Explore every episode of the podcast PMO Strategies

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. 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

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. Join me live on Thursday, September 10, for Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, a FREE two-hour workshop from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. EDT | 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. BST. We’ll work through what is really driving the visible problems so you can leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Every registrant receives the Six Moves Workshop Workbook. Register for the free workshop.

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

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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

A 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 Adaptovate

Take the AI Diagnostic

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Project 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 now

Press 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 LinkedIn

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

One 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 room

Press play and learn how to stop sounding like the messenger and start communicating like the leader responsible for the outcome.

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

There 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 website

Connect with David on LinkedIn

Explore An Inbox Between Us

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

What 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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Most 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 everything

Press 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 Website

Follow Rick on LinkedIn

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Having 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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Organizations 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 LinkedIn

Visit ScottAmbler.com

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

One 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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

PMOs 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 Learn

• Why 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 LinkedIn

catalystconstellations.com/book

P.S. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Most 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. Join me live for a FREE live workshop, Six Moves to Build a High-IMPACT PMO, on Thursday, September 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Bring one real strategy delivery challenge, and you'll leave knowing where to focus first and what to do next. Register now to claim your free seat and join us live.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Ponder 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

1. How executives view PMO leaders and what they expect
2. The three intangibles Eddie looks for when hiring project leaders
3. How financial acumen separates good PMO leaders from great ones
4. Why 51% of PMOs shut down within 3 years and how to avoid that fate

Press play and hear how project leaders who think like entrepreneurs stop getting managed out and start getting promoted up.

Connect with Eddie Monroe on LinkedIn

Website: CCE Business Solutions

Email: emonroe@ccebusiness.com

Book: Your Career Will... Valuable Insight On What To Expect

Free 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Many 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Stakeholder 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 learn

1. Why projects rarely fail because the plan was weak.
2. The early signals that trust and alignment have started to erode.
3. The "meeting after the meeting" rule and why it matters.
4. Why cameras on in virtual meetings is a leadership choice.
5. The one 15-minute stakeholder conversation that can change a project.
6. Three questions every leader should be asking right now.
7. Why busy does not equal productive in delivery work.
8. 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:

1. Follow Kimberly on LinkedIn

Special 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/359

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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Have 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Mentioned in this episode:

355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Most leaders know sustainability as an environmental strategy. Reduce waste. Lower your carbon footprint. Build circular systems.

But there is a version of sustainability that is not on any corporate dashboard. It lives inside the people responsible for executing strategy. And when it runs out, everything fails.

In this episode, I had an incredible conversation with Mita Broca, Sustainability Leader of the PMI Norway Chapter, facilitator, and storyteller based in Oslo, Norway. Mita brings over 15 years of global experience partnering with orgs like Unilever, IKEA, Shell, and MasterCard. Working in sustainability, leadership, and human development, she makes it clear you cannot build regenerative organizations with depleted people.

What You Will Learn

1. The difference between extractive and regenerative ways of working.
2. Why 70% of large-scale transformation efforts fail and what it actually costs.
3. The burnout signals that are already present and most leaders override them.
4. One practical shift you can make this week to protect your energy and sustain your IMPACT.

Press play. Your organization's strategy can only execute as far as your own capacity allows. This episode is the conversation you did not know you needed.

Connect with Mita Broca:

Mita Broca on LinkedIn

mitabroca.com

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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Executives define strategy, but they don't always see what it takes to deliver it. That's where the PMO has a unique advantage.

In this episode, I'm sharing how PMO leaders can move beyond delivery oversight and step into the role of strategic advisor. Because the PMO sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, it sees the full portfolio of initiatives, resource constraints, and dependencies that shape whether strategy succeeds or stalls.

When leaders make decisions about new initiatives, shifting priorities, or reallocating resources, those choices affect everything already in motion. The PMO is often the only function with visibility across those interactions.

That visibility creates an opportunity.

I look at how PMO leaders can help executives understand the execution implications of their decisions, surface tradeoffs across the portfolio, and maintain focus on outcomes instead of activity.

What You'll Learn

• Why the PMO's position between strategy and execution gives it unique advisory value.
• How to help leaders see the portfolio IMPACT of new initiatives.
• Why strategy decisions continue long after planning sessions end.
• How PMOs help executives understand tradeoffs across competing initiatives.
• Why strategic advising builds trust and elevates the PMO's role.

Press play to learn how PMO leaders can help executives make smarter strategic decisions and ensure strategy can actually be delivered.

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 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Mentioned in this episode:

355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

You have been told to “execute the strategy”, But does your organization even has one? If strategy looks like a list of competing priorities, you are not the problem.

In this episode, I’m talking about how PMO leaders can support strategic planning. Strategy belongs to executive leadership. PMOs can facilitate the process that creates plans people can actually act on. That means addressing the elephant in the room: What matters most? What should we stop doing? What has to happen first?

