PMO Strategies

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

PMOs rarely fail because of a weak plan.

They fail because the adoption stalls. Pilots linger. Big bets like AI never move into everyday behavior. The initiative launches with energy. People say yes. Then six weeks in, nothing really changed.

In this episode, I sit down with Tracey Lovejoy, behavioral scientist, strategist, and co-founder of Catalyst Constellations. Tracey spent 12 years at Microsoft leading innovation at the intersection of design, technology, and change. As an ICF certified executive coach, she helps leaders navigate complexity with clarity. And with a deep passion for unlocking human potential, she is the perfect guest to tackle the adoption problem head on.

We get into what is really happening when change falls apart. And more importantly, what can you do about it right now.

What You Will Learn

• Why adoption fails before the plan is even finished.
• The biology of change resistance. And why is it not your enemy.
• Why people resist change done TO them. Not change they choose.
• The grief cycles inside every major initiative. Even the ones people wanted.
• Lovers, haters, and just don't care. How to move each group forward.
• Build your listening skills first. Everything else follows.
• The network map that has nothing to do with the org chart.
• Two red flags that predict transformation failure every time.

Press play. Your initiatives can only succeed as far as your people follow. This is the conversation you did not know you needed.

Connect with Tracey Lovejoy:

Tracey Lovejoy on LinkedIn

catalystconstellations.com/book

P.S. If you know your PMO needs more funding, authority, or resources, but you are struggling to make the case in a way your executives will understand, join me for my free training, How to Build a Business Case for a Strategy-Driven PMO. I’ll show you how to connect the PMO to the business problems your executives already care about and make the case for the support you need.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Most PMOs do not fail because of the people leading them.

They fail because they were designed around the project management process instead of business outcomes.

Organizations launch PMOs hoping they will improve visibility, create accountability, and help leaders execute strategy. But too many PMOs become administrative overhead instead of strategic assets because they start with templates, governance, and reporting instead of solving the business problems executives care about.

And executives are not asking for more templates.

They are asking for confidence that the organization can deliver its strategy.

In this episode, Laura Barnard walks through six powerful steps for building a PMO executives trust, support, and rely on to accelerate strategy delivery.

You’ll learn:

• Why do most PMOs fail before they ever launch.
• The first question every PMO leader must answer before the building process.
• Why aligning the PMO with strategy changes how executives perceive its value.
• How PMOs accidentally create governance bottlenecks that slow delivery.
• Why early wins are critical to building executive trust.
• How to position your PMO as a strategy delivery engine instead of an administrative layer.
• The role PMOs should play across the entire strategy of lifecycle.
• Why do busy teams not always mean strategic progress.

When a PMO is designed around business outcomes instead of project mechanics, everything changes.

The PMO stops becoming a reporting function and starts becoming one of the most valuable strategic capabilities in the organization.

Press play to learn how to build a PMO executive trust.

P.S. If you know your PMO needs more funding, authority, or resources, but you are struggling to make the case in a way your executives will understand, join me for my free training, How to Build a Business Case for a Strategy-Driven PMO. I’ll show you how to connect the PMO to the business problems your executives already care about and make the case for the support you need.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Ponder this - “Are you running a project or running a business?”

Most project managers never ask that question. They track tasks, manage timelines, and report status. Meanwhile, executives are quietly asking a different question: does this person understand how the business works?

I had an incredible conversation with Eddie Monroe, CEO of CCE Business Solutions, about what it really means to think and lead an entrepreneur inside a project or PMO role. Eddie founded CCE in 2022 on two non-negotiable principles: culture and customer experience. Those are not soft skills. Those are survival skills for project leaders who want a seat at the table.

What You Will Learn

1. How executives view PMO leaders and what they expect
2. The three intangibles Eddie looks for when hiring project leaders
3. How financial acumen separates good PMO leaders from great ones
4. Why 51% of PMOs shut down within 3 years and how to avoid that fate

Press play and hear how project leaders who think like entrepreneurs stop getting managed out and start getting promoted up.

Connect with Eddie Monroe on LinkedIn

Website: CCE Business Solutions

Email: [email protected]

Book: Your Career Will... Valuable Insight On What To Expect

Free 90-Minute PMO Workshop: Mention PMO Strategies when you reach out to Eddie Monroe to claim your free session, plus a complimentary 45-minute PMO Strategic Roadmap Session for your leadership team.

P.S. If leadership keeps questioning the value of your PMO, the problem is probably not your team. It may be your starting point. Join me on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:00 PM EDT | 5:00 PM BST for a free House of PMO webinar on how PMOs can become seen, trusted, and valued for the IMPACT they create. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve been curious about IMPACT Engine Fundamentals, IMPACT Engine Practitioner, or the full IMPACT Engine System. Register for the free webinar 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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Many organizations still debate whether a PMO truly adds value. Some leaders see it as essential. Others believe it slows everything down. The reality is that most PMOs are judged based on outcomes they were never designed to deliver.

