Besa MuthuriSenior Portfolio Manager| The Coca-Cola CompanyAtlanta Georgia, United States
Americo Pinto reminded us yesterday in the article https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/12-from-nee...hP6dDw4Og%3D%3D that what PMO customers say they need is often just the surface. The real challenge is digging deeper, then turning those insights into services that survive the chaos of real-world delivery.
📌 When your PMO masters this, conversations shift from “Can you give us this?” to “How should we approach this together?” and that’s when you become a true strategic partner.
💠Quick questions for you:
How do you uncover the real need behind a request?
What’s helped you design services that stick?
Have you made the leap from order-taker to value partner — and how?
Let’s swap stories and strategies. Saving Changes...
Hello Besa,
Thank you for the thought-provoking questions.
I would draw on the analogy from Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez’s insightful article, “What Modern Project Managers Can Learn (and Steal) from Product Management.”
The article insightfully discusses the evolving role of product managers, emphasizing their focus on creating value through continuous product evolution and a mindset of experimentation, learning, and adaptation. The article also highlights valuable lessons that project managers can learn from product managers.
Modern project managers should ask
a) Why are we doing this?
b) What’s the real problem we’re solving?
c) What does success look like beyond “on time and on budget?"
As the author writes, value comes not from completing projects but from continuously improving services, experiences, and tools. This does not mean that projects are eliminated, but rather, it indicates that modern project managers must adapt:
- From managing outputs to enabling outcomes
- From handing off delivery to owning long-term impact
- From closing phases to iterating continuously
Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez outlined five key practices modern project managers can adopt from product management:
1. Own the problem, not just the plan: The mindset shift - from task execution to value creation
2. Measure outcomes, not just milestones: Deliver the thing, but also ask: Did it make a difference?
3. Get closer to the customer: Sit in on customer calls. Read feedback reports. Ask, "What’s it like to be on the receiving end of what we’re building?"
4. Embrace iteration over perfection: Plan less. Test more. Learn fast. Adapt always.
5. Think in lifecycles, not in phases: The more you think beyond your delivery date, the more strategic your role becomes.
Thank you for sharing this perspective and for linking Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez’s article, it’s an excellent connection to my original question.
I completely agree with the shift you’ve highlighted: owning the problem, measuring outcomes, and staying close to the customer are just as important in AI/data annotation projects as they are in product development. In my current annotation project, I’ve noticed that while “on time and budget” is important, the real measure of success is whether the annotated dataset improves model performance in production.
The iteration over perfection point especially resonates, our QA cycles have shown that early testing on small batches often uncovers quality gaps that would be costly to fix later. And thinking in lifecycles vs. phases is key; the work doesn’t stop after “delivery,” because retraining and re-annotation are inevitable as the model evolves.
Your comment reinforces that even in highly technical projects, adopting a product manager’s mindset helps keep the focus on long-term value rather than just short-term delivery. I’ll definitely be incorporating more of these practices into our workflows.
Project & PMO Manager | Research & Enterprise Mentor| GFB HoldingSouth America, Brazil
Uncovering the real need behind a request ,for a PMO, fundamentally relies on the principle that people connect to people. My main approach to unearthing the true issues and core requested values from stakeholders is through fostering genuine relationships and direct, empathetic engagement. By actively listening, asking probing questions, and engaging in collaborative dialogues, not just transactional exchanges, I can delve beneath surface-level demands to understand the underlying challenges, aspirations, and unarticulated needs. This human-centric method builds trust and allows for a shared understanding of problems, transforming the PMO from a mere order-taker into a proactive partner capable of co-creating solutions that genuinely deliver sustained value and resonate deeply within the organization
...
1 reply by Besa Muthuri
Aug 11, 2025 10:34 PM
Besa Muthuri
...
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I appreciate the added perspectives.
Your points reinforce my belief that the “human layer” is often the most overlooked yet most critical part of PMO work. Even with the best frameworks, templates, and processes, if we don’t take time to truly connect with stakeholders, we risk solving the wrong problem or delivering something that misses the mark.
I’ve found that once stakeholders see the PMO as a trusted partner rather than a process gatekeeper, they’re far more open to sharing context, constraints, and aspirations that might otherwise stay hidden. That’s where the shift happens, from reacting to requests to co-creating solutions that are aligned with the organization’s long-term goals.
It’s encouraging to see more PMO leaders prioritizing empathy, relationship-building, and deep discovery in their practice. It’s these connections that ultimately give our technical and procedural expertise the best chance to create a lasting impact.
Saving Changes...
Besa MuthuriSenior Portfolio Manager| The Coca-Cola CompanyAtlanta Georgia, United States
Aug 11, 2025 7:53 PM
Replying to Maria Hrabikova
...
Hello Besa,
Thank you for the thought-provoking questions.
I would draw on the analogy from Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez’s insightful article, “What Modern Project Managers Can Learn (and Steal) from Product Management.”
The article insightfully discusses the evolving role of product managers, emphasizing their focus on creating value through continuous product evolution and a mindset of experimentation, learning, and adaptation. The article also highlights valuable lessons that project managers can learn from product managers.
Modern project managers should ask
a) Why are we doing this?
b) What’s the real problem we’re solving?
c) What does success look like beyond “on time and on budget?"
As the author writes, value comes not from completing projects but from continuously improving services, experiences, and tools. This does not mean that projects are eliminated, but rather, it indicates that modern project managers must adapt:
- From managing outputs to enabling outcomes
- From handing off delivery to owning long-term impact
- From closing phases to iterating continuously
Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez outlined five key practices modern project managers can adopt from product management:
1. Own the problem, not just the plan: The mindset shift - from task execution to value creation
2. Measure outcomes, not just milestones: Deliver the thing, but also ask: Did it make a difference?
3. Get closer to the customer: Sit in on customer calls. Read feedback reports. Ask, "What’s it like to be on the receiving end of what we’re building?"
