I just returned from PMI’s PMO Symposium 2010 in Dallas. It was an extremely well attended event. A number of common themes were apparent throughout a majority of the presentations (including mine). Two stood out most of all:
- PMO as Integrator- To remain relevant, PMOs are shifting their focus from execution to alignment, and from tactics to strategy and operational planning. They are well positioned to do so, and to serve as a valuable integration point for their organizations—integrating capacity and demand, strategy and execution, business and technology, and so on. Nearly every presentation made this point in one context or another.
- What’s in a Name? – Well, everything. Many organizations are looking to a name change for their PMO to avoid the stigma as the “methodology police” and to better convey their new role as an integrator and knowledge broker. Some names tossed around at the conference: Integration Management Office, Demand Management Office, Management Services Office, Delivery Management Office, Office of Innovation and Strategy, Office of Strategy and Planning, Strategic Management Office, Portfolio Management Center, Management Integration Center, and, well… you get the idea.
Are you thinking of a new name for your PMO? Have you already called it something else? What names resonate most with you?
Jerry Manas is an internationally best-selling author and researcher, and Senior Writer/Editor at Planview, the leading Enterprise Portfolio Management software company. His books Napoleon on Project Management, cited by management guru Tom Peters for its timeless principles, and Managing the Gray Areas, touted by Orlando Magic founder Pat Williams as "a new path for leaders," were critically acclaimed, with the former being translated into 8 languages. More recently, he co-authored 42 Rules for Creating WE, which was hailed by Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts as "today's greatest guide for team success." His latest book, released January 2010, is Project Lessons from the Roman Empire.
Jerry is a founding member of The Creating We Institute (www.creatingweinstitute.com), an international thought leadership community dedicated to fostering WE-centric practices. He is also co-founder of PMThink! and a founding member of the Project Management Institute's New Media Council. Visit his website at www.jerrymanas.com. 