In this episode, I talk about why so many PMOs struggle to demonstrate value and the five most common mistakes that lead to that problem. When a PMO focuses only on project mechanics instead of strategic outcomes, it risks becoming known for governance, reports, and meetings instead of results.

Executives are rarely asking for more project documentation. What they want is confidence that the organization can turn strategy into real results.

That shift requires a different approach. Governance must support decision-making. Metrics must connect to business outcomes. And the PMO must demonstrate early value that builds trust with leadership.

When designed around outcomes instead of activity, the PMO becomes something far more powerful than a reporting function. It becomes the capability that helps the organization deliver its strategy.

What You’ll Learn

✓ Why many PMOs struggle to demonstrate value.

✓ How governance can unintentionally slow execution.

✓ Why measuring outputs instead of outcomes creates confusion.

✓ How complexity and overdesign weaken PMO effectiveness.

✓ Why delivering early results builds credibility for the PMO.

Press play to learn what the top 5 mistakes PMOs make and how to avoid them.

P.S. Many PMOs are working harder than ever and still struggling to earn the support needed to THRIVE, not just survive. The problem often isn’t the effort. It’s resistance, lack of engagement, and poor results. If you want to rebuild credibility with your executives and stakeholders FAST, the PMO Rescue Webinar walks through how to identify where your PMO is off track and shift to create immediate IMPACT. Learn more and register 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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Stakeholder engagement is called a soft skill. It is one of the biggest drivers of delivery success.

I had an incredible conversation with Dr. Kimberly Strickland. She is the Director of the PMO at SAS Institute. Kimberly leads complex government and education project work. She built the Keystone Relationship Strategy from 20 years of practice.

PMO and transformation leaders lose momentum for one quiet reason. It is not weak plans or tools. It is trust and alignment eroding across your stakeholders.

Kimberly shares the early signals that something is off. She walks through the moves that reset expectations fast. You will hear how 15 minutes can change a project.

What you'll learn

1. Why projects rarely fail because the plan was weak.
2. The early signals that trust and alignment have started to erode.
3. The "meeting after the meeting" rule and why it matters.
4. Why cameras on in virtual meetings is a leadership choice.
5. The one 15-minute stakeholder conversation that can change a project.
6. Three questions every leader should be asking right now.
7. Why busy does not equal productive in delivery work.
8. How to make trust visible and measurable as a PMO leader.

Press play to learn the people-side moves that protect your projects. You will build credibility and accelerate the IMPACT you deliver. Process and people are not a choice. You need both, and Kimberly shows you how.

Connect with Dr. Kimberly Strickland:

1. Follow Kimberly on LinkedIn

Special offer from Kimberly: Download the Keystone Relationship Strategy Action Guide. It is a one-page checklist with reflection questions and stakeholder templates. Use it right away. Available at https://pmostrategies.com/359

P.S. If leadership keeps questioning the value of your PMO, the problem is probably not your team. It may be your starting point. Join me on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:00 PM EDT | 5:00 PM BST for a free House of PMO webinar on how PMOs can become seen, trusted, and valued for the IMPACT they create. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve been curious about IMPACT Engine Fundamentals, IMPACT Engine Practitioner, or the full IMPACT Engine System. Register for the free webinar 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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Have you ever felt the pressure to expand your PMO services because stakeholders keep asking for more? It can feel like a sign of success. If people are asking for more support, your PMO must be doing something right.

However, adding services without the right strategy can quickly overwhelm your team and dilute your IMPACT.

In this episode of the PMO Strategies podcast, I walk through four critical questions every PMO leader should ask before expanding their services. These questions help you determine whether new services will truly increase your strategic influence or simply create more complexity.

When PMOs focus on the right services instead of more services, they become true drivers of organizational outcomes.

What you'll learn

• Why expanding PMO services too quickly can reduce your strategic influence.

• The four questions every PMO leader should ask before adding services.

• How to evaluate demand for new PMO capabilities.

• How capacity and capability IMPACT PMO service expansion.

• Why aligning services with business outcomes is essential.

🎧 Press play to discover the four questions that will help you expand your PMO services strategically.

P.S. International PMO Day is May 12th. Join Laura Barnard and Alexander David for a live 2.5-hour session showing how to close the gap between strategy and measurable business IMPACT.

→ Register for free and get the Value Gap Assessment.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Most leaders know sustainability as an environmental strategy. Reduce waste. Lower your carbon footprint. Build circular systems.

But there is a version of sustainability that is not on any corporate dashboard. It lives inside the people responsible for executing strategy. And when it runs out, everything fails.

