If your organization has a Project Management Office (PMO) – and one survey I noted in a previous article indicated that 45% of respondents’ organizations had a centralized PMO – then it is likely led by a lead manager or director. This position, of course, is generally referred to as the PMO Director.
An effective PMO Director can drive the PMO to great success and value within an organization. The director can champion the cause of promoting the importance of the PMO to executive management, getting company leadership involved in prioritizing the portfolio of projects that the PMO oversees and manages.
On the flip side, an ineffective PMO Director can torpedo the PMO’s rank in the organization and drive a nail in it’s coffin by mishandling the tasks and opportunities bestowed upon the group. I’m sure there are hundreds of other signs and I’ll leave those for you to suggest and for me to write another article about, but here are three that come to mind first….three signs that your PMO Director is not being an effective leader for the Project Management Office….
Not Considered a Key Position in the Organization
In order for your PMO to be considered an integral part of the organization, it is critical that your PMO Director have some clout in the company. If the group is just being led by the senior-most PM or by an individual who is not viewed as a critical decision-maker, then it will be very difficult to gain the proper visibility for your projects.
And if you don’t have that visibility…that clout…then acquiring and keeping skilled resources on your projects will also be difficult. Project prioritization will suffer, project success will suffer and ultimately customer satisfaction will suffer. And with it, your careers will suffer.
Not a Champion for the Efforts of the PMs
Your PMO Director needs to have your back. I’ve mentioned in other articles where I’ve had a couple of projects devastated by decisions made by my PMO Director at the time. It sounds as if I’m shifting blame – and since hindsight is always 20-20 then I probably am to some degree. Therefore, I won’t go into more detail here.
Suffice to say if your PMO Director is not providing you with proper support for your projects, you may need to go around them. That should be a last resort, of course. First, always discuss concerns and issues with your PMO Director. Also remember that the customer and their satisfaction level is critical both to your company and to your career, so don’t sit too long if you feel yours or your customer’s best interests aren’t being looked out for. Waiting too long can get a project tanked even if you feel it’s not your fault.
Spends Most of Their Time Running Projects
I feel strongly that the PMO Director has enough on their plate with the large portfolio of projects that their PMs are running at any given time. Helping, mentoring, planning, etc. is all part of their job and in a decent-sized company with a sizeable project portfolio, that is going to be more than enough to keep the PMO Director busy.
If they are also running several projects of their own in the role of Project Manager than it is clear that they are stretched too thin. That could be because they are not really cut out for the role of PMO Director. Or it could be that the organization doesn’t value the PMO Director role enough to safeguard it and is instead piling projects on the PMO Director while not fully understanding what their role should be.
In either case, the PMO Director is not likely being an effective PMO leader for your group.
Summary
These are my first three that came to mind – I’d appreciate hearing any stories that some of you would like to share (and anonymously is fine). The role of PMO Director should be a significant one in the organization – think of the responsibility that comes with it. Both the organization and the individual or individuals fulfilling the role should understand that and treat it as such.