PMO Strategies

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  377: Practical Strategy Execution with Paul Thompson 13.09.2026 43dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenIf 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. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  376: You Launched It. Why Isn't Anyone Using It? 06.09.2026 38dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsYou 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. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  375: The Question That Breaks Decision Paralysis 30.08.2026 37dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsSome 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 administrationPress play to learn how to help your team move forward without pretending the path is perfectly clear.P.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  374: Are We Repeating Agile Transformation Mistakes with AI? with Jim Highsmith 23.08.2026 59dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenOrganizations 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 LinkedInSkills Build Teams. Judgment Builds Enterprises.Your AI Is Working. Is Your Team Getting Better?What the Dashboard Cannot SeeThe Next Ethical Frontier: Why AI Can’t Replace JudgmentStop Picking Sides: Manage the Tension Between Adaptation and OptimizationP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  373: Moneyball in Projectland with Grayson Barnard and Dawn Mahan 16.08.2026 52dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsThis 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 LinkedInDawn Mahan on LinkedInExplore Projectland Read the free Moneyball sample chapterExplore Projectland Goes to the MoviesExplore Meet the Players in ProjectlandBrowse the Projectland movie list on IMDbContinue with the Executive Perspective Continue the baseball connection and watch What Baseball Teaches Us About Project ManagementP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  372: How PMOs Can Cut Through AI Chaos with Paul McNamara 09.08.2026 47dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenA lot of PMOs are being asked to lead AI and agile transformation while still operating as reporting, governance, and oversight functions.That is where things start to break.Instead of simplifying work, AI can add more coordination, more noise, more duplicated effort, and more complexity.The tools may be faster.The organization may not be clearer.And that is exactly why PMO and transformation leaders need to pay attention.In this episode, I am joined by Paul McNamara, CEO and co-founder of Adaptovate, to talk about how PMOs can help organizations cut through AI chaos, redesign workflows, and move beyond pilots that never scale.Paul has led business transformation across global organizations and works with executive teams to build the operating models, transformation capabilities, and human performance systems required to make change stick. His background spans product management, engineering, marketing, sales, leadership roles at Boston Consulting Group, and experience as a SaaS CFO.That mix gives him a practical view of AI transformation: the business case, the operating model, the human side of change, and the delivery reality.Together, we explore why many AI conversations are still stuck at the surface level, why measuring AI success by logins or usage can create the wrong behaviors, and why organizations risk repeating the same mistakes they made during Agile transformation.What you’ll learn:Why AI adoption metrics can create the wrong behaviors.How duplicated agents can increase cost and confusion.What Agile transformation teaches us about AI pilots that do not scale.Why PMOs should focus on business enablement, not just process efficiency.How to start with one workflow people hate and build from there.Press play and learn how PMO and transformation leaders can bring sanity to AI chaos and help their organizations turn AI activity into measurable business IMPACT.Connect with Paul McNamara:Visit AdaptovateTake the AI DiagnosticConnect with Paul on LinkedInP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. Already own the book on Audible, Kindle, or in print? Use the same page to upload your proof and join me live on August 20.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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  371: 50 Years of Project Management: Lessons for What Comes Next with Lee Lambert 31.07.2026 39dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of WorkingProject management has more technology, training, certifications, and information than at any other point in the profession’s history.But a better tool cannot rescue a plan the team never built together. AI cannot manage a risk nobody is actively addressing. A credential cannot replace the judgment that comes from applying the work inside a real organization.That is the tension at the center of this special episode with my longtime friend and mentor Lee Lambert. Lee is a PMP, PMI Fellow, project management pioneer, and one of five people invited in 1981 to help create and implement the PMP certification program. We recorded this conversation as he approached his 80th birthday and reflected on more than 50 years of watching the profession change.Lee shares what project management looked like before the modern tools and standards, what technology has made possible, and what still gets missed when teams use automation without understanding planning, dependencies, risk, people, and outcomes.For PMO and transformation leaders, this is not a history lesson for nostalgia’s sake. It is a warning and an opportunity. The future will not reward the