Insights and inspiration for project professionals

Tactical or Strategic?

At first glance, it might sound like a textbook debate. But in practice, this choice determines whether a PMO is simply tolerated or truly valued.

Across Europe, I keep seeing the same pattern repeat:

• PMOs are full of smart, dedicated people producing high-quality reports, templates, and dashboards.
• Yet when you ask executives what the PMO truly stands for, the room often goes quiet.

It is as if many PMOs have forgotten the key that lets them step outside their office. They stay busy inside (tracking, controlling, reporting) while the strategic conversation happens elsewhere.

When the Key Is Missing

I once sat in a governance meeting where executives were introduced to a PMO reporting template for the very first time. The document itself was fine: clear, structured, even visually polished. The process behind it was not the issue either.

But the reaction in the room told the real story: surprise. Why? Because the executives had never been involved in shaping that framework. To them, it arrived out of nowhere, like a foreign object suddenly dropped on the table.

The problem was not reporting. The problem was that the PMO had not shown up at the right table, at the right time. Without that, even the best template becomes just paper.

Why PMOs Stay Locked Inside

Most PMOs operate tactically: visibility, compliance, control. These are important, but they are not enough.

Strategy requires stepping outside and asking uncomfortable, high-value questions such as:

• Which projects should we cancel, not just track?
• How do we frame benefits in terms executives actually care about, like customer trust or political positioning?
• Which risks threaten reputation or stakeholder confidence, not just the budget line?

If the PMO does not take on this role, someone else will. And when that happens, the PMO risks being perceived as an administrative layer rather than a strategic partner.

Why This Matters Now

Today’s business environment makes this debate more urgent than ever:

• Transformation pressure: Digitalization, AI, and sustainability are reshaping portfolios at record speed. If PMOs remain stuck in reporting mode, they will miss their chance to guide the change.
• Executive expectations: Leaders want clarity and alignment, not another spreadsheet. They expect partners who can simplify complexity and help them make tough calls.
• Talent at stake: Many PMOs are staffed with brilliant professionals. If their role is reduced to filling in templates, frustration and attrition are inevitable.

The real tragedy is not lack of talent. It is a lack of courage to step out.

Three Ways to Unlock the Door

1. Speak benefits, not outputs.
   Executives do not worry about how many templates were submitted. They care about impact. Instead of “20 active projects,” say “€X million in value delivered, Y% customer satisfaction improved, or Z tons of CO₂ reduced.”
2. Host the uncomfortable conversations.
   Alignment does not happen by itself. If executives disagree on priorities, the PMO has the legitimacy to put alignment on the agenda. Not by dictating choices, but by facilitating the discussion nobody else dares to host.
3. Keep it simple.
   Sponsors do not want SPI curves or ten-slide dashboards. They want to know: are we on track or not? Simplicity does not mean superficiality. It means filtering the noise and presenting a message that sticks.

What Good Looks Like

The most effective PMOs I have encountered do not hide behind processes. They shape the portfolio by:

• Highlighting which projects no longer create value.
• Translating technical outcomes into business impact.
• Ensuring executives face risks before they become crises.

These PMOs do not just manage projects. They create trust at the top table. They remind leadership not only what the organization is doing, but why it matters.

Final Thought

The PMO talent pool is not the issue. Most offices are full of skilled, committed people. The real challenge is remembering that the door was never locked. The key has always been in our hands.

So, here is my question to the Belgian and European PMI community:
Are we ready for PMOs that act as strategic partners to leadership, or will we keep shaking the door handle, forgetting that we already hold the key?

 

Asier Eibar
Professional Development Team, PMI Belgium Chapter