In this episode, I had an incredible conversation with Mita Broca, Sustainability Leader of the PMI Norway Chapter, facilitator, and storyteller based in Oslo, Norway. Mita brings over 15 years of global experience partnering with orgs like Unilever, IKEA, Shell, and MasterCard. Working in sustainability, leadership, and human development, she makes it clear you cannot build regenerative organizations with depleted people.

What You Will Learn

1. The difference between extractive and regenerative ways of working.
2. Why 70% of large-scale transformation efforts fail and what it actually costs.
3. The burnout signals that are already present and most leaders override them.
4. One practical shift you can make this week to protect your energy and sustain your IMPACT.

Press play. Your organization's strategy can only execute as far as your own capacity allows. This episode is the conversation you did not know you needed.

Connect with Mita Broca:

Mita Broca on LinkedIn

mitabroca.com

P.S. If leadership keeps questioning the value of your PMO, the problem is probably not your team. It may be your starting point. Join me on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:00 PM EDT | 5:00 PM BST for a free House of PMO webinar on how PMOs can become seen, trusted, and valued for the IMPACT they create. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve been curious about IMPACT Engine Fundamentals, IMPACT Engine Practitioner, or the full IMPACT Engine System. Register for the free webinar 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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Executives define strategy, but they don't always see what it takes to deliver it. That's where the PMO has a unique advantage.

In this episode, I'm sharing how PMO leaders can move beyond delivery oversight and step into the role of strategic advisor. Because the PMO sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, it sees the full portfolio of initiatives, resource constraints, and dependencies that shape whether strategy succeeds or stalls.

When leaders make decisions about new initiatives, shifting priorities, or reallocating resources, those choices affect everything already in motion. The PMO is often the only function with visibility across those interactions.

That visibility creates an opportunity.

I look at how PMO leaders can help executives understand the execution implications of their decisions, surface tradeoffs across the portfolio, and maintain focus on outcomes instead of activity.

What You'll Learn

• Why the PMO's position between strategy and execution gives it unique advisory value.
• How to help leaders see the portfolio IMPACT of new initiatives.
• Why strategy decisions continue long after planning sessions end.
• How PMOs help executives understand tradeoffs across competing initiatives.
• Why strategic advising builds trust and elevates the PMO's role.

Press play to learn how PMO leaders can help executives make smarter strategic decisions and ensure strategy can actually be delivered.

P.S. International PMO Day is May 12th. Join Laura Barnard and Alexander David for a live 2.5-hour session showing how to close the gap between strategy and measurable business IMPACT.

→ Register free and get the Value Gap Assessment.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

You have been told to “execute the strategy”, But does your organization even has one? If strategy looks like a list of competing priorities, you are not the problem.

In this episode, I’m talking about how PMO leaders can support strategic planning. Strategy belongs to executive leadership. PMOs can facilitate the process that creates plans people can actually act on. That means addressing the elephant in the room: What matters most? What should we stop doing? What has to happen first?

What You’ll Learn:

• How to move the conversation from project lists to outcomes.

• Why PMOs are natural planning facilitators.

• How organizational visibility improves prioritization.

• The questions leaders must answer before strategy becomes execution.

This also ties directly to the strategy lifecycle I teach inside The IMPACT Engine Book. Strategy moves through definition, translation, execution, and realization. Today’s focus is the beginning, where clarity is built before delivery starts.

Press play to hear how PMO leaders can guide strategic planning conversations, help executives prioritize what matters most, and translate strategy into work the organization can actually deliver.

P.S. Celebrate and Elevate the PMO with International PMO Day. This special event celebrates PMO leaders who make an IMPACT and earn their seat at the table by solving real PMO challenges. I see you. This event is for you. Learn more about IPMO day 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

Mentioned in this episode:

355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Meetings aren’t the enemy. Dependency is.

In this episode, I address a problem many PMO and transformation leaders quietly create: operating models where nothing moves unless everyone gathers in a room. Meetings are part of leadership. Alignment, tradeoffs, escalation, and decisions often require conversation.

But when calendars become the operating model, execution suffers.

If your team spends all day in meetings and all night doing the real work, that’s not a productivity issue. It’s a system design issue.

Key Takeaways:

1. Why meeting saturation signals weak governance design.
2. How undefined decision rights create calendar dependency.
3. The difference between decision-driven meetings and status theater.
4. Why execution shifts to nights and weekends in over-scheduled cultures.
5. How to redesign your environment so meetings produce leverage

A portfolio review that makes no prioritization decisions isn’t governance. It’s performance.

👉 Press play to hear your next move. When meeting them changes nothing.

P.S. If your PMO is struggling to show strategic value, positioning may be the problem. Watch the free Rescue Your PMO webinar to diagnose what’s off track. Get the exact steps to turn things around fast. Learn more and register 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