What You’ll Learn:

• How to move the conversation from project lists to outcomes.

• Why PMOs are natural planning facilitators.

• How organizational visibility improves prioritization.

• The questions leaders must answer before strategy becomes execution.

This also ties directly to the strategy lifecycle I teach inside The IMPACT Engine Book. Strategy moves through definition, translation, execution, and realization. Today’s focus is the beginning, where clarity is built before delivery starts.

Press play to hear how PMO leaders can guide strategic planning conversations, help executives prioritize what matters most, and translate strategy into work the organization can actually deliver.

P.S. Celebrate and Elevate the PMO with International PMO Day. This special event celebrates PMO leaders who make an IMPACT and earn their seat at the table by solving real PMO challenges. I see you. This event is for you. Learn more about IPMO day 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Mentioned in this episode:

355: The Strategy Gap Your PMO Must Close Now

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Meetings aren’t the enemy. Dependency is.

In this episode, I address a problem many PMO and transformation leaders quietly create: operating models where nothing moves unless everyone gathers in a room. Meetings are part of leadership. Alignment, tradeoffs, escalation, and decisions often require conversation.

But when calendars become the operating model, execution suffers.

If your team spends all day in meetings and all night doing the real work, that’s not a productivity issue. It’s a system design issue.

Key Takeaways:

1. Why meeting saturation signals weak governance design.
2. How undefined decision rights create calendar dependency.
3. The difference between decision-driven meetings and status theater.
4. Why execution shifts to nights and weekends in over-scheduled cultures.
5. How to redesign your environment so meetings produce leverage

A portfolio review that makes no prioritization decisions isn’t governance. It’s performance.

👉 Press play to hear your next move. When meeting them changes nothing.

P.S. If your PMO is struggling to show strategic value, positioning may be the problem. Watch the free Rescue Your PMO webinar to diagnose what’s off track. Get the exact steps to turn things around fast. 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Most PMOs acknowledge risk management. Very few actually practice it. There is a difference between logging risks and managing them, and that gap is quietly costing organizations the projects they cannot afford to lose.

In this episode of the PMO Strategies podcast, I am joined by Russ Parker, PMP®, PMI-RMP®, PMI-ACP®, owner of 44 Risk PM and a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer. Russ draws direct parallels between military planning discipline and how project organizations should embed real risk expertise to stop operating in perpetual crisis mode and start delivering the outcomes they were hired to produce.

Key Takeaways:

1. Why risk registers get created once and never revisited, and the pattern behind it
2. The three root causes that turn risk management into an organizational formality
3. How project managers accidentally become fire starters instead of fire preventers
4. What a Risk Management Professional actually does inside a PMO
5. How AI accelerates risk identification, historical analysis, and risk workshop preparation
6. One of the most underused tools in project management
7. Why positive risks are being ignored and what that costs your project delivery
8. Practical steps to build risk management discipline right now

Press play to discover how adding disciplined, specialized risk management to your PMO structure could be the most strategic decision you make for your project delivery outcomes this year.

Connect with Russ Parker:

Follow Russ on LinkedIn

Learn more about 44 Risk PM

Subscribe to The Bearded Risk PM on YouTube

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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Failure hits differently when you lead transformation.

When governance fails to stick. When prioritization gets ignored.

When a roadmap stalls. It feels personal.

But what if it's not failure? What if it's feedback?

In this episode, I challenge the belief that setbacks are verdicts.

We reframe them as data that sharpens strategy and design.

What You'll Learn:

• Why transformation setbacks feel personal for PMO leaders

• The difference between failure thinking and feedback thinking

• How governance breakdowns expose executive misalignment

• The early career lesson that led to The IMPACT Engine

• What failing forward looks like in disciplined PMO leadership

🎧 Press play to shift from protecting credibility to strengthening your system.

P.S. Is your PMO seen as overhead instead of strategic? Most PMOs don't fail because of people or tools. They fail because of positioning. Watch the free Rescue Your PMO webinar to assess what's going wrong and fix it fast. 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Challenge a common belief: moving faster means accepting more risk.

That tradeoff is outdated.

My guest this week is Egil Østhus, Co-founder and CEO of Unleash, a leading open-source feature management platform helping enterprises reduce innovation risk and connect software delivery directly to measurable business outcomes. Egil brings experience from both engineering and PMO leadership roles, giving him a rare perspective that bridges strategy, delivery, and real-world execution.

Together, we explore how PMO and transformation leaders can go fast and stay in control by shifting from celebrating releases to measuring real business outcomes. Traditional delivery metrics like on-time and on-budget are not enough. Senior leaders don’t care that software was deployed. They care whether it improved customer experience, reduced risk, or increased revenue.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why shipping to production is not the same as delivering business value
2. How controlled feature releases create faster learning cycles
3. Why small experiments outperform large scope commitments
4. How to measure success through stakeholder-defined outcomes

If you are ready to accelerate strategy delivery without creating operational chaos, this episode will reshape how you think about speed, risk, and IMPACT.

