All too often PMO Leaders immediately launch into design and set-up before understanding the FULL picture. Here are some additional suggestions on what to know, do and think about to keep you focused and successful.
Power: Understand the power/organization/decision-making ways and means
- Understand the business decision-making structure(s), i.e., committees, departments, individuals
- Understand the organizational power centers
- Understand the key program/business drivers
- Understand the key operating drivers
- Understand where project management is happening today and how it is going (or not)
Problem Solving: Be clear about the problems(s) to be tackled through project management
- Do you need to speed up decision-making?
- Improve accountability?
- Build a better understanding of interdependencies?
- Achieve cost savings?
- Improve common knowledge of priority efforts across departments and constituencies?
- Achieve better use of staff, operating and capital resources?
- Achieve better, faster implementation and closure on projects?
- Provider a method for prioritizing the project agenda?
Launch: Take advantage of the power of a new approach and new organizational structure of the PMO
- Top-down leadership: Have a clear strategy to gain Executive Support
- Cross-organizational understanding: Have a clear approach to getting out and working with the key operating and business units
- Clear and constant communication: About the PMO, about project management, about the priority agenda, about progress, about everything project related!
- Understand that everyone learns in different ways at their own pace; decision-makers, cultural influence makers, skeptics and stars
- Be clear about the expectations of Executives, Operating Unit Leaders, Project Managers, PMO Liaisons, and the central PMO
- The PMO kick-off must be lead by the most senior person possible and all that will be involved should be invited
Infrastructure: Build the basic PMO infrastructure
- Executive Champions – Identify those individuals that provide ready access, direction and support to the PMO
- Director –The PMO Leader must be someone with credibility and a strong record of getting things done
- Staff – Select All-Stars for the PMO. Some staff characteristics may include: ability to listen well, speed and performance, can do attitude, do whatever it takes, great communicators, teachers and doers
- Structure: Think about the PMO as something to be marbled into the organization; a central body with connectors to vital business and operating units
- War Room – Or a place that represents the physical vitality of the PMO and the new approach
- Tools – Keep it simple to be successful; and always start with reporting tools
Tune in tomorrow for more—
Lisa DiTullio, Principal, Lisa DiTullio & Associates, LLC, www.lisaditullio.com