team with the most software. It will reward the leaders who know what must remain human, where discipline matters, and how to connect every delivery practice to the business outcome it is meant to create.When you press play, you will hear:🔹 Why automation can make weak information move faster when the planning underneath it is incomplete🔹 What team-built work breakdown structures, dependencies, and critical-path thinking still reveal that a screen can hide🔹 Why a risk register is not the same thing as active risk management🔹 How AI can strengthen project work when leaders know what to ask and how to quality-check the answer🔹 Why credentials and training must be paired with applied practice, mentoring, and continuous learning🔹 What Lee’s medical diagnostic project taught him about the difference between delivering an output and creating the intended outcome🔹 The two things Lee wants the next generation of project and PMO leaders to prioritize nowPress play above to hear the lessons Lee believes the profession must carry forward and decide which fundamentals your PMO needs to strengthen before the next wave of technology arrives.Connect with Lee Lambert Connect with Lee on LinkedInP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone.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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  370: How to Crush Your Authority Without Realizing It 26.07.2026 27dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsOne of the fastest ways to weaken your influence as a PMO, project, or transformation leader is also one of the most common.It sounds responsible. It sounds like alignment. It sounds like you are reinforcing executive support.But every time you lead with “the sponsor said,” “the boss wants,” or “executives told me to,” you may be training the organization to look past you for the real decision maker.That is how capable leaders accidentally become messengers.In this episode, I share how delivery leaders dilute their own authority without realizing it and what to say instead. Because sponsors matter. Executive support matters. But hiding behind borrowed authority is not leadership. It positions you as the person passing along instructions instead of the leader responsible for helping the organization deliver outcomes.What you’ll learn:🔹 Why “the boss said so” quietly damages your credibility and authority🔹 The difference between borrowed authority, positional authority, and business authority🔹 How to use sponsor influence strategically without hiding behind it🔹 What to say when you need resources, decisions, or support from another leader🔹 How to connect requests to business outcomes instead of hierarchy🔹 Why executives want leaders who can drive progress when they are not in the roomPress play and learn how to stop sounding like the messenger and start communicating like the leader responsible for the outcome.P.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  369: AI Is Exposing How Work Really Gets Done with David Dean 19.07.2026 36dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenThere is a lot of pressure to prove your organization is keeping up with AI.But the most important question is not whether AI is already inside your tools. It is whether your organization understands the work well enough to know what AI is about to amplify.AI is exposing the difference between the way work is documented and the way work actually gets done. The process map shows the official steps. The real work often moves through conversations, relationships, judgment, informal decisions, and workarounds that never make it into the workflow.I’m joined by David Dean, author of An Inbox Between Us and an enterprise AI strategist with two decades of experience in transformation. David calls AI a mirror because it can help leaders see the behavioral system operating beneath the formal one. That visibility can reveal where decisions stall, accountability drifts, people wait for permission, and teams quietly compensate for an operating model that is not helping the work move.This matters for PMO and transformation leaders because the wrong first move is often to automate the process everyone already knows is frustrating. As David explains, AI can scale useful behavior, but it can also industrialize dysfunction. The better move is to slow down long enough to understand the pattern, solve the human problem underneath it, and then decide where technology can create meaningful business IMPACT.What you will hear: 🔹 Why AI is revealing how work really gets done, not simply replacing tasks.🔹 How the written contract and the unwritten contract shape organizational performance.🔹 Why self-service AI and controlled AI require different expectations and guardrails.🔹 What AI can reveal about slow decisions, unclear authority, and hidden workarounds.🔹 How a simple spoken digital journal can be a starting point for organizational self-awareness.Press play to hear how PMO and transformation leaders can use AI as a mirror, protect human judgment, and improve the operating model before they accelerate the wrong work.Connect with David Dean Visit David’s websiteConnect with David on LinkedInExplore An Inbox Between UsP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  368: Is Scarcity Mindset Limiting You? 12.07.2026 39dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsWhat if the biggest thing limiting your influence is not your methodology, your governance model, your tools, or even your executive support?What if it is the mindset you have been operating from without realizing it?In PMO, project, and transformation work, scarcity is everywhere: not enough time, not enough funding, not enough resources, not enough sponsor support, not enough executive attention. And when you live inside that “not enough” environment every day, it can start shaping how you lead.Scarcity mindset can cause leaders to protect territory, hold back information, compete for recognition, wait for permission, or delay investing in their own growth because they are too busy, too overwhelmed, or too focused on the cost.But influence does not grow through protection.It grows through value creation.In this episode, you’ll learn:• How scarcity mindset shows up in PMO and transformation leadership.