👉 Press play and start iterating your way to measurable business value.

Connect with Egil:

Follow him on LinkedIn

Learn more about Unleash

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.

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Industry benchmarking has become one of the most sophisticated ways leaders justify decisions they already want to make.  

“Top-performing organizations are doing this.”  

“Best-in-class companies operate at this maturity level.”  

Suddenly the direction feels obvious. Except it isn’t. 

In this episode, I examine how benchmarking quietly derails performance when context is mistaken for strategy. Maturity chasing feels disciplined. Governance expansion feels responsible. But when structure outpaces capability, execution slows instead of accelerates. 

You’ll hear why benchmarking is politically powerful, how maturity models create false signals of advancement, and where complexity without capability creates fragility inside your governance systems. 

What You’ll Learn 

1️⃣Why benchmarking reduces accountability instead of strengthening it 

2️⃣How maturity scores improve while performance stays flat 

3️⃣The structural law that complexity must match capability 

4️⃣The disciplined test leaders should apply before adopting any benchmark 

▶️Press play to learn how to design governance systems for measurable IMPACT instead of optics. 

P.S. Stop doing everything yourself and start driving transformation. The IMPACT Engine System™ is our self-paced, implementation framework designed for strategy delivery leaders. Show up with the clarity and confidence your organization needs. Learn more and get started today! 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

If spreadsheets were the secret to PMO credibility, you’d already have a seat at the executive table. 

Instead, many PMO leaders are buried in trackers, refining templates, and chasing status updates… still not being seen as strategic partners. 

In this episode, I’m reflecting on why tools feel productive but often keep you stuck. I share how over-processing slows you down, how documentation gets mistaken for delivery, and what to focus on instead if you actually want traction and trust. 

What You’ll Learn: 

✅ Why tools feel safe but don’t build credibility 

✅ How over-governance turns you into the bottleneck 

✅ Why documentation is not the same as delivery 

✅ What happens when you stay buried in templates 

✅ How to pivot from tracking activity to driving real business value 

Spreadsheets are useful. Templates are helpful. But they are not the secret to successful leadership. 

👉 Press play and learn how to stop hiding in tools and start leading with strategy.  

P.S. If you’re tired of polishing dashboards and ready to build a true strategic operating system, the IMPACT Engine System™ gives you the framework to shift from tracking work to driving measurable IMPACT. Learn more and register today! 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

If someone looked at your calendar for the last two weeks, would they see a business leader or a high-priced administrative assistant? 

You tell everyone you’re strategic. You say you’re focused on value. But if your day is packed wall to wall with status updates, meeting invites, and data chasing, your calendar is telling a different story. It’s telling your organization that you are in the weeds, you’re overwhelmed, and you aren’t available for the strategic conversations that actually move the needle. 

In this episode, we talk about the "Time Audit." I share a story about a colleague who mastered the "Power Hour" and why most PMO leaders are doing $15 an hour work while receiving a $50 an hour paycheck. It is time to stop proving you can do everything and start showing you know what to prioritize. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• How to conduct a real time audit to identify your leadership leaks 
• The math behind why "comfort work" is threatening your strategic value perception 
• Why no one ever got promoted for being excellent at Excel 
• How to reclaim your "Power Hour" to focus on strategy before execution 

▶ Press ️play to learn how to audit your time and shift your focus back to where it belongs: on strategy, alignment, and driving business IMPACT. 

P.S. Looking for more guidance on how to build your strategic value as a PMO, transformation, or strategy delivery leader? The IMPACT Engine System helps leadership teams shift from reactive oversight to outcome ownership with the strategic alignment and clarity they need. Learn more and get started today!   

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Is your PMO measured by how tightly it controls process and compliance, or by how much it actually contributes to the bottom line? 

Old school PMOs were built for predictability, documentation, and control. In a business landscape that moves this fast, that model has a shelf life. The real divide today is control versus contribution. The PMOs that adapt faster deliver outcomes sooner, earn stakeholder trust, and prove their value with data. 

In this episode, I have an incredible conversation with Youssef Mouzahem, Senior Associate Director of Commercial and Contracts at Jacobs. We dig into how you can evolve your PMO from enforcing processes to driving real business value.

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why traditional PMOs are losing relevance and exactly what is replacing them 
• How to balance structure with speed through adaptive governance 
• The critical role of predictive analytics in proving business value to executives 
• How to move your PMO from compliance driven to results driven 
• The first steps to diagnose your PMO’s maturity and start building your roadmap 

▶ Press ️play to learn how to shift your PMO from process-heavy control to an agile, data-driven engine of measurable business value. 

Connect with Youssef Mouzahem: 

Follow Youssef on LinkedIn 

Learn More About Jacobs

P.S. The IMPACT Engine System helps leadership teams shift from reactive oversight to outcome ownership with the strategic alignment and clarity they need. Learn more and get started today!  

