PPP 429 | Signs That Your PMO is Going to Fail: Insights from World PMO Influencer Bill Dow

08/08/24 • 41 min

People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast

Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Bill Dow, the Director of Enterprise PMO at University of Washington Medicine and author of multiple project management books. Bill shares his extensive journey in project management, from starting as a data entry clerk in 1989 to leading PMOs in various organizations. The discussion covers the evolution of project management offices (PMOs), key lessons in leadership, and the significant impact of AI on project management.

Bill emphasizes the importance of executive support for PMOs' success and explores future trends like increased automation and the integration of AI into project management processes. Both Andy and Bill reflect on the critical skills needed for effective project management, beyond just technical knowledge, highlighting the art of managing people and building relationships.

Sound Bites

"Project management's often misunderstood what they actually do. We hear overhead, we hear administrative, book a meeting for us, just bug people to get things done, go get us coffee."
"I thought I'd be a project manager so I could just boss people around. Like they'll do all the work. Little did I know how complicated this job is."
"If you don't have executive support backing you, you're not going to survive. It just does not matter."
"One of the key aspects of what I'm about is tenacity. I just keep trying and trying. If it doesn't work, I'll try again and try again."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:03 Start Of Interview
02:27 Bill's Career Journey In Project Management
04:18 Misconceptions About Project Management
07:57 Lessons In Leading People And Projects
12:52 The Evolution Of PMOs
18:42 Signs Of A PMO At Risk
28:26 Achieving Success As A PMO Influencer
34:32 Wrap-Up
34:50 Andy's Comments After The Interview
38:56 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Bill at BillDowPMPTraining.com.

Prepare to Pass Your Project Management Certification Exam

We regularly help people just like you prepare and pass their PMP and CAPM certification exams. If you or someone you know is thinking about pursuing project management certification, contact us! We'd love to help you earn your credential. Learn more and enroll at i-leadonline.com/PMSeries.

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Summary

Sound Bites

"Project management's often misunderstood what they actually do. We hear overhead, we hear administrative, book a meeting for us, just bug people to get things done, go get us coffee."
"I thought I'd be a project manager so I could just boss people around. Like they'll do all the work. Little did I know how complicated this job is."
"If you don't have executive support backing you, you're not going to survive. It just does not matter."
"One of the key aspects of what I'm about is tenacity. I just keep trying and trying. If it doesn't work, I'll try again and try again."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:03 Start Of Interview
02:27 Bill's Career Journey In Project Management
04:18 Misconceptions About Project Management
07:57 Lessons In Leading People And Projects
12:52 The Evolution Of PMOs
18:42 Signs Of A PMO At Risk
28:26 Achieving Success As A PMO Influencer
34:32 Wrap-Up
34:50 Andy's Comments After The Interview
38:56 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Bill at BillDowPMPTraining.com.

Prepare to Pass Your Project Management Certification Exam

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Tranceverse by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Fashion Corporate by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Previous Episode

PPP 428 | How a Navy SEAL Commander Can Help You Unlock Optimal Team Performance, with Rich Diviney

Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Rich Diviney, a retired Navy SEAL commander, about his book, The Attributes: 25 Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich shares his insights on the difference between attributes and skills, the concept of optimal performance, and how understanding these attributes can help build high-performing teams. They also talk about the importance of dynamic subordination, the relevance of attributes in hiring processes, and how parents can help their children develop these essential traits.

The conversation highlights the need to look beyond resumes and skills when evaluating team members and the value of understanding and developing attributes for individual and team success. If you're looking for an innovative way to better understand and develop yourself and your team, this is a must-listen episode.

Sound Bites

"In stress, challenge, and uncertainty, when things hit the fan, personality tends to go out the window. We're running on these very raw things called attributes."
"We train for certainty; we educate for uncertainty."
"Skills direct our behavior in known and specific environments, but attributes inform our behavior in unknown environments."
"A high-performing team is one that performs optimally even when things are not going great."
"Optimal performance means I'm going to do the very best in the moment, whatever the best looks like in that moment."
"Dynamic subordination means that problems and challenges can come from any angle at any moment. The person who's closest to the problem, the most capable, immediately steps up and takes lead."
"If someone is unwilling to take criticism, they are unwilling to understand what they're doing wrong. They're unwilling to step back and cede control. That is a dangerous place to be in."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
02:04 Start Of Interview
04:02 Differentiating Skills From Attributes
07:20 Developing Attributes In High-Stress Environments
07:07 Story Of The Non-Swimmer At SEAL Training
08:45 Attributes Vs Character
09:33 The Role Of Context And Environment
12:19 Senior Leaders Who Get Defensive
16:15 The Role Of Narcissism And Optimal Performance
19:39 Peak Performance Vs Optimal Performance
31:26 Training For Certainty Vs. Educating For Uncertainty
33:25 Attributes In Marriage And Parenting
38:43 Wrap-Up Of Interview
39:07 Andy Comments After The Interview
42:02 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Rich and the attributes at TheAttributes.com.

Prepare to Pass Your Project Management Certification Exam

Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Funny by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Next Episode

PPP 430 | How to Talk With a Stakeholder (or That Relative) You Don't Agree With--Without Starting a Fight, with Steven T. Collis

Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Steven T. Collis, a law professor and author of Habits of a Peacemaker: 10 Habits to Change Our Potentially Toxic Conversations into Healthy Dialogues.' They discuss the increasing polarization in society, and challenges in having healthy dialogues at work and in personal life. Steven introduces ten habits from his book aimed at transforming potentially toxic conversations into healthy dialogues.

The conversation covers topics such as the importance of intellectual humility, seeking real learning, assuming the best about others, and practical strategies for engaging in productive discourse. Steven also shares personal stories and scenarios to illustrate how these habits can be applied, including dealing with difficult family members and controlling emotions.

With all of today's political polarization and conflicts at work, this book is a must-read for aspiring leaders to help them at work and beyond.

Sound Bites

"My brother could pick a fight with a wall when he was growing up."
"It's not enough to simply stop; you have to replace it with something else."
"Being a peacemaker means having productive dialogues about hard topics."
"We use a lot of slogans in our society and a lot of catchphrases, and chief among them is diversity, equity, and inclusion."
"Could there be something else that's motivating this person besides my assumption that they're acting out of bad motives?"
"If you're just an argumentative jerk, you're probably never going to persuade anybody."
"It's easy to be judgmental of other people, but we know so little about each other and about what's happening in our lives."
"We have to actually put in extra effort to free ourselves from these echo chambers."

Chapters