Transforming the PMO to Lead the Agile Transformation From the Front

Project Management Offices (PMOs) rose in prominence as a tool for managing projects over the past three decades. As agile transformation sweeps the technology world, it faces new challenges in delivering value to organizations. The biggest challenge is to redefine the role of the PMO in the context of new leadership styles, such as adaptive leadership and servant leadership, that deliver value in highly matrixed environments. The biggest opportunity, on the other hand, is to be the anchor for the organization as it goes through a difficult transition from traditional to agile processes. The PMO leaders will need to dive deep into roles and relationships across the organization to design the new PMO. Fortunately, industry research and best practices are available to help PMO leaders, directly and indirectly. This article points to valuable knowledge from the Project Management Institute (PMI) that provides unique insights into PMO structuring. PMO leaders should transform their own organizations ahead of the agile transformation to stay relevant, or risk falling by the wayside as the agile juggernaut rolls forward.

The  Project Management Office (PMO) has been a fixture in most IT departments for the past 2 to 3 decades. Huge investments were made to steer away from wild-west coding and professionals were encouraged to get their Project Management Professional…