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

PMI Talent Triangle: Power Skills

PMOs rarely fail because of a weak plan.

They fail because the adoption stalls. Pilots linger. Big bets like AI never move into everyday behavior. The initiative launches with energy. People say yes. Then six weeks in, nothing really changed.

In this episode, I sit down with Tracey Lovejoy, behavioral scientist, strategist, and co-founder of Catalyst Constellations. Tracey spent 12 years at Microsoft leading innovation at the intersection of design, technology, and change. As an ICF certified executive coach, she helps leaders navigate complexity with clarity. And with a deep passion for unlocking human potential, she is the perfect guest to tackle the adoption problem head on.

We get into what is really happening when change falls apart. And more importantly, what can you do about it right now.

What You Will Learn

• Why adoption fails before the plan is even finished.
• The biology of change resistance. And why is it not your enemy.
• Why people resist change done TO them. Not change they choose.
• The grief cycles inside every major initiative. Even the ones people wanted.
• Lovers, haters, and just don't care. How to move each group forward.
• Build your listening skills first. Everything else follows.
• The network map that has nothing to do with the org chart.
• Two red flags that predict transformation failure every time.

Press play. Your initiatives can only succeed as far as your people follow. This is the conversation you did not know you needed.

Connect with Tracey Lovejoy:

Tracey Lovejoy on LinkedIn

catalystconstellations.com/book

P.S. Do you want my help applying what I teach in The IMPACT Engine?

This summer, we’re launching the IMPACT Application Lab inside the IMPACT Insiders Book Club to help you turn the ideas in the book into real movement inside your PMO, portfolio, and strategy delivery work.

Book Club and these workshops are free for all owners of The IMPACT Engine: Accelerating Strategy Delivery for PMO and Transformation Leaders. If you already have the book, upload your receipt or a photo of you with your copy (if it was gifted to you) and we’ll send your invite.

📘 Get the book here.

👥 Join Book Club here.

Thanks for taking the time to check out the podcast!

I welcome your feedback and insights!

I’d love to know what you think and if you love it, please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast player. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. See you online!

Warmly,

Laura Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

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

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Most PMOs do not fail because of the people leading them.

They fail because they were designed around the project management process instead of business outcomes.

Organizations launch PMOs hoping they will improve visibility, create accountability, and help leaders execute strategy. But too many PMOs become administrative overhead instead of strategic assets because they start with templates, governance, and reporting instead of solving the business problems executives care about.

And executives are not asking for more templates.

They are asking for confidence that the organization can deliver its strategy.

In this episode, Laura Barnard walks through six powerful steps for building a PMO executives trust, support, and rely on to accelerate strategy delivery.

You’ll learn:

• Why do most PMOs fail before they ever launch.
• The first question every PMO leader must answer before the building process.
• Why aligning the PMO with strategy changes how executives perceive its value.
• How PMOs accidentally create governance bottlenecks that slow delivery.
• Why early wins are critical to building executive trust.
• How to position your PMO as a strategy delivery engine instead of an administrative layer.
• The role PMOs should play across the entire strategy of lifecycle.
• Why do busy teams not always mean strategic progress.

When a PMO is designed around business outcomes instead of project mechanics, everything changes.

The PMO stops becoming a reporting function and starts becoming one of the most valuable strategic capabilities in the organization.

Press play to learn how to build a PMO executive trust.

P.S. Reading about PMO transformation is one thing. Applying it to your organization's challenges is where real results happen. Inside the free IMPACT Insiders Book Club, I'll guide you through the IMPACT Application Lab, a free live workshop series designed to help you identify what's slowing down strategy delivery and create a focused action plan for change.

Learn more and join here: IMPACT Insiders Book Club

Thanks for taking the time to check out the podcast!

I welcome your feedback and insights!

I’d love to know what you think and if you love it, please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast player. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. See you online!

Warmly,

Laura Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS

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

PMI Talent Triangle: Business Acumen

Ponder this - “Are you running a project or running a business?”

Most project managers never ask that question. They track tasks, manage timelines, and report status. Meanwhile, executives are quietly asking a different question: does this person understand how the business works?

I had an incredible conversation with Eddie Monroe, CEO of CCE Business Solutions, about what it really means to think and lead an entrepreneur inside a project or PMO role. Eddie founded CCE in 2022 on two non-negotiable principles: culture and customer experience. Those are not soft skills. Those are survival skills for project leaders who want a seat at the table.

What You Will Learn

1. How executives view PMO leaders and what they expect
2. The three intangibles Eddie looks for when hiring project leaders
3. How financial acumen separates good PMO leaders from great ones
4. Why 51% of PMOs shut down within 3 years and how to avoid that fate

Press play and hear how project leaders who think like entrepreneurs stop getting managed out and start getting promoted up.

Connect with Eddie Monroe on LinkedIn

Website: CCE Business Solutions

Email: emonroe@ccebusiness.com

Book: Your Career Will... Valuable Insight On What To Expect

Free 90-Minute PMO Workshop: Mention PMO Strategies when you reach out to Eddie Monroe to claim your free session, plus a complimentary 45-minute PMO Strategic Roadmap Session for your leadership team.

P.S. If leadership keeps questioning the value of your PMO, the problem is probably not your team. It may be your starting point. Join me on Tuesday, June 2 at 12:00 PM EDT | 5:00 PM BST for a free House of PMO webinar on how PMOs can become seen, trusted, and valued for the IMPACT they create. This is also a great opportunity to ask questions if you’ve been curious about IMPACT Engine Fundamentals, IMPACT Engine Practitioner, or the full IMPACT Engine System. Register for the free webinar here.

Thanks for taking the time to check out the podcast!

I welcome your feedback and insights!

I’d love to know what you think and if you love it, please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast player. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. See you online!

Warmly,

Laura Barnard

GET NOTIFIED ABOUT NEW EPISODES | TELL US WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN | PDU REPORTING INSTRUCTIONS