• Why “not enough” thinking can quietly shape the way you lead.• How protecting territory, information, or credit can limit your future influence.• Why investing in your own growth is not optional if you want to lead at the next level.• What abundance mindset looks like for IMPACT Drivers.• Why you do not wait until you are ready — you get ready by taking action.This episode is for PMO, project, and transformation leaders who are tired of waiting for perfect conditions, permission, or certainty before stepping into the leader they know they are capable of becoming.Press play and start shifting from “not enough” to “how might we make this work?”P.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  367: What Executives Really Think About Your PMO with Rich Smith 05.07.2026 49dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenMost PMOs are working hard. That is not the problem.The problem is that the work they are doing is not always connected clearly enough to the outcomes executives care about. And when your PMO cannot connect its work to revenue, cost savings, risk reduction, strategic growth, or measurable business IMPACT, it becomes much easier for leaders to see the PMO as overhead instead of a strategic growth partner.In this episode, I am joined by Rich Smith, a Chief Marketing Officer and growth strategist with over 25 years of experience leading digital transformation, revenue strategy, and cross-functional execution across B2B and B2C organizations. Rich has spent his career helping executives align leadership vision with measurable outcomes. He has been on both sides of the table: leading transformation efforts and serving as the executive customer of PMOs. His perspective is one you need to hear.What Rich shares will sound familiar to every IMPACT Driver listening. The same gaps that hold PMO leaders back are happening in marketing, in sales, in operations, across every function. This is not a PMO problem. It is an organizational problem. And the good news is your PMO is positioned to fix it.What You Will Learn:🔹 Why executives may struggle to connect PMO reports to business outcomes🔹 How to tie project work to revenue, cost savings, strategic risk, and measurable IMPACT🔹 Why framing projects as risk avoidance can get faster executive buy-in🔹 How to build a broader base of executive support beyond one sponsor🔹 Why asking questions is a power move, not a sign of weakness🔹 How to frame data so executives can absorb it and act on it🔹 What the PMO of the future looks like and the design shift that changes everythingPress play and hear what your executives are thinking but not saying. This conversation will change how you show up in every executive room.Connect with Rich Smith:Visit His WebsiteFollow Rick on LinkedInP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  366: When Your Organization Has Multiple PMOs 28.06.2026 41dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenHaving more than one PMO is not the problem.Disconnected PMOs are.In larger organizations, it is completely normal to have an IT PMO, a business PMO, a transformation office, a product delivery function, and maybe even a strategy execution group all trying to help the organization get important work done.That can be powerful.But only if those teams are connected.When they are not sharing information, coordinating resources, aligning priorities, or working from one enterprise view of strategy delivery, the organization starts paying the price.Executives get different reports.Teams compete for the same critical resources.Priorities conflict.Baton handoffs break down.And strategy slows down.In this episode, I’m talking about what really happens when your organization has multiple PMOs and how to move from fragmented delivery functions to one connected strategy delivery system.You’ll learn:• Why multiple PMOs are normal and when they become costly.• How disconnected PMOs create different versions of the truth for executives.• Why quiet competition between PMOs damages credibility and slows strategy delivery.• How to treat information as infrastructure instead of power.• Why resource conversations need to happen before conflicts land on exhausted team members.• How better baton handoffs can keep strategy moving across delivery teams.• Where an EPMO can help and why relationships still come before structure.I also share a client example where one CEO was getting four different views of the organization’s delivery landscape, four different definitions of “on track,” and four different answers to one capacity question.That is not a reporting problem.That is a strategy delivery problem.If your organization has multiple PMOs, transformation teams, product delivery functions, or strategy execution groups operating in parallel, this episode will help you see where the fragmentation is costing you and what to do about it.Press play and learn how to stop competing for the same table and start building a stronger IMPACT Engine for the entire organization.P.