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

85% of managers are accidental managers; promoted without preparation. So how do you uncover blind spots, strengthen psychological safety, and lead with clarity? 

Ben Perreau, CEO of Parafoil, combines AI and behavioral science to help managers become stronger leaders. Discover why traditional leadership development fails PMO leaders and how leadership intelligence offers a practical approach to continuous growth through real-time feedback. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why 85% of managers feel unprepared for leadership 
• Blind spots AI helps you spot in real time 
• How AI-powered feedback differs from traditional coaching 
• The single most important feedback ritual every leader needs to put in place 
• Why your superpower isn't in fixing weaknesses; it's in building on your strengths 

Press ▶️ play above to discover how leadership intelligence can transform the way you lead your team. 

Connect with Ben 

Email the Parafoil team 

Connect on LinkedIn 

P.S. Want to move from accidental manager to strategic leader? The IMPACT Engine System gives you the framework to uncover your blind spots, build team trust, and lead with confidence. Learn more and register 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

You know that feeling when you're working incredibly hard, but executives still ask, "What is the PMO actually doing?" 

It's frustrating. You're drowning in meetings, status reports, dashboards, and escalations. So much motion, yet stakeholders still don't see your value. 

The problem isn't your effort. It's clarity. 

In this episode, I'm sharing three deceptively simple questions that change everything about how you're perceived as a PMO or transformation leader. These questions are the difference between being seen as someone who tracks work and being seen as someone who drives business outcomes. 

When you consistently ask these questions, you stop sounding like an order taker and start sounding like a strategist. You move from execution to intent. From activity to IMPACT. 

What you'll learn: 

• How to reframe your work in business terms that resonate with executives  
• Why "because leadership asked for it" is a red flag for misalignment 
• The fastest way to build credibility by reporting IMPACT instead of progress  
• How these three questions anchor directly into the IMPACT Engine System  
• How to transform your PMO from a reporting function to a support partner 

👉 Press play to discover how three simple questions can elevate your entire approach to PMO leadership. 

P.S. If you're ready to become the strategy navigator your business needs, the IMPACT Engine Practitioner Certification gives you the coaching, tools, and step-by-step framework to make it happen. This live online workshop runs for four half-day sessions: February 11-12 and 18-19, 2026. 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

There’s a moment I see over and over again with PMO leaders. 

You’re working hard. 

You’re doing what you were taught. 

You’re tracking delivery, building governance, reporting status, and trying to “earn” credibility. 

And yet…you’re still stuck. 

Still being pulled into admin work. 

Still left out of strategy conversations. 

Still wondering why leadership doesn’t see you as a true partner. 

In this episode of the PMO Strategies podcast, I’m sharing 10 things PMO leaders need to know, but probably don’t. 

Not because you’re not capable. Not because you’re doing it wrong. But because most PMO leaders were never taught what actually builds credibility, trust, and influence at the leadership level. 

What you’ll learn: 

• Why being busy doesn’t equal being strategic 
• The difference between project delivery and strategy delivery 
• Why confidence comes from structure, not having all the answers 
• How reporting activity erodes credibility while outcomes build trust 
• What PMO leaders must stop doing if they want a seat at the table 

🎧 Click play now to rethink what it really means to lead a PMO. 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Have you ever spent weeks crafting the "perfect" PMO charter, got executive sign-off, and then watched it collect dust while stakeholders still questioned your value? 

Here's what nobody tells you: You don't need a charter. Not first. Not yet. And maybe not at all. 

In this episode, I'm calling out the biggest myth in PMO establishment—that you need a formal charter to be legitimate. 

Spoiler alert: Projects need charters. But if you're building a strategic function? You need something completely different. 

Here's what you'll discover: 

• Why charters are strategy in a vacuum (and how that backfires) 
• The six stages of the IMPACT Engine System™ that successful PMOs follow 
• How to build trust and credibility BEFORE you define your structure 
• Why you need a business plan, not a charter 
• The exact process for co-creating services that stakeholders actually want 

Bottom line: Does the sales department have a charter? Does IT? Does Finance? No. They have business plans. Because they're built to deliver ongoing value, not temporary results. 

Your PMO is no different. 

Ready to stop defending promises you made too early and start building a PMO the business actually wants? 

Click play to listen now and learn why the traditional charter approach sets you up for failure (it's basically strategy in a vacuum), and what successful PMOs do instead. 

P.S. If you're ready to become the strategy navigator your business needs, the IMPACT Engine Practitioner Certification gives you the coaching, tools, and step-by-step framework to make it happen. This live online workshop runs for four half-day sessions: February 11-12 and 18-19, 2026. 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 Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Confidence as a PMO leader doesn’t come from having the loudest voice in the room, the most templates, or the perfect dashboard. Real confidence comes from clarity—knowing what matters, why it matters, and how the work you’re leading actually creates impact. 

