019: Questions to Ask Before Starting a PMO

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! This episode is sponsored by my free masterclass: How to Setup a High-IMPACT PMO Show Notes: Today we are going to talk about what you should do BEFORE you setup a PMO. Now, I know that many of you listening already have a PMO and I’m going to you to stick around and listen to this episode, too. Because, this is a good way to have a litmus test or just double check that you have all the right steps you need to ensure that you have the right stakeholder engagement, the right ongoing funding, and everything else you need to make sure your PMO is not just setup correctly, but sustainable for the long term, and really making that IMPACT you know your PMO can make. Stick around for this episode as we dive into the critical questions to ask and steps you need to take before you ever start building that PMO. I know that many of you are thinking, “But, I just really want to get started. I have to hurry up and show value. I have to make an impact quickly. I am not going to get a lot of time to get this right.” And I totally hear you. And you’re right. You DO need to get started quickly. You WON’T have a lot of time to get that credibility and sustainability and get that critical sponsor and stakeholder engagement you need. I’m going to ask you to slow down so you can speed up. Having answers to these fundamental questions will be a game changer for you, for your PMO, for your organization, and most of all, for your sanity! OK, let’s dive in with the first question you want to ask. What business problem are we trying to solve? Understanding your mission, your purpose, is critical to PMO success and sustainability and if you are defining this yourself, you’re probably wrong. How are we going to show value quickly? This is not about knocking things out to say you’ve accomplished something. You must use what you learned in answering question #1 to explore ways you can help someone in the organization accelerate their IMPACT so that you can build credibility and gain critical support for long-term PMO success. Who is my primary sponsor? You may have a different sponsor for building out eh PMO (a project) vs. running the operational activities of a PMO already in place. Make sure you know who is supporting you and helping you remove barriers to critical forward momentum. Then ENGAGE THEM! Who’s with me? It’s never too early to engage stakeholders and bring them with you through the change process. If you want to completely avoid change resistance, then you must build the PMO with them. If you build the PMO, they will not come. Read the TranscriptThis episode is sponsored by:Thanks for taking the time to check out the podcast! I welcome your feedback and insights!  I’d love to know what you think and if you love it, please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast player. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. See you online! Warmly, Laura Barnard     GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES  TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS