The 4th “P” in PMO Equals People – Your Most Important Resource!

Guys, I love this topic. I mean, I am so passionate about it and feel it is the key to running a successful PMO. There is no shortage of publications on PMOs. Be it a book, a tweet, a blog, an article, a whitepaper, the breadth on this topic is amazing.

Despite this wealth of information, there has always seemed to be a gap in depth on both the tactical approach to building a Project Management Office (PMO) and the topic of the people in a PMO. I wrote one of the first and only step by step books for building a PMO called “The Tactical Guide for Building a PMO.” I live and breathe PMOs, they are my passion and I love leading and building them. Let’s dig a little deeper into the “P” in PMO, and not define that “P” as Portfolio, Program or Project, but rather “People.” You have to understand that to run a successful PMO, your project management resources are going to have to be your number one priority!

One of the most valuable things I’ve learned running PMO’s is if you don’t focus on the people, you don’t have a PMO. Irrespective of the PMO model, Supportive, Directive, etc., don’t forget that the people are what make your PMO successful. I added this topic in my book so other PMO Managers could learn about it as well. In my book, I cover the people side of running a PMO in several different chapters. Chapter 4 has PMO Manager’s qualifications, Chapter 6 covers staffing models, Chapter 7 covers training and education, mentoring and buddy systems, Chapter 15 has capabilities analysis … The list goes on and on. As you go through my book, there is a focus on the people side of the PMO as well as a focus on the methodology, tools and dashboards. Too many PMO managers spend their time and focus on the latest methodology, creating cool dashboards, and building great metrics, but don’t factor in or think about their people. The P in PMO has to mean something right?

Here are Top 3 People Tips and Tricks when running a PMO:

1. People First – Whatever new process or procedure you put in place, think about the impact it will have on your people. Do they need to do something different? Do they need to work more hours? What is the impact of this new process on them?

2. People Gatherings – Most PMO’s have Program and Project managers that are busy doing their work and never come together to help each other. Ensure you have a gathering at least weekly where you bring in your resources and have them connect directly.

3. Buddy or Mentoring Program – In my book, I suggest building a buddy or a mentoring program for your employees. People need support and often do not want to turn to their manager when they are in trouble. Most project managers would rather turn to a peer than their manager to get them out of a project situation.

In closing, PMO management is difficult and something that takes years to master. If we keep forgetting about our people (the P in PMO), we are going to struggle to run a productive organization. Continue to focus on your PMO metrics, dashboards and methodologies, but don’t forget about your people. They will love you for it!

Want to learn more about setting up programs inside your PMO for your People? Check out my Webinar here for more information. Here is a quick video of all the information in the webinar. 

What do you think?

If you like this article, I would love for you to check out this article on How to Build a PMO here. The Ultimate How to Build a Project Management Office(PMO) Checklist in 12 Steps!. I have several PMO articles on this site you should check out as well. Or you can check out all my PMO articles here on this page. PMO Articles

Thanks!

Bill Dow, PMP

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