

PMO Strategies
Laura Barnard
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 30, 2020 • 22min
042: People Are Not Resistant to Change
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Learn the mistakes and misunderstandings about change resistance and what you can do to bring people with you through change.
This episode is sponsored by the Inner Circle Membership Program.
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.
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!
If you want access to tons of Organizational Change Management resources, assessments, training and guidance, join the Inner Circle Membership today!
LEARN MORE
OK, let's dive into the episode!
People are not resistant to change... No, seriously, they aren't. Don't believe me? Know anyone that has gotten married, had kids, changed jobs, tried a new hairstyle, remodeled their kitchen, bought new clothes, read a new book, taken a class, rearranged their furniture in their house, or any of millions of other large or small changes? How many of those have you willingly chosen to do, yourself? Yeah...we go through change, all of the time. The challenge is the WAY we handle change on our projects and programs that is what's causing people to resist the change YOU are trying to create.
Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn:
what is actually happening when you face resistance
the big mistake people make when leading change
why the traditional thinking isn't working
how to bring people with you through the change process
how to get people to fight for your change
what to do about the naysayers
If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT
If you want access to tons of Organizational Change Management resources, assessments, training and guidance, join the Inner Circle Membership today!
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

Mar 27, 2020 • 11min
BONUS: PMO/PM Leader Guidance During Coronavirus Crisis
Hey, IMPACT Driver. Just sending some good thoughts your way as we head into the weekend.
With love, Laura
If you want to dive deeper on this, you can check out this podcast episode:
Click Here: Managing Projects During Chaos: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Please leave a note below and let me know how you're putting your oxygen mask on first as you head into the weekend...

Mar 23, 2020 • 33min
041: Accelerate Your Productivity in One Hour a Day
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Learn the proven system for maximizing your productive time and do more without working long hours.
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 the Inner Circle Membership Program.
Grab our 1-page free worksheet to help you follow the One Hour Manager plan.
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!
If you want access to this template and guidance, join us in the IMPACT Inner Circle membership program!
LEARN MORE
Okay. Let’s dive into today’s episode!
We think and talk about spring cleaning and new year's resolutions, but what do we do later in the year to get ourselves reset and refocused on what matters? We all get so busy in the day to day of doing our jobs and sometimes that means we forget to do the things we know will help us be our most productive selves. The most important thing you can do for yourself every day as you are setting up, running, or just trying to figure out what the heck is going on with your PMO (or project), is to take time for yourself.
I'm walking you through my 4-step process I've been using for years to make a much bigger IMPACT in my work and mazimize my productivity with NO multi-tasking.
Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn:
accelerate your productivity in just one hour a day
the questions to ask to reflect
how to plan your whole day in 15 minutes
how to make your teams hyper-focused in 15 minutes a day
the best way to keep momentum going
how to avoid being caught off guard
the way to improve your in the moment responses
If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
Grab our 1-page free worksheet to help you follow the One Hour Manager plan.
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

Mar 15, 2020 • 21min
040: Managing Projects During Chaos: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
As the global pandemic impacts cities around the world, hear ways you can step into a leadership role, and thrive.
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 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.
CHECK IT OUT
Show Notes:
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
No matter where you are in the world, it's likely that you're dealing with some fallout due to the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. And for all of us that are often called upon to manage the chaos as project leaders, this can be an extremely difficult time and also a time to shine.All of us that oversee or manage projects and I want to offer some practical advice on how to handle what we are experiencing, what we might need to consider, and the never more important role we should be playing to help our business leaders manage during this chaotic time.
Check out this week's podcast episode to learn:
what you might experience in the coming weeks
the critical role we should step into now
how to support your project teams and replan
what to do if your project accelerates now
what a PMO can do to help business leaders plan
Also, I'd like to use this as a chance for everyone to connect and share ideas to step up and manage the chaos as only we can do.
Please share your thoughts on LinkedIn using this hashtag:
#projectleadersmanagingchaos
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

