Here are a few insights and take-aways from their conversation and previous videos in the series:

• When starting up a PMO, it’s crucial to take a snapshot of where the organization is today in respect to a few key dimensions: organizational culture, the strategic goals of the broader organization and the people and resources available to the PMO. Interviewing organization leaders and project managers across the organization is a powerful way to identify some of the pain points and assets; also, take time to speak with stakeholders, who may have some of the most valuable insights into where challenges lay that the PMO should focus on.
• Today’s PMO “is not a static thing. It’s constantly evolving,” Joe observed. Adam stressed the need for PMOs to be flexible in partnering with organizations and stakeholders to meet their goals.
• PMOs need to customize their cultures to fit their organizations in order to be successful; PMOs often have to overcome the perception that they are going to overwhelm the organization with excessive rules and regulations.
• Different ways of working are expanding to include newer approaches including hyper agility, citizen development, hybrid approaches and people-centered “power skills.” As Adam put it, “projects are people.” Given the increased interest in areas like agile and hybrid project management, it’s crucial that PMOs provide a greater range of choice for professionals in meeting their project needs.

One thing is clear from Adam’s vantage point: PMOs aren’t going anywhere. He pushed back on the perspective that PMOs may potentially become a relic of the past; “I think they’re absolutely critical if done correctly.” In his words, PMOs should be built to “remove obstacles to enable the organization to be successful.”