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Why the CIO needs a PMO approach

In the dynamic landscape of modern business, the role of a Chief Information Officer (CIO) extends beyond traditional IT management. To navigate the complexities of work, internal business units, and external engagements effectively, adopting a Project Management Office (PMO) approach becomes paramount.

In this article, we delve into the compelling reasons why a CIO needs to embrace a PMO approach.

Why having a PMO approach is so important

Let’s consider the title here. I’m saying that the CIO needs to approach work, team, internal business units and outside customers, vendors and contacts like the Project Management Office (PMO) is expected to.

You may or may not agree with that, but the structured approach of the PMO and the leadership of a PMO director or even C-level CPO (Chief Project / Program Officer) can bring something to the table that the organization’s CIO and even Chief Executive Officer (CEO) can learn from.

5 reasons why the CIO needs a PMO approach

Here are 5 reasons the CIO of an organization would benefit from the PMO or PMO Director type approach to his position. In other words, 5 things the CIO could learn from the PM infrastructure…

Customer focus.
Communication as an essential tool.
Understanding the real need when problems arise.
Listening over leadership.
Accountability up and down.

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1. Customer focus

While the CIO of an organization may interact with an external client from time to time, usually they are more likely to be on the customer end of an internal project with the PMO or possibly as a reference or peripheral player on a project- internal or external.

A project that requires risk or disaster and recovery demonstrations would need the CIO to be involved and provide disaster preparedness quickly and efficiently – basically the ability to get the entire organization or customer needs / solution back to uninterrupted services within ‘x’ number of hours.

Customer-facing skills can take CIOs to new heights

On a $50 million US Department of Education project, I was responsible for putting on a demonstration to show that we could be up and running offsite in the case of a natural disaster within ‘x’ number of hours (4 hours, I think it was) and continue processing student financial aid data. For the project manager, customer focus is essential. For the CIO, that skill could take organizations to new heights.

2. Communication as an essential tool

There’s no secret about the importance of excellent communication at the PMO and project manager level. The same should be true for the CIO. When involved in critical planning meetings, running the IT department and IT level staff, planning at that C-level for the organization’s technology needs now and, in the future, and staying technically on top every day – these things all require good communication skills.

This position should be technically cutting edge so there should be even more involvement and more ways to use this position. The project manager must work closely with external project customers daily and make critical decisions for the projects they are leading, the teams they are managing and the customers they are engaging. Excellent communication is a must – the same should be… And it is true for the CIO

3. Understanding the real need when problems arise

This is one of those tricky areas where the PMO or project manager must excel and lead his team through on every project. Customers of all shapes and sizes and industries come looking for projects thinking they have the need or problem, the solution, the technology and possibly even the requirements documented and are ready to hand it to the delivery team project manager to build a solution for them.

However, the best project managers know all this information is just information and planning, investigation, lots of meetings and questions and decisions still must happen to distinguish the scope of the real project, understand the real technical need and the real detailed requirements.

That same type of detailed discussion, planning, decision making and question asking should be happening at the CIO level to understand where he needs to be taking his department next in order to allow the company as a whole to meet their own needs as well as their clients’ needs.

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4. Listening over leadership

Leadership is good, but listening is also critically important. The PMO or project manager must direct the team and lead the customer while leading the project. However, if they are not listening, critical input gets dropped and poor decision making may happen resulting in costly re-work.

CIO’s who only direct and do not excel at listening and discussing and planning within the department are going to find themselves out on technology islands unable to adequately serve the needs of the organization.

CIOs who do not excel at listening will not be able to meet the needs of the organization

5. Accountability up and down

Accountability up and down the line should be a characteristic of both positions. PM and PMO leadership is and always will be accountable to senior management for the success and profitability of the projects and teams and customers they lead. At least I know. I have been held accountable.

AI’ve had organizations where I had to meet monthly with the company’s controllers or CFO on the very large projects I was leading because their monthly success or failure in terms of profitability would so greatly affect the performance of the organization that this level of co-planning and information dissemination was essential.

Does the CIO also need to be that accountable? Yes. The level they are operating at and what it should mean to the organization make that level of accountability an essential part of the position.

Conclusion: embracing the PMO approach for CIO excellence

The bottom line is this – the CIO is usually a higher-level position than the project managers and PMO Director in an organization. If the organization happens to have a CPO or Chief Project / Program Officer, then they are on equal terms, but that position is a rare one. Yet, the project manager usually has and exhibits on a daily basis so many fundamentally key skills that many company leaders like the CIO, CTO, CEO and others should and could possess.

Project managers exhibit key skills that many company leaders should possess too

You’ve heard the term “be like Mike” meaning Michael Jordan. As an athlete, basketball player and person, he has been a great example. In the organization, be like a project manager or PMO leader. Trust me, it’s the right way to go.

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