Your PMO does not have a process problem. It has hotspots you are not seeing.

When something is not working in the PMO, the reaction is usually predictable:

• adjust the methodology
• reinforce governance
• add more controls

Even so, some problems keep showing up:

• decisions being made outside the PMO
• low adherence to practices
• conflicts with business areas
• questioning of the PMO’s value

If this is happening, it is unlikely to be a process problem.
It is a different type of issue.
A recurring pattern.

We call this a hotspot.



A hotspot is not an isolated error.
It is a recurring point of friction that indicates the PMO is not operating where it should.

A simple example:

A PMO with defined processes tools already implemented rituals in place
Even so, strategic decisions continue to happen outside of it.

The most common response:

“we need to reinforce governance”

But the PMO already controls processes well.

That is not where the problem is.

The problem is that relevant decisions are happening in a different space, where the PMO is not present.

In other words, it is not a process failure.

It is a positioning failure.

Where is the mistake

Most PMOs evolve by deepening control.

Few are able to expand influence.

And it is in this gap that hotspots emerge.

The PMO improves what it controls, but decisions remain outside its reach.

Result:

• more effort
• more structure
• the same perception of value

The point that usually goes unnoticed

Solving this type of problem is not about reviewing processes.
It is also not about changing tools.

The real issue is different:

clearly understanding where the PMO actually operates

and where it should operate, but cannot

Without this clarity, any improvement tends to happen in the wrong place.

As a result, the PMO may evolve internally, but still struggle to demonstrate real impact.

This pattern is not isolated.

There is evidence that many organizations are mature in delivery, but still far from achieving effective business outcomes.

To reflect

If in your context there are:

• decisions happening outside the PMO
• low adherence to practices
• a constant need to reinforce governance

it is worth questioning whether the problem is really execution.
Or whether you are dealing with hotspots.
This type of situation shifts the discussion.
It is no longer about method.
It becomes about where the PMO is positioned within the organization.
And this is where many realize they need to take the next step.