4. Embrace iteration over perfection: Plan less. Test more. Learn fast. Adapt always.
5. Think in lifecycles, not in phases: The more you think beyond your delivery date, the more strategic your role becomes.
Thank you for sharing this perspective and for linking Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez’s article, it’s an excellent connection to my original question.
I completely agree with the shift you’ve highlighted: owning the problem, measuring outcomes, and staying close to the customer are just as important in AI/data annotation projects as they are in product development. In my current annotation project, I’ve noticed that while “on time and budget” is important, the real measure of success is whether the annotated dataset improves model performance in production.
The iteration over perfection point especially resonates, our QA cycles have shown that early testing on small batches often uncovers quality gaps that would be costly to fix later. And thinking in lifecycles vs. phases is key; the work doesn’t stop after “delivery,” because retraining and re-annotation are inevitable as the model evolves.
Your comment reinforces that even in highly technical projects, adopting a product manager’s mindset helps keep the focus on long-term value rather than just short-term delivery. I’ll definitely be incorporating more of these practices into our workflows. Saving Changes...
Besa MuthuriSenior Portfolio Manager| The Coca-Cola CompanyAtlanta Georgia, United States
Aug 11, 2025 8:00 PM
Replying to Francisco Matheus Chagas
...
Uncovering the real need behind a request ,for a PMO, fundamentally relies on the principle that people connect to people. My main approach to unearthing the true issues and core requested values from stakeholders is through fostering genuine relationships and direct, empathetic engagement. By actively listening, asking probing questions, and engaging in collaborative dialogues, not just transactional exchanges, I can delve beneath surface-level demands to understand the underlying challenges, aspirations, and unarticulated needs. This human-centric method builds trust and allows for a shared understanding of problems, transforming the PMO from a mere order-taker into a proactive partner capable of co-creating solutions that genuinely deliver sustained value and resonate deeply within the organization
Thank you for your thoughtful response. I appreciate the added perspectives.
Your points reinforce my belief that the “human layer” is often the most overlooked yet most critical part of PMO work. Even with the best frameworks, templates, and processes, if we don’t take time to truly connect with stakeholders, we risk solving the wrong problem or delivering something that misses the mark.
I’ve found that once stakeholders see the PMO as a trusted partner rather than a process gatekeeper, they’re far more open to sharing context, constraints, and aspirations that might otherwise stay hidden. That’s where the shift happens, from reacting to requests to co-creating solutions that are aligned with the organization’s long-term goals.
It’s encouraging to see more PMO leaders prioritizing empathy, relationship-building, and deep discovery in their practice. It’s these connections that ultimately give our technical and procedural expertise the best chance to create a lasting impact. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Great prompt, Besa Muthuri The “order-taker to value-maker” leap happens when the PMO treats requests as symptoms and designs services around outcomes.
1. Uncovering the real need
- Start with a “problem framing” intake: Who’s the customer? What decision will this enable? What constraint hurts most (time, cost, risk, flow)?
- Map the current decision path (who asks, who decides, when, with what data). Pain shows up where the path breaks.
- Reframe solution requests (“we need a dashboard”) into outcome hypotheses (“we need earlier signal on schedule risk to reallocate capacity on Mondays”).
2. Designing services that stick
- Co-design a lightweight service blueprint with the requester: triggers, handoffs, SLAs, exit criteria, and how we’ll measure impact.
- Offer a tiered service catalog (e.g., Bronze / Silver / Gold) so stakeholders choose speed vs. depth consciously.
- Make SLAs outcome-based (e.g., “lead time to risk visibility < 48h; forecast accuracy ±10%”) and review them in a monthly cadence.
- Pilot with a time-boxed experiment; keep what works, drop what doesn’t.
3. Making the leap (what changed for us)
In one portfolio, we replaced a ticket queue with a consultative intake and “PMO front door.”
Within three months:
- Decision lead time dropped by 40%.
- Requests for “urgent reports” fell by half because insights were already integrated into decision cadences.
- Sponsorship shifted from transactional asks to strategic conversations.
Now, conversations start with “What’s the right approach to achieve Y?” - and that’s when the PMO becomes a true partner.
Curious to hear others’ favorite discovery questions and the most useful SLA you’ve put in your PMO catalog.
Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Well, it's true for anything: you don't want to take orders but create useful stuff (value), if that is the choice we have. Can you do both at the same time? I think so. And certainly over time.
Our capabilities change over time, and a good leader (PMO sponsor) will give us, in the beginning, tasks that allow us to be creative and build trust with stakeholders, before we see the hairy issues to solve, which mostly require a lot of context. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
The behavior you describe demonstrate an amazing lack of knowledge about what a PMO is. What you describe is easy to solve and it is inside the PMI´s documentation: Business Analysis plus Project Management. That´s all you need. Nothing new below the sun. I did not read the article, but It is amazing how some people try to bring water for their mill contributing to the general confusion. Saving Changes...
Great reflection! In my experience, uncovering the real need starts with asking ‘why’ multiple times and engaging stakeholders in open dialogue rather than just capturing requirements. What’s helped me design services that stick is piloting solutions in small steps, gathering feedback, and refining before scaling. The fundamental shift from order-taker to value partner came when the PMO started aligning every service directly to business outcomes, not just project outputs. Saving Changes...
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