Project Management Organizations (PMO’s) have become more pervasive in business organizations and are used to ensure the progress and success of both “offensive projects” to improve positioning and market share, and “defensive projects” to safeguard survival. And yet, the Internet is riddled with discussions of what a successful PMO is and how it is measured. There is a simple and clear definition – the predictable delivery of strategic intent.
Whether you are in a larger company where the PMO is a group of dedicated resources, or a smaller structure where the fractional role is led by one of the executive team members, both must organize, track and measure progress on strategic initiatives. As a leader, you must assess performance and ask if your PMO Function is a true asset or more of a liability? Does it create the discipline that drives business strategy? You should be able to answer these questions:
- Do you have a strategy and know what strategic projects are necessary?
- Is someone (or a group) responsible for ensuring success of strategic work in your organization?
- If you have this role assigned, is the function creating predictable success?
Actions to remedy negative responses to the first two questions are self-evident:
- If you don’t have business strategy, one is required to gain control of your success.
- If you don’t have formal follow-through on strategic work, it is best to define and assign that role.
The third question challenges those who have done the work to establish a PMO Function. Leaders should not be distracted by suggestions that project work is unpredictable, productivity is lacking, resources are insufficient, or priorities are competing. These are merely symptoms of dysfunction. A non-performing PMO group may point to these as fixed impediments rather than facilitate the decision-making needed to solve them. Creative solutions can be found.
Remember these universal truths as you consider strengthening the PMO Function:
- It is possible to proactively structure project work to achieve success.
- Project success can be predictably attained with right processes and disciplines.
- A partnership with the leadership team and your PMO is required to create focus.
- The PMO should report in at the “company-level” and have no functional bias.
- The PMO should have oversight of all initiatives related to strategic success.
- As a leader, you should know the fact-based status of every strategic initiative at any point in time.
- The PMO should drive muscular decision-making in the organization.
- Project work should be proactive…not reactive.
Finally, we won’t lie, leadership can often be the cause of weak organizational focus and productivity issues which only strengthens the need for a strong PMO voice and partnership. Your PMO should guide the leadership team and organization toward superior execution. How strong is your PMO?