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  365: Why Organizations Struggle to Make Data-Driven Decisions with Scott Ambler 21.06.2026 40dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of WorkingOrganizations have more data than ever before.More dashboards.More reports.More tools.More conversations about AI.And yet, many leaders still cannot get the trusted information they need to make fast, confident decisions.In this episode, I am joined by Scott Ambler to discuss why organizations continue struggling with fragmented data, siloed systems, disconnected reporting, and decision-making delays.Scott is a recognized thought leader, international keynote speaker, former Vice President at PMI, and co-author of 31 books, including his latest book, Not Just Data: How to Deliver Continuous Enterprise Data.Together, we share why better decision-making does not come from creating more reports. It comes from building the systems that allow trusted enterprise data to flow continuously to the people who need it, when they need it.If your organization is investing in dashboards, reporting tools, transformation, AI, or enterprise modernization, this conversation will help you see the data foundation underneath all of it.What you’ll learn:🔹 Why more reporting does not always lead to better decisions.🔹 How siloed systems and disconnected data slow strategy execution.🔹 Why executives may still lack decision-ready information with constant reports.🔹 What continuous enterprise data pipelines are and why they matter.🔹 Why AI cannot compensate for poor data quality.🔹 How PMO and transformation leaders can help protect and prioritize the data work.🔹 Why trusted data flow is becoming a strategy delivery capability, not just an IT concern.Press play and learn why better decision-making does not start with more dashboards. It starts with trusted enterprise data that supports decisions, action, and measurable IMPACT.Connect with Scott Ambler:Follow Scott Ambler on LinkedInVisit ScottAmbler.comP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  364: How PMOs Build Credibility 14.06.2026 42dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsOne of the hardest parts of leading a PMO has nothing to do with project management.It is credibility.You can have the right framework, the right tools, the right templates, and the right intentions. But if the organization does not trust the PMO yet, every process you introduce can feel like more overhead.More meetings.More reporting.More templates.More “governance.”And suddenly, the PMO that was created to help the organization deliver strategy is being seen as the thing slowing everyone down.That is the credibility deficit.And many PMOs start there before they have even had a chance to prove themselves.In this episode, I’m talking about how PMO leaders build credibility in a way that actually sticks. Not through control. Not through more process. Not by chasing people with templates and dashboards.Through visible business value.Because credibility does not come from authority. It comes from helping the organization solve real problems, make better decisions, and move strategy forward.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why many PMOs start with skepticism instead of trust.• How to spot the credibility deficit before it becomes a bigger problem.• Why more process can make the PMO look like bureaucracy if value has not been demonstrated first.• The fastest way to build credibility with executives who are already questioning ROI.• Why visible early wins matter more than building the perfect operating model.• How to shift from reporting activity to communicating outcomes.• Why consistency is what turns one win into real executive trust.• How credibility expands your influence and earns the PMO a stronger role in strategy delivery.I also share a client example where the organization thought it had a delivery problem, but the real issue was prioritization. With more than 300 initiatives underway and everything treated like a top priority, no amount of extra methodology or reporting was going to fix the problem.The shift happened when the PMO helped leadership connect the work to the business goals, identify what truly mattered, and make the hard calls about what needed to pause.That is where credibility starts.Not by proving the PMO is busy.By proving the PMO helps the organization focus, decide, and deliver.If your PMO is doing good work but still not getting the trust, influence, or executive confidence to match, this episode will help you see what may be getting in the way and what to do next.Press play and learn the five moves that help PMO leaders build credibility, earn trust, and become the strategy delivery partner the organization actually needs.P.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  363: AI Adoption That Sticks with Tracey Lovejoy 07.06.2026 29dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsPMOs rarely fail because of a weak plan.They fail because the adoption stalls. Pilots linger. Big bets like AI never move into everyday behavior. The initiative launches with energy. People say yes. Then six weeks in, nothing really changed.In this episode, I sit down with Tracey Lovejoy, behavioral scientist, strategist, and co-founder of Catalyst Constellations. Tracey spent 12 years at Microsoft leading innovation at the intersection of design, technology, and change. As an ICF certified executive coach, she helps leaders navigate complexity with clarity. And with a deep passion for unlocking human potential, she is the perfect guest to tackle the adoption problem head on.We get into what is really happening when change falls apart. And more importantly, what can you do about it right now.What You Will LearnWhy adoption fails before the plan is even finished.The biology of change resistance. And why is it not your enemy.Why people resist change done TO them. Not change they choose.The grief cycles inside every major initiative. Even the ones people wanted.Lovers, haters, and just don't care. How to move each group forward.Build your listening skills first. Everything else follows.The network map that has nothing to do with the org chart.Two red flags that predict transformation failure every time.Press play. Your initiatives can only succeed as far as your people follow. This is the conversation you did not know you needed.Connect with Tracey Lovejoy:Tracey Lovejoy on LinkedIncatalystconstellations.com/bookP.