Leading Successful PMOs

Peter Taylor is a dynamic and commercially astute professional who, over the last 26 years, has achieved notable success in project management. His background is in project management across three major business areas using MRP/ERP systems with various software houses culminating in his current role with Infor, and including Business Intelligence (BI) with Cognos, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with Siemens. He has spent the last seven years leading PMOs and developing project managers and is now focusing on project-based services development with Infor. Peter is an accomplished communicator and leader; he is a professional speaker as well as the author of The Lazy Project Manager and The Lazy Winner.

'For years there has been an inaccurate view that PMOs define and maintain project management standards. This view has led to untold PMO difficulties. The PMO in whatever shape or form is entirely about leadership and achievement. Kudos to Peter Taylor for spotlighting this and bringing us this practical reference.' Mark Price Perry, Founder, BOT International and author, Business Driven PMO Setup and Business Driven PPM 'Finally a book for current and aspiring PMO leaders. While any practitioner worth his or her salt knows that the soft skills are what makes or breaks PMO leaders, too many organizations select their project leaders based on technical expertise. Whether you are charged with selecting the next PMO leader, aspiring to be one, or simply struggling to rise to the challenge of your leadership position Peter Taylor's insightful new work, Leading Successful PMOs, will help set you on a focused path to leadership and success.' J. LeRoy Ward, Executive Vice President, ESI International 'It is fascinating to see the positioning and examination of the PMO from the Business Organization perspective. Not least of interest are the six PMO types viewed from this perspective. Is this the catalyst needed to get PMOs re-positioned by Business Schools?" - Eric Stein MSc Eng PMP IBM GTS Service delivery, Leader TPS Nordic cPMO Portfolio Review. 'What makes this book different from others is that it touches only lightly on the mechanisms of project / programme / portfolio management and how a PMO runs, and instead focuses on the features and attributes of successful PMOs, and by extension the features and attributes of successful PMO leaders...Peter has found an excellent tone of voice in writing this book; it sounds like a seasoned "old pro" mentoring a well-respected up-and-coming colleague...All in all I found this an enjoyable and informative read, with some new thinking based on original (informal) research. I would recommend this book to all PMO leaders, and those aspiring to become so... it's the kind of book you'll come back to again and again.' Ken Burrell, Managing Director, Brilliant Baselines Ltd

• Contents: Foreword, Chris Walters; Foreword, David Ayling-Smith; Introduction; The meaning and purpose of a PMO; What makes a PMO successful?; Being a successful PMO leader; Starting a PMO; The final frontier; Appendices.