What is the difference between transformation and PMO?

helpfullike
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A lot. Transformations are usually huge acts to “transform” a company. Within a transformation there is usually a small team that does PMO work to make sure the 90% of the rest of the team is doing everything on time and integrating with the right stakeholders.

like

"integrating with stakeholders" lol

Time to take a break from this industry

likeuplifting

Doing the transformation itself = doing work. Doing the PMO on a transformation = bugging other people to make sure they are doing work.

likeuplifting

Transform is usually a functional area that is synonymous with “change management”. Sometimes it can be more strategic and include things like new ventures, but usually it’s interchangeable with change management (I.e. how to go from the current state to a described future state). Usually this falls more broadly in the human capital or org change practices in consulting firms.

PMO (project management office) is a function within a project team or account. They are a group of people who ensure things like deliverables are tracked, timelines are updated, new team member are onboarded to the project, and meetings are scheduled. Unless you want a career in project management my advice would be to steer clear. Any skills you can pick up there can be gained in better ways in other roles on a project.

Yeah but with respect to skills you are acquiring, it’s still very similar to PMO but just on a much grander scale correct? You’re called in to transform a company, you need to identify X things that need to happen, setup a plan, identify the right people and track to ensure it’s being done. I am failing to see a major distinction between the two

Sorry, as a project manager, I have to be that person on this post. A PMO is a governing or supporting team/department/group/etc. not an individual person. The function of a PMO is different than an actual individual project manager. A practice, company, or client account can have a PMO, but typically an individual project does not. A PMO typically overseas all of the projects in the practice, company, or client account’s portfolio, ensuring that new projects align with the overarching portfolio’s strategic objectives. They may also provide direction on how individual projects within that portfolio should be managed by individual project managers or provide support via templates, access to past projects, etc.

A Project Manager, is responsible for...well, managing a project lol. Big 4 and consulting firms, in general, seem more likely to equate a Project Manager with a task master or admin, as seen in some of the comments on this post, but in other organizations they are usually held as accountable to their individual projects as a functional manager is to their department.

But to answer your question, “service” of transformation and establishing a PMO (or being a project manager) are not the same.

Didn’t mean to rant but have been on super awkward calls with clients where someone on the engagement team will call the project manager a PMO and have been called out/lost credibility with the client for not knowing something pretty basic when we’re being brought in as the “experts”.

helpful

1.4MM

Did ~2 months of PMO work when I initially started out of undergrad

Would legitimately work 4 hours a day, watch champions league / do udemy courses in a breakout room most afternoons (while waiting for replies to my emails) & peace around 4.35.

Low key miss that lifestyle 😄

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