For the longest time, I believed that the lack of stakeholder buy-in was the #1 reason why PMOs fail. But I can tell you that after having worked with a ton of PMOs & PMO leaders, I was wrong. I have realized that the biggest reason why PMOs fail is the self-doubt of PMO leaders. When PMO leaders don't have confidence in themselves and what they are doing, they end up: ❌ listening to the loudest voices and acting accordingly ❌ pleasing people instead of doing what's right ❌ focusing on the short-term and losing sight of the bigger game Which results in them: ❌ being reactive instead of proactive ❌ not having a plan in place to execute ❌ getting frustrated by their lack of progress All negatively impacting the things they are working on (i.e. their PMO). The good news... ... PMO leaders who're in this situation can turn this around using a 2-pronged approach: 1️⃣ working on themselves 2️⃣ working on their PMO Morning routines, affirmations, and regular exercise are great starters for PMO leaders to start working on themselves. But they also need to do a self-introspection on areas they could improve on, and build & execute a plan to hit those goals. And to create their PMOs, understanding the root causes of why project management is failing, prioritizing these issues, and solving for them should be the singular focus of PMO leaders. Developing small-term milestones for both these areas (working on themselves and on their PMOs) is critical for PMO leaders. Because achieving these milestones results in success, success builds confidence, and confidence eradicates self-doubt. It’s tough as it is to work on just 1️⃣ or 2️⃣ on their own, so when I observe PMO leaders executing them hand-in-hand, it’s like watching poetry in motion. #pmo #pmot #projectmanagementoffice #projectmanagement #pmoleader #pmoleadership #leader #leadership #professionaldevelopment #careertrajectory #challenges #success