About this session
Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together is a 90-minute to half-day in-person decision-making workshop for teams who want to practice portfolio decisions by allocating a fictional budget.
Teams split a fixed budget across competing initiatives, then revisit their choices as new evidence arrives, just as real portfolios change.
Participants leave with a clearer approach to trade-offs and practice explaining what they funded, deferred and changed.
What your people take away
- Allocate a fixed budget across competing initiatives
- Agree criteria before money is spent
- Revisit choices as new evidence arrives
- Explain what you funded, deferred and changed
- Apply portfolio thinking to real decisions
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- What each length covers, 90 minutes to half day
- Everything that’s covered, part by part
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What each length covers
90 minutes
Allocate a budget togetherTeams agree criteria and split a fictional budget across competing initiatives, then compare portfolios. They see how priorities and trade-offs play out in practice.
- Allocate a fixed budget
- Compare portfolios
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Allocate a fixed budget and Compare portfolios.
Half day
Fund, adapt and explainAdds new evidence that tests the portfolio, a round of reallocation and a short explanation of the final choices. Teams connect the lessons to real funding decisions.
- Allocate a fixed budget
- Compare portfolios
- Revisit choices as evidence arrives
- Explain and apply
Covers all 4 parts.
What’s covered
Allocate a fixed budget
Every length- Review the initiativesTeams read short briefs on competing initiatives with costs, benefits and risks.
- Agree your criteriaGroups decide what matters most, such as impact, urgency or risk.
- Make your first allocationTeams split the budget and record their reasons.
Compare portfolios
Every length- Share allocationsTeams compare how they spent the same budget.
- Discuss the trade-offsGroups explain what they chose not to fund and why.
Revisit choices as evidence arrives
Half day only- Receive new evidenceThe facilitator releases updates, such as a delay, a new risk or early results.
- ReallocateTeams decide whether to continue, increase, pause or stop each initiative.
Explain and apply
Half day only- Explain your final portfolioTeams present what they funded, deferred and changed, and the evidence behind it.
- Apply it to real decisionsParticipants identify one real funding or prioritization decision to approach this way.
Tools and materials
- Initiative briefs
- Budget tokens and allocation board, provided
- Criteria card
- Evidence update cards
- Portfolio explanation template
Who it’s for
- Leadership and portfolio teams
- Finance and planning partners
- Product and program managers
- Teams that compete for shared resources
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together
How long is Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together?
Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together runs as 90 minutes or half day. You choose the length when you book. A 90-minute session covers Allocate a fixed budget and Compare portfolios. A half-day session adds Revisit choices as evidence arrives and Explain and apply.
Can Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together be delivered online or in person?
It is delivered in person, at your site, in any country.
How do we book Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Spend the Budget: Build a Portfolio Together to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.