Five What-If Questions for Fearless PMOs

What if you were suddenly forced to invoice for your work?

Somewhere in your organization, there is a table of cost centers. One of them is labelled “PMOPMOSynonym for → Project Management OfficeA Project Management Office (PMO) is a permanent organizational unit responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of all projects.”. Now, suppose you are an external service provider rather than an internal unit. You provide certain services for your company and charge an appropriate fee.

• What monetary value would you put on your work? For example, what would a projectProjectA project is a time-limited undertaking with defined objectives and resources that delivers unique results and often includes complex tasks. sparring session be worth, or what would the preparation and implementation of a portfolio board be worth?
• Would your current time investments be approved as they are?
• Which of your current services could you eliminate because nobody in your company would pay a single dollar for them? And on the other hand, which of your activities are so valuable that you could use them to finance your PMO and still grow?
• What kind of image would ensure your colleagues and managers not only see you as a necessary authority, but also actively and happily make use of your expertise? (An image as “the process police” is probably not very effective.)

It makes perfect sense to maintain central organizational units such as HR, finance or even the PMO. But as a PMO, there is often high pressure to prove your value to the company again and again. This what-if question can be a valuable exercise in optimally tailoring your services to the needs and challenges of your organization and clearly communicating your contribution to the company’s success.

What if you were never allowed to hold a meeting again?

Imagine the dreams of your introverted colleagues coming true. No more meetings! Everyone’s calendars are suddenly empty. No more complaints about there being too many poorly prepared meetings or too many meetings at all. What now?

• How would you make decisions without meetings? For example, how would you make decisions about what is included in the projectProjectA project is a time-limited undertaking with defined objectives and resources that delivers unique results and often includes complex tasks. portfolio?
• What alternative processes, tools and resourcesResourceResources are all the people, places and things that you need to complete projects. The most important resource? Employees, of course! would you need to ensure effective management of the project portfolio? How would you prioritize projects? How could conflicts be resolved when project plans stall or teams reach their limits?
• How could you strengthen team spirit within the PMOPMOSynonym for → Project Management OfficeA Project Management Office (PMO) is a permanent organizational unit responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of all projects. without meetings? Could you still show appreciation and be there for one another?
• How should you collaborate within and across teams?

Meetings are often the best way to make joint decisions, collect ideas or grow together. And yet this what-if question can help you identify which meetings are unnecessary or how you can better support meetings in terms of process.

What if you had unlimited resources to work as a PMO for a year?

Imagine having unlimited funds available to your PMOPMOSynonym for → Project Management OfficeA Project Management Office (PMO) is a permanent organizational unit responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of all projects. for a year. No questions asked, no reporting. Every single purchasing request is accepted, every budget is approved and every initiativeInitiativeSynonym for → ProjectA project is a time-limited undertaking with defined objectives and resources that delivers unique results and often includes complex tasks. is financed.

• What training and professional development opportunities would you fund to develop your team’s skills?
• Are there any investments that you would make or initiate immediately? For example, would you make your office space more inviting or modernize your software landscape?
• What pilot projects and initiatives would you launch? What risks would you take that would have been previously unimaginable?
• Would you award funds to student projects, research institutions, consultants or partners around your PMO?

The budget is always too tight to act freely. With this what-if question, you can identify really important budget needs and develop new ideas.

What if your goal was to do as much good as possible for the people in your organization?

Imagine if the success of your PMOPMOSynonym for → Project Management OfficeA Project Management Office (PMO) is a permanent organizational unit responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of all projects. wasn’t measured by business metrics, but by the satisfaction and wellbeing of your colleagues. At the quarterly meeting, it isn’t the sales figures that are shared, but a mood barometer that shows exactly how fulfilled, happy and healthy employeesEmployeesSynonym for → ResourceResources are all the people, places and things that you need to complete projects. The most important resource? Employees, of course! are at your company.

• What tools do you already have at your disposal as a PMO to positively influence the barometer?
• How can you, as a PMO, ensure that projectProjectA project is a time-limited undertaking with defined objectives and resources that delivers unique results and often includes complex tasks. staff (especially the frequently requested key resources) are not overworked, but are still challenged enough?
• Can you propose any programs that promote good working conditions (e.g., more flexible working hours)?
• As a PMO, are you a reliable partner for management AND employees when it comes to committing resources or decision-making transparency?
• How can you value employees for great projects rather than flawlessly completed status reports?

At Meisterplan, we’re convinced that project portfolio managementProject Portfolio ManagementProject portfolio management (PPM) is a process that seeks to select, prioritize, monitor and analyze a company’s projects. and resource planning only work in tandem. Together, they are a huge lever for increased “people-centricity” in companies. By exploring this what-if question, you can better understand how you as a PMO can help keep satisfied employees in your organization for the long term.

What if you could only implement one initiative this year?

As a PMOPMOSynonym for → Project Management OfficeA Project Management Office (PMO) is a permanent organizational unit responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of all projects., you are certainly familiar with all the methods of project prioritization. But what if you could only choose one (change) initiativeInitiativeSynonym for → ProjectA project is a time-limited undertaking with defined objectives and resources that delivers unique results and often includes complex tasks. to implement in the next year? Imagine having to narrow down your entire project list to just one project.

• Which initiative has the greatest potential to have a positive and lasting impact on your company? What resourcesResourceResources are all the people, places and things that you need to complete projects. The most important resource? Employees, of course! would you have to pool to achieve this?
• What criteria can you use to determine the potential impact of different initiatives?

When looking back, it’s often only two or three big decisions and initiatives per year that really bring about a change of course. If you identify these early on, you can save yourself and everyone else a lot of energy.

A Few Closing Words

With these questions, we hope we’ve inspired you to look at your work from new perspectives and find creative solutions to the challenges that your PMOPMOSynonym for → Project Management OfficeA Project Management Office (PMO) is a permanent organizational unit responsible for the centralized and coordinated management of all projects. faces. Each question invites you to break out of familiar thought patterns and develop new approaches that can move your PMO and your company forward.

Use these questions as a starting point for discussions with your team and as a basis for strategic thinking. Be bold and think big! The answers to these questions could be the key to a successful and fulfilling future for your PMO.

By the way: if you happen to be looking for suitable software to help you on your way, I’d like to leave you with my recommendation to take a look at Meisterplan.