In this episode of the PMO Strategies podcast, I describe what confidence really looks like for PMO leaders, why so many capable leaders struggle with self-doubt, and how a trusted framework changes everything. We talk about the hidden cost of operating in reactive mode and how clarity—not hustle—is what builds confidence that lasts. 

Through real-world examples and a powerful leadership story, I share how PMO leaders can stop second-guessing themselves and start leading with intention, credibility, and IMPACT. 

What you’ll learn 

• Why confidence is rooted in clarity, not charisma 
• How operating without structure erodes leadership confidence 
• Where confident PMO leaders actually get their confidence 
• How a trusted framework eliminates second-guessing 
• Why clarity fuels credibility and influence 

🎧 Listen now to learn how to become a confident PMO leader with a roadmap you can trust. 

🎯 Learn more: 

If you’re ready to stop winging it and start leading with confidence, the IMPACT Engine Practitioner Certification gives you a proven framework to design, deliver, and communicate PMO value with clarity. This live online workshop runs for four half-day sessions February 11-12 and 18-19. Learn more and register today! 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Hello January! New year, new PMO goals!  

By now, I’m guessing you’re already dealing with a full inbox and back-to-back meetings. And just like that...the excitement you had about improving your PMO is starting to fade as the noise takes over again.  

This is the point where most PMO leaders start losing the year. Not in March. Not in Q2. Right here, when urgency returns faster than intention does. 

In this episode, I’m not talking about resolutions. I’m talking about structure. The kind that changes what you say yes to, what you say no to, and how you set focus before the calendar fills up. 

You’ll learn: 

✅ Why resolutions fail leaders and what strategic leaders do instead. 

✅ How to define one leadership decision that changes how you show up. 

✅ How to choose a 30-day outcome that creates visible momentum. 

✅ How to align with executives and stakeholders before you deliver. 

✅ A practical weekly playbook to protect focus and show progress fast. 

👉 Press play to avoid starting January on autopilot. And don’t forget to download the Start Stronger worksheet so you can lock your leadership decision, set your January outcome, and build a 30-day plan that holds once the pressure ramps up. 

P.S. If you missed the first session, this is your opportunity to catch it live. I’m hosting another FREE live workshop, Building a Case for a Strategy-Driven PMO, on January 15 from 11:00–12:30 pm Eastern. We’ll focus on how to diagnose what’s getting in the way, align stakeholders, and build delivery plans that create visible results. This is your chance to work through it with me in real time. 👉 Learn more and register today! 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

As the year comes to a close, most PMO and transformation leaders are scrambling to finish projects, finalize reports, or jump straight into planning for next year. But here’s the question I want you to stop and ask yourself: are you reviewing what you did this year, or the IMPACT you already created? That difference lies between ending the year exhausted and starting the next one positioned as a strategic leader.

In this episode, I walk you through a different way to close the year. Instead of treating your year-end review as a status report, I show you how to turn it into a strategy conversation. Focus instead on reflecting with purpose, eliminating work that drains your credibility, and clearly articulating the business value you created, so leaders actually pay attention.

You’ll learn:

✅ How to reframe your year-end review around outcomes, not activity.

✅ What to stop doing so you can focus on higher-IMPACT work.

✅ How to position elimination as strategic leadership, not laziness.

✅ How to turn your year-end review into a forward-looking strategy conversation.

👉 Press play to close the year strong, reclaim your focus, and position yourself as a leader who drives real IMPACT. And don’t forget to download your Year-End Leadership Reset workbook to ensure you’re all set for what’s to come in 2026.

P.S. If you're ready to move beyond task tracking and prove your PMO's strategic value, it’s time to claim your seat in the IMPACT Engine Practitioner Certification program. This isn't about collecting another credential for your resume; it's about mastering a proven system that gets you a seat at the leadership table.

👉 Learn more and register today!

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

How many certifications do you need before you’re “ready”? One more? Two?

Here’s the truth: you’ll never feel ready by studying more. Because credibility doesn’t come from the letters after your name. It comes from the battles you’ve won, the chaos you’ve managed, and the decisions you’ve made when there was no textbook answer.

In this episode, I am sharing the credential trap I hear constantly from PMO leaders and project professionals: “I’m not ready yet.” “I need to know more.” “Once I have my [insert acronym], then I’ll be taken seriously.”

This mindset isn’t protecting you; it’s paralyzing you. Chasing certifications can feel like progress while keeping you stuck in “polished procrastination,” especially when it’s the typical cram, exam, and forget cycle.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why certifications can give you frameworks and language, but not credibility.

✅ How “one more certification” often becomes polished procrastination.

✅ Why executives don’t care what you know, but what you can do with that knowledge.

✅ How your real-world experience becomes proof that earns a seat at the table.

✅ What to look for in a certification if you want real application, not memorization.

