You are approaching a major checkpoint and right before the review meeting, one of the key stakeholders asked you to add a small component which is of high interest to her and requires minimal…

A portfolio manager's primary responsibility is to assess whether any proposed component aligns with organizational strategy before it can be considered for inclusion. Even small additions require this validation, and the steering committee - not the portfolio manager alone - holds the authority to approve new components, ensuring proper governance is followed.

Adding a component directly without governance approval bypasses the required portfolio management processes regardless of the component's size, duration, or perceived urgency.

The request is not inherently unethical; it is a legitimate business interest that simply requires proper evaluation and governance review before action.

Proposing the request at the upcoming meeting without first assessing strategic alignment skips a required analytical step that informs whether the proposal is even worth presenting to the committee.