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C-Suite Involvement: Support is Vital for PMO Transformation Efforts

Last Updated November 2, 2020

Three people in a highrise office at a board table all looking at a laptop with a window behind them overlooking a city.

There is a draft being felt by the C-Suite, which is coming from the door opened by disruptive technology.

Disruptive technologies – such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the internet of things – are revolutionizing multiple industries. They are also upending the traditional playing field, on which the wealthiest and longest-established players held most of the advantages.

The 2018 Forbes Insights and Project Management Institute’s “C-Suite Report: How Disruptive Technologies Are Redefining the Role of Project Management,” stresses both the qualifications of the project management office (PMO) to lead the transformation, as well as the necessity of the PMO having the full support of the C-suite.

The chiefs of the C-Suite – the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operations Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, among others – must embrace these changes and learn to manage the influx of these technologies if their organizations are going to remain competitive in this new business environment.

Embracing a Culture of Change

According to the report, organizations have experienced success using disruptive technology and established themselves as leaders by:

  • Embracing a culture that promotes constant transformation
  • Understanding that change management is critical in these times of disruption
  • Self-identifying as a “disruptor” or “leader” when making disruptive, digital and transformative changes

These organizations prize project management skills and look for new talent in possession of those skills. According to the report, professionals with project management skills “embrace frequent change,” a mindset that’s highly compatible with the quick pace of disruption.

PMOs Are Driving Transformation

Disruption is bolstering the status of the project management office, with 92% of the 537 executives surveyed calling the PMO the “driving force” behind their organizations’ disruptive technology-driven transformations. Additionally, almost 90% of survey respondents expect the PMO’s role in digital transformation to increase.

However, PMOs will also need to transform themselves to meet new demands. According to the report, success for a PMO was once defined as completing a project on time and under budget. Now, innovation is vital to the PMO’s performance. The PMO is immersed in the organization’s strategic planning and is charged with ensuring projects promote the organization’s overarching commitment to change.

The C-Suite’s support is essential to the organization’s successful transformation in general, and the evolution of the PMO in particular.

Leadership Vital for PMO Success

“It happens from the top down,” Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Chief Talent Scientist at staffing firm ManpowerGroup, was quoted as saying in “The C-Suite Outlook.” Leaders who are dedicated to and actively promote digital transformation are necessary to the organization’s successful transformation.

There are many ways chief executives can demonstrate their support and commitment to transformation. Some of those are chronicled in “The C-Suite Outlook” report: 

  • Jean-Michel Lemieux, Senior Vice President of engineering at Shopify, said that support from the C-level can be the difference between companywide success or failure. He encourages executives to involve themselves in processes by attending product demos and tech reviews to instill a culture within the organization that salutes and rewards innovation.
  • Melissa Smith, President and CEO of corporate payment solutions company WEX, believes that chief executives must “nurture the culture of the company.” Smith regularly meets with employees to discuss the impact and potential of disruptive technologies and the company’s continuing digital transformation.
  • Ken Toombs, Global Head of IT management consultancy Infosys Consulting, stresses communication. He speaks with as many as 40 of Infosys’ junior consultants each month, he said, because hearing younger professionals’ viewpoints helps keep his perspective fresh.
  • Beto Casellas, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Engagement Officer for consumer financial services company Synchrony, said exhibiting a passion for tech is a way of modeling the behavior he hopes to see in his employees. Casellas stresses that he’s “not a technical guru” but shows his enthusiasm by engaging in discussions about IT and disruptive technologies with his employees.

PMO’s Expertise Can Bring Rewards

The PMO is in a position to assume ownership of the digital transformation of its organization. While many PMOs already are leading their organization’s digital transformation, it’s the C-suite that decides whether the PMO has the power to implement strategy and make sweeping changes that come with transformation. According to the PMI report, chief executives would be wise to recognize the PMO’s expertise in this area, as well as the rewards – greater profits, a more engaged workforce and a loyal customer base – that can come with successful transformation.

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