Why PMOs Fail...

Why PMOs Fail....
I have noticed over the past 15 years an obvious pattern for why PMOs fail.

Creating a successful PMO is really not hard. There is a learning curve that all businesses go through when implementing or maintaining a PMO, but in time people do adopt and adapt to project management best practices.

What is consistently problematic and ultimately the cause of failure is when Managers who have little to no real life project management experience, instead they have only read a few books about project management, then try to FORCE change. Needless to say people resist force.

The path to failure is ego based and simply does not work! Anyone who is truly concerned with helping programs or projects be successful will do the following:

• Listen to the thoughts


• Never monopolize conversations


• Recognize that what others tell you will be key to your success


• Respect others time.


• Have focused conversations and controlled meetings rather then non-directional


• Recognize that there are subject mater experts around you who most probably know a lot more than you do about certain subjects.


• Never use your position as the reason why something is required. For example, "We are doing it because I said so", or "I run the PMO so this is what we are doing". These dictator type control games are an expression of the ego and a fatal strategy to employ.

What are your thoughts?