Category: PMO
In the world of project management, there’s no shortage of project leadership styles to choose from. From the servant leader to the transformational leader, from agile coaches to scrum masters – the profession has spawned more role definitions than you can shake a Gantt chart at. However, when it comes to the day-to-day reality of…
Project planning isn’t about producing immaculate Gantt charts or speaking fluent methodology. It’s about helping people deliver the right outcomes, earlier, with fewer surprises. In professional services—where billable time, client trust and regulatory scrutiny meet—practicality beats theory every time. In this article, I’ll explore Waterfall, Agile and the increasingly popular Hybrid approach. I’ll keep it jargon‑free and focused on what…
Project management can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded. One moment you’re confidently striding forward, the next you’re hitting walls you didn’t see coming. After years of working with professional services firms on countless projects—from small internal improvements to large-scale transformations—I’ve noticed a pattern. The projects that succeed, regardless of their size or complexity, all…
The landscape of professional services has shifted dramatically over the past two years. As a freelance consultant who’s been experimenting with artificial intelligence tools since their mainstream emergence, I can confidently say we’re witnessing a fundamental change in how we approach our daily work. The question isn’t whether AI will impact your consulting practice, it’s…
If your organisation manages multiple projects but lacks structured oversight, then a virtual PMO solution could provide the flexible, expert support you need. The most successful organisations recognise that project delivery excellence doesn’t require all resources to be in-house or on-site. Just as hybrid work has become the norm for employees, hybrid support functions like…
The “law of the instrument” also called “Maslow’s hammer” after Abraham Maslow’s famous quote: “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you treat everything as if it were a nail” This remains one of the most persistent challenges in modern business. This cognitive bias continues to shape how organisations approach problem-solving, particularly in…
In the world of project management, getting the foundations right is crucial for the success of any project. Following on from the business case, the next essential step is producing a detailed definition of requirements, commonly known as the Business Requirements Document (BRD). This document serves as a blueprint for the project, outlining what the…
The Importance of a robust Business Case in Project Management In the world of project management, the business case is a critical document that lays the foundation for any successful project. However, there is a common tendency among organisations to inflate business cases to ensure they get approved. This practice often leads to underestimating the…
In my recent articles about project overload, I discussed how businesses often find themselves drowning in multiple initiatives, forever fighting fires rather than making meaningful progress. This reactive approach isn’t just frustrating – it’s fundamentally flawed. It reminded me of a brilliant observation made by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954: “I have two kinds…
This case study demonstrates the success of Project Portfolio Management and the importance of having visibility and robust oversight of your entire portfolio of change. The techniques described have been repeated successfully with many other businesses I have supported and achieved similar results. The Company The private wealth management arm of a well known global…
Do you find yourself suffering from ‘project overload’, trying to manage too many conflicting priorities? Do you have to keep multiple bosses happy, or have more new ‘initiatives’ to start than you can complete? If so, you are not alone, and there are ways to manage these situations effectively. However, you need to be careful…
When it is a Programme or a Porfolio! The terms project, programme and portfolio are often used inconsistently with different organisations having contradictory interpretations of their meaning. This can lead to confusion both within the project management profession and with others in an organisation. Here I provide my view of these project management terms which…