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  362: 6 Powerful Steps to Building a PMO Executives Actually Trust 31.05.2026 37dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenMost PMOs do not fail because of the people leading them.They fail because they were designed around the project management process instead of business outcomes.Organizations launch PMOs hoping they will improve visibility, create accountability, and help leaders execute strategy. But too many PMOs become administrative overhead instead of strategic assets because they start with templates, governance, and reporting instead of solving the business problems executives care about.And executives are not asking for more templates.They are asking for confidence that the organization can deliver its strategy.In this episode, Laura Barnard walks through six powerful steps for building a PMO executives trust, support, and rely on to accelerate strategy delivery.You’ll learn: Why do most PMOs fail before they ever launch.The first question every PMO leader must answer before the building process.Why aligning the PMO with strategy changes how executives perceive its value.How PMOs accidentally create governance bottlenecks that slow delivery.Why early wins are critical to building executive trust.How to position your PMO as a strategy delivery engine instead of an administrative layer.The role PMOs should play across the entire strategy of lifecycle.Why do busy teams not always mean strategic progress.When a PMO is designed around business outcomes instead of project mechanics, everything changes.The PMO stops becoming a reporting function and starts becoming one of the most valuable strategic capabilities in the organization.Press play to learn how to build a PMO executive trust.P.S. Did you miss the live Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO workshop? I’m making the recording available through September 20. If you’re being held responsible for delivery problems that started with priorities and decisions you never had the chance to shape, this workshop will help you name what is really happening in a way leaders can hear and act on. Register to watch the replay before it’s gone. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  361: The Entrepreneurial Mindset Every PMO Leader Needs Right Now with Eddie Monroe 24.05.2026 40dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenPonder this - “Are you running a project or running a business?”Most project managers never ask that question. They track tasks, manage timelines, and report status. Meanwhile, executives are quietly asking a different question: does this person understand how the business works?I had an incredible conversation with Eddie Monroe, CEO of CCE Business Solutions, about what it really means to think and lead an entrepreneur inside a project or PMO role. Eddie founded CCE in 2022 on two non-negotiable principles: culture and customer experience. Those are not soft skills. Those are survival skills for project leaders who want a seat at the table.What You Will Learn How executives view PMO leaders and what they expectThe three intangibles Eddie looks for when hiring project leadersHow financial acumen separates good PMO leaders from great onesWhy 51% of PMOs shut down within 3 years and how to avoid that fatePress play and hear how project leaders who think like entrepreneurs stop getting managed out and start getting promoted up.Connect with Eddie Monroe on LinkedInWebsite: CCE Business SolutionsEmail: [email protected]: Your Career Will... Valuable Insight On What To ExpectFree 90-Minute PMO Workshop: Mention PMO Strategies when you reach out to Eddie Monroe to claim your free session, plus a complimentary 45-minute PMO Strategic Roadmap Session for your leadership team.P.S. If leadership keeps questioning the value of your PMO, the problem is probably not your team. It may be your starting point. Join me on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:00 PM EDT | 5:00 PM BST for a free House of PMO webinar on how PMOs can become seen, trusted, and valued for the IMPACT they create. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve been curious about IMPACT Engine Fundamentals, IMPACT Engine Practitioner, or the full IMPACT Engine System. Register for the free webinar here.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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  360: Top 5 PMO Mistakes That Keep PMOs from Demonstrating Value 17.05.2026 46dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenMany organizations still debate whether a PMO truly adds value. Some leaders see it as essential. Others believe it slows everything down. The reality is that most PMOs are judged based on outcomes they were never designed to deliver.In this episode, I talk about why so many PMOs struggle to demonstrate value and the five most common mistakes that lead to that problem. When a PMO focuses only on project mechanics instead of strategic outcomes, it risks becoming known for governance, reports, and meetings instead of results.Executives are rarely asking for more project documentation. What they want is confidence that the organization can turn strategy into real results.That shift requires a different approach. Governance must support decision-making. Metrics must connect to business outcomes. And the PMO must demonstrate early value that builds trust with leadership.When designed around outcomes instead of activity, the PMO becomes something far more powerful than a reporting function. It becomes the capability that helps the organization deliver its strategy.What You’ll Learn✓ Why many PMOs struggle to demonstrate value.