Your PMO Resolution: Don't Overthink It
Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.
For 2017, I am making two New Year’s resolutions related to leading and demystifying what PMOs do:
- I will not overthink the PMO
- I won’t make the PMO complicated
I know what you’re probably thinking; “Why not resolve to make the PMO a masterful change agent or an aligned value contributor or some other high-minded, well-intentioned goal?” The reason is somewhat simple. By its nature, the PMO and the project assets given to its charge automatically makes it a change agent. Whether the changes they bring about are good or bad, there will be change.
Also, the PMO, by its mere existence (like every other business unit) is expected to add value to the organization via the outcomes it produces. However, shaping a PMO that does these things in a simple, straightforward and seemingly easy way is a challenge that many PMO leaders would be hard-pressed to achieve. For those of you new to leading a PMO or struggling to wrap your arms around PMO processes, this article should help.
Believe it or not, if you own a home, then you pretty much understand the nature and function of a PMO; most of it is all common sense. Allow me to illustrate the parallels. For the purposes of this example, assume you own a home. You like your neighborhood, proximity to shopping, the low taxes and your low mortgage payment. Your house is 20+ years old and a bit …
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