New Year, New PMO?

Bruce is the founder of ProjectManagementHacks.com, a resource for growing IT project managers.

 

January is an exciting time because the new year signals new possibilities and options. That sense of possibility is important to underscore, because 2016 was tough. We went through some major political surprises (like Brexit), and lost a number of cultural icons.

It’s easy to lose track of our goals and plans when the world seems to lurch from crisis to crisis. It doesn’t have to be that way. As project managers and leaders, we are expected to lead. Our organizations depend on us to deliver change, services and more through the projects we deliver. Before you set down your goals for the year, let’s take note of hard-won lessons on the art of goals and achievement.

The Groundwork for Successful PMO Goals
To organize your PMO for success, you need to have goals. Depending on how last year went, you may want to have a single, overarching goal such as finally finishing a large program; or you may have a portfolio of goals in mind. Whatever your starting point, keep these principles in mind to guide your thinking:

• Zero-based thinking: Many goals are based on the assumption that you are continuing with past precedent (e.g., we shipped 20 goals last year, so let’s ship 20 again this year). Instead, use zero-based thinking to answer the question, “If we were starting from zero, what kind of work and projects would we take on?” (My …

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