Power struggles

Conventional wisdom suggests that power struggles are the result of too many leaders vying for control, yet oftentimes it seems the opposite is true. Power struggles within a PMO are frequently triggered by an absence of solid team leadership or clear delineation of responsibilities. It may also result from a general lack of respect for the skills and contributions made by others on the team.

Solution: Establishing a firm reporting hierarchy, even if it incorporates the sometimes murky layer of matrix reporting, is a good first step. Strong, experienced team leadership helps to provide continuity and accountability. Outlining responsibilities and delegating tasks according to the organization’s structure and each member’s strengths will also go a long way toward widespread recognition and respect of the skills and expertise wielded by other team members.

Scattered budgets

A lack of firm control over project budgets usually escalates into performance issues, failed projects, and staffing shake-ups. Requests for more money often lead to blame (not always correctly placed), and havoc ensues when objectives are compromised because of lack of funds. The approval of pending projects may also be hampered because of a history of poor budget management.

Solution: Nail down what’s been approved, along with what’s been committed, spent, and how much money is left for each project. Devote sufficient time to formulating accurate budgets, and emphasize the importance of sticking to the plan. It’s also a good idea to appoint someone to maintain the budget spreadsheets on a day-to-day basis, so the entire team has on-demand access to their project’s budget position.

Disheveled documentation

Duplicate copies, outdated information, lost data, and an overall lack of order in your PMO’s documentation is guaranteed to cause problems. Team members may take action based on incorrect information, or pass along the wrong data to business partners and stakeholders. Projects that are subject to audits or regulatory oversight are especially vulnerable to poor documentation management, as the inability to produce requested information could spell project (or company-wide) disaster.

Solution: If possible, assign documentation management to one person in your PMO, or a small administrative subset of the PMO team. Next, centralize the team’s documentation, and standardize at every opportunity. Make good documentation practices a skill set that every team member is expected to cultivate and use.

Lackluster performance

Once the other areas of your PMO have been whipped into shape, chances are good that performance will begin to improve. If your team is still struggling to achieve success, it’s time to take a closer look at what’s going on.

Solution: Consider how communication is taking place within the team. While external communication channels may be functioning well, internal discussions may not be happening often enough, or involving the right players. Emphasize accountability, so that past problems in the PMO aren’t blamed for ongoing performance issues at the individual level.

Another frequently overlooked cause of poor performance is exhaustion. Closely monitor your team’s workload to ensure their performance isn’t flagging simply because they’re suffering from burnout. If it’s possible to bring in outside help, such as an external consultancy or other business partner to tackle overflow, contribute expertise, or provide leadership support, it may help to normalize your team’s activities.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.

1 – Your boss wants you to succeed. Consider the feedback, suggestions, and constructive criticism as just that—constructive. Try to quell your defense mechanisms and openly consider what your boss has to say.

2 – Get clarification. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you don’t understand or agree with any of the feedback you receive as part of your evaluation. Incorrect assumptions could hinder your efforts later.

3 – Be your own cheerleader. Your manager can’t be expected to remember every team member’s accomplishments throughout the year, so be prepared with a list of your top achievements. Don’t be shy about providing the list to your boss ahead of time.

4 – Corporate limitations affect everyone. Some companies operate on a curve for promotions and merit increases (e.g., only a percentage of employees can be promoted in each group, or an entire group’s cumulative increase can’t exceed a set amount). Your manager may not have the ability to give you everything you want (or deserve).

5 – Negotiate. Didn’t get the promotion you were hoping for? Consider asking for an extra bump in your merit increase, flex hours, or a bigger office. You may run into obstacles here and there, but a little creativity could give you (and your employer) a solution that makes you both happy.

6 – Think about next year. Even when you score a promotion or a fat raise, it’s never too early to plan ahead. Work with your manager to identify opportunities for additional continuing education, the chance to demonstrate you can handle increased responsibility, or participation in a more complex project.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.