👉 Press play to stop waiting to feel “qualified enough,” own the credibility you’ve already earned, and lead with the confidence that comes from doing the work and delivering IMPACT.

P.S. If you're ready to move beyond task tracking and prove your PMO's strategic value, it’s time to claim your seat in the IMPACT Engine Practitioner Certification program. This isn't about collecting another credential for your resume; it's about mastering a proven system that gets you a seat at the leadership table. Learn more and register today!

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

If you’ve spent any time in project delivery, you’ve probably heard the phrase “delivering value” more times than you can count. Leaders talk about driving outcomes, creating value streams, and measuring benefits. Yet right when you think everyone’s aligned on what that means, it becomes clear that no one’s talking about the same thing. 

In this episode, I’m joined by Trevor Nelson, a seasoned project leader who’s helped organizations across industries redefine how they see and deliver value. Together, we explore what value truly is, where it lives across the project lifecycle, and the critical role the PMO plays in protecting that intent from idea to outcome. 

You’ll Learn: 

✅ Why “value” isn’t a fixed metric and changes based on intent and perception. 

✅ How to identify where value really lives across the project continuum. 

✅ The difference between producing deliverables and delivering outcomes. 

✅ Why PMOs must be involved early to guide alignment and sustain intent. 

✅ How focusing on intent turns the PMO into a trusted business partner. 

👉 Press play to learn how redefining value can transform your PMO from a process office into a true strategic navigator that protects intent, accelerates outcomes, and drives measurable IMPACT. 

Connect with Trevor: 

Follow him on LinkedIn 

Visit NelsonProject.com 

P.S. Ready to transform your PMO into a strategic powerhouse? Our IMPACT Engine System can help you elevate your PMO’s role and drive organizational success. Register today to explore how we can support your journey towards strategic alignment and influence. 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Every great project tells a story, and the best ones play out like blockbuster movies. 

In this episode, I'm joined by Dawn Mahan, co-editor of Projectland Goes to the Movies and author of Meet the Players in Projectland. We're talking about how more than 20 experts used their favorite films to share timeless lessons on vision, leadership, and collaboration. 

If you've ever wished project management felt more like directing a hit film and less like fighting through endless plot twists, this one's for you. 

I'll show you how the same principles that drive movie success—clarity of vision, confident direction, and authentic teamwork—also define the projects that deliver real IMPACT. Plus, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at my own chapter inspired by Moneyball and Dawn's by The Italian Job. 

What You'll Learn: 

• How movie storytelling mirrors every stage of project success 
• The leadership lessons hidden in popular films 
• Why every PMO leader needs to think like a director 
• How to turn chaos, change, and conflict into collaboration that wins 

👉 Press play to discover how the art of great filmmaking can help you set the vision, direct the action, and create your own story of IMPACT in Projectland. 

Connect with Dawn: 

Follow Dawn on LinkedIn 

Visit PMOtraining.com 

Access Meet the Players in Projectland 

🎧 Companion Episode: Don't miss Episode 250—How to Build a PMO That Drives Results for deeper insights on this topic. 

Receive a confidential sample of Meet the Players in Projectland: Decide the Right Project Roles & Get People on Board 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Your words either build trust or break it. And when you talk like you're overwhelmed, you train your leaders to doubt your capacity—even if you're actually capable of more. 

In this episode, I'm sharing the unintended cost of sounding stressed and how high-performing leaders can protect their credibility by changing how they communicate under pressure. 

I walk you through how language shapes perception, why leaders often send the wrong signals without realizing it, and how to shift from overwhelm to ownership without pretending everything's fine. 

If you've ever said "I'm slammed" or "We're swamped" in a status meeting, when what you meant was "We've got it under control," this episode is for you. 

What You'll Learn: 

• Why saying "we're overwhelmed" chips away at leadership trust 
• How to frame pressure with structure instead of stress 
• What executives actually hear when you vent 
• Real-world leadership language that builds confidence 
• How to communicate risk and ask for support without spiraling 

👉 Press play to learn how to lead through pressure and talk like the leader they trust with more. 

P.S. Ready to transform your PMO into a strategic powerhouse? Our IMPACT Engine System can help you elevate your PMO’s role and drive organizational success. Register today to explore how we can support your journey towards strategic alignment and influence. 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

PMO leaders are great at execution. They know how to plan, deliver, and measure. But when change accelerates, those same strengths can become constraints. What’s missing isn’t discipline or process—it’s imagination. 

A failure of imagination is what causes teams to drift, leaders to burn out, and organizations to lose alignment. We picture success differently, chase separate goals, and end up working harder without getting closer to what really matters. Imagination isn’t fluff—it’s a serious strategic tool that helps you see around corners, prepare for what’s next, and create shared clarity before execution begins. 

