Model™" Article #6: The Organization (30% Influence) – Do You Own a World-Class Airport or a Dirt Runway?

Shlomi Ozalvo
Jan 12
4 min read

PMx Evolution Airport Model™ Infographic — "The Airport Model™" - Resource, Infrastructure (The Airport) Influence

Imagine the best pilot in the world, flying the most advanced aircraft ever built. He is ready for takeoff, engines roaring at full throttle, and the passengers are waiting. But then, he looks out the window: he is on a narrow dirt strip in the middle of a jungle. There is no lighting, no ground crew to guide him, and other planes are crossing his runway without warning. Will he manage to take off? Perhaps. Will he reach his destination safely and on time? Highly unlikely.

In the Airport Model™, the Organization represents the infrastructure and the resources. You can invest in 'Pilots' (Project Managers) and 'Aircraft' (execution platforms). Still, if your 'Airport' operates like a makeshift landing strip rather than a managed international hub, your delivery will always be at risk and inefficient. The question isn't how talented the pilot is; it’s whether the organization has built a runway that enables a safe takeoff and flight to the destination.

1. The Airport: Systemic Factors Affecting the Flight

The Airport represents the organization's non-technical infrastructure. Deficiencies here cannot be fixed with a Gantt chart or a Jira dashboard; they require a fundamental shift in management philosophy.

The Three Pillars of Organizational Failure:

A. Failed Matrix Structure: A lack of clarity in accountability between the Project Manager and the Functional Manager. Without a Project Portfolio Management (PPM) framework to set investment priorities, a constant struggle for resources ensues, resulting in delivery always losing out.

B. "Everything is Urgent" Culture (Priority Noise): An organization operating without Capacity Management is like an airport trying to launch 50 planes on a single runway simultaneously. Capacity management is more than just an Excel list; it is the difference between an 80% load (efficient, allowing for contingencies) and a 120% load (systemic collapse). When an airport is at 120% capacity, a minor issue with one plane’s landing gear can ground the entire hub for the day.

C. SME Dependency: Over-reliance on individual "stars" without creating redundancy. The project becomes a flight dependent on one specific technician—if they aren't available, the plane doesn't move.

2. Organizational Turbulence: The Link Between Structure and Execution

Infrastructure flaws turn into chronic "bad weather":

The Pilot (10%): It is difficult to take ownership when they lack control over their "crew" due to matrix friction.
The Aircraft (20%): Methodology erodes because true Agile is impossible when management constantly drops "urgent" ad-hoc demands.

Case Study:

Consider an organization launching a flagship product (the most important flight). Mid-development, an aerial client requests a "small feature." Due to the matrix structure and lack of PPM, the Development Manager reassigns the project’s SME to the small task.

The result: The client got their feature, but the flagship launch was delayed by two months. The organizational damage? Millions. The problem? Not the pilot, but the airport that allowed a small plane to block the main runway.

3. Three Field Tests: Is Your Airport Flight-Ready?

Instead of guessing, I recommend performing three simple tests to diagnose the depth of systemic failure:

The Wait Time Test (Flow Efficiency): Take a delayed project and analyze the "waiting time." Is the task stuck because the developer is stuck, or because they are waiting for an SME who is tied up in another project? If the wait time for shared resources exceeds 20% of the project duration, your matrix structure is blocking the runway.
The Inflow vs. Outflow Test (Capacity Check): Count how many new projects were opened last quarter versus how many were actually "Done." If the inflow rate is higher than the outflow, your airport is in a state of "aerial gridlock." Every new project only slows down those already in the air.
The "Parental Authority" Test (Authority Check): Randomly ask three Project Managers: "Who has the final word on your team’s priorities—you or the Functional Department Head?" If the answer is "the Department Head," your pilot has no control over the aircraft, and delivery is merely a suggestion.

4. Systemic Correction: From Work Management to Investment Management

To fix the 30% organizational impact, leadership must shift gears:

Fixing the Structure: Defining a strategic role (or organizational function) to balance organizational needs with project goals and manage Capacity Planning.
Fixing the Culture: Transitioning to a "Stop the Line" culture—if there is no clear prioritization or available resources, no new project begins. This is responsible risk management, not a delay

Summary:

60% of the infrastructure has been analyzed—40% of the solution lies ahead. The real challenge for senior leadership is not ensuring every plane takes off, but ensuring the runways are clear for the right planes. As we’ve seen, a significant portion of project success is determined before the pilot even enters the cockpit. Without a foundation that supports realistic prioritization and capacity management, an organization condemns its projects to high risk. Responsible leadership understands that managing the airport is just as critical as flying the plane.