1 – Know the regulations. Depending on the type of information you’re handling, you may need to adhere to federal or other laws that govern the storage and destruction of your data. Documentation related to health, financial, and immigration records are just a few examples that are commonly covered by state and/or federal laws.

2 – Know the internal rules. Many companies have put rules in place that address the handling of sensitive information. Check with your legal or human resources groups to be sure you have the latest information on your company’s code of conduct, corporate governance, or other applicable guidelines.

3 – Maintain your paperwork. If confidentiality forms or non-disclosure agreements are needed for individual team members, confirm now that you have everything on record. When new people join the team, immediately obtain the necessary forms for them, too. Determine if external consultants and vendors should also sign NDA or other agreements.

4 – Limit access. Review each team member’s role, and identify who does and doesn’t need access to sensitive information. The wide sharing of knowledge generally contributes to a smooth-functioning team, but access to confidential data should be tightly restricted to only those positions that can’t successfully function without it.

5 – Set clear expectations. Instruct employees with access to sensitive information to maintain strict confidentiality. Let those with access know who doesn’t have the same authorization, to prevent unintentional internal leaks, too. Sharing sensitive information with other companies might compromise your competitive advantage, but even sharing confidential information internally could present serious problems.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.

1 – Know your role. While you may be the leader of the group, your primary concern must be the group itself. Even if you’re a hands-on manager, remember you’re also there to coach, evaluate, and mentor. Make time to attend to each of these areas regularly.

2 – Understand the value of your employees. You can’t accomplish your team’s objectives by yourself, so work hard to help your employees do their jobs. Remove obstacles, work through glitches, and fight for the resources your employees need to achieve success.

3 – Keep fairness in mind. Avoid playing favorites or putting your own ambitions above those of your team, because people are quick to sniff out words and actions that are unfair or self-serving. You’ll still need to make unpopular decisions from time to time, but you’ll retain your team’s respect.

4 – Treat your employees like adults. Few things undermine respect and enthusiasm as quickly as being criticized, disciplined, or embarrassed in public. Allow employees the courtesy of carrying out sensitive discussions in private, give them the benefit of the doubt when mistakes occur, and never lose sight of their individual career goals.

5 – Look for each member’s strengths and leverage them. By utilizing an employee’s natural strengths to their full potential, you’ll not only allow the employee to feel a tremendous sense of value and accomplishment, you’ll also be giving your team the benefit of those skills.

6 – Encourage success. When an employee accomplishes a tough goal or really pulls out a win, seize on it. Let the rest of the team know about the accomplishment, look for other ways to repeat the success on future projects, and keep an eye out for opportunities that would allow the employee to help mentor others to achieve similar results.

7 – Give prompt, direct, and useful feedback. Without it, your employees will become frustrated that their efforts aren’t paying off, and you’ll be equally exasperated because your team isn’t reaching its potential.

8 – Focus on long-term success. Don’t expect employees to learn new skills, modify behaviors, or improve their performance overnight. Instead, work on small changes here and there, and you’ll find solid long-term results.

9 – Use mistakes as a learning tool. Once you’ve worked with the team to correct an error, shift your focus to helping them understand how the mistake occurred, what signposts they missed originally, and how they can avoid repeating the same mistake later.

10 – Realize that you aren’t an expert in everything. If you have a team member with more expertise in a particular area, don’t try to hide or mitigate it—celebrate it! Successful teams combine each member’s specific talents into a high-performing whole, and any ego or insecurities you bring to the table will only undermine that.

11 – Delegate, and then get out of the way. By stepping back and allowing your employees to do their jobs, you’ll instill in them greater confidence and a higher degree of accountability. You’ll also be supporting their efforts to increase their skills sets and improve their decision-making capabilities.

12 – Be a cheerleader. You should be your employees’ biggest fan and strongest supporter. Ensure that your executive team is aware of your group’s accomplishments, work with senior staff members to gain recognition for the team’s successes, and be diligent in rewarding individual achievers with promotions when appropriate.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.