PMO Strategies

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! Ohhhh, I’ve been so looking forward to sharing this since I first ready Jesse’s manuscript last year.   YAY!! I finally get to tell you all about it. :)  My dear friend, colleague, and partner in crime on keynote stages, Jesse Fewell has been working on this fun, thought-provoking, and insightful book that will help you understand why Agile transformations fail. This is a MUST HAVE book for ANYONE leading or participating in any transformation, Agile or not! You’ll discover (and maybe see yourself in) the various leadership personalities that are often at play when you’re driving big change in an organization.   If you’ve ever been frustrated by your transformation efforts toward a more digital, agile, or lean organization, you are not alone. This breakthrough approach helps you uncover the patterns that might be holding your organization back from transformation success.  In this episode, you’ll learn: the concept of Untapped Agility why there’s no such thing as a failed transformation leadership moves to get back on track the 3-part cycle to move people through the transformation how to access the book right now (and why you definitely want to!)   I encourage you to join me on the Untapped Agility Launch Team to get access to the book NOW plus extra fun bonuses.  Jesse is joining us as a speaker for this year’s PMO IMPACT Summit, so make sure to say hi to him in the mobile app and community! PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership) Transform Visibility and Alignment Strategy-Led PPM for Business Outcome Focused PMOs. Place the right bets, turn quickly and deliver faster with this innovative approach to top-down portfolio and capacity planning with KeyedIn. Looking at adopting a more agile method due to the on-going crisis? Concepts like iterative development, continuous improvement, and prioritizing a dynamic backlog, when applied to portfolio management can deliver a host of compelling benefits that KeyedIn brings to life. LEARN MORE 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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here. In today’s episode, I am talking to Christoph Hirnle, CEO of Meisterplan about the real difference-making skills that great PMO leaders all have in common. This year, especially, has been especially challenging for PMO leaders AND has created some incredible opportunities for PMO leaders to step into new roles and finally earn their seat at the table. To fully embrace this opportunity, we’re going to arm you with some new ways of thinking about the role of PMO Leader, what you might need to let go of to be successful, and what your business leaders are looking for you and your PMO to do to help them make a big IMPACT – even in times like this global pandemic...actually, especially in times of this global pandemic. Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: What success looks like for PMO leaders The difference between business leaders and PMO leaders The mindset shifts that will define your PMO future The unique opportunity PMO leaders have in 2020 The role of PMO leaders in driving business agility Christoph is also joining us as a speaker for this year’s PMO IMPACT Summit, so make sure to say hi to him in the mobile app and community. Read more from Meisterplan: Blog Article_A New PMO Mindset for Building Resiliency in Your Organization   We’re 100% laser-focused on giving you the knowledge, skills, resources, and guidance to help you build, grow, or reset your PMO AND we’ve added more resources for Portfolio/Program/Project/Agile Leaders this year!  Registration is now open!! LEARN MORE     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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here. In today’s episode, I am talking to Amanda Oakenfull, someone who is fast becoming a friend and partner in crime in sharing the mission and message of how PMOs can make a bigger IMPACT in their organizations. With the chaos of 2020, many organizations were forced to take their high-touch in-person PMO practices and go 100% virtual overnight, but is that sustainable? In this episode, you’ll learn: if a virtual PMO will work for you how virtual allows better decisions how virtual forces better management how to take advantage of the momentum the balance of data and context to drive decisions what to automate to focus on the real value add Amanda is also joining us as a speaker for this year’s PMO IMPACT Summit sharing how PMO leaders and project managers can and should be delivering value to the business. Make sure you check out her session at the PMO IMPACT Summit! Imagine it, achieve it, and make an impact with Clarizen’s enterprise collaborative work management solution. Clarizen offers the only adaptive solution on the market for enterprise collaborative work management. Their solution enables you to work in whatever manner you want – whether waterfall, agile, or a combination of the two. Companies find immense value in the visibility the solution brings across many workstreams at a company – regardless of where the work is being done.  People quickly turn ideas into strategies, plans, and actions to adapt and respond faster to market changes. Project leaders can move faster with better data, eliminate work chaos with complete transparency, and work smarter with better results. LEARN MORE 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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here. I've invited PMO IMPACT Summit Speaker Steve Salisbury to share some critical leadership techniques for PMO and Project Leaders to use to keep project momentum moving forward during the chaos of this year. We have an unprecedented opportunity to step into an even stronger leadership role in our organizations due to the COVID-19 pandemic AND help guide our organizations into the "new normal" future.    Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: unique leadership opportunities we have now how to reinforce purpose on your projects how to keep your leaders aligned and engaged how to create connection and bond virtually how to keep employees enrolled in driving change Meisterplan is a project portfolio management tool that lets companies create realistic and achievable portfolios. With Meisterplan, you can see project details, capacity, and financials all in one dashboard. Start making better project portfolios with a free 30-day trial.  LEARN MORE 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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here.   This episode is sponsored by Transform Visibility and Alignment Strategy-Led PPM for Business Outcome Focused PMOs. LEARN MORE     Show Notes: We're diving into an example of one PMO that needed to make a big pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the critical nature of their role in the healthcare field. With us for this episode is one of my fabulous students in the IMPACT Engine PMO Training and Coaching program, Andrea Cirelli. Andrea and her team needed to jump in and help their organization respond to the needs of their patients in the community.  Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: how this PMO responded to the crisis call why you don't need to sell the PMO in crisis what they did to keep everyone in sync how they became and stayed a trusted advisor how this PMO continued to drive IMPACT     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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here. Registration begins June 1st, 2020 The online virtual conference and community dedicated to helping PMO and Project Leaders make a big IMPACT with project management. REGISTER NOW Show Notes: Hey there, IMPACT Driver! In a time of continued chaos, I'd like to give you some GOOD news to help you continue to make an IMPACT without having to spend a dime. The PMO IMPACT Summit is BACK and better than ever! The PMO IMPACT Summit is our completely FREE and VIRTUAL event to support PMO and Project Leaders make an even bigger IMPACT in their organizations, teams, and projects while building the critical skills necessary to THRIVE now and in the future. We've built a strong reputation as the longest-running and highest IMPACT virtual summit in the PMO community with top-notch content that you'd normally pay a bundle to access and we're bringing it all to you for FREE because we want NO PMO OR PROJECT LEADER LEFT BEHIND. We want you to have everything you need to build your own professional skills with sessions covering strategy, leadership, organizational change, Agile, PPM, women in PM, managing in chaos, the future of PMOs/PM from top industry thought leaders, and those actually in the trenches building and running PMOs and projects. And this year, it gets even better...The IMPACT comes not from the learning alone, but from putting that learning into ACTION, so we've added several new components to this year's summit to ensure you make the IMPACT! We've added even more sessions and categories to help those just starting out and those looking for more advanced techniques.  In addition to the top-quality content, you'll get an ACTION-TAKING resource to help you apply what you've learned for EACH session. We've created a brand new mobile app and community called the IMPACT Driver Network to take your learning with you anywhere and connect with other IMPACT Drivers from around the world. We've added tons of bonuses and extras with our Summit VIP access level. You'll get bonus live Q&A sessions with speakers, live stream training events, and other goodies to help you right now and throughout the months leading up to the main event that begins on September 14 and runs for a FULL TWO WEEKS!   So, download the IMPACT Driver Network app, JOIN the Community, and JOIN the PMO IMPACT Summit event inside the app! Then, introduce yourself on the Connect Wall, and let's get the conversation going!    Iframes not supportedWhy do we offer a free event with over 50 IMPACT-making resources every year? It's simple. I wish I had me when I was you.  When I built my first PMO in 1999, I didn't have the resources or access to the brilliant thought leaders I now know. When I applied the "typical" guidance that I found in books or courses back in the day, it failed miserably. Over the years, I discovered why that typical guidance wasn't working and learned how to build a PMO and run projects to maximize the IMPACT my organization was able to make with their customers. I've carefully gathered a list of thought leaders and practitioners to save you time, money, headaches, and frustrations that arise when you have to figure it out on your own. With me by your side, you'll never be on this journey alone again. That's my promise. When you apply what you learn, you'll see your credibility skyrocket with your business leaders and stakeholders, achieve greater return on investment for your projects, and ultimately love how much of an IMPACT you're able to make.You can see what others have to say about this event from prior years and if you've attended before, you're going to LOVE all that we've added to support you.  Take a quick listen to this week’s podcast episode to learn more.     Registration begins June 1st, 2020

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working (Technical) Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here.   This episode is sponsored by Revolutionize Project Delivery through Agile Portfolio Management Download this whitepaper to respond faster to changing priorities, deliver strategic projects more quickly and accurately plan capacity through an Agile approach to portfolio management. DOWNLOAD NOW Show Notes: Hey there, IMPACT Driver! In this episode, we talk about the very real issues organizations and PMs and Agilists are facing as we figure out how to deliver on our organization’s strategy. We tackle the big “us and them” conversations that are happening in companies around the world and talked about ways to move past the methodology wars to solving the real business problems we are there to address. And yes…that’s the punchline…sometimes it’s easy to lose focus on the real reason we are all gainfully employed in our organizations. We are there at the behest of the business to serve the business needs and help the organization deliver on its strategy. That could play out in a lot of ways in each organization, but the goal is to spend our energy focusing on the outcomes we are striving to achieve in our organizations instead of getting caught up in outputs. Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: why both the Agile and PMO camps are right and wrong how to find common ground to move forward productively how to get straight on the terminology for more effective conversations services a PMO can provide to support Agile projects benefits of Agile that high-IMPACT PMOs love (and can leverage)   If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. READ THE TRANSCRIPTThanks 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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)   Hear ways to engage with business leaders about how the PMO can bring order to the chaotic times. Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here. This episode is sponsored by: Imagine it, achieve it and make an impact with Clarizen’s enterprise collaborative work management solution. Clarizen offers the only adaptive solution on the market for enterprise collaborative work management. Their solution enables you to work in whatever manner you want – whether water, agile or a combination of the two. Companies find immense value in the visibility the solution brings across the many workstreams at a company – regardless of where the work is being done.  