
PMO Strategies
In this podcast, PMO leaders and those wanting to capitalize on the best of project management to deliver the organization’s strategy,will uncover the hidden secrets of the best PMOs, learn the game-changing techniques that transform any PMO into a value-driven IMPACT Engine, and explore the best ways for the PMO to become an integral part of the fabric and future of an organization. After spending two and a half decades helping organizations deliver change, with 15 of those years in the shoes of PMO leader inside organizations, Laura strongly believes that there is more to making an IMPACT than templates, tools, and process. She’ll show you how to make the shifts necessary to becoming a business focused PMO that will become an invaluable organizational asset. With her guests and insights, we explore the sticky situations and tough challenges PMO leaders face, from sorting through all of the “noise” about what the PMO “should” do to finding the best ways for your PMO to make an IMPACT. Listen in and you can discover how to shift your focus from outputs to outcomes, fundamentally changing the game for your PMO and personal success.
Latest episodes

Jan 24, 2022 • 15min
135: After the Project – Delivering ROI
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
In episode 134, I shared why “fixing” the project delivery process probably isn’t going to solve the underlying problems your organization has that are preventing them from achieving their desired business outcomes.
Now, we’ll explore another opportunity to show value with the PMO that does not involve making any changes to your project delivery process and supports the work I recommended last week.
In this episode, you will discover ways to improve what happens AFTER the project is delivered. You’ll learn how to ensure the organization is realizing not only the benefits of these projects but that these projects were worth doing in the first place.
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

Jan 17, 2022 • 16min
134: Don’t Fix Project Delivery First
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Last week, I held a live workshop to help PMO leaders build their 2022 PMO Road Map. (You can still grab the recordings, templates, and resources at this link through the end of January.)
And during this workshop, we used several assessment tools I provided them to determine the areas of focus based on recognized pain points the PMO could solve.
Then, we worked to define solutions to those pain points.
And that’s where it got interesting…
Many PMO leaders mistakenly see symptoms of an underlying problem and start building solutions around those symptoms instead of addressing the root cause.
This is dangerous.
So, when you hear…“We need to fix project management.”“Projects take too long.”“Projects cost too much.”“Resources aren’t getting enough done.”“Why can’t we ever deliver our projects as planned?”
And you start to fix…The templatesThe toolsThe processThe project managers
…but nothing gets better…
It’s because the underlying root causes are still there.
We put a band-aid on when we needed surgical intervention.
In this episode, you will uncover the fantastic opportunity you have in the PMO to fix the real underlying problems and make the need to “fix project management” go down significantly.
…and next week, I’m going to share with you ways you can improve the other end of the process. What happens AFTER the project is delivered and where do you have the chance to help ensure the organization is realizing not only the benefits of these projects but that they were worth doing in the first place.
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

Jan 10, 2022 • 52min
133: The Voice of Experience – PMO Lessons Learned in the Trenches with Dev Ramcharan
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
One of the biggest reasons for my success is that I asked a lot of questions and listened to A LOT of advice from those that had come before me, who were further along, and had a lot of stories of both successes and failures to share! That is the entire reason I started PMO Strategies…I had A LOT of lessons learned from the trenches. 😊
One of the best pieces of advice I could lever give you is to accelerate your own experience by learning lessons from others – both the good and the bad!
In this fabulous episode, you’ll get to hear some of the war stories and lessons learned from my friend, Dev Ramcharan, as he takes us through some things he wishes he had done differently, as well as his top 5 best pieces of advice for PMO and project leaders at ANY stage in their career.
You won’t want to miss this episode!
How's the health of your PMO?
Very exciting news!
In honor of the Top PMO Influencer of the Year award, I'm hosting a FREE PMO Health Assessment and 2022 Planning Workshop in January. Learn more and register below for free today!
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

Jan 3, 2022 • 32min
132: Your Annual PMO Health Assessment
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Are you as excited as I am to set yourself up for a high-IMPACT 2022?
I’ve got so many fun projects in the works to help you this year and this first one is going to be so much fun.
In this episode, we’re looking at why conducting a regular health assessment for your PMO is an absolute must and how to figure out exactly what your PMO should focus on to drive the biggest IMPACT.
If you have a relatively new PMO, this can be a critical step to ensuring your PMO is headed in the right direction. If you have an existing PMO, it can be super easy to get caught up in delivering and if you don’t take a little time to step back and assess where you are and what you need to do next, you might find that the organization’s needs change while you’re not looking.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain to share with you a few of the secrets that have made my IEPMO Implementation program students so successful over the years. Plus, I’ll walk you through the exact steps they take to discover exactly where they should focus their PMO efforts, what services and capabilities to build, how to bring change to the organization properly, and specifically what to do to get that critical stakeholder support.
You don’t want to miss this episode!
And in honor of winning the Top Global PMO Influencer of the Year award, the only award of its kind, by the PMO Global Alliance, I’m hosting a FREE PMO Health Assessment and 2022 PMO Plan Workshop next week!
Click here to learn more about this workshop and register for free today.
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

