Episode 384

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Published on:

1st Nov 2026

384: The PMO Math Problem: Why More Work Creates Less Value

Welcome to the PMO Strategies Podcast + Blog, where PMO leaders become IMPACT Drivers!

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

PMO leaders are usually excellent at addition. A stakeholder needs better visibility, so we add a dashboard. Projects are struggling, so we add governance. Adoption is weak, so we add training, communication, and another control.

Every addition may be defensible. Together, they can leave your team spread across too many unfinished services while executives are still waiting for something to get better.

In this episode, I’m taking you through the PMO math problem that keeps capable leaders busy without creating enough visible value. We’ll look at why the organization’s ability to absorb change matters just as much as your team’s capacity, and why subtraction is a leadership decision rather than a retreat.

🔹 How the addition trap erodes adoption and executive trust

🔹 What to subtract without abandoning important commitments

🔹 Why one root-cause-focused MVP can solve more than several partial services

🔹 How a finished result creates champions who help multiply your IMPACT

Press play to learn how to focus your PMO on the right business problem, deliver measurable value sooner, and build support for what comes next.

P.S. Ready to stop piecing together the answer? Join me live for the IMPACT Engine Practitioner Certification Program on December 2, 4, 9, and 11. During these live, virtual half-day sessions, we will work through all six stages of the IMPACT Engine and practice making the focused decisions your organization needs. Explore IMPACT Engine Practitioner. Enrollment closes November 20, 2026.

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Warmly,

Laura Barnard

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About the Podcast

PMO Strategies
with Laura Barnard
In this podcast, PMO leaders and those wanting to capitalize on the best of project management to deliver the organization’s strategy will uncover the hidden secrets of the best PMOs, learn the game-changing techniques that transform any PMO into a value-driven IMPACT Engine, and explore the best ways for the PMO to become an integral part of the fabric and future of an organization. After spending two and a half decades helping organizations deliver change, with 15 of those years in the shoes of PMO leader inside organizations, Laura strongly believes that there is more to making an IMPACT than templates, tools, and process. She’ll show you how to make the shifts necessary to become a business-focused PMO that will become an invaluable organizational asset. With her guests and insights, we explore the sticky situations and tough challenges PMO leaders face, from sorting through all of the “noise” about what the PMO “should” do to finding the best ways for your PMO to make an IMPACT. Listen in, and you can discover how to shift your focus from outputs to outcomes, fundamentally changing the game for your PMO and personal success.

About your host

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Laura Barnard