People quickly turn ideas into strategies, plans and actions to adapt and respond faster to market changes. Projects leaders can move faster with better data, eliminate work chaos with complete transparency and work smarter with better results. CHECK IT OUT Show Notes: Hey there, IMPACT Driver! This week, we're continuing our conversation about staying relevant and delivering high-IMPACT during our current chaotic times. I have invited back one of my clients, Erick Means, PMO Director for CDW. Erick and his team of 150 project managers are responsible for $260 million in services projects that generate a $2.5 billion portfolio of product revenue for CDW. This time, we're talking about how a PMO can become and STAY relevant during this global pandemic and beyond into our new normal. This was a hot topic during our weekly Q&A training sessions I ran to help PMO and Project Leaders with managing their projects and shifting gears during this global pandemic. I've been sharing a lot of guidance to support you on the podcast starting at episode 40 and I thought you might like to hear from one of your peers as he shares exactly what he's done to earn his PMO a seat at the table. Erick shares what they're doing to support their business areas and clients right now and how they are planning for a future that will likely be filled with continued chaos. Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: connecting your PMO value to strategy how to respond to rapidly shifting business needs how to make your PMO a key player right now goal setting techniques when changes are constant how to stop the "continuous improvement" treadmill the importance of building your network of advisors If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. Get more information on submitting your PDUs HERE. 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

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management) Hear ways to engage with business leaders about how the PMO can bring order to the chaotic times. Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! NOTE: For the very best experience, listen to this episode on your favorite podcast provider here. This episode is sponsored by: Imagine it, achieve it and make an impact with Clarizen’s enterprise collaborative work management solution. Clarizen offers the only adaptive solution on the market for enterprise collaborative work management. Their solution enables you to work in whatever manner you want – whether water, agile or a combination of the two. Companies find immense value in the visibility the solution brings across the many workstreams at a company – regardless of where the work is being done.  People quickly turn ideas into strategies, plans and actions to adapt and respond faster to market changes. Projects leaders can move faster with better data, eliminate work chaos with complete transparency and work smarter with better results. CHECK IT OUT Show Notes: Hey there, IMPACT Driver! Starting the Conversation Last week we talked about the critical pivot many PMOs will need to make to not just stay relevant but truly earn that seat at the table during the current ultra-VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) environment we’re living in today AND thrive once we reach our “new normal” state in our organizations. The next step is to engage in a proactive dialog with business leaders about how the PMO can bring order to the chaotic times. In some organizations, this will happen organically because the business leaders are already engaged in conversations with the PMO on a regular basis. For others, the PMO must initiate these conversations and show how they can contribute to solving the business challenges facing executives in chaotic times. In organizations where the business leaders are not inclined to include the PMO at the table, the PMO leader cannot wait for that tap on the shoulder to get involved. Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: the four-step process to winning leadership support how to listen for and express the business need what to say (and not say) about your proposed solution the most important words your leaders need to hear how to express the IMPACT your solution will make If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. Get more information on submitting your PDUs HERE. READ THE TRANSCRIPTThanks 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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management) Learn why the role of the PMO is now more than ever a crucial function in this time of chaos.  This episode is sponsored by the IMPACT Inner Circle Membership Program. Show Notes: Hey there, IMPACT Driver! Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know that the IMPACT Inner Circle Membership has undergone a big upgrade to make your learning and development super easy! If you want to access our hundreds of training and development resources, plus templates, tools, and guidance to help you make a bigger IMPACT in your organization, you can click the button below to learn more now! OK, let's dive into the episode! In times of crisis, many business leaders will underestimate the role a PMO can play in driving just-in-time business decisions that are critical when companies need to respond and adapt to increasingly uncertain market conditions. The role of the PMO is now more than ever a crucial function that is well-positioned to arm business leaders with the information and resources to guide the going-forward strategy that must be defined as quickly as the environment is shifting. In some organizations, PMO leaders have found themselves in a reactionary state trying to respond to ad hoc questions, while other PMO leaders are being completely left out of the conversation by business leaders that are not clear on the best way to properly engage a PMO to help drive critical business decisions. In times of crisis, as well as during business as usual, PMO leaders have an opportunity to engage their organizations by bringing valuable insight to the table during the inevitable fast-paced decision-making process taking place in most organizations today. In this podcast episode, we'll arm PMO and business leaders with a fresh approach to leveraging the power of a PMO to solve immediate and long-term business problems facing organizations. Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn: the new VUCA reality and what to expect going forward the opportunity being presented for PMOs right now what you'll need to let go of to move forward the role of agility in leading your organization now the concept of the Strategy Navigator role for PMOs the key actions to take to proactively pivot the PMO If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. READ THE TRANSCRIPT Get more information on submitting your PDUs HERE. 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