In this episode, you’ll learn how to use imagination as a competitive advantage. Dr. Rebecca Sutherns shares how PMO and transformation leaders can stretch their thinking with her ELASTIC leadership framework—and how imagination, when practiced collectively, can align stakeholders, energize teams, and turn your PMO into a true strategic IMPACT engine. 

You'll Learn:  

• Why a failure of imagination leads to misalignment and drift. 
• How to build a shared, vivid vision that aligns people. 
• How to use imagination to strengthen strategy, not replace it. 
• What the ELASTIC leadership framework teaches about leadership. 
• A simple way to bring imagination into your next planning conversation. 

👉 Press play to see how imagination can move your PMO from order-taker to strategy-shaper—and help you lead the future, not just respond to it. 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

Connect with Dr. Rebecca Sutherns: 

Follow her on LinkedIn 

Listen to her podcast interviews

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Being useful is fine. But being indispensable? That’s a whole other level. 

This is what it means to be the ride-or-die right hand. The person leaders don’t have to chase, double-check, or worry about. The one who delivers relief and results when the pressure is on. 

So if leaders are looking for someone they can truly count on, how do you make sure that’s you? 

In this week’s episode of the PMO Strategies podcast, I share why being the “I’ve got your back” leader changes everything, how to shift from optional to essential, and what it takes to earn the kind of loyalty that executives reward with trust, opportunity, and investment. 

What You'll Learn:  

• Why executives don’t need more reports. 
• How to become the “ride-or-die” right hand to your leaders. 
• Why being indispensable goes beyond doing your job well. 
• How to anticipate problems and protect your leader’s credibility. 
• What loyalty looks like when you show up as the calm in the storm. 
• How to ask the right questions to shift from staff to essential. 

👉 Press play to learn how to become the one your leaders can’t lead without, and build the trust, loyalty, and presence that drive IMPACT. 

P.S. The IMPACT Insiders Book Club is so much more than reading a book—it's a movement. Join us for live calls, deep conversations, and a behind-the-scenes look at how to create real change with The IMPACT Engine. It’s completely free—grab your seat now and don’t miss what’s next. 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Do you ever feel like your week is one long emergency response drill? 

Most PMO and transformation leaders have spent their careers being rewarded for saving the day. But what if the very skills that got you here are now the reason you’re stuck in firefighting mode? 

In this episode, I’m joined by Jimmy Burroughes, high-performance leadership expert, host of The High Performance Leader Podcast, and author of Beat Burnout, Ignite Performance and Escape the Multitasking Trap. Together, we explore how to break free from reactive leadership and shift into the kind of strategic confidence that creates measurable IMPACT. 

Jimmy’s “village fisherman” and “icebreaker leader” analogy reveals the real mindset shift that separates busy managers from true leaders. He explains how those leaders create space, clarity, and trust so their teams can deliver results without constant oversight. 

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right yet still burning out, this episode will show you how to reclaim time, empower your team, and build a sustainable rhythm of leadership that doesn’t depend on chaos to prove your value. 

What You'll Learn: 

• The biggest trap keeping leaders stuck in firefighting mode and how to escape it. 
• How to reclaim 6+ hours weekly to focus on what drives business value. 
• The “village fisherman vs. icebreaker leader” framework to change how you lead. 
• Why confidence, clarity, and coaching are the secret to self-sufficient teams. 
• How managing energy helps you lead with clarity and long-term IMPACT. 

👉 Press play to learn how to stop saving the day and start leading it by building the systems, confidence, and capacity that turn firefighting into focused, strategic leadership. 

Connect with Jimmy: 

Follow Jimmy on LinkedIn 

Access The High Performance Leader Podcast 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

We glorify being busy. The meetings, the projects, the dashboards, the endless updates. It feels like progress, but it’s not. What it really shows is how easily complexity takes over and steals focus. 

When that happens, teams stall, stakeholders disengage, and leaders confuse activity with real momentum. The result is frustration on every side. 

In this episode, I share how to recognize the complexity that slows you down, how to shift your perspective so simplicity becomes a leadership decision, and why the ability to say “no” is what creates clarity, trust, and measurable IMPACT. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why complexity becomes the default in most organizations 
• How simplicity creates clarity, momentum, and stakeholder confidence 
• What changed when I simplified my own business 
• The false belief that doing more proves leadership value 
• How PMO leaders can build trust for stakeholders 

👉 Press play to learn why simplicity is not about doing less. It is about doing the right things, really well. 

P.S. Ready to transform your PMO into a strategic powerhouse? Our IMPACT Engine System can help you elevate your PMO’s role and drive organizational success. Register today to explore how we can support your journey towards strategic alignment and influence. 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

Every organization talks about leadership and agility, but few know how to make them real when disruption hits. 

When the pace of change never slows, how do you lead with clarity instead of reacting in chaos? 

In this episode, I’m joined by Ken Banta, founder and CEO of The Vanguard Network and author of Seeing Around Corners: Leadership in an Era of Disruption. Together, we explore what it really takes to lead with clarity and confidence when the pace of change never slows down. 

