PMO Strategies

Laura Barnard

In this podcast, PMO leaders and those wanting to capitalize on the best of project management to deliver the organization’s strategy will uncover the hidden secrets of the best PMOs, learn the game-changing techniques that transform any PMO into a value-driven IMPACT Engine, and explore the best ways for the PMO to become an integral part of the fabric and future of an organization. After spending two and a half decades helping organizations deliver change, with 15 of those years in the shoes of PMO leader inside organizations, Laura strongly believes that there is more to making an IMPACT than templates, tools, and process. She’ll show you how to make the shifts necessary to become a business-focused PMO that will become an invaluable organizational asset. With her guests and insights, we explore the sticky situations and tough challenges PMO leaders face, from sorting through all of the “noise” about what the PMO “should” do to finding the best ways for your PMO to make an IMPACT. Listen in, and you can discover how to shift your focus from outputs to outcomes, fundamentally changing the game for your PMO and personal success.

  1. 3d ago

    380: I’m Not Ready

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills How many times have you told yourself, “I’m not ready yet”? Not ready to have the executive conversation. Not ready to apply for the role. Not ready to build the PMO differently. Not ready to get the training or support because you need to figure a few more things out first. I understand that instinct because I lived it. I did not become a confident speaker and then step onto a stage. I said yes while I was scared, prepared responsibly, practiced with people who could help me, paid attention to what worked, and did it again. That order matters for PMO and transformation leaders because the confidence, judgment, and skill you are waiting for are often built through the work itself. And if something is already not working, waiting can cost more than time. How to tell the difference between responsible preparation and hiding Why discomfort is not proof that you should wait What real practice gives you that private preparation cannot Why waiting too long can change how executives see your PMO Press play to hear why the work is what makes you ready, and how to take the next responsible step before the organization makes the decision for you. P.S. If the conversation you don’t feel ready for is the one where you need to make the case for your PMO, join my free training, How to Build a Business Case for a Strategy-Driven PMO. You’ll learn how to connect your PMO to the business problems executives care about, define credible 90-day wins, and make a stronger ask for the support you need. Join the free training. 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

  2. Sep 27

    379: AI Strategy Execution for PMOs with Marc Chabot

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen AI is creating more ideas, more experiments, and more pressure to move than most PMO processes were designed to absorb. That does not mean your PMO needs a bigger gate. It means the way you connect strategy, intake, prioritization, capacity, and learning has to change. In this episode, I’m joined by Marc Chabot, Co-founder and CEO of ForceEquals, to explore what AI changes across the strategy lifecycle and why this may be one of the biggest opportunities PMO and transformation leaders have had to step into the Strategy Navigator role. 🔹 Why strategy can no longer be treated as a once-a-year input to project planning 🔹 How AI can help mature rough ideas without forcing stakeholders through a heavy intake process 🔹 What changes when leaders can see projects, priorities, capacity, and strategy in the same decision context 🔹 Why AI guardrails, exceptions, and human-in-the-loop decisions can become signals for the next strategy conversation Press play to hear how the PMO can use AI to remove friction, strengthen decisions, and help the organization turn strategy into measurable business IMPACT. Connect with Marc Chabot Follow Marc on LinkedIn Learn more about ForceEquals 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

  3. Sep 20

    378: Think Like a Business Owner

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen A few years ago, I was listening to PMO leaders compare the size of the portfolios they managed. $50 million. $100 million. $500 million. Billions. Those numbers sound impressive, but they only tell me what the organization invested. The business question is what it got back. That is the shift I want you to make in this episode. Thinking like a business owner means looking beyond activity, utilization, schedule, scope, and budget to the measurable outcome the work was funded to create. It also means being willing to make harder portfolio choices when too much work is slowing everything down. 🔹 Why a project can be green and still fail the business 🔹 The three questions that reconnect work to measurable business value 🔹 Why 100% resource utilization can actually destroy throughput and flow 🔹 How to bring leaders stronger choices about capacity, timing, cost, and expected value Press play to hear how business-owner thinking changes the way you lead projects, portfolios, and the PMO. P.S. If you need executive funding, authority, or resources to build or strengthen your PMO, the conversation cannot stay focused on headcount, tools, governance, or explaining what the PMO does. In 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 in a way they can understand and support. Register for the free training. 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

