PMO in the Sun: Summer Insights from the Hothouse

Just because the sun’s out and everyone else has decamped to the beach doesn’t mean the PMO world slows down – far from it! While your inbox might be a little quieter, there’s still plenty to get stuck into and even more to think about. This month’s Hothouse session brought us a scorching selection of insights, tools, and tales from PMO life – from global travels to AI tools that could make your working day just that little bit easier. If you missed it live, here’s your catch-up – brew in hand, windows open (or fan at full pelt) – and let’s dive in.

Whether you’re grappling with IT portfolios, mulling over hybrid working woes, or just curious about what “Napkin” is (spoiler: it’s not for mopping up spilt coffee), there’s something here for you.

Full Session

PMO News

What’s in Your Portfolio Pipeline?

John kicked things off with a look at the newly published 10-year infrastructure project pipeline from the UK’s National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority. It’s a brilliant example of transparency and long-term strategic thinking. With over 600 projects listed, including regional breakdowns, capital expenditure data, and contact info, it’s a goldmine for inspiration – especially if your organisation struggles to give a clear forward view.

Resource: National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline

The Risky Business of IT Projects

IT projects aren’t just risky – they’re uniquely risky. That’s the takeaway from new research out of Oxford University, which studied over 1,000 projects and revealed that when IT projects go wrong, they do so in spectacular fashion. Overruns of 453% were reported in some cases. John highlighted how ambiguity, optimism bias, and social as well as technical complexity all contribute.

Resource: Oxford Research on IT Project Risk (via Bent Flyvbjerg)

Hybrid Working Still Not Working?

The latest from Harvard Business Review suggests that hybrid working models are still riddled with challenges: from poor collaboration to weakened culture and underwhelming onboarding for new hires. The PMO can help lead the way here, creating more deliberate communication strategies and setting clear rules for engagement, including virtual meeting etiquette.

Resource: Why Hybrid Work Isn’t Working (HBR)

Out and About

Eileen Down Under

Eileen beamed in from Melbourne, where she’s delivering PMO training to a defence organisation looking to get all their PMO staff skilled up. A big surprise? None of the analysts had ever heard of a service-based PMO catalogue. She’s curious to see if the managers next week fare any better. A reminder that PMO maturity varies globally – and there’s always room to learn from each other.

Flashmob Goes Global

Eileen’s trip doesn’t end in Melbourne – she’s also heading to Auckland to run a PMO Flashmob event in collaboration with PMI. The goal? Have a proper chinwag about the PMO Competency Framework and find out how it lands in the New Zealand context.

Back in Blighty: A Very Social Flashmob

Meanwhile, back in London, John hosted a relaxed outdoor PMO Flashmob. Topics ranged from stakeholder engagement to AI tools, with some great stories about how PMOs are using AI for everything from meeting summaries (hello, Copilot) to business case brainstorming with ChatGPT.

PMO Pioneers

Cool Tools: Have You Met Napkin?

Lindsay snuck in a brilliant tool demo – Napkin. This beta-stage AI tool takes your ideas or text and generates snazzy diagrams and visuals. Great for ideation, documentation, and making your insights look sharp with minimal effort.

We love this! Created in seconds – it’s the Executive Summary from our Inside PMO Report!

Resource: Napkin

PMO Pub Quiz

Fun and Games with Acronyms

We wrapped up with a bit of summer silliness – a PMO-themed quiz covering acronyms and concepts from earlier sessions, including the infamous Cobra Effect and best practice myths. Always useful to test your memory and laugh a bit at the same time.

What’s Next?

With Eileen on the road, new face-to-face sessions being planned, and keynote speaker announcements on the way for the Edinburgh event, there’s plenty to look forward to. Keep an eye on the events page and don’t forget – PMO networking isn’t just for when you’re job hunting. It’s part of building a sustainable, rewarding career.