Ken and I discuss how self-awareness, adaptability, and influence are redefining leadership for the next decade— and how PMO and transformation leaders can move from simply managing change to anticipating it. 

You’ll learn how to shift from task-focused management to outcome-driven leadership that builds executive trust and drives measurable business value. 

The best leaders aren’t just delivering projects. They’re strategy navigators who connect the C-suite vision with on-the-ground execution. When PMO and transformation leaders build that bridge, they become the early-warning system executives rely on to see around corners and deliver lasting IMPACT. 

What You'll Learn:  

✅ What “seeing around corners” really means in practice 

✅ How to use self-awareness to lead with credibility and purpose 

✅ The difference between management and adaptive leadership 

✅ Why PMO leaders are the translation link between the C-suite and delivery teams 

✅ How adaptability and agility turn disruption into measurable IMPACT  

It’s time to get clear on what true leadership looks like in an era of disruption and how to evolve fast enough to stay ahead of it. 

👉 Press play to discover how leadership built on awareness, agility, and trust helps PMO and transformation leaders turn uncertainty into IMPACT. 

Connect with Ken: 

Follow him on LinkedIn 

Visit www.thevanguardnetwork.com 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

We’ve all been told that the safest hire is the one with the most experience. 

But here’s the truth: experience doesn’t guarantee IMPACT. 

In this episode, I challenge the old belief that more experience automatically makes a better hire. I share a story from a PMO leader who kept meeting senior candidates with impressive résumés—people who loved their methodology but couldn’t flex with modern, collaborative ways of working. Some wouldn’t move forward without every document perfectly approved. Others resisted iterative planning altogether. 

Sound familiar? Experience is valuable, but mindset wins every time. 

What You'll Learn:  

✅ Why the “more experience, better hire” belief breaks down 

✅ The real pros and cons of hiring experienced PMs 

✅ The strengths and gaps of junior and mid-level PMs 

✅ The traits to hire for, including the IMPACT Driver mindset and outcome focus 

✅ Interview questions that reveal adaptability, judgment, and value-driven thinking 

👉 Press play to learn how to hire for the future, not the past. 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Time. Scope. Budget. They're the scoreboard most teams are told to play by. 

But what if meeting those marks isn’t what earns you a win—at least not in the eyes of your stakeholders? 

In this episode, I’m joined by Dave Garrett, Senior Advisor to the CEO at PMI (Project Management Institute) and the architect behind PMI’s largest-ever global research study on Maximizing Project Success. Together, we discuss how the definition of project success is changing and what it means for project and PMO leaders who want to stay relevant. 

Dave and I address why success is no longer about project management metrics. It's about value. Specifically, value that was worth the effort and expense in the eyes of the customer. 

You’ll also hear how this shift is sparking a new era of leadership thinking, capability building, and organizational alignment. There’s so much more to project success than the triple constraint. 

What You'll Learn:  

• Why project success and project management success are not the same 
• The real definition of success, based on global research 
• How customer perception is now the most powerful success metric 
• The role of the MORE mindset and how to lead beyond project close 
• How to build trust, measure value, and drive outcomes that matter 

Get clear on what success really means and what it takes to deliver it. 

👉 Press play to learn how the future of project success belongs to those who lead with value, not just metrics. 

Connect with Dave: 

Follow him on LinkedIn 

Read PMI’s Maximizing Project Success report 

P.S. The IMPACT Driver Intensive helps leadership teams shift from reactive oversight to outcome ownership—with the strategy alignment, clarity, and business value focus they need to deliver what actually matters. Click here to learn how you can lead strategy execution with confidence and clarity. 

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

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working

Growth in a PMO career often gets measured by titles or the size of the portfolio you manage. But in reality, leadership growth is about making the right shifts at the right time. 

If you’ve been delivering results but still feel stuck, it’s not because you lack talent. It’s because every stage of your career calls for a different focus. Without making those shifts, you can stall out before you reach your full potential. The constant activity, the heavy processes, the endless reporting—that’s the friction. And friction keeps you from leading at the level you’re capable of. 

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the three stages of PMO leadership growth, what to focus on in each one, and how to make each transition without burning out. You’ll see where you are now, what to stop doing, and what to lean into so you can lead with clarity and create lasting IMPACT.  

You'll Learn:  

• The three key stages most PMO leaders move through. 
• How to shift from order taker to IMPACT Driver. 
• Why centering your PMO on business value changes your visibility. 
• The leadership moves that turn ownership into true influence. 
• How to focus on what matters most right now so you can transition smoothly. 

👉 Press play to find out where you are in your leadership journey and what to focus on next to move from projects to power. 

P.S. Ready to lead where strategy happens? The IMPACT Accelerator Mastermind gives you the coaching, tools, and community you need to stop operating like a support function and start driving the business outcomes your executives are counting on. Click here to learn more! 🚀

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