For every PMO that delivers on its initial promise, there are two that hobble along, never really achieving much in terms of bottom-line benefit to customers, project managers, stakeholders or the business itself.
It’s pretty easy to eliminate most if not all benefits of a Project Management Office. Which of the following hold true for your PMO?
- Make sure to set up a climate of fear. Emphasize the penalties of non-compliance. Use the stick and not the carrot.
- Make sure to locate the program office as far away from the project managers as possible. Extra points if you make communication hard by limiting the use of online collaboration software and other tools.
- Do not include project managers in decision-making. Take a heavy handed approach. Issue pronouncements whenever you come up with a novel way of doing things.
- Metrics over people. Make sure that the project managers understand that success means not more than 10% schedule and cost variance. Qualitative measures should never enter into any equation. Come to think of it, what are qualitative measures? Don’t bother me with irrelevancies.
- Leave vision to Oprah and Deepak. This is IT. We’re here to deliver. PMs should focus on getting the work done. They don’t need to know about business goals, objectives, and customer needs. Just read the documentation and get to work.
- Discourage and eliminate contact between project managers. Make sure that all communication is rigidly defined, regimented and as unpleasant as possible. Set meetings at inopportune times and force people to attend who have little to offer or gain by being there.
- Do not define standard processes and templates. If you have processes, provide them only when absolutely necessary. Do not give training. If you must provide training, allow only a small fraction of your personnel to attend. Do not include any contractor staff in training.
- Establish your PMO as an entity unto itself. Provide minimal alignment up to higher management or down to the needs of the project managers.
- Focus on irrelevancies.
- Implement ITIL, SDLC, EVM, Project Server or any toolset without first establishing a firm foundation of project management best practices throughout your organization.
There you have it. Ten steps to ensure that all your efforts will end in mediocrity. Coming soon – the ten steps to ensure that your PMO will be a bright light to lead your organization to great project management success.
As always, wish you well.
Alec
(Image by trueblood on flickr)
Originally posted 2008-08-07 08:00:00.
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Very good points. I liked the post. Digg’d and Stumble’d.
This is an excellent article. I do have a distantly similar musing about the PMO: the PMO Poem.
About #6: “Discourage and eliminate contact with and between project managers.” I think a lot of people can relate even more to it when it’s “Discourage and eliminate contact between project managers.”
PM Hut´s last blog post..Is a Career in Project Management Right for You?
Twitter: alecsatin
Hi PM Hut,
Your PMO Poem captures so much of what happens with PMO implementation. I loved it!
Appreciate your comment, and have updated the post as recommended.
Alec
Alec Satin´s last blog post..How to Say Goodbye When a Workmate Leaves
Twitter: derekhuether
Alec,
I’ve been in an environment where your list of how to eliminate most if not all benefits of a PMO read like commandments. In retrospect, a little inspiration and empowerment would have gone a long way. Thank you for helping us keep some perspective.
Regards,
Derek Huether, PMP
Derek Huether´s last blog post..Understanding Agile Scrum and common terms
Twitter: alecsatin
Hi Derek,
So sorry to hear of your experience – which may be more common than not in PMOs. Perhaps this is the reason that a recent poll found that most executives did not believe that their organizations were getting the possible benefits from their PMOs. Inspiration and empowerment does go a long way to encourage those doing the actual work. Ultimately these iron-fist PMOs will be reformed willingly or through pressure from above. Think dinosaur.
On a happier note, enjoyed your Agile and Lessons Learned Posts, and have subscribed to your blog.
Look forward to future conversation here or there.
Alec
Twitter: derekhuether
Alec,
Just an update. The economy caught up to my last experience and I found myself without a job. I should have known there was trouble when I sat across the table from my boss and asked specifically what type of PMO the business expected us to be. (General, Supportive, Controlling, or Directive). My question was met with an uncomfortable silence, followed by “type?”
My new experience is a better one and I look forward to writing about it.
Thank you Technorati for leading me to your blog!
Derek
Derek Huether´s last blog post..Understanding Agile Scrum and common terms
I really like this post. By writing in this way, people who read it will be thinking “oh shoot, I wonder if I do that too much” and it really drives the point home. I love the idea of working against all the items you listed to increase project management effectiveness.
Twitter: alecsatin
Dana,
Great points! One of my main hopes for this blog is to help people feel empowered enough to make the little changes that they are able to make.
Thanks for your comment. It’s always good to know that people are reading.
Alec
Alec Satin´s last blog ..Info Source – How to Make Your Meetings Better