Making an IMPACT with Project Management Offices

As a financial leader, I want to know every aspect of business. While quarterbacking my share of ERP implementations, I had only once heard the term PMO (short for Project Management Office). Accordingly, I wanted to learn more. After reading Laura Barnard’s new book on PMOs, I quickly realized she is probably the global thought leader on this subject. The book we unpack is The IMPACT Engine: Accelerating Strategy Delivery for PMO and Transformation Leaders.  

Episode Highlights

The Self-Education of a PMO Professional

• Started with a computer science degree
• Good at bringing people together to get work done
• The pivot to project management
• The dot-com era
• Saying ‘no’ to experts
• The critical lesson – needs vs. wants

The IMPACT Engine System

• The ‘p’ in PMO means many things to different people
• Applies to organizations of all shapes and sizes
• Samantha’s story is far too common
• 100% success rate
• Gantt charts can still be used
• The reason the planning work is shortchanged or skipped in this framework

The Lightning Round

• MVP vs. Prototype
• Perfectionism
• Lovers and Haters
• Outcomes vs. Outputs
• 30-90s

Laura’s Work and Important Links

• The IMPACT Engine
• PMO Strategies
• Laura’s Podcast
• LinkedIn Profile

Books Mentioned

1. Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
2. Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by A.J. Harper
3. The CIO’s Guide to Breakthrough Project Portfolio Performance: Applying the Best of Critical Chain, Agile, and Lean by Michael Hannan

Episode Pairings