  4. Sep 13

    377: Practical Strategy Execution with Paul Thompson

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen If you are responsible for helping strategy become reality, you probably know this tension: the executive team wants the portfolio moving faster, but you cannot move work you cannot see. Hidden departmental initiatives compete for the same people. Decisions wait for the next meeting. The same specialists become the bottleneck on every “top priority.” Then everyone calls it a resource problem. In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Thompson, Founder and CEO of Metagyre, to get practical about what PMO and transformation leaders can do differently. We dig into the execution system underneath the project plans and what changes when you start managing the flow of work like a business leader. 🔹 Why “ruthless transparency” matters when hidden work is consuming capacity 🔹 How smaller, controlled releases can reduce risk and create momentum 🔹 Why the best meetings ratify decisions instead of beginning the debate 🔹 How to find the constraint that is actually setting the pace of the portfolio Press play to hear how to move strategy forward with the people, capacity, and complexity you already have. Connect with Paul Follow Paul on LinkedIn Get the Metagyre DIY Strategy Execution Eval Kit 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

  5. Sep 6

    376: You Launched It. Why Isn't Anyone Using It?

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills You did the assessment. You designed the service around what people said they needed. You launched it, trained everyone, published the templates, and built the SharePoint page. Then someone submits the old intake form. An executive bypasses the new prioritization process. The governance meeting becomes another status update, and you are left wondering why people are resisting the very thing they asked for. I know how frustrating that feels. I also know the launch may not be where the problem started. In this episode, I’m taking you into the space between “we launched it” and “this is how we work now.” You’ll hear: 🔹 Why rollout activity can look successful while behavior stays exactly the same. 🔹 How to define adoption in language your stakeholders will recognize. 🔹 What early users can reveal about design, support, accountability, and friction. 🔹 How to reinforce a new habit when the old way feels faster. Press play to learn how to give the PMO services you have already built a real chance to create the business value they were designed to deliver. 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

  6. Aug 30

    375: The Question That Breaks Decision Paralysis

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills Some of the most expensive words I hear inside an organization are, “We’re waiting for more clarity.” Sometimes that is exactly the right call. The organization may be missing information it truly needs to act responsibly. But sometimes “we need more information” is a hiding place. The team already has a recommendation, but nobody wants to own it. Every decision moves up the chain while strategy waits. In this episode, I’m showing you how to separate a real information gap from false uncertainty and use one question to surface the thinking already in the room: “If you did know, what would you do?” You will hear how this changes the PMO’s role, what executives need instead of another unresolved escalation, and how to create movement without confusing responsible action with reckless speed. 🔹 How to recognize when “we need more clarity” is masking decision avoidance 🔹 Why a recommendation builds more executive trust than an unresolved escalation 🔹 How to distinguish a reversible learning step from a decision that requires stronger evidence 🔹 The three questions that turn uncertainty into a responsible next move 🔹 Why creating clarity is strategic decision support, not project administration Press play to learn how to help your team move forward without pretending the path is perfectly clear. 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

