Leading Successful PMOs: How to Build the Best Project Management Office for Your Business

Many organizations profit hugely by utilizing a Project Management Office (PMO); it means they achieve benefits from standardizing and following project management policies, processes, and methods. However, building an effective PMO is a complex process; it requires clear vision and strong leadership so that, over time, it will become the source for guidance, documentation, and metrics related to the practices involved in managing and implementing projects.

"Leading Successful PMOs" will guide all project based organizations, and project managers who contribute to and benefit from a PMO, towards maximizing their project success. In it, Peter Taylor outlines the basics of setting up a PMO and clearly explains how to ensure it will do exactly what you need it to do – the right things, in the right way, in the right order, with the right team.

Reviews:

'For years there has been an inaccurate view that PMOs define and maintain project management standards. This view has led to untold PMO difficulties. The PMO in whatever shape or form is entirely about leadership and achievement. Kudos to Peter Taylor for spotlighting this and bringing us this practical reference.'
-- Mark Price Perry, Founder, BOT International and author, Business Driven PMO Setup and Business Driven PPM

'Finally a book for current and aspiring PMO leaders. While any practitioner worth his or her salt knows that the soft skills are what makes or breaks PMO leaders, too many organizations select their project leaders based on technical expertise. Whether you are charged with selecting the next PMO leader, aspiring to be one, or simply struggling to rise to the challenge of your leadership position Peter Taylor's insightful new work, Leading Successful PMOs, will help set you on a focused path to leadership and success.'
-- J. LeRoy Ward, Executive Vice President, ESI International

'It is fascinating to see the positioning and examination of the PMO from the Business Organization perspective. Not least of interest are the six PMO types viewed from this perspective. Is this the catalyst needed to get PMOs re-positioned by Business Schools?"
-- Eric Stein MSc Eng PMP IBM GTS Service delivery, Leader TPS Nordic cPMO Portfolio Review.

'What makes this book different from others is that it touches only lightly on the mechanisms of project / programme / portfolio management and how a PMO runs, and instead focuses on the features and attributes of successful PMOs, and by extension the features and attributes of successful PMO leaders…Peter has found an excellent tone of voice in writing this book; it sounds like a seasoned "old pro" mentoring a well-respected up-and-coming colleague…All in all I found this an enjoyable and informative read, with some new thinking based on original (informal) research. I would recommend this book to all PMO leaders, and those aspiring to become so…. it's the kind of book you'll come back to again and again.'
-- Ken Burrell, Managing Director, Brilliant Baselines Ltd SHOW LESS READ MORE >

About the Author
Foreword by Chris Walters
Foreword by David Ayling-Smith
Acknowledgements
Reviews for Leading Successful PMOs

Introduction

1. The Meaning and Purpose of a PMO
PMO ‘Jeopardy’?
Why Invest?
Programs, Programmes and PMOs
Your Very Own Ding in the Universe
What Does a PMO do?
And the Question is …
Me, Me and Not Forgetting Me

2. What Makes a PMO Successful?
Voices, I’m Hearing Voices
The Voice of the PMO Leaders
The Voice of the Project Managers
PMO Leaders’ Checklist
The Voice of the Market
The ‘C’-Level Voice

3. Being a Successful PMO Leader
One Vision?
Take Me to your Leader
The PMO Leader Competency Framework
Being Passionate about Projects (and Project Management)
Communicate with Conviction
Negotiation for the Business and the PMO
Being Enthusiastic about Leading Change
Believing in Uniqueness

4. Starting a PMO
I Want One of Those
And I Want a Better One
Moving up the Food Chain
Avoiding the Dodo Effect
There is No Holy Grail
A Good PMO is not Measured by the PMO Leader
The Acid Test

5. The Final Frontier
A PMO is Not for Life
A PMO is Not the Only Answer
A PMO is Not the Mother of all Project Managers
Give Me a ‘C’

Appendix 1: PMO Leaders’ Checklist
Appendix 2: An Insight into the Minds of Your Project Managers
Appendix 3: PMOSIG
Appendix 4: International Project Management Day
Appendix 5: PRINCE2
Appendix 6: Manager or Leader?
Appendix 7: Some Further PMO Reading
Appendix 8: Some Useful PMO Blogs and Podcasts

Peter Taylor is a dynamic and commercially astute professional who, over the last 26 years, has achieved notable success in project management. His background is in project management across three major business areas using MRP/ERP systems with various software houses culminating in his current role with Infor, and including Business Intelligence (BI) with Cognos, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with Siemens. He has spent the last seven years leading PMOs and developing project managers and is now focusing on project-based services development with Infor.

Peter is an accomplished communicator and leader; he is a professional speaker as well as the author of The Lazy Project Manager and The Lazy Winner.