Ideas for IAM work show up in all the usual ways:
- An executive reads something or talks to a colleague about where the industry is heading.
- A leader comes back from a conference energized about “the next big thing.”
- The business needs to streamline how they work or unlock revenue.
- An IAM team member calls out something that obviously needs improvement.
I won’t say the list is in priority order… but it’s close.
And more importantly: that’s just how the idea arrives—not how it gets funded, approved, or actually done.
So how does something move from idea into reality?
IAM Project Momentum Model — Reference Card
1. Policy
Does policy already support the need?
If yes → you have built-in leadership intent.
If no → clarify policy language so the need becomes undeniable.
Momentum Source: documented executive stance + audit alignment.
2. Process
Where is the process failing, outdated, or not meeting policy intent?
Look for gaps caused by new technology, business changes, or legacy workflows.
Momentum Source: operational inefficiency + risk mitigation.
3. People
Do you have the skills today to execute the project?
If not, can training or restructuring solve it?
Leadership rarely hires for future problems—scope realistically.
Momentum Source: team capability + future-proofing.
4. Tools
Tools come last—after policy, process, and people are aligned.
Ask: does the tool meet policy needs, fix process gaps, and elevate skills?
Momentum Source: accelerators, not the foundation.
“The strongest IAM projects build momentum in this order:
Policy → Process → People → Tools.
Skip the order, and momentum breaks down.”
Momentum: The First Gate
A project needs momentum. It has to catch a wave, or roll downhill like a snowball.
Your position in the hierarchy determines how easily you can create momentum, what tools you have, and how much help you need.
Executives and senior leaders have experience (also called trial and error). They know the fastest path, they know who to talk to, and they’ve built trust. They still have to check the boxes to activate a project, but they get flexibility because leadership assumes they’ll finish the details. It’s basically a good line of credit.
The business or IAM staff?
We have more obstacles. Our job is to earn momentum. One way is getting buy-in from those executives and leaders—turning your idea into their idea.
But how?
By showing your work clearly.
1. Policy: The First Source of Natural Momentum
Ask first: does policy already support this?
If yes, you have documented leadership intent behind you.
If not, your first job is clarifying the policy so the need becomes unavoidable. If audits or controls testers are already raising concerns, momentum is forming all by itself.
2. Process: The Second Momentum Check
If policy is solid, look at where the process fails:
- Outdated workflows
- Gaps caused by evolving tech
- Steps stuck in “the way we’ve always done it”
If the policy is still valid but the process is behind, you have a legitimate need to drive change.
3. People: The Hardest Momentum to Build
Skill gaps matter. You can’t build a project the team has no ability to execute.
Sometimes you can train.
Sometimes you need restructuring.
Sometimes you have to scope the project down until hiring or attrition lets you rebuild the skills you’ll need later.
Leadership rarely hires for a future problem—so break the work into achievable phases and plan ahead.
4. Tools: Everyone’s Favorite Step (Which Should Be Last)
Tools get the attention because they’re exciting and vendors are loud. But tools must match the needs you discover in the first three steps, not the other way around.
When evaluating tools, ask:
- Does it meet policy intent?
- Does it modernize or fix process gaps?
- Does it bridge skills or provide a path to grow them?
- Is the vendor stable, innovative, and able to deliver on time?
Tool selection should be the result of the earlier steps—not the beginning.
The Real Momentum Curve
Working from Policy → Process → People → Tools gives you the strongest possible foundation.
The common trap is gaining just enough momentum to start and then stopping. That’s how projects lose funding, lose leadership attention, get paused, get mothballed, or get handed to people who don’t share the original vision.
A year later you find yourself asking, “How did this happen?”
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the content are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDPro organization.
Chris Power is an IT leader with over 25 years of experience across infrastructure, application delivery, and enterprise systems, with the last five years focused on Identity and Access Management. He currently serves as Senior Manager of IAM Operations at Sallie Mae, where he leads teams responsible for delivering and governing workforce identity services in a highly regulated financial environment.Chris focuses on building IAM programs that work at scale—balancing control, usability, and operational sustainability. His leadership perspective centers on daily workforce provisioning, access governance, and the automation required to support growing organizations without increasing risk or operational drag. He is particularly interested in how clear ownership, decision rights, and accountability models shape successful IAM outcomes. He writes and speaks from the perspective of a leader who has spent decades running systems and teams, and now applies those lessons to building resilient, auditable, and people-centered identity operations.
