What’s the Buzz about the PMO? Portland OR

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Originally published at Internet.com

PMO. Is it just the latest industry buzzword or is the project management office here to stay? I'm often asked this by project managers. I think the answer is it depends on the management culture in an organization. When management teams are looking for control and accountability, a PMO is a great place to start. However, you can't stop there. Don't make the mistake of putting a placard on a door and waiting for the benefits to magically build up and boost your bottom-line. Instead, be proactive and avoid the pitfalls of poorly implemented PMOs. Seven things a PMO can do: 1. Improve project and portfolio management (PPM) by developing the capability to select the right mix of projects to most effectively and efficiently meet strategic objectives. 2. Provide project support by building a conduit for project management guidance to prooject managers in business units. 3. Create project management process/methodology by develop and implementing a consistent and standardized process. 4. Improve training by developing a staff of program managers who can manage multiple projects across the enterprise. 5. Establish a home base for project managers by create a centralized office from which project managers can work across an enterprise. 6. Become internal consultants and mentors by advising employees about best practices. 7. Assess Project Management software tools by selecting and maintaining project management tools that will be useful for the capabilities of the staff.

Decide what type of PMO you want to establish. There are two basic models: a consultancy hub which provides project managers in business units with training, guidance and best practices; and a best-practices center with project managers on staff who are loaned out to business units to work on projects. Build a good team with solid leadership and clear ownership. Don't employ people with "down-time" to lead the PMO. Choose strong leaders who have a direct line to you. Track the PMO's success and share the results. Don't treat the PMO as a top-secret international space mission. Share the mission and its successes, failures and benefits with the entire organization. Use baseline controls. Decide what you want to track and set expectations for what you want to benchmark against. Be relentless in your pursuit of performance. Results come from diligence and dogged determination. Support your PMO with clear commitment and support from the senior most levels of your organization. Once you have a baseline to measure against, you can see results in less than three years. You'll save money by empowering better resource management, reducing project failures and prioritizing and supporting those projects that offer the biggest payback. Avoid the pitfall of making the PMO a purely administrative office. Instead make it a center of change, a catalyst for improvement across your organization with tangible and realistic strategic goals. If the vision of the PMO is on the radar screen of senior management, this will give the PMO the support it needs to bring long-term results to your organization. So, if we break down the buzz of the PMO, its success lies in the hands of those leaders who believe in the power of project management and who aren't afraid to see both the opportunities and the challenges that it reveals. Michelle LaBrosse is the founder Cheetah Learning and an international expert on accelerated learning and project management. In 2006, The Project Management Institute selected Michelle as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in project management in the World, and only one of two women selected from the training and education industry.