Welcome to the APM PMO SIG newsletter January 2020

Welcome to the latest edition of the APM PMO SIG newsletter!

In this month’s issue check out our upcoming events.
We focus on the mental wellbeing of PMO people and how we can support our customer to work in stress-inducing environments.

Also you can find a roundup of what the APM PMO SIG has been up to and the latest news from around the industry including some insights from this years winners of the PMO of the Year award; GCHQ.

If you have any comments on the newsletter or would like to contribute an article to a future edition, please contact us.

A word from the APM PMO SIG Chair

Welcoming in a new year for all PMO’s out there!

This last year has seen us start a number of initiatives rather than focus on one or two events. The focus has been on people, community and collaboration.

Working alongside other SIGs and branches, we have started planning a Charity Drive for those in the third sector who don’t have the capacity to attend lots of industry events. This drive will be launched with a number of events donated by SIGs and branches specifically designed for a third sector audience.

The people side of PMO became more important than ever in 2019, so following a Mental Health and PMO webinar, we have written a paper and have plans for the mental health awareness week 2020 (18-24 May).

PMO of the Year winners: GCHQ
“We felt we were on the right path and it was really satisfying to have that verified by the APM. We feel really proud to have that validation”

We got in touch with the 2019 winners and you can read about their journey to becoming award winning.

PMO and mental health
We have been focusing on the people side of PMO with a webinar and article detailing the impact of change on our people and our PMO Customers.

APM PMO SIG volunteers
Are you interested in getting involved with the APM PMO Specific Interest Group?

Becoming a volunteer is very rewarding! With access to like-minded individuals, APM PMO SIG (and other) events and opportunities to drive the PMO industry forward, it can help to increase your knowledge and expertise and will do no harm to your personal career path!

You will need to commit some of your spare time when you volunteer to be a committee member, but there are plenty of things to get involved with of all shapes and sizes; from contributing to the newsletter to helping to develop best practice and organising events.

Becoming a committee member

Ever wondered what it is like being a committee member, but were scared to find out more?

We asked Chris Mills to give some insight into why he got involved this year.
“As someone who previously has been a member I enjoy sharing views and understanding about challenges and opportunities facing PMO. I like to participate in events where I can share knowledge and experience as well as learn from others.”

If all of that sounds like a lot of work, why do it?
“It helps me to think differently about how I approach work and solve problems. It also helps to sharpen my communications and networking skills.”

If all of this sounds like you then it starts with just one step, contact a committee member today, and submit your application for the annual AGM in the Spring.
You will need to complete the online supporting statement form, once the nomination window opens.

Want to check us out first? Alternatively you can follow the SIG to receive news and information on APM PMO SIG.
Use the Link on the SIG microsite (you may need to login or register first) and clicking on the "Follow this SIG" button.

Book review

Book Title: Buy-In: How to Lead Change, Build Commitment, & Inspire People
Author: Julia Steel
ASIN: B07TTJ9V6N
175 pages

Rating:
Reviewer: Emma-Ruth Arnaz-Pemberton

You don’t have to look far today to find articles on the increasing rate of change we are all facing. Words like disruption, competition, and innovation saturate almost every business report and blog, and the pressure to be the newest, the best and the fastest to market seems to escalate daily. But innovation, disruption, and competition are not new. Ideas and innovations that came to life long before we did surround us. My point is: all of this change is not new.

Containing a number of sections detailing the different aspects of change, this book aggregates lots of existing knowledge about engaging with people in the right way in one place so that PMO people can pick it up and utilise the concepts to adapt their style as they take responsibility for engaging their Customers better.

Easy to read and follow this book is a great place to star the engagement journey; the right way.

Upcoming events and dates for your diary

Webinar dates for the diary

Position your PMO to better support your COO webinar
Date: 3 February 2020
This webinar follows the work we have been doing as part of the P3M Data Club to define data models for the successful governance of PPM. We will introduce the delegates to the role of the PMO and its growth to the future business support function for the COO knowing what we know about data today.

Where are your project saboteurs? webinar
Date: 2 March 2020
Good projects intentionally gone bad is a reality in every business. Every management project has opponents who try to manipulate it for their own gain. And they are frequently successful. This is often denied or hidden and PMOs need to learn how to deal with this.

PMO and Mental Health Week
Date: 18-24 May 2020
Following on from our webinar on the importance of the Project Wellbeing Office, this collection of events; hosted during mental health week will go through further detail on some of the key tactics of ensuring that PMO staff and customers are cared for in the right way to support their mental health.

Event review

Selling Your PMO – corporate event
November saw our first event hosted by Turner and Townsend in London. The session was focused on selling the PMO internally; bringing marketing techniques and tactics to help PMO teams understand the importance of selling.

The event was well attended with people from Turner and Townsend and APM PMO SIG members, who took away some key messages:

Know why your numbers are important: the amount of people who engage with the PMO is important
Understand the vehicles available: using emails for all PMO communication is not efficient in the technology enabled world of today
Brand matters: don’t be afraid to be different to your corporate ‘grey’, standing out makes a different to people’s perception

You can find a copy of the slides on the APM website.

PMO curator

For each publication, we like to pick out a selection of PMO related news and interesting media from other sources and neatly package them so they are easy for you to locate.

Take a look at this month’s selection by clicking here which include:

The Health Foundation CAPS toolkit designed to help you with creative problem solving
Figuring out where to focus your PMO efforts can be tricky with lots of high priority requests. Harvard Business Review have provided some research into what people really want
The latest research from IPMA, KPMG, AIPM included some interesting stats for PMO people, it’s worth a read