The PMO Professionals

27/09/2024

👋 Hey project people - for you - Can an ISSUE also be a RISK?

The answer is Yes!

But a RISK is a potential problem or challenge that has not yet happened, and an ISSUE is a problem or challenge that is actually HERE, so how can an issue also be a risk?

🤔

Allow me to illustrate…

Completely Hypothetical And Made-up Scenario 1️⃣

It is 06:00. During the night, the dog has left a “gift” (💩) on the mat just inside the back door.
The Householder is unaware of the situation, and is lying in bed deciding whether they can be arsed to get up and make some coffee (having been out the night before for a pleasant drink or two with a good friend).

Feels like an ISSUE, right?

The “gift” (💩) has definitely been left.
There is definitely an unpleasant mess that now needs to be cleared up.

So it’s definitely an ISSUE.

But it’s also a RISK.

Allow me to elaborate…

Completely Hypothetical And Made-up Scenario 2️⃣

It is now 06:50 and the Householder has decided they CAN be arsed to make some coffee. The Householder has gone to the kitchen and discovered the “gift” (💩) on the back door mat … about 2 minutes AFTER it was discovered by the robot vacuum cleaner, which commenced its daily tour of the whole downstairs at 06:30.

So, what have we learned from this?
1️⃣ An event that at first feels like an ISSUE(💩) can also be a RISK for an even BIGGER issue (💩💩💩).
2️⃣ Sometimes in projects and in life, 💩 happens (see what I did there?).
3️⃣ When 💩 happens, the sooner you deal with it, the less mess you have to clear up. This is especially important the morning after having been out for pleasant drink or two with a good friend.
4️⃣ When 💩 happens, try to make the best of it. For example by turning it into a 💩 post for LinkedIn
5️⃣ SplatGPT would never have come up with a post like this. You just can’t make this 💩 up! (Well you COULD, but I DIDN’T - unfortunately)
6️⃣ Robot vacuum cleaners have lots of little nooks and crannies that are very difficult to clean.
7️⃣ Cleaning out a robot vacuum cleaner’s little nooks and crannies is an especially unpleasant way to start the day the morning after having been out for pleasant drink or two with a good friend.
8️⃣ Robot vacuum cleaners can be equally effective at clearing up some types of mess, and distributing other kinds of “mess”.

Just don’t ask me how I know.

I’m not ready to talk about it just yet.

🤢



This was posted by Ken.Burrell.731 just to prove that he can access and post to The PMO Professionals page

06/09/2024

Want people to do something for you quickly?

Then you'd best make sure that you have provided them with everything they need.

Glass houses, stones and all that.

That is all.

🫳🎤⬇️


!

21/08/2024

https://www.thepmoprofessionals.com/2024/08/21/the-art-and-science-of-pmo-part-1/

In part 1, discover how PMO leaders can create robust yet flexible PMOs that are well-equipped to drive strategic value.

16/08/2024

Some CxOs think “We don’t have red projects here!”

(mainly because they say it loudly and often, and they make sure they do it within the earshot of project managers, whilst looking over the top of their glasses at them)

The thing is, those CxOs _do_​​ have red projects, but they have done all sorts of mental gymnastics to convince themselves they have several different shades of amber projects instead.

Maybe even FIFTY shades of amber...!

Unfortunately, this sort of denial culture is likely to result in Watermelon reporting and Green-side-up reporting, in which troubled projects are portrayed unrealistically favourably, with the risks hidden away.

Here at The PMO Professionals we believe it's better to call a spade a spade! ♠️

Of course it's best for the PM to share their proposed Red status with stakeholders (especially the sponsor) before it's reported, so that they aren’t blindsided in front of their peers.

PMs may also even find that telling the sponsor they are planning to report Red magically gets them the help they need, and that the status then is no longer Red - which of course is the best result of all!

!
Reporting

02/08/2024

🤔 Is it Watermelon 🍉Reporting?
🧐 Is it Green Side Up 🟢⤴️ Reporting?

No, this is something new, something we haven't seen before...

About now you're probably expecting me to make an awful joke.

Well, I would do ANTYHING for PMO, but I won't do THAT...

🫳🎤⬇️

You're welcome.

29/07/2024

26/07/2024

Does your data dashboard miss the point?

The character in the purple shirt on the right of the strip has fallen into the trap of focussing on the dashboard itself, and has lost sight of what the dashboard is FOR.

Fortunately the Big Cheese in the orange shirt on the left of the strip has their head screwed on, and is aware of what the information MEANS, and realises that ACTION needs to be taken as a result.

Don't be distracted by the data dashboard.

Remember what it's all FOR for (informing decisions and taking action) and don't let it become an end in itself.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

🏆👀









!

22/07/2024

19/07/2024

Spending a lot of time and effort wrangling data for your project portfolio dashboard?

📈📊📉

Why?

Is it actually being _used​_ to make decisions?

In a project portfolio context, data dashboards should inform project portfolio decisions such as:
• Which projects to start, stop, and defer
• Which projects to scale back or augment with more resources
• Which projects to resequence
• What changes could be made to improve the way that projects are delivered

Yes, automating data-gathering and collation would help, but if the organisational culture is that people who wear large trousers and have loud voices commission upside-down JFDI projects regardless of what the data dashboards say, then it's all a bit pointless, isn't it?

Don't do dashboards for their own sake.

Do them to drive DECISIONS.









!

15/07/2024

12/07/2024

⚠️ Bad pun alert! ⚠️

Seriously, don't look at this comic strip if you're upset by bad Dad puns that only _vaguely​_ reference project management...

08/07/2024