Dec 27, 2021 • 22min
131: 2021 Podcast Review
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working (Technical)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
This week’s episode is a brief review of all the podcast categories we’ve created to help you on your learning journey. There are 8 topic areas you can choose from to point you directly to episodes that will help you address your toughest challenges and develop your skills quickly!
The 8 categories are as follows:
PMO Mindset – A series designed to help you up your game and understand what the PMO and your role as PMO leader can be for the organization.
PMO Start Up – For new PMO leaders or those starting a new PMO whether your first time or fifth!
PMO Accelerate – Key insights to help you accelerate performance of your existing PMO, getting it back on track, or helping you earn your seat at the table.
Leadership Skills – The secrets to leading people and making a bigger IMPACT with and through people.
Leading Change – The techniques you need to bring people with you through the change process and do change WITH them instead of TO them.
Portfolio Management – Game changing techniques to establish a project portfolio and boost your portfolio performance and throughput.
Agility and Agile – A mix of Agile techniques and advice on how to boost your organizational agility.
Project Management – Techniques to boost any project performance and project team productivity.
I hope you enjoy these tracks of podcast episodes designed to help you boost your IMPACT.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
How's the health of your PMO?
Very exciting news!
In honor of the Top PMO Influencer of the Year award, I'm hosting a FREE PMO Health Assessment and 2022 Planning Workshop in January. Learn more and register below for free today!
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

Dec 20, 2021 • 29min
130: Cultural Impacts on the Project Delivery Process with Michael Boyle
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Every day, organizations are challenged with learning how to operate on a global scale while learning how to effectively incorporate a wide variety of cultural norms and experiences. This cultural diversity greatly influences the project delivery process and ultimately the results you can achieve. How might effectively embracing this diversity help you achieve even better project outcomes?
Our guest today, Michael Boyle, has several years of experience dealing precisely with this subject and will share his insights with us on how we can harness the power of cultural diversity to unleash the full potential of our projects.
How's the health of your PMO?
Very exciting news!
In honor of the Top PMO Influencer of the Year award, I'm hosting a FREE PMO Health Assessment and 2022 Planning Workshop in January. Learn more and register below for free today!
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

Dec 13, 2021 • 30min
129: How to Create a High-Performance Project Team with Gabriele Maussner
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Are you realizing the full project ROI for your organization?
We know that focused, motivated project teams can move mountains. Innovation, quick problem solving, and creativity will become one of the most valued currencies in the future and vital for all project teams. However, sometimes human nature stands in our way to achieve great project performance and realize the full project ROI for our organization.
In this episode, Gabriele Maussner will help us figure out the best way to create high-performing teams while avoiding some of the biggest mistakes leaders make that immediately damage team performance.
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

Dec 6, 2021 • 21min
128: Strategic Thinking: A Rare and Valuable Competency with Greg Githens
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Have your business leaders ever told you to think strategically?
The ability to think and communicate strategically is critical for you to get and keep your seat at the table, but we also need to support the internal operational engine, as well.
In this episode, Greg Githens will explain how PMO Leaders can effectively interact with executives on the topics of both operations and strategy and why it’s critical that you have your hands and perspective on both sides of organizational value delivery. He will walk us through techniques to suggest appropriate metrics, benefits statements, and problem-solving approaches for both the operational domain and the strategic domain and why showing your value in both areas matters.
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

Nov 29, 2021 • 36min
127: There are No Politics in Business with Joe Perzel
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Are internal politics standing in the way of getting your projects done?
In this episode, Joe Perzel will explain why we’ve got it all wrong when we say that politics are standing in our way, how to handle the bumps in the road we encounter when our projects aren’t going as expected, and how to handle the myriad of different perspectives you’re likely to come across when delivering change in your organization (no matter how “political” you think it is).
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

Nov 22, 2021 • 31min
126: Planning a Positive Journey with a Focus on Mental Wellness with Cathy Dolan-Schweitzer
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Are you being pulled in too many directions and not taking care of yourself?
The pandemic has shown us the importance of prioritizing mental wellness. However, accepting that it’s needed and integrating it into reality are two different things. Sound familiar?
With the holidays coming up and the endless to do list still looming for most of us, now is the perfect time to learn a few easy techniques for keeping your energy and productivity up while avoiding burnout. In this episode, Cathy Dolan-Schweitzer will help you prepare a detailed vision for a healthier future.
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