PM War Stories #39 - Creating a Project Management Office with a Grassroots Approach

Download PMW_0039_Grassroots_PMO.mp3 (22.5 MB)

Creating a project office or project management office (PMO) is often a daunting task. Complicating the process is the fact that when you try to talk to people about PMOs, there is very little continuous spectrum of understanding regarding the term PMO.  Either the project managers work in an organization which has matured to the point where they have encountered the term project office or PMO or it is a foreign term to them.

One successful approach to shedding pre-conceived notions and building consensus is to create the PMO from the grassroots – starting with a clean sheet of paper and building the PMO around the needs of the organization and the people who make it up. Taking such an approach takes into account the business context and the culture of the overall organization as you work with the individuals who have to make it all work and succeed.  This is very important from a commitment standpoint because what the individuals believe will succeed contributes substantially to their ongoing buy-in and success of the PMO.

In this episode we will examine creating a PMO from a grassroots or clean sheet of paper approach.

To do this, I’m sitting down with Mel Bost, who has over 30 years of project management experience. Mel’s entire career has evolved around project and product development, including work at Ford Motor Company, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), UNOCAL, Tosco Corporation, and ConocoPhillips. Mel authors the blog, Mel Bost PM Expert (available at http://melbostpmoexpert.com), based on his own experiences in developing and maturing PMO organizations with several major Fortune 500 companies.   Mel’s blog summarizes successful behaviors of project managers working in a PMO setting as well as the structure and actions of a real PMO. Today Mel will be sharing his experiences and insights on setting up a PMO from the “grassroots,” a blank sheet of paper approach.

Music Notes
1.     The opening of the show – “Highlight Reel”
2.     Interview with the industry insider – “Broadcast News”      
3.     The closing of the show – “Yearbook”

Comments

[mba]

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[AdrienneKelly24]

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