✓ How governance can unintentionally slow execution.✓ Why measuring outputs instead of outcomes creates confusion.✓ How complexity and overdesign weaken PMO effectiveness.✓ Why delivering early results builds credibility for the PMO.Press play to learn what the top 5 mistakes PMOs make and how to avoid them. P.S. Many PMOs are working harder than ever and still struggling to earn the support needed to THRIVE, not just survive. The problem often isn’t the effort. It’s resistance, lack of engagement, and poor results. If you want to rebuild credibility with your executives and stakeholders FAST, the PMO Rescue Webinar walks through how to identify where your PMO is off track and shift to create immediate IMPACT. Learn more and register now. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  359: Trust and Alignment: The Real Drivers of Success with Dr. Kimberly Strickland 10.05.2026 38dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Power SkillsStakeholder engagement is called a soft skill. It is one of the biggest drivers of delivery success.I had an incredible conversation with Dr. Kimberly Strickland. She is the Director of the PMO at SAS Institute. Kimberly leads complex government and education project work. She built the Keystone Relationship Strategy from 20 years of practice.PMO and transformation leaders lose momentum for one quiet reason. It is not weak plans or tools. It is trust and alignment eroding across your stakeholders.Kimberly shares the early signals that something is off. She walks through the moves that reset expectations fast. You will hear how 15 minutes can change a project.What you'll learnWhy projects rarely fail because the plan was weak.The early signals that trust and alignment have started to erode.The "meeting after the meeting" rule and why it matters.Why cameras on in virtual meetings is a leadership choice.The one 15-minute stakeholder conversation that can change a project.Three questions every leader should be asking right now.Why busy does not equal productive in delivery work.How to make trust visible and measurable as a PMO leader.Press play to learn the people-side moves that protect your projects. You will build credibility and accelerate the IMPACT you deliver. Process and people are not a choice. You need both, and Kimberly shows you how.Connect with Dr. Kimberly Strickland:Follow Kimberly on LinkedInSpecial offer from Kimberly: Download the Keystone Relationship Strategy Action Guide. It is a one-page checklist with reflection questions and stakeholder templates. Use it right away. Available at https://pmostrategies.com/359P.S. If leadership keeps questioning the value of your PMO, the problem is probably not your team. It may be your starting point. Join me on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:00 PM EDT | 5:00 PM BST for a free House of PMO webinar on how PMOs can become seen, trusted, and valued for the IMPACT they create. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve been curious about IMPACT Engine Fundamentals, IMPACT Engine Practitioner, or the full IMPACT Engine System. Register for the free webinar here.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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS
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  358: 4 Questions to Ask Before Expanding Your PMO Services 03.05.2026 32dk

  Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!PMI Talent Triangle: Business AcumenHave you ever felt the pressure to expand your PMO services because stakeholders keep asking for more? It can feel like a sign of success. If people are asking for more support, your PMO must be doing something right. However, adding services without the right strategy can quickly overwhelm your team and dilute your IMPACT. In this episode of the PMO Strategies podcast, I walk through four critical questions every PMO leader should ask before expanding their services. These questions help you determine whether new services will truly increase your strategic influence or simply create more complexity. When PMOs focus on the right services instead of more services, they become true drivers of organizational outcomes. What you'll learn • Why expanding PMO services too quickly can reduce your strategic influence. • The four questions every PMO leader should ask before adding services. • How to evaluate demand for new PMO capabilities. • How capacity and capability IMPACT PMO service expansion. • Why aligning services with business outcomes is essential. 🎧 Press play to discover the four questions that will help you expand your PMO services strategically. P.S. International PMO Day is May 12th. Join Laura Barnard and Alexander David for a live 2.5-hour session showing how to close the gap between strategy and measurable business IMPACT. → Register for free and get the Value Gap Assessment. 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 BarnardGET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONSMentioned in this episode:355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now