Mar 9, 2020 • 31min
039: Yes, the PMO CAN Drive an Agile Transformation!
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Learn how a PMO can drive Agile inside your organization.
This episode is sponsored by the Agile Leadership Journey Certified Agile Leader workshop:
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.LEARN MORE
Show Notes:
Hey there, IMPACT Driver! Before we dive in, I wanted to invite you to join Jesse Fewell for one of his upcoming workshops designed for leaders that want to know how to prepare for and lead Agile transformations. If you're curious about the role of leadership in an Agile journey, definitely make sure you check out this program. This episode is sponsored by Agile Leadership Journey taught by Jesse Fewell our fantastic guest today. It's a 2-day immersive retreat, equipping leaders to guide their organizational journey towards more agility. Co-created by a collective of global thoughts leaders, this one-of-a-kind experience features research-based methods, hands on practice, and professional graphic facilitation. If you’re a PMO leader, I highly recommend this course to help you position yourself and your PMO at the center of shift to a more Agile environment.
Make sure you use code LAURAVIP at checkout to get a discount on the course!
The Agile Leadership Journey provides education, direction and coaching for leaders to personally navigate their own path toward improved leadership effectiveness and imporving the effectiveness of their organizations. Great for all PMO leaders and PMs!
LEARN MORE
OK, let's dive into the episode!
Our guest today is Jesse Fewell. Jesse is an author, coach, and trainer who helps senior leaders from Boston to Bangalore transform their organizations world-wide. As a project management pioneer, he founded and grew the original PMI Agile Community of Practice to 18,000 members and 40 volunteer leaders, co-created the PMI-ACP® agile certification, and co-authored the Agile Practice Guide® which has been translated into eleven languages. He is author of the upcoming book “Untapped Agility: Transforming your transformation”, equipping leaders to drive new ways of working. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, he is a dual-certified coach (Certified Enterprise Coach® and Leadership Circle Profile®) and an accredited instructor with multiple agile certification bodies. We're talking about whether or not the PMO can drive an Agile transformation. Hint: They ABSOLUTELY can and we're going to talk about exactly how to do just that.
Check out this week’s podcast episode to learn:
why there is a big gap (even hostility) between the PMO and Agile communities
why executives sometimes believe the PMO is NOT a good candidate to lead agility
the missing assets in many Agile transformations that PMOs can bring to the table
how to get started if you're interested in learning how the PMO can best support a shift to Agile
If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
READ THE TRANSCRIPT
The Agile Leadership Journey provides education, direction and coaching for leaders to personally navigate their own path toward improved leadership effectiveness and imporving the effectiveness of their organizations. Great for all PMO leaders and PMs!
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

Mar 2, 2020 • 18min
038: 3 Techniques to Move Past the Agile vs. PM Discussion
PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen (Strategic and Business Management)
Master these 3 techniques for a productive path forward with Agile and traditional PM.
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:
Agile Organizations Need Modern Governance Structures
Download this Forrester research report to learn the importance for Agile enterprise PMOs to provide a macro view of performance.
DOWNLOAD NOW
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!
Okay. Let’s dive into today’s episode!
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 their 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:
how to stop the methodology war discussion
the keys to moving past the noise toward productivity
what you SHOULD assume
the critical focus area you must shift
the power of flexibility in achieving your shared goals
If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player.
READ THE TRANSCRIPTAgile Organizations Need Modern Governance Structures
Download this Forrester research report to learn the importance for Agile enterprise PMOs to provide a macro view of performance.
DOWNLOAD NOW
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

Feb 24, 2020 • 1h 1min
037: PMO Career Evolution
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Join Laura and special guest Lindsay Scott as they share how the PMO career will evolve.
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
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!
Okay. Let's dive into today's episode!
Today we have the lovely Lindsay Scott, PMO Mob Collector and Director at PMO Learning, joining us from across the pond to talk about the shifts happening with PMO careers and how you can prepare yourself for the journey toward an even higher-IMPACT role in the future.
Check out this week's podcast episode to learn:
what is causing the shift in PMO responsibilities
how to keep up with the changing PMO landscape
the future of the PMO leadership role
what you must do to prepare for the evolution
the career-limiting mistake PMO leaders are making
unique ways to gain some self-awareness
the most important skills to focus on to succeed
If you love this podcast, please leave a rating and review on yourfavorite podcast player.
You can learn more about Lindsay, the PMO Flashmob, and the PMO Conference 2020 here:
PMO Conference 2020 - I'd love to see you there!
PMO Flashmob
Lindsay's Profile
Need to develop your PMO leadership competencies?
Join the Inner Circle Membership today!
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

Feb 17, 2020 • 33min
036: Project Communications Even Your Sponsor Will LOVE
PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working (Technical)
Use these tips to streamline your sponsor communication that will keep their attention and drive faster decision-making.
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
Show Notes:
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know that the IMPACT Inner Circle Membership program is undergoing a big upgrade and you can get on the wait list now to be the first to know when the new membership site is open for registration PLUS get some great bonuses only for wait listers.
Okay. Let's dive into today's episode! Have you ever been in a status meeting where you had to provide a report to your executives? You’re about halfway through this meeting and they are on page 14 in the bottom right-hand corner stuck on some piece of data. You can’t get them to come back up and focus where you need them to be. They’re stuck, right? They’re drilling down into these details of this report, they’re asking you all types of questions, and you’re thinking to yourself, “This isn’t even relevant to what I need from you. I need some answers. I need some help on something. I need a decision. I need you to take action,” and they’re stuck on page 14. The key to project communications even your sponsor will love is knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it so that you keep your entire project team moving forward.
Check out this week's podcast episode to learn:
why the way you're communicating with your stakeholders isn't working
my one-page format for succinct project communications
how to draw your sponsor's attention to where it's needed most
the right way to talk about what you've accomplished
how to avoid that Monday morning "I've forgotten what we did" syndrome
how to transition to a more effective and sustainable project reporting solution
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

Feb 10, 2020 • 32min
035: How to Get Your Sponsor’s Attention
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Get and keep your sponsor engaged on your project or PMO with these great tips.
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
This episode is sponsored by Project Management for Change.
Show Notes:
Hey there, IMPACT Driver!
Before we dive into today's podcast, I'd like to tell you a little about our sponsor, Project Management for Change. This organization is near and dear to my heart because I'm one of the Founders of this fabulous team. This episode is sponsored by Project Management for Change. Project Management for Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to unleash the boundless potential of the project management profession to empower and transform communities around the world. They do this through pro bono support provided by professional project managers to address nonprofit organizations' most pressing world-changing initiatives. They provide this support at the signature event called the Project Management Day of Service (PMDoS)®. It's a community outreach event of unprecedented scale, enabling pro bono project management services for nonprofits and social organizations, and through continuous delivery programs, ensuring focus on the right projects and seeing those projects through to completion. If you want to learn more about theProject Management Day of Service (PMDoS)® events happening around the world, how you can get involved or how your organization could sponsor this fabulous nonprofit, just go to PM4change.org and as we like to say, "Join us in changing the world one project at a time!"
Okay. Let's dive into today's episode!
Have you ever struggled to get your sponsor's attention?
One of the silent killers of projects is the wasted time getting on our sponsors' calendars and waiting for decisions to be made. Today's episode is all about getting and keeping your sponsor's attention so that you can keep your projects/programs moving forward. If you want to accelerate project performance in your organization, you've got to master these techniques to influence sponsor engagement and support.Check out this week's podcast episode to learn:
the characteristics of a sponsor (and how to know if they really are your sponsor)
why you're not getting your sponsor's attention
the techniques that will guarantee their support
what you're doing that might be derailing their engagement
how to properly leverage the "power of sponsor"
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

Feb 3, 2020 • 54min
034: The Impossible PMO®
PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills (Leadership)
Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!
This episode is sponsored by Project Management for Change.
Show Notes:
Hey there, IMPACT Driver! Before we dive into today's podcast, I'd like to tell you a little about our sponsor, Project Management for Change. This organization is near and dear to my heart because I'm one of the Founders of this fabulous team. This episode is sponsored by Project Management for Change. Project Management for Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to unleash the boundless potential of the project management profession to empower and transform communities around the world. They do this through pro bono support provided by professional project managers to address nonprofit organizations most pressing world-changing initiatives. They provide this support at the signature event called the Project Management Day of Service (PMDoS)®. It's a community outreach event of unprecedented scale, enabling pro bono project management services for nonprofits and social organizations, and through continuous delivery programs, ensuring focus on the right projects and seeing those projects through to completion. If you want to learn more about theProject Management Day of Service (PMDoS)® events happening around the world, how you can get involved or how your organization could sponsor this fabulous nonprofit, just go to PM4change.org and as we like to say, "Join us in changing the world one project at a time!"
Okay. Let's dive into today's episode!
I'm excited to share with you a new series called Practitioner Perspective. In these episodes, we will share PMO and PM leader stories and lessons learned as they made an IMPACT in their organizations leveraging the power of the PMO and Project Management. I decided I'd go first to get things warmed up and when I thought about all the PMOs I have run over 20 years, there's one that stands out above them all. This story starts with an executive searching for an answer to a business problem and a PMO leader being inspired to take action, becoming the "first follower" on what would be an incredible journey.I hope you are inspired to action and see opportunities for making your PMO and projects the catalyst for IMPACT in your organization.Check out this week's podcast episode to learn:
the power of the first follower and the PMO role
adaptive leadership in the face of unknowns
when it's necessary to speak truth to power
how to probe and challenge leaders effectively
the ultimate role of PMO to solve business problems
By the way, if you've never heard the lesson of the First Follower, you can check that out here: Read the article and watch the original video. Watch the 3 minute Ted Talk here.
Hope you enjoy this exploration of executive and PMO leader on the journey to make an IMPACT. Leave a comment below! And 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