  7. Aug 23

    374: Are We Repeating Agile Transformation Mistakes with AI? with Jim Highsmith

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen Organizations are moving quickly to deploy AI. But are they building the adaptability, judgment, and decision systems required to use it well, or repeating the same mistakes that weakened so many Agile transformations? AI can analyze more data, generate more options, and move work faster. None of that guarantees the organization is asking the right question, assigning the decision to the right person, or protecting the human judgment it will need when the consequences rise. In this episode, I am joined by Jim Highsmith, Agile Manifesto co-author and a pioneering voice in adaptive leadership, to connect the original purpose of Agile with the decisions organizations are making about AI right now. Jim explains how Agile was designed to help organizations respond to uncertainty, why too many implementations became rigid and process-driven, and how the same pattern is beginning to appear in AI transformation. Together, we explore the shift from process-oriented management to judgment-oriented management and the role PMO and transformation leaders can play in designing stronger human-AI decision systems. This is not a conversation about choosing the newest AI tool. It is about deciding what should be automated, where people must remain accountable, how judgment develops, and whether the organization is becoming more capable or simply producing more output. When you press play, you will hear: 🔹 What Agile was created to solve and why its mindset became diluted as it spread. 🔹 Why doing Agile is not the same as building an adaptable organization. 🔹 How AI transformation can repeat the same process-over-mindset mistake at greater speed. 🔹 How to distinguish automation that removes activity from augmentation that strengthens human capability. 🔹 Why removing easy decisions can erode the experience people need for harder decisions later. 🔹 How PMO and transformation leaders can move forward before introducing more AI. 🔹 Why leaders need enough hands-on AI experience to guide implementation credibly. 🔹 What it means to move from process-oriented management toward judgment-oriented management. Press play to learn how your PMO or transformation office can help the organization move faster without surrendering the judgment, adaptability, and accountability required to create measurable business IMPACT. Connect with Jim Highsmith and Keep Exploring Connect with Jim Highsmith on LinkedIn Skills Build Teams. Judgment Builds Enterprises. Your AI Is Working. Is Your Team Getting Better? What the Dashboard Cannot See The Next Ethical Frontier: Why AI Can’t Replace Judgment Stop Picking Sides: Manage the Tension Between Adaptation and Optimization 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

  8. Aug 16

    373: Moneyball in Projectland with Grayson Barnard and Dawn Mahan

    Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers! PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills This episode is personal for me in a way most podcast conversations are not. For the first time, my son and co-author, Grayson Barnard, joins me on the PMO Strategies podcast. One of my closest friends, Dawn Mahan, is here too. The three of us talk about Projectland, baseball, the books we created together, and a leadership lesson PMO and transformation leaders cannot afford to miss. You can do everything that looks like good project management and still fail to help the team win. Your tool may be sophisticated. Your templates may be complete. Your governance process may be consistent. Your report may contain 85 metrics. None of that matters if leaders still cannot see the decision, the team is protecting activity that does not advance the outcome, or the project finishes without creating the business value it was funded to produce. Grayson recognized that lesson immediately in Moneyball. The goal was not to replace star players with people who looked like star players. The goal was to find what produced wins and organize the team around it. That is the question at the center of this episode: What is your team's version of getting on base? In this episode, you will learn: ✅ Why Grayson believed Moneyball was the obvious story for our chapter. ✅ How to distinguish work that looks professional from work that advances the business outcome. ✅ Why individual performance measures can pull people away from the team win. ✅ How Dawn's Projectland characters help teams understand roles, sponsors, stakeholders, and saboteurs. ✅ How both Projectland books make serious leadership lessons more engaging and easier to apply. ✅ Why fun is not the opposite of disciplined performance. ✅ How to prepare a team for the moment the plan stops matching reality. Connect with Grayson Barnard and Dawn Mahan Grayson Barnard on LinkedIn Dawn Mahan on LinkedIn Explore Projectland Read the free Moneyball sample chapter Explore Projectland Goes to the Movies Explore Meet the Players in Projectland Browse the Projectland movie list on IMDb Continue with the Executive Perspective Continue the baseball connection and watch What Baseball Teaches Us About Project Management 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

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About

In this podcast, PMO leaders and those wanting to capitalize on the best of project management to deliver the organization’s strategy will uncover the hidden secrets of the best PMOs, learn the game-changing techniques that transform any PMO into a value-driven IMPACT Engine, and explore the best ways for the PMO to become an integral part of the fabric and future of an organization. After spending two and a half decades helping organizations deliver change, with 15 of those years in the shoes of PMO leader inside organizations, Laura strongly believes that there is more to making an IMPACT than templates, tools, and process. She’ll show you how to make the shifts necessary to become a business-focused PMO that will become an invaluable organizational asset. With her guests and insights, we explore the sticky situations and tough challenges PMO leaders face, from sorting through all of the “noise” about what the PMO “should” do to finding the best ways for your PMO to make an IMPACT. Listen in, and you can discover how to shift your focus from outputs to outcomes, fundamentally changing the game for your PMO and personal success.

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