Leadership in PMO Environments

⭐𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗠𝗢 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽⭐ Running a PMO isn’t about checking boxes and enforcing process. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 (𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴)  𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀. But there are some hard truths about this role that don’t get talked about enough: 1️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 PMOs don’t own the teams doing the work. Success depends on trust, relationships, and getting buy-in. If you can’t 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, you can’t drive execution. 2️⃣ 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 (𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵) 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 They want to know: Is the expected 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 of the project on track? Where are the risks? What decisions need to be made? Cut the fluff... 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁. 3️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝘅 𝗮 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 No framework can solve misalignment, bad leadership, or lack of accountability. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗠𝗢𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀, not just process. 4️⃣ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗣𝗠𝗢𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹 -->𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 Over-engineering governance slows everything down. Start lean, adapt fast, and keep it 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲. The goal isn’t to be perfect... it’s to be effective. 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 If your PMs are only updating decks and tracking tasks, talent is being wasted (AI can do a number of these things now). Good PMs drive execution, solve problems, and remove roadblocks... they lead change. 6️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 Misaligned stakeholders can kill a project faster than a bad plan. PMOs have to bridge gaps, manage egos, and keep everyone rowing in the same direction. 7️⃣ 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Spotting risks is one thing... having a plan to actually deal with them is another. Too many teams treat risk management as a checklist item instead of a real strategy. 8️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 If your PMO is constantly in crisis mode, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴... 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. The best PMOs get ahead of problems before they turn into fires. At the end of the day, PMO leadership isn’t about paperwork. It’s about delivering results, value and driving change. ❓𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗠𝗢 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄. 👇 #projectmanagement #changemanagement #programmanagement #pmi #pmp #pmo #strategy #scrummaster #agile #leadership #transformation #projectmanager #leader #impact #delivery #chiefofstaff #ceo #cio #cso #cos #cpo #cfo #delivery #change #influence

🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧: Building a PMO That Actually Works (And how we brought order to chaos without slowing delivery.) Ever joined a company where every project is urgent, but nothing gets done? Where leadership has no visibility, teams are burned out, and the loudest voice sets the roadmap? This edition of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗠 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 breaks down how we built a centralized PMO from scratch in a high-growth environment—without killing momentum, creating bureaucracy, or losing trust. We had 12 months to prove value or risk being shut down. No templates. No authority. Just clarity, fast wins, and relentless delivery. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁: ➝ Projects launched without alignment or resource planning ➝ Overlapping efforts were draining time and budget ➝ Leadership flying blind with no real portfolio view 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁: ✅ Launched a lightweight intake and prioritization model ✅ Built a live portfolio dashboard with real-time visibility ✅ Partnered with key teams to deliver fast, visible wins 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻: → How to earn trust with early results instead of more process → What to include in a “just enough” governance framework → How to align executives around shared delivery priorities → Why PMOs fail when they focus on rules, not relationships 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: 📊 A sample intake scoring rubric 📈 Metrics that helped avoid $12M in duplicated project costs 💬 Messaging tactics that turned skeptics into PMO champions If you’ve ever been told “we don’t need a PMO,” this one’s for you. 👉 READ THE FULL ARTICLE NOW and let’s talk: What’s the most underrated skill in building PMO credibility?

78% of Project/Program Management Offices (PMOs) are perceived as bureaucratic. You know what I’m talking about — the kind of PMO that acts like an administrative cop. Forms, approvals, checklists. Following procedure takes precedence over delivering value. No wonder people roll their eyes — and strategy execution doesn't seem to work anywhere. Maybe the problem is the label itself — project management — which too often gets reduced to breaking projects into tasks and tracking them. That’s execution mechanics, not strategic leadership. But strategy doesn’t fail in the PowerPoint deck. It fails in execution. And what organizations really need is leadership that guides, enables, and accelerates value realization. Here’s a simple way to think about it: 🔴 PMO as Cop – Enforces compliance, tracks progress, and reports status. Important for governance, but often stifles momentum. 🟡 PMO as Coach – Provides guidance, builds capability, and helps project teams succeed. Shifts from enforcement to enablement. 🟢 PMO as Accelerator – Takes an active leadership role, removes bottlenecks, manages flow, and ensures the portfolio delivers strategic value. The real question: Is your PMO fit for purpose? And maybe it’s time we stop calling it a Project Management Office altogether. What if it were a Flow Leadership Office? Or a Value Realization Office? Because the name matters. Names shape expectations. And strategy execution isn’t just about managing projects — it’s about leadership that turns strategy into outcomes that matter.

This would save your career! I had taken a leap from Project Manager to PMO Leader. Not long after, the PMO was disbanded. When I asked an executive why, the response was simple but revealing: “The value you and your team brought seems project specific and not crystal clear. The impact to the bottom line was not visible too so, It felt like a nice-to-have, not a must-have.” That experience taught me one of the most important lessons of my career. If any arm of business including PMOs cannot prove that it drives business value, it becomes the first thing cut when times get tough. Here are five signs your PMO may be at risk and how to fix them. 1. The Task Tracker Trap ↳ You are focused on reporting activities instead of outcomes. 🔁 Redefine success based on value realized, not tasks completed. 2. The Governance Overload ↳ You are perceived as bureaucratic rather than enabling. 🔁 Simplify processes and focus on helping leaders make faster and better decisions. 3. The Visibility Void ↳ Leaders do not see your impact until it is too late. 🔁 Communicate in the language of business and finance: return on investment, cost of delay, and value acceleration. 4. The Isolation Effect ↳ Your PMO operates separately from strategy discussions. 🔁 Position yourself at the strategy table early. Every project should connect directly to the organization’s strategic goals. 5. The Capability Gap ↳ The team stops learning once the dashboards are operational. 🔁 Continue to build business acumen, technical fluency, and data literacy across your PMO team. 🫵A PMO that simply executes projects can always be replaced. - A PMO that accelerates business value becomes indispensable. 💬 What is one thing your PMO does that truly drives business value? Found it useful? 1. 💬 Share your insights in the comments 2. 🔄 Repost to help your network 3. 🎙️ Follow 🎙️Fola F. Alabi for insights on Strategic Leadership and Project Value Delivery. Join 13K+ Strategic Leaders transforming how strategy becomes value ↓ 🔗 Link in comment below ——- What is a Project Management Office (PMO)? It is the arm of project management that provides governance, guidance, and structured support to project teams. The PMO role could vary depending on the organization. ——- #StrategicProjectLeader #ProjectManagementOffice #StrategyExecution #ValueCreation #BenefitsRealization #LeadershipDevelopment #pmo

🎯 Want Your PMO to Stay Relevant? Solve Executive Pain Points! 🚀 As I peruse the PMI Project Management Offices: A Practice Guide, I’m uncovering some key insights about what it truly takes to add value in organizations. And let’s be real—a practice guide is all about practical stuff. Have you downloaded yours yet? 📖Project Management Institute Now, here’s something to think about—if your PMO isn’t solving problems that keep executives up at night, it’s just another overhead cost waiting to be cut. Too often, PMO leaders focus on processes, templates, and governance (which are important, no doubt) but fail to answer the BIG question every executive is asking: 💡 How does this PMO help me achieve my business goals faster, smarter, and with fewer headaches? 🔎 Find the Pain, Fix the Pain, Stay in the Game 🔥 Executives don’t care about how well your PMO follows best practices. They care about results, impact, and removing obstacles. So instead of just pushing reports, start doing this: ✅ Talk Their Language – Drop the “PMO jargon” and focus on business outcomes, revenue, cost reduction, and strategic alignment. ✅ Pinpoint the Pain Points – What’s keeping the execs awake at night? Missed deadlines? Budget overruns? Poor visibility? Competing priorities? Solve these, and your PMO becomes indispensable. ✅ Show Quick Wins – No one wants to wait a year to see results. Find small, high-impact changes that create momentum and prove your PMO’s value early. ✅ Become a Strategy Partner, Not a Process Enforcer – If all your PMO does is chase compliance, you’re missing the real opportunity—help drive strategic decisions and business agility. ✅ Prove the ROI of the PMO – If you can’t show how your PMO contributes to the bottom line, expect questions about why it exists in the first place. 🚀 The Bottom Line: A PMO that identifies and tackles executive pain points isn’t just a reporting function—it’s a critical enabler of business success. Find the pain, fix the pain, and you’ll never have to justify your PMO’s existence again. 💡 What’s the biggest executive pain point your PMO has solved? Drop it in the comments! 👇 #PMO #BusinessLeadership #ProjectManagement #ExecutiveAlignment #StrategyExecution