Power Shift

By Karen Smits

The project management office (PMO) is responsible for creating the project culture in an organization. So when organizations launch a PMO, or shift or expand the focus of an existing PMO, they are creating a new core environment to which project professionals must adapt.

Although many technical aspects of the PMO might be familiar, education is crucial in order to quickly ensure teams align fully with the PMO's strategy and governance. Here are three ways that project managers can help others transition to PMO-driven culture change:

1. Identify the strategic objectives of the PMO.

If you understand the PMO's purpose within the organization and recognize how it's aligned with corporate strategy, you will have a better vision for your project and a clear template for sharing that vision across the team. Your project should translate strategic objectives of the PMO into everyday project practices. For example, if the PMO's goal is to improve training and organizational support for delivery staff, how can you create time and space for your project team to focus on skills development? What can you do to enhance collaboration in and between projects?

2. Understand the organizational structure, the clients and the team.

Typically, project stakeholders and team members have great insight into the PMO's structure. But that framework can sometimes look a bit fuzzy to those outside the PMO. A project manager once told me she had encountered several PMOs where this information wasn't clear—so she gathered it herself. There was no organization chart available, so she developed one, presented it to her team and showed that she was on top of the game. By providing team members with clarifying information, they have better context to understand expectations and how to meet them.

3. Build empathy and trust within the team.

A new PMO can mean new faces and reshuffled teams, which can make it difficult to build collaborative relationships. Project managers must show empathy and gain the trust of team members within the wider PMO. Storytelling is a good tool for building trust. Active listening that includes asking powerful questions is another good way to get to know the people around you and understand the culture of the PMO. Over time, it won't feel like a new group; it will feel like your group.

Project managers must become change agents to ensure teams properly integrate with a new PMO. Your behavior sets an example for the team. A positive attitude will go a long way toward creating a project culture that supports and achieves the goals of the PMO. PM

Karen Smits, PhD, is an organizational anthropologist working at Practical Thinking Group in Sydney, Australia. She can be reached at karen.smits@practical-thinking.com.

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