breakout session overview
The 4 Ps: Ingredients for a PMO Evolution--A Case Study
Presentation Description
How the 4 P’s can be applied to creating, managing and evolving a PMO
Chapter I: A PMO…No Way! (Persuasion)
- It took four years of hinting, pleading and appealing to the CIO –
we need a PMO to manage IT projects!
- After two months of researching PMO’s, what they are, how they
operate, how to succeed – a proposal was born, and a new job was created
– just for me!
- Warning from the CIO: “if people don’t hate you within
three months, we may keep it going for awhile”.
Chapter II: Well, Maybe… (Perception)
- During my ‘current state assessment’: “We had a PMO here years ago,
you know – why do you think this one will last?” and “We know how to
build systems, and the customers will never buy-in!”
- I needed coaching lessons: How to win over IT leaders
(techies forced to be PM’s)
- A year later…all but one of six IT leaders were on my side (the
‘one’ would prove to be a tough nut to crack)
- IT leadership said: we don’t want to manage projects
anymore – let the PMO do it! Finally, they see the light!
Chapter III: OK, Definitely!!
(Performance)
- And the nest grew – two more PM’s added to the PMO!
- One knew the business; the other knew PM – a match made in heaven.
- Me manage people? And grow the PMO?
Yikes!
- Let’s call ourselves ‘Project Services’ (it’s much less rigid and
more approachable)
- IT projects were going well, but what about the business-side
projects? Not so good, but they liked our success!
- Another year later…the business says ‘let’s hire another PM’ to
manage ‘our’ projects! Have we really won them over? We
think so!!
Chapter IV: Now What?
(Perseverance)
- We’re into ‘year three’ of Project Services, and the chapter is yet
to be written.
- We have plans…
Actually, there are ‘5’ P’s…the last one being ‘Passion’.
Without passion for project management and building a PMO, it’s
likely that it may not have a chance to succeed!
About the Presenter
Kelly Russell has been in the information technology
field, working in mainly insurance services companies, for 22 years.
Kelly began her IT career as a computer programmer, and evolved into
a process and project manager for the last 12 years.
She has been with Pinnacol Assurance for 6 years as a decision
support analyst, and over the past 2.5 years as the creator and leader of
her company’s PMO. Kelly has a
Bachelor’s of Music degree in piano performance, and is currently working on
her Master of Project Management